this isn't a love story

today.txt

I guess I'm doing this now.

Today, I got up to go to work with you, my mom, and my brother. I don't usually agree on going, but we we're going back up to Naples, to see my a couple of my favorite people. My brother wasn't going, though.

In the car, I reiterate to my mom, telling her, "I'm sick."
"We have medicine at the shop."
"Okay."
We were on our way to Saigon Deli to get 'bánh mí' for breakfast. After my mom 'got this bread' we were on our way to her shop. This man that was cutting the leaves outside proceeded to walk near the car, with his giant leaf cutter, almost hitting the car. You flail your arms up in distress and the other male says, "What?" You roll the window down and argue with him. His last words being "Have a nice day!" In a semi-mad, semi-havetobenicetohim tone. We drive away. I say "Why do you have to get into road rage for?"
"Because he was walking in front of the car."
"Well, if he gets hit, it'll be his fault anyways."
"If he hits the car, we'll also be in trouble." My mom says.
You go on, "Who pays for the car if he hits us? He has to watch out. It was his fault..." I don't quite remember what else you said, but you went on, and I finally replied, "Okay, I get it, I know, I'm not gonna listen to you anymore." My mom turns back to look at me and I look away as you go on talking about what happened. We're both in a pissy mood, my mom looks stressed, or more worried, I couldn't read her face that well. I bet you didn't care, either.

We get to the mall, where the 'shop' is, a nail shop, to be exact. The day goes by, I don't talk to you, you don't talk to me, as per usual.

It's time we leave the shop to go to Naples. You're outside, smoking your cigarette. My mom gathers all the items in the back room to take to the car. She even ironed your Burberry button-up shirt. She has plenty of stuff with her, and so do I, because I had to carry my items. It was just me and her, my brother wasn't going to Naples with us, he doesn't enjoy it there as much as I do.

My mom puts her makeup basket down in the middle of the street to get her keys from her pocket. I pick up her makeup for her and she finds her keys. She doesn't look so well herself. She put all the items in her car and I take my brother's stuff from the car to put back in the shop for him later, since he's staying with my aunt until my mom and you get back tomorrow.

You're not there to help my mom with your stuff. You're not there to help with her stuff. You're still smoking your cigarette.

I come back after dropping my brother's stuff inside the shop, I walk outside and see my mom in the driver's seat, you're in the passengers seat, ready to go to sleep for the 2 hour drive.

My mom looks stressed. But I couldn't do anything about it. No one listens to me. So I put in my earbuds and decided to go to sleep myself. You grab the pillow from the back, where I am sitting. It's okay though, I'm not using it. But you grabbed it aggressively. Why are you so tense all the time?

I can't sleep, my head hurts, I'm still sick, I can barely hear from my right ear, so I gulp down a Cold & Flu Daytime type of medicine from Walgreens. I drink whatever was left from earlier's Dr. Pepper, from the Chinese food my brother and I shared. I turn my music louder, my phone's at 33%, I'm worried it's gonna die, but I let it slide.

I wake up and we're at a gas station, I fell asleep for about 30 minutes. My mom's purse is in the back seat and she tries to get it from the front seat; she can't. She gets out of the car and walks to the back door, where my back is leaning, luckily I was awake. My mom continues to attempt grab her purse, but it won't budge because my foot is in the way. It's obvious at this point something's wrong, I think, she's most likely stressed from work. I tell her "Mom? Mom! Let me move my leg first." She still continues to try to pull at it while I try to move my leg for her, I barely do, but she grasps her purse free.

My mom gets the gas and you offer to drive, she declines. I was too tired after that, I fell asleep.

Later on, around an hour later or so, I wake up, I don't have my glasses on and my vision is blurry. I think I see my mom in the front seat, you're driving. My mom is on the phone with someone, both of you are distracted. This makes you drive even worse than you already do. We're 5 minutes away from Point B, my step-cousins house. I decide to stay awake for the remainder of the ride.

We arrive at my step-cousins house. I gather my stuff and can't wait until I get inside. I feel like total shit. I also don't want to be near you.

I get my stuff from the back of the car, but I still need to get my stuff from the trunk. I call you a million times, right next to your ear, because I'm sitting behind you. You don't respond, you don't acknowledge me even in the slightest.

I get out of the car, then my mom gets out of the car. Until then, you open the trunk. I whisper under my breath, "Fucking bitch." As I would normally do when I'm pissed, or joking. I wasn't joking. You can't hear me since you're in the car. Whatever.

I get myself settled in, this and that. You ask my other step cousin if he's hungry, as all your nieces and nephews are eating, about 5 of them. I'm drinking my medicine. You don't even ask me if I'm hungry, I haven't ate.

What did you do for us today?