The Bruised Angel

Monday couldn’t come fast enough. All weekend mom was nagging me and nothing would make her go away! She drove me to school and wouldn’t shut up the whole way there. I’d never been so excited to go to class before. Cassie was waiting for me next to my locker.

“Hey sorry I’m late. My mom came home Friday and she drove me.”

“Sorry about that. I would’ve had you come over but I was visiting family.”

“Tam flipped on her.”

“Really?”

“Yep,” I said, closing my locker. “Mom said she shouldn’t hang out with Emly and that got her so mad. She stayed at Em’s house the whole weekend and mom got really mad when she came home.”

“What’d you do while she was gone?”

“Mostly stayed locked in my room. She went out with dad a few times. It’s like the one weekend he’s actually home she steals him away.”

“Think how hard it must be for them to be apart. When she’s gone you have Tam but all he has is his work.”

“I know but she doesn’t deserve him!”

“I know.”

We left each other for class. The day seemed to go by so fast because I was dreading going home. After school Tam gave Cassie and me a ride. Tam went as slowly as she could to Cassie’s house. When we got there I got out of the car with Cassie and walked her to the door.

“You really don’t want to go home, huh?” she asked while taking out her keys.

“Nope.”

“I would have you two over but my parents aren’t home.”

“We have to face her sooner or later. I just hope she leaves soon.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

We hugged and I went back to the car.

“You ready for this?” I asked Tam.

“Not at all.”

She pulled away from the curb and drove to the house. The normally five minute ride took about fifteen minutes because Tam took all the back roads. In the driveway was mom’s car. Tam parked behind it and we sat there in silence.

“She’ll come out soon,” I said.

“Yeah.”

“We should probably go in.”

“You’re right.”

“Wanna wait a few more minutes?”

“No, we have to face her.”

We got out of the car as quietly as possible and went up to the door. She opened the door and we snuck in.

“Girls! There you are! I was wondering what time you would get here. Don’t you usually come home earlier?” of course mom was there waiting to pounce.

“There was some traffic and we dropped Cassie off,” Tam said.

“Well I was thinking tonight we could have a girls’ night! I put some movies in the living room and I’m making some eggplant parmesan. Then I was thinking we could do our nails and hair,” she added, eyeing my hair.

“Actually mom I have some homework,” I lied while inching towards the stairs.

“Then you can do it later. We haven’t spent any time together since I came home. Please.”

“Mom-”

“It’s either you do this missy or you’re grounded.” She said sternly. I was just trying not to laugh. I mean really, who still calls their daughters ‘missy’?

“Fine.” I sighed.

“Great! I’m going to finish the food; you two get the living room ready.”

“Mom, one problem with that.” I said.

“What’s that?” She asked turning around with a sigh.

“I hate eggplant parm.”

“Oh you can live with it for one night right?”

“Ha no! I hate cheese, I hate eggplant, and I hate whatever else is in that stuff. So no I can’t live with it.”

“Come on Alyson!” she whined. Of course it sounded like ‘Commme onnnnn’. She drew out those words so much it wasn’t funny.

“No mom! I don’t care if I’m grounded I’m not going to be forced to eat something I don’t like because you’re acting like a bratty teenager.”

“Don’t speak to me like that!”

“Then don’t act like it. Seriously mom, you’re 40 and yet you act like you’re 16! Get it through your dyed brain that you are an adult not a teenager! You whine and start fights, leave for weeks on end and expect us to act like it’s nothing, and you treat us like we’re nothing!”

“I-I don’t do that,” she said, trembling a little at how angry I was.

“Yes you do mother! Tam thinks so too! You treat her the same way only you diss her best friend who’s the only one there for her when I’m not around. You expect us to be perfect but guess what, we can’t be! You are selfish and stupid and…and so dim-witted it’s a miracle you haven’t realized how much Tam and I hate it when you come home or even when we have to call you when you’re on your trips! You abandoned us!”

“Alyson, please-”

“No! You don’t care about us and I defiantly don’t care about you.” I said coldly. She shrank back from my glare, all superiority gone. “I’m going to my room, don’t bother me.”

I grabbed my book bag and ran to my room. I signed onto the computer and was relieved to find Cassie on AIM. I quickly IM’d her and told her the whole story as fast as I could; there were a lot of spelling mistakes. A few minutes later she replied and said I should talk with her without yelling, as if that was possible. We talked for a while longer about random topics until I had to sign off.

I got ready for bed and didn’t bother saying goodnight to anyone. I feel asleep after a while of tossing and turning.

The next morning I went downstairs to the kitchen. I was surprised that mom wasn’t in there. She wasn’t in the living room either. I looked all around the house and she wasn’t there.

“Mom!” I called. There was no answer. I checked the kitchen again and on the counter was the note I overlooked. It read:

Alyson and Tamitha,

I know understand how upset you both are with me. I am leaving, this time for Barcelona. I don’t know when I’ll be back but I will be in touch with your father. I apologize for angering both of you. I will speak with you when I return.

That was probably the neatest note she’s ever written. Surprisingly I actually felt a little guilty for running her out but then I remember why I ran her out. This was just another of her ways to make me guilty and I wasn’t going to let that ruin me.