Yours Truly, Ramona

chapter one | beginning of the end.

I'd love to punch Joseph in the face. If it wouldn't result in me losing my job, that is.

I mean, the way he thinks he can just come up behind me and put his hands all over me disgusts me. What frustrates me even more is the fact that there's nothing I can do about it.

What am I supposed to do? Talk to the supervisor?

Oh, wait.

Joseph is the supervisor.

I mean, I guess I could quit, but then I'd be out of money. I wouldn't be able to pay for Mason's medication, his daycare, groceries, or any other expenses that have fallen onto my shoulders within the past few years. Truth is, I need the money, and that leaves me with little choice.

I bring my hand up to rub my temples as another fight breaks out in the kitchen between Marta and Allen. The surrounding bedroom is dark except for the hallway light beaming in from under the door.

It would be a peaceful, perfect night to get refreshing sleep. If I didn't have two asshat foster parents screaming at each other, that is.

"You are such an asshole!" I hear Marta slur.

I let out an irritated huff and roll my tired body over in my bed to check the time.

One-thirty in the morning. An hour earlier than last night's scuffle.

"You're sleeping with another woman! You had an affair and you expect me to be okay with it?!" she yells again, likely attempting to be menacing though the alcohol trips up her words.

I mutter a curse at Marta and Allen for waking me up with their loud argument, although I wasn't sleeping all that well in the first place.

This whole 'coming home drunk and fighting with each other' is getting old. I can understand why Marta's upset about Allen's infidelity, but it's useless to keep fighting with him. She won't get anywhere.
He's nothing but an unfixable cunt and there is nothing she can do to change that, as unfortunate as it is.

"I don't love you!" Allen fires back.

We know.

I groan and pick up a pillow from my bed, sticking it over my face to help quiet their shouting. Nadia's made dance practice particularly brutal this week and so my aching muscles need this rest. The rest I won't be getting, thanks to them.

The yelling grows heavier for a moment while the hinges on my door creak open, and when my door closes the fighting is muffled once again. I can hear Mason's small footsteps making their way to my bed in their search for comfort amidst the chaos. The same search he made last night, and the night before that.

"Ray? Are you awake?" he whispers.

I peel the pillow off of my face to reveal a tired-eyed Mason, his blonde hair matted and sticking up in odd places.

"I'm awake, bug."

He rubs his eyes and steps closer to the bed.

"I wanna sleep with you. I'm scared of all the yelling."

I scoot over in my bed and make enough space for him to crawl in beside me and snuggle his way into my arms. He doesn't have to ask at this point. My arms are always open and always available.