I lick the cake frosting off the spoon and watched Liberty smear it across the strawberry cake. The frosting is sweet and I dip my spoon back in the frosting cup to scoop out more. I push the frosting away and look at Liberty, "this frosting is really good."
"If you keep eating it we won't have any more!" She screams.
I roll my eyes and finish licking off the spoon, then I throw it in the sink, "bout done?"
She nods and keeps smoothing out the frosting. I light a cigarette and turn my head to blow the smoke away. Liberty makes a grimacing face and shakes her head, "why do you smoke?"
I shrug and dab my finger in the cake crumbs, "better than any other drug, I guess."
Liberty shakes her head, "it's still bad."
I roll my eyes, "listen, it's something I do that makes me happy, okay? I'm so sick of you telling me it's bad for me. I fucking know that. Just..drop it." I get up and walk into my bedroom.
"Y'all never shut up, do you?" My mom's voice pierces through my ears and I shake her off. I lean against the back of the door and finish my cigarette.
"Stop!" Liberty screams.
I quickly put my cigarette out and run outside of the bedroom. My mom takes Liberty's cake and throws it in the trash. Liberty tries to save it before it lands completely in the garbage but jerks back when the pan hits her tiny arms.
I walk into the kitchen and glare at my mom, then lead Liberty out of the kitchen. She's crying into my shirt and my mom glares at us as we walk away.
I close the bedroom door and wipe Liberty's tears away, "it's okay. Calm down."
"She threw my cake away!" She points and keeps crying.
"I know, Lib. And, I'm sorry. I'll find you new cake stuff and we can go to grandma's and make it, okay?"
She quickly nods and frowns. I take her into my arms and rub her back till she calms down.
~
I sit up and lean against the headboard, I should've been in there. I frown and struggle to get out of bed, then I stumble out to the bar.
Alec is having a drink and Mona is talking to him about something. I look at the clock and it's only ten, feels like I've slept longer. I prop myself up on a bar stool and look at the glasses behind Mona.
"I thought you were exhausted?" Mona looks at me.
"I am," I pick at my nails and look down, "bad dream."
"Again? Honey, I think you should talk to a doctor about your sleep problems."
I shake my head and readjust myself on the stool, "it's just dreams." I fake a smirk.
"Who was it about this time?"
I frown and look at Mona, then back down at my nails, "mama."
"Oh, so you do have a mom?" Alec looks at me, then takes a sip from his glass. "You never talk about her, so I thought she was..you know..dead."
"I wish." I give a tight smile, then let it loose with a stiff breath.
"Where is she?"
I stick a cigarette in my mouth, then light it, "jail." I blow the smoke away from Alec and Mona's faces. Mona has her eyebrows raised and Alec looks surprised, "what?"
Mona shakes her head and walks away. Alec looks forward again and shakes his leg on the stool, "what does your mama look like?"
I hold my cigarette in my mouth and pat around for my phone. I look through my pictures and scroll down through the Camera roll. I found a picture of her I took a while ago when I saw it hanging up in her room and I show it to Alec.
He looks at the picture, then me, then back to the picture, "you two look alike."
I click my phone off, "I take that as an insult."
"Why is she in jail?"
I finish my cigarette and put it out in the ashtray, "you don't watch the News?"
"I barely watched TV and when I do, I definitely don't watch the News."
I nod in agreement and look at his glass full of beer. I motion to it, "what's in there?"
"Just regular beer. Why?"
"Can I have the last sip? Please?" He hands me the glass and I look over at Mona who's busy talking to someone. I quickly toss the glass back and the beer burns my throat. I shake my head and make a grimacing face, "that was more than beer."
He smiles, "sorry."
"I'm going back to sleep," I get up and start walking back to Mona's room.
"Hey, chill with me for a while," Alec follows me.
"I have to wake up at five in the morning, so no. Goodnight." I close the door in his face, then crawl into bed.
The door creaks open and Alec walks in, "I'll hang out with you then." He throws his combat boots off next to mine, then crawls into Mona's bed.
I roll my eyes and look at the ceiling, "what did I do to deserve this?"
"Come here, baby," Alec laughs and scoots closer to me.
I push him away, "go fuck yourself."
Alec smirks and turns over on his back, then lights a cigarette. He throws the lighter on the nightstand, then it's complete silence. I close my eyes and try to fall asleep, but Alec speaks up, "how come you don't ask about my life?"
"Because, I don't care," I mumble and turn over.
"Damn, you always hit someone in the feelings."
"Best spot to hit someone if you want them to leave you alone." I take a deep breath and roll my eyes.
"Bitch," Alec mumbles under his breath.
I turn over and glare at him, "say it a little louder."
He rolls his eyes, then gets up, "night." He grabs his shoes, then leaves. I smirk to myself, then turn back over and I fall asleep again.
Tell me what y'all think of Alec in the comments! I'm curious to know :D I'm updating this at 1 in the morning (woo) and I hope y'all enjoy it :D