"Why should I care if she goes through what I did? She obviously didn't care how I would come out in this situation why should I? If she didn't at least have the smallest respect to tell me, why should I tell her her? No I'm not going to her. She can suffer all she wants." I say as I walk out the door.
present day
Leaving Maggie's house was almost therapeutic. I had no reason to go back to the house. It's obvious Maggie and me weren't friends anymore. Pretending to be her friend for these past two weeks is exhausting.
I call up Meredith to see if she wants to go grab a coffee. It is my birthday after all. Lucky me.
Getting into my car, I reach to grab my phone.
Dialing Meredith's number as I back out of the driveway.
The call goes through.
"Hey whats up?" Meredith says on the other end of the line.
"Hey. I confronted the devil and her sex slave yesterday. I slept over in Aaron's room and I'm hungry as shit. Wanna grab lunch right now? I can pick you up in like 25 minutes if there isn't any traffic?" I say, casually.
I've had the entire night to process my confrontation to both of them. Although I did punch them both, which was never my plan—kind of my plan. I guess I kind of hated them more for not telling me. Three years it went on and I was completely clueless. Three years.
"Excuse the fuck out of me? You confronted them! Without me! Are you fucking with me right now Cass?!" Meredith says with both confusion and seriousness.
"You know what don't answer that. Come now. I'll be waiting. And hurry the fuck up." She says.
I laugh and I almost end the call before Meredith speaks up again, "Are you kidding me Cass. I wanted to see the cat fight. I wanted to record and post it and go famous and shit." She says, as she exhales.
I laugh. "There wasn't much of a cat fight. Maggie's all bark, no bite. Not much of a surprise there." I say, as I stop at the red light.
"Yeah not much of a surprise there. Okay okay, i'll let you go. Te amo. Ten cuidado." She says.
"Te odio. I will." I say, as I end the call.
-
I'm right outside Meredith's house waiting for her to get out. I've been waiting for about ten minutes now. I've called and texted. I'm beginning to worry. Right when I'm about to call her again, I see her front door open.
A guy about 5'8 comes out. Same height as Meredith. He's white, which is surprising knowing Meredith doesn't like white guys. Says that she needs 'flavor' in her life and white guys just don't cut it.
Then I see her come out. He leans down as a way of telling her to give him a kiss on the cheek. He closes his eyes and immediately Meredith sprints towards my car. I unlock the door and give her a confused face.
"Don't ask—" She says, then turns around to roll the window down and shouts to the guy, "I'm sorry! You were terrible! Hit me up when you're better!" She rolls the window back up.
I give her another look and she bursts, "He was really goood looking Cass, but he was terrible. This is what I'm saying—Go. Go!" She yells as she hits my lap. I immediately put the car and drive and get out of Mer's drive way.
"Ow!" I say, as I rub my leg. "What is your problem Mer?"
"Sorry, he was walking over here. I couldn't let him embarrass himself even more." She says as she slaps her face. Then she bursts out laughing.
She's crying. Crying Laughing. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, but he was so bad." She says, she looks around the car and whispers, "He asked me if I could direct him where he was supposed to put it in cause he didn't know." She says again and starts laughing again and I join in with her.
The rest of the drive to the restaurant was Meredith and me making fun of the poor guy. Meredith says and I quote, "This is why I do not hook up with white guys. They simply have no flavor, they're bland."
I decided to take Meredith to my favorite restaurant. It wasn't a big, known restaurant to the world. It should be though. The couple who owns it has been working there since they were younger. It was their parents restaurant before they passed away and eventually they got the restaurant.
Throughout the years whenever things were just too much, I would come here. They make some bomb ass food and are overall really good people. And I've worked here so that's a plus.
I've created a connection with the owners and it makes me sad because one of these days they won't be around anymore. They have five kids in total. Lola, has the twins. Emidio, has three kids. Who aren't really kids anymore. Two of those grown up kids love to cook and will eventually take over the place. The other three I'm pretty sure one is about to be a professional photographer. The other is traveling around the world. And the youngest of them all is divorced with three kids.
It was nice to see how this restaurant was the only time my family was ever considered to be a normal family. The only time we would 'bond' with my mother anyway.
"What's this place?" Meredith asks as she closes the door to my car and looks up to see the name of the restaurant, "Lola's Kitchen? Hm."
"It's a really good restaurant. I've tried about everything on the menu. It's all so good. The place is ran by two siblings who will eventually pass it down to their kids." I say, as I walk into the restaurant with Meredith behind me.
"Ay Mija. Cuando traes a los niños a visitarnos?" Lola asks as she gives me a hug.
"Ay nose todavía. Ellos tienen escuela y pues mi mamá nunca está en la casa." I respond to her. Lola's face is almost disappointed. She's never liked the fact that mom was never around even when we were kids. I had to grow up at a early age to take care of them and Lola helped and I always made sure she knew how much I appreciated her.
