Shoutout to my good friend for helping me with this chapter. She is an amazing writer herself. If you're reading this girl give yourself a plug in the comments.
Thank You for reading.
Hope you enjoy! Excuse the mistakes.
Peaceful sleep is never going to be Adrienne's reality. How could it when she had no peace within herself. Adrienne began to stir in her sleep feeling the rays from the son. She desperately wanted to be comfortable again reaching to for Derek. When she didn't feel him she slowly opened her eyes. Instantly she felt a headache brewing.
" Babe?" She called out to him to get no answer. She sighed reaching for her phone.
" Its so freaking bright" she complained as she sat up slightly in bed. She squinted at her phone as it lit up.
8:17AM
Adrienne sat up fully after seeing the time. She was about to spring out of bed when she heard a knock at the door. After a few short moments, in walked Diane with her freshly moisturized face.
" Oh good you're already up. Good Morning baby." She walked further into the room. Out of habit she picked up the pillows that were on the floor and placed them neatly on the bed. " I let you sleep in a little longer. I figured you can miss homeroom. Go ahead and get ready. Breakfast is ready for you downstairs."
Before Adrienne could say anything she left out the door. The little sleep she did get, she was grateful for but she knew that it wouldn't be enough to get her through the day.
Derek sent her a text saying that he made it home and would see her at school. She quickly sent him a text back as she got of bed. Adrienne and Derek are definitely not on the same page but at least they were on common ground. She understood his concerns. She understands that what she went through is really traumatic but she couldn't face it. No matter how hard she tried, something reminded her of her pain.
Diane deserved the world simply because she overcame her pain. She was beaten, raped, talked about, mistreated and she still had the guts to go out their and Live. Adrienne admired that and she felt ashamed that she couldn't. She spent months complaining about her mother's secrets, her mother's attitude, her mother's work and called it neglect but really it was love. Adrienne knew she was spiralling out of control but hoped she got herself together before anyone noticed.
Or did she want it to go unnoticed?
How much longer could she withhold all the pain, hurt, and stress over that fateful night. She would take it all back if she could.
Sneaking out past curfew, being alone in the cabin knowing the cell service wasn't good.
But, who was she kidding. It was a nightmare come to life and no sort of precautions could have prevented it.
Victim blaming.
She wondered if her mother ever did the same...
As she sat there pondering, more like overthinking, she heard a knock yet again at her bedroom door.
This one leaving her jolted.
In walks Diane again, who noticed her subtle shake.
"Why aren't you downstairs baby girl? Is everything alright?"
She peers around her untidy room.
"Lord it doesn't even seem like you've even thought about an outfit. Don't you gotta look cute for your booooyfriiiiend?"
Diane has noticed her daughters changed behavior. Her peeing the bed was startling to say the least, but there was always an excuse. It seemed reasonable at the time, but it has dragged on longer than she'd expected.
"Talk to me," she says.
Adrienne sighs. Is now the time to finally confide in her? If anyone could understand, surely it would be her mother.
They suffered from the same pain, and it was almost an impossible burden to bear.
But, if Diane could hold it in for all those years, surely she could go a few more months.
Until she was ready.
Until it felt right.
"No mom everything's alright! I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Do you feel.... Embarrassed?? About your last accident. I mean, I don't wanna make you uncomfortable by bringing it up again, but–"
"No no no!" Adrienne interrupts. "Everything is as fine as it should be."
She pauses, looking briefly at her window, where she had left to go to that party...
"I just wanna make sure you're okay."
"Baby, don't you worry about me. It's been a tough, long year, but we've both been through worse."
"We, the both of us. Not just me."
"Yeah yeah..." Adrienne pauses once again.
"How did you deal with it? Your... past I mean."
Diane takes a long, deep sigh.
"I'm still dealing with it. Everyday is a new challenge, and I see now that I put more stress on myself by not seeking help. Not allowing the right people in... life's a journey though sweetheart. Even if it may seem in vain, being willing to finally heal will alleviate any pain."
She chuckles, "At least that's what all these books are telling me!"
Adrienne laughs slightly, just a glimpse of a smile after several hard days.
"I knew you couldn't have come up with that all yourself! You're stealing quotes!!"
"I'm borrowing them miss thang! It ain't like you're gonna wanna read em anytime soon."
"Actually..." Adrienne pauses once again. She wanted to get help, and not neglect the pain that was brewing inside her, but was she even ready to face it?
"Maybe when I get old like you I'll need them too!"
She laughs it off, keeping the sadness at bay until another day.
"Oh really? Well if you don't get your butt up and outta my house for school you're gonna need them much sooner!"
She laughs along with her mother. These are the days she's long waited for. Casual talks, giggles, and days of peace.
It's a shame she had to find a small bit of it in the midst of her own war.
But, if her mom can keep fighting? Maybe it'll be worth it.
Maybe it'll all be okay.
__________
" ohh my body is so sore" Diane whined. She can feel Jason's hands rest on her shoulders as she relaxed in to him from where she sat in the kitchen.
