For My Sake
When the world crashes down...
Life resumed as normal, Amaryllis worked her ass off for money that she’d never have her hands and her mother strolled the streets looking for the next willing partner with cash. Rue got a new job as a cocktail waitress in the Nugget so the girls saw more of each other since they spent breaks together. Louis, apparently was going to take her out on a date when they had their two week vacation in a few days. By date, she meant a boat ride with the sunset and the hottie. Rue was also disappointed to find that her friend had pushed Harry away. And pushed him away indeed she did because there were reports he began to see a brunette model from the UK. Amaryllis didn’t admit it, but she kind of wished she hadn’t done that. Its easy to date someone, but she felt her circumstances were rough. Rue called them excuses, she knew better than anyone that Amy had trouble letting people in.
By that Friday, Rue was on a boat with Louis as she had told her friend she’d be, and he was putting on his best smile, using his best manners and making her laugh at any opportunity he had been given. They spoke about their lives, Louis proving he was easy to speak to, and a excellent listener. Two vital qualities when she was romancing someone. His long limbs intertwined with hers as they laid on a striped blanket, his scent ravishingly delicious and addictive…and she found out, his lips were just the same. “You’re perfect Rue” he told her playing with a ribbon of her golden blonde hair. Her wide eyes, glimmering.
Rue was having the time of her life on the boat, but miles away in the parking lot of the Destiny Inn, mother and daughter were about to hit rock bottom. Amaryllis needed to get away, run away even, she couldn’t stand it anymore, tonight was the final straw. A threat to her life because mommy dearest hasn’t been paying her drug debt and Benito was taking all her money. So of course her mother went to her for help with the debt. “I don’t have 1200 dollars to just throw away mom” Amaryllis looked at her mother with aversion in her eyes. “Call your dealer and fix it yourself”
“No, he wont just let 1200 slide”
“So strut your stuff and make the damn money” Amaryllis was drawing the line, finally. Something inside of her awoke. If she knew her mothers dealers name, or even what he looked like, she’d go straight to the police. Unfortunately the mans identity was as useless as a shadow. “All the money I make goes to supporting us”
“Amaryllis Jean Ponce De Leon they are not taking no for an answer and neither can I” her mother grabbed her shoulder and dug her nails into her shoulder creating small half moons that turned red with blood. Amaryllis pushed her mother away, she was used to being clawed. “For me” her mother begged with a certain urgency that Amaryllis couldn’t comprehend.
“Mom you’ve paid off debts before, why is this one so important?” she applied pressure to her claw marks and rolled her eyes once her mother began to spit out a irrational story about how this man is a menace, and changed and is now resorting to threats. “Threats my ass, I’m going to go to the Nugget” she didn’t have work, but seeing a familiar face in her manager will make her feel better. She took off, driving to the Nugget and parking her car in the employee lot. Sitting there for a moment, she recanted her mothers story to herself, and becoming soft again. How can I help her, she thought. “What can I do?” she thought aloud. Instead of going to see her boss, she walked to the beach, strolling along the line where the waves kissed the sand.
It was awfully quiet, and she closed her eyes, feeling the breeze ever so gently around her like a whisper in the wind, peaceful. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, a phone call, but she ignored it. By the third call, she answered. Standing ankle deep in the water, her jeans cuffed and flip flops in her hand…it was Rue. “Yes my dear” she chimed trying her