Roxanne

[2]

I jolt awake when I feel someone rubbing my arm tenderly. My vision is blurred for a few seconds before I come face to face with my Aunt Quinn.

"Ready to see home?" Her smile is sweet and encouraging, but I can't help thinking a snarky comment in the back of my mind.

"Yeah." I rasp out still trying to adjust to the bright lights overhead.

She stands slightly in the isle and starts to gather her things back into her carry on bag. I look around me as well to make sure I haven't dropped anything or was leaving behind a mess.

I stand slowly and wait for Aunt Quinn to step to the side so I could get out as well. When she goes to turn around my face contorts in anger when my body propels into hers. I quickly grab the head rest of the seat that was in front of ours.

"What the hell dude?!" My voice comes out harsh and I give the guy a death glare when I see him.

Hes about a foot or two taller than me with a obvious reseeding hairline. He should honestly just shave the rest off, there's not much left to hang onto.

"Watch your mouth." He sneers at me.

"Watch your weight."

"Roxanne." Aunt Quinn gasp at my words and puts her hand on my arm.
"Listen little girl, I don't have the time to play games. Move yourself or I'll move you." and he takes one step closer to me.

I feel a singular vein pop out in my neck and I know I'm about to lose my temper. My ears ring so loud that I could barely here my Aunt coaxing me to just leave.

"Move me then bi-"

"HELLO I NEED EVERYONE TO PLEASE COLLECT YOUR BELONGS AND PROCEED OFF THE PLANE, THANK YOU!" A stewardess calls out to the remaining people on the plane.

"Roxanne let's leave now it's okay." My Aunt reached out to touch me again and I turn around to face her.

"It's not okay."

Walking down the isle I head out the door marked exit and continue down a hall until I reach the outside of the terminal. People are everywhere some coming some going. And everyone has on coats and scarfs.

"Claude should be here about......now."

Aunt Quinn speed walks over to a slim man with a awful looking sweater on and salt & peppered hair, styled in a comb over.

"Roxy foxy, hey kid how ya been?" My Uncle smiles at me with open arms.

I'm not going to say that I'm not much of a hugger, but if I'm not a hugger. And if these people planned on taking me in they'd just have to accept that part of me.

I stick my fist out to him and his smile just widens as he fist bumps me then continues to "blow it up" making a "booshh" sound.

"Just Roxanne is fine and Im not homeless so I can't complain." I give them a quaint smile.

My aunt looks uncomfortable and my Uncle looks shook, but I just walk through them towards the exit.

When we got to the car I immediately put my headphones in and listening to the music I had downloaded. I wasn't really up for small talk at the moment.

I'm sure they'd ask plenty of questions at dinner. They just look like they eat at the table every night, no offense of course.

....

For the second time today I wake up to someone shaking me.

"I'm up, I'm up." I sit up squinting hard.

My Aunt Quinn I standing there with her hand out to help me. I shake my head softly and slide out of the car.

If I didn't think they were loaded before I'd definitely think so now.

3 story's with gates going all around, a large garage that looked like 2 put in on and a shed that literally looked like the size of my old house.

They walked me up the driveway and through the front door. There was white tiles on the floor that switched into redwood floors as we continued into the living room. The kitchen had the same white tiles with little accent of gold and black in it.

The dinning room didn't fail to amaze either with the large oak wood table in the center of the room and glass chandelier above it.

"Wow." I let slip from my mouth. I tried to quickly cover it up with a cough, but by the smiles of their faces I knew they had heard me.

"So our room is on the third floor along with Ebony and yours."

The room was simply painted gray with black, silver, and white decor. The window seat was lined with plants and a few even hung from the ceiling.

"It's nice. I like it." I say looking around the large space.

"Oh really!?! I'm so glad, I told Claude not to do pink because your not 6 anymore and I wanted to do a nice cobalt blue with maybe some periwinkle and Prussian. And then maybe gold..."

I tune out Aunt Quinn's endless ranting opting to walk around the new space. God this is going to take some getting used to.

I get to the dresser and my heart stops.

A black frame sits there holding a picture of my mother. Something not even I myself had. She never took pictures and because she left home so abruptly she had none from her early years.

I turn around to ask my Aunt when the photo was taken, but I find myself alone.

Alone is truly what I was.

Who did I have? No one knows me how she knew me. The one person who I knew would carry the weight of the earth for me if it meant I was okay was gone now.

Silent tears fell from my eyes in slow streams.

'Stop fucking crying you idiot! Bad bitches don't cry. You are the shit.'

I shake my head composing myself.

Putting my suitcase in the walk in closet I walk out the room they gave me to ask about the picture.

I start with the kitchen because it's not long before dinner time. I'm relieved when I see black hair peeking out the top of the refrigerator door.

"Uncle C, I was...."

A young guy steps out from behind the refrigerator door with a orange slice in his mouth.

"You're not Claude." I say staring the stranger down.

"No, I'm not."