"This is Meredith. Meredith, Lola." I say as I introduce them to each other.
Within the past two weeks, Meredith has become one of my best friends. Only best friend. She's helped me with Jackson and Maggie. She helped with this weird confusion thing with Aaron.
She's been my rock these past few weeks. And Id like to say I've been hers too.
Meredith isn't just my best friend. She's been my family. The one I didn't get. The one who would look out for me. Care for the things I did. Proud of me for anything that was capable of being proud of. I guess it sounds like she's just my best friend, but I can feel it in my heart that she's a lot more than that. And she'll continue to be a lot more in the future.
"Ou finally I get to meet one of your friends Mija." Lola says to me, as she brings Meredith into a hug.
"Cassandra never brings her friends here, so you're special. Foods on me." Lola says with a hard accent as she walks to the kitchen.
Lola always insists in paying for my food whenever I'm here. I think it's her way of repaying me back for all hours and days I put in helping out.
I always helped out purely out of wanting to help out. Lola was there for me and the kids when my mom wasn't. I owe her a hell of a lot more than I can give her in this lifetime.
I begin walking to the table in the very corner. Every time I've ever set foot in this room, I would sit in that corner table. The first time I ever walked in this restaurant it was that corner table.
*
It was at least 50 degrees. It was windy too. With a pink blanket full of flowers, we wrapped Jason around with it. Rory clinged to my arm. While Jason was basically hugging at my other side.
Walking around a street we weren't familiar with, hoping to find a place to stay in for the night.
Our mom just divorced our dad. She's been taking it rough considering she divorced him. I don't really know the full story other than they didn't do long distance. It didn't work.
She's been really irresponsible lately. Working late. Forgetting about us. Forgetting to feed us. Forgetting to take care of us. Forgetting to be a mother. Forgetting to unlock the door, so when we got home we would be able to open the door.
"I'm scared." Rory whispers. She's shivering. Jason's sound asleep, but walking. "I know, I know. We'll eat something soon. Find somewhere to sleep too. I promise." I say.
It's really windy. My hair is all over the place. I never expected this day to get cold so fast.
I didn't take a sweater to school. The uniform I have is a shirt and a skirt. And it's really cold.
Roxy has a blanket. A small one, but she has one.
I see a lady maybe 10 feet away from us. From what I can see she's maybe a few years older than my mother.
She sees us coming from a distance, putting her hand out in front of her face to see better.
She immediately goes back into the store.
Getting closer to the restaurant, I see the lady come out with a basket. Walking closer to us, I start to get nervous as I don't know this lady at all.
When she reaches us, she says, "Ay mira." Giving us water bottles and sandwiches wrapped in plastic. She grabs the blanket that's on her shoulder and wraps it around me. She stops for a minute to look at us and sighs.
"I can't just leave you guys out here. I know you're not supposed to talk to strangers, but you're freezing. I'd be less concerned if you told me you had a place to stay tonight." She says with a slight accent.
"Um my mom accidentally forgot to unlock the door. We really don't have any place to stay tonight." I say, adjusting my grip on the little boy hugging at my sides.
She looks at me with sadness. She sighs again and waves her hand towards her restaurant. I grab onto my little sisters hand harder and follow the nice lady into the restaurant.
She opens the door and turns on the light. Setting the basket on the counter she takes the stuff out.
Grabbing plates from the cabinets and setting them onto the table. Unwrapping the sandwiches and putting them onto the plates. She walks to the back and comes back with water bottles in her hands.
Going back again she comes back with multiple bags of chips and placing them on the table.
She stops and stands there looking at me specifically.
"You guys can go eat now." She says, moving her hands to the table.
Rory dives in like she hasn't eaten in days. "Have some manners."
*
"What would you recommend? Everything looks good." Meredith says.
An hour later, Mer and me leave the restaurant.
"So how do you feel about everything? I mean you're finally free from Maggie and that horrible ex-boyfriend of yours? You can finally fuck that guy, Aaron?" She says, wiggling her eyebrows.
"No. Never. If I fuck Aaron, i'll be just as bad as Maggie." I say, getting into my car.
"Yeah maybe, but this is how you can also get back at her. Think about it, she loves her brother. If she finds out you fucked her brother, she'll go nuts." Mer says, putting on her seatbelt. "Didn't she like go nuts when you even mentioned him?"
I think about it for a second. Mayb- No. " No,
no. That's exactly what I'm saying. I don't want to stoop to her level."
I'd like to say I stopped thinking about it that day, but I didn't.
-
authors note:
sorry guys i know i haven't been as active. i started another book so i might not be as active on this book but i'll tryyyy thank you guys for
reading thing book i already started on the other chapter.
edit: 2/2/23
im sorry to those who's mothers i've described. you deserve the world and you are strong. you can do this. and you will. ily.