Dirty Deals With The Devil

Chapter 14. || Mints And Memories||

Day 13.

Sundays were my rest days, basically my favorite day of the week.

Binge watching TV.

Stuffing my face with junk that would give Amanda an instant heart attack.

Wearing sweats all day.

Those were my ideal Sundays, only this Sunday wasn't turning out too well and the first sign that today was going to go all wrong came in the form of my sleep deprived mom walking into the kitchen to announce that she wanted to spend the day with me. I was naturally surprised, I couldn't even remember the last time I had hung out with my mom.

It was always work, I was used to it though, at least I still had her. I hadn't talked to my father in years now, I wasn't even sure of his whereabouts now, yeah, it was that bad.

I had nodded and quietly continued nibbling on my waffles while she continued to stare at me critically. After coming to pick me up from school yesterday due to Molly's call, she had been staring at me with that annoying worried look.

How could I explain that I was perfectly okay, that the pain I experienced yesterday was the devil trying to be funny?

I had finally had it with the look. "Mom, would you stop staring at me that way? I'm not dying you know."

Actually, I was but not in the way she thought.

Mom turned, dumping some creamer into her black coffee and sighing a soft, almost inaudible sigh. "I know you're not, honey, but I'm worried about you. Just the other night you were talking about souls in your sleep, and you've been acting strange these days."

I talked in my sleep now? Go figure.

"Strange? These days?" I dropped my fork with a clatter, feeling strangely pissed off by her words. "Bullshit, you're never even home to notice my 'normal'" I made air quotes. "Behaviors."

My mom's brown eyes narrowed and suddenly, I noticed how pale and tired she looked in that blue, duck print bathrobe and her tiny frame reminded me of how grown I was. I loved my mom, heck I had sold myself to the devil for her but over the years, we had grown apart.

"Now, young lady, I'll not have you talking to me like that." She dropped the blue coffee mug on the counter and stared me straight in the eye. "I've done everything, absolutely everything to make you happy and comfortable-"

"But is that really what I want mom?" I rose from my chair, fists clenched and feeling my eyes start to sting, the first signs of tears. I wanted my mom, I wanted my mother's time and affection too, it was selfish but I wanted it.

"I've done so much-"

"I don't care." It was rude but I abandoned my breakfast and walked out the kitchen with my eyes still burning. I didn't need this talk with her, it would only make things worse.

"Ruby!"

I didn't answer as I went to the went to the closet under the stairs and bent to pull out my black All Stars and bent to pull them on. I laced them quickly and went over to the front door.

"Ruby?"

Her voice was closer this time. I swiftly pulled open the door and was met by the warm, morning Texas sun. Just what I needed as I walked down the porch and way from the house, away from my mom, away from everything. I walked down the street, no particular destination in mind and observed the rows of similar houses down the street.