"well did you check your blood pressure baby? You know that's a sign for high blood pressure." Mama Rose said concerned for a future daughter in law. She was at the stove cooking some eggs for Adrienne's breakfast.
" It's not that kind of soreness mama" Jason snickered.
Diane looked at him wide eyed in disbelief. " Jason"
" What kinda soreness... oh lord...You two need to cut that out. You just got out the hospital child." Mama Rose scolded but her heart couldn't help but to warm at their happiness.
A few moments later, Adrienne came down the stairs dragging her feet. She was still deep in her thoughts but was trying to make the best of it as she gave a small smile as she walked further in the room.
"Good Morning"
"Good Morning sweetheart." Jason greeted. He gave her an embrace with one arm while the other was still resting on Diane's shoulder. This embrace felt like the subtle forehead kiss he gave her last night.
Innocent, warm, and loving.
He cares. He cares a lot but sadly Adrienne felt a way about it. She didn't want it or maybe she is still grieving her father.
" You okay?"
Adrienne simply nodded a little taken aback but his affection.
" I will take you to school. Have some breakfast, relax a little bit, then we gon have a good day. How about that?" Jason said giving her a playful bump of a shoulder.
" Here you go Adrienne, Hot and ready." Mama Rose said coming around the island to the kitchen table to hand Adrienne her breakfast.
Her mouth literally watered at the sight but Adrienne's relationship with food has be hit or miss for a while now. Staying away from certain foods seemed to work for her at the moment.
" Oh no thank you..."
Diane cleared her throat and looked at Adrienne with a stern look.
"I mean... Thank You. It looks great." She said with a small grin.
" Just eat some of it baby." Mama Rose suggested.
It's no secret that Adrienne's diet is horrible and after what happened last night everyone agreed to help Adrienne eat right. Food not only affects the body but it can affect you mentally. It's like the saying you are what you eat and Adrienne definitely hasn't been eating like she should.
" I know I said I was done talking about what happened over the weekend..." Diane started.
Adrienne immediately sighed but gave her mother her undivided attention.
" I'm concerned about you smoking and drinking..."
" It was a one time thing, its over and done." Adrienne interrupted as she dug into her food.
"no it's not over and done. Your mother and I cannot push this under the rug." Jason said.
Diane stopped Jason from talking urging him to let her handle this. " I want to know who you were with at that cabin because I know Emery wouldn't dare and Derek is a little coocoo when it comes to you. Look I get it. You guys are teenagers you want to have fun. But if I remember correctly I said you couldn't go. I don't know these people. And Anyone that will have you drunk and high off your ass to where you can't come home is not your friend baby." Diane explained.
With a stuffed mouth, Adrienne began to explain herself the best she can without revealing the nightmare. Jason sat down ready to hear this. Diane didn't know this but Jason was gathering all the information he could on this night out and giving it to Helena to look into. Something was not sitting right with him and he was determined to figure out why.
" Ashley invited all of to her parents cabin. She does it almost every year with her friends. It was me, Derek, Ashley, Tyler, Emery, James, and Kevin."
" You said the whole school was there."
" Yeah I'm getting to that. So Chloe, who wasn't invited, invited the whole entire school to the lake for a day party..."
" How does Chloe get into the mix. I thought you weren't cool with her."
" I'm not but Ashley's dad felt bad for her and gave her the keys to the other cabin down the lake. I think he owns several houses out there. So..."
Diane looked at Adrienne puzzled. The story wasn't making sense to her even though so far Adrienne is telling the truth.
" You do know that Ashley and Chloe are cousins right?" Adrienne asked before she continued. This story was taking so long to tell but Adrienne was not complaining.
" Wait Chloe and Ashley are cousins! So Dan is Ashley's dad?" Diane questioned as her voice rose out of realization.
" Umm yeah. How do you know his name?"
" Now I really wish I would have known this before now. Dan used to come with Shuga and I out of town when we were working. I always thought he was creep even though he never acted on it. Shuga of course trusted her brother to protect us but man he was so weird." Diane recalled those long work nights
" What do you mean by working... like at the club? wait..."
It finally hit her. Adrienne never knew what Diane did for a living until recently. She never put two and two together that her childhood friend, Chloe's mother, was dancer as well. It all makes sense now.
Pause...
Was I set up? Adrienne thought.
" I don't trust Dan or shuga at all... Ashley and Chloe are sweet girls but their parents...I would catch a fucking case if I see them again... They just so so...ugh"
" alright alright that's enough. You ain't about to catch nothing woman." Jason joked as he tried to settle Diane down.
Jason watched as Adrienne's demeanor changed. He took a mental note of it and got up from his seat.
" Let me get you to school."
________
I'm hoping to have the next chapter ready for you guys soon. I'm so sorry for the wait. Life got in the way and I was struggling with my my writing flow. This is just a filler chapter for something big in the next one. Stay tuned.
Love you guys!