Family Court [KRENZIE]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄

I barely came home. On the whole way, my tears never stopped running down my face. People would turn around and stare at me as if I had grown two heads overnight, wondering why the heck I was wailing on the street.

I wondered if anyone knew would anyone extend their hand for me to hold it? Would a stranger show kindness to a fifteen-year-old with a destroyed family? Or were people too egocentric?

It seemed that no one cared about me at that moment. Nobody, even my family.

Taylor and Dana were not home, probably with their friends. Cameron had left a note he was running errands and my mom was nowhere to be seen. Who knew where was my dad? Probably packing his belongings. I wondered where was he going to go. He had no home anymore. I wanted to feel bad for him. No one deserved to lose their home, no matter what happened.

I sighed, my feet shambling to my bedroom where Max-Jella was waiting for me on my bed, being my only friend at the moment. Oh, how I wish I hadn't cut ties with my childhood friends! I was sure "The Ocean Gang" would have been next to me through these difficult times.

When I had begun trying my luck in acting, I had stopped playing with the children from around the neighbourhood. Once, we had been known as "The Ocean Gang". There were so many of us, at least a dozen of children running around carelessly.

Of course, I had to be a snob and ditch the only people who truly cared about me if I excluded my family.

Now I was a loner. And I regretted that.

The solitude with Max-Jella didn't last for long, thank God. As soon as I heard a door slamming, I rushed out of my bedroom, holding my cat close to my chest, afraid to drop it.

It was my mom, holding a briefcase, probably full of documents about the divorce. I secretly wanted to peek at them, curious what exactly was written.

"Oh, baby doll," she sighed, a hint of sadness in her eyes, "At least you're here."

I wondered how come her eyes were not red. Had she not cried? Mine for sure were. Bloodshot indeed.

My mom was indeed a tougher cookie than I had thought.

The sky was dark. Time for dinner. I wanted to ask my mom what we were going to cook for tonight, to spend some time together, calm and uninterrupted like the good old times.

"I have news," Instead, my mother spoke, her eyes never leaving mine, like my fingers never leaving Max-Jella's fur, stroking it gently in a pace, "We are moving. We need to start over."

I couldn't say anything. I didn't know whether to agree or disagree with my mother. I knew to start over was going to be hard. Was it really needed? Where were we going to live from now on?

At the same time, I could see her point. Why stay in this hellhole? Let my father be happy with somebody else. Why suffer because of that?

Alas, that wasn't all. My mother thought it was a genius idea to change our last names as part of starting over. She wanted us to carry her maiden name - Mann.

Kristen Jaymes Mann. Sounded awful.

Not just that. My mother also preferred for us to completely cut ties with our paternal relatives. She thought it would help us heal faster.

All I could do was gulp. I felt a giant part of me being stripped away.

We were all losing ourselves.