Just Like You...

"She's…she's interesting." I told him.
"That's a nice way of explaining her." Alyssa grumbled.
"Ronnie…she's not the greatest mom in the world…I think…despite the troubles…you were better here…without her." I told him.
"I don't care if it was better or not!" He growled. "I want to know her! Maybe not in person, I think I'd punch her for all the shit I've been through because of her…but I want to know everything about her. What does she look like? How old is she? Did she ever mention me or Riley or Dad? What was it like to live with her? To grow up with her as a mom?" He looked at us pleadingly. "Please, I need to know."
I sighed and rubbed my face before looking at him.
"Okay…but please don't like…be upset or anything." I sighed. "She looks like…like…Alyssa, get the picture album from my backpack." She nodded and went to my small pink bag and pulled out the tiniest photo album. "Those are the ones we kept…there was a time in our lives when she decided to stay clean, a few actually…but they went down the drain. That was when we were younger though. We're like…two or three in most of those pictures. She's older now, aging like a normal woman. Maybe her teeth are more yellow…her skin is definitely a tad more wrinkled and loose, she's skinny as a toothpick. She officially hates the world. Me and Alyssa are the cause of her life's problems. I don't really care how old she is, we never celebrated her birthday, I never ever bought her a gift. She certainly never bought us any. Forgot we existed most of the time, to be honest. She mentioned being married a few times…and once last week during a really bad trip she mentioned about how much 'you and your fucking brothers fucking fucked up everything--'"
"You missed a few 'fucks' among other choice words…" Alyssa looked a tad amused.
"Shh, I'm trying to make this nice. Growing up with her was…hard. She never really cared. She beat us a few times, if she was really angry. She yelled a lot and when we were little we couldn't understand that it wasn't our fault she was mad. She never got caught for any of the shit she put us through so we were forced to live with her. She's had a few boyfriends…" I winced and stopped, memories flooding back. I trembled, I shouldn't have gotten that far into detail. Tears threatened to spill over and I wrapped my arms around myself. Alyssa patted my back.
"Some of her boyfriends were real assholes, most were drug addicts too. A few liked to come into our room when mom was passed out or even if she was awake, she didn't care. So long as she got the drugs she was okay…" She trailed off. "Shea…was raped…more than a few times…she took a few for me…she's the best sister in the world…" She rubbed my back.
"But, that's all over and in the past. I just don't like dredging it up like that, sorry, I shouldn't have." I muttered. "Anyhow…"
Ronnie looked really shocked…maybe even a tad angry it seemed.
"I can't say I hate her…I might…but she's still my mom…I still love her…" I bit my lip. Alyssa nodded.
"Exactly. She's still family."
"And it's not like we had anyone else to turn to, we don't have a dad." I pointed out. "But yeah, I think…it was for the better you didn't grow up with her…"
He sighed and nodded.
"Thanks…I'm…sorry about making you talk about it all…I just…I needed to know."
I smiled a little.
"It's fine, I'd do the same thing if I were in your shoes."
"Well, you're free to my dad if you want him." He offered, "He's bored with no more kids running about."
Alyssa and I laughed and John rolled his eyes, walking in with lemonade.
"I am more than willing to give you both a home. Bored, no, Ronnie, I wouldn't say bored. I don't have time to be bored with you running loose about the country on tour all the time."
We all laughed and drank a little lemonade.

XXX

We spent the next couple of days just getting to know each other.
"Favorite band?" Ronnie asked.
"MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE!" Alyssa shouted, jumping up and down.
"Famous? Falling in Reverse, honestly." I answered, much calmer…for once. "In general? Mineeeeeee." I gave him a cheesy smile.
"Youuuuuu have a band?" He asked, laughing.
"Yup! It's called Zip My Heart!" I grinned.
"And what do you do in this band, multi-musically-gifted child?" He teased. I remembered when he asked if we played any instruments and Alyssa answered guitar and piano and I listed like five hundred. Flute, piccolo, guitar, bass, drums, clarinet, saxophone, piano, and of course I sang.
"Sing." I told him with an eye-roll. "Alyssa's rhythm guitar."
She nodded.
"I'm quite good, might I just say." She grinned.
"And Lucas is on drums and Matt is on lead guitar." I continued, "Though you don't know them."
"No bass player?" He chuckled.
"Oh, that's Jared." Alyssa told him. "Uh…he and Shea aren't on good terms right now…"
"And why not?" Jacky asked, I'd forgotten he was there.
"Uh…" I bit my lip.
"He broke up with her for no real reason and she'd acted as if nothing had happened, as if they were just friends again at the practice after that and he got mad because 'shit did happen' and so now he's avoiding her. Basically he's just an ass."
"I can beat him up." Ronnie offered. "I have muscled now." He nodded with a serious face, flexing a little. I laughed.
"Thanks, Ronnie, but I at least need him until we find a possible replacement."
"Fineeee." He sighed, feigning disappointment.

JACKY POV

The next couple of days were getting to know the girls and hanging out. OnWednesday night, after the incident on Sunday night, I needed to go to the bathroom. Without thinking, or knocking, I walked into one of the ones on the second floor, there are two on the second floor for those of you that have never been to Ronnie's house.
I wish I'd chosen a different bathroom because what I saw made my head spin.
Shit…what do I do now?!