My Teacher's Daughter

Chapter 21: Milk Sucks

Mitchie's POV

As we arrived at my house I felt Alex shaking against me, her skin was warm against my own and I could feel Goosebumps forming on her arms. I felt terrible for her; she'd basically just lost her own father. She'd always been a daddy's girl; he'd always understood her better. She told me before about how when she'd first started to go off the rails her mother had tried to discipline her but Jerry had just accepted and loved her for whom she was. Having him throw her out and call her a dyke was probably one of the most upsetting things to ever happen to her. The look of disgust that he'd thrown at both of us had unnerved me; I couldn't imagine how Alex would feel having that look sent to her from her own father.

"Mom?" I called out as I pushed the heavy front door. Alex had left her bags in the car, unsure of what to do with them. I'd said she could stay at my house and that my mom wouldn't mind but she was determined to get my mom's permission before she got her hopes up.

Emerging from the kitchen, my mom automatically noticed that something was wrong, I could tell from the look on her face, but she didn't press the issue. It was clear to anyone with eyes that Alex was distraught.

"We need to talk," I told her, playing with Alex's fingers which were shaking ever so much. My mom groaned loudly but took a seat on the couch nevertheless, resting her forehead in her left hand whilst her elbow was elevated on her knee.

"Not again, Mitchie... I've had enough; first the drugs, drinking, smoking, sex, etcetera... then the girlfriend, then the rape and now the pregnancy... I don't think I can handle anything else. Don't get me wrong, Mitch, I know that the last two weren't within your control but it's still a lot for a single mother to handle." She told me tiredly, rubbing her temples whilst still leaving her head rested on the palm of her hand.

"No... I haven't done anything this time and it's not really me with the problem, I promise." I quickly stepped in, understanding why she was probably sceptical about hearing what I was going to say. I could definitely sympathise with her; this time last year I was her perfect little girl who had never once caused her a problem, now I was a smoker, a drinker, an 'ex'-stoner that was pregnant at eighteen years old with a girlfriend. "Alex's dad didn't take it well... he kicked her out, mom... she's homeless." I told my mom desperately, knowing that she would never see Alex put on the streets, she loved her too much. My mom's facial expression softened drastically and she stared into my eyes to decipher whether or not I was being genuine. She liked to fool herself that I was joking with a lot of things that I told her because it softened the blow and gave her a few extra moments of denial.

"Oh, Alex, honey, that's terrible!" My mom exclaimed, shock evident in her words. "Come here, sweetie." She instructed her with a sad smile. Alex complied weakly and basically fell into my mom's open arms as my mom consoled her, gripping her tightly and stroking her hair.

Alex wasn't a crier; it was just an unspoken rule, so when she broke down crying in my mother's arms once again I did not expect it at all. "I thought you said that they'd be okay with it?" My mom asked cautiously as Alex rested her chin on her shoulder.

"I... I thought that th-they would be... M-my mom, she kinda is... He wasn't." She wailed out shakily into my mom's probably now wet shoulder. "He's such a dick!" She yelled, again into my mom's shoulder, muffling her words slightly. My mom's eyes snapped open at the mention of the 'D word' before she quickly restarted her motions with her hand, once again running her fingers through Alex's long, dark hair.

"Language," She scolded half-heartedly. Alex sniffled but choked out a small laugh at my mom's known distaste for her word choice before turning straight back to crying heartbrokenly. "Sweetie, you know that you're welcome here for as long as you need, right?" My mom invited warmly, causing me to shoot a 'thank you' look her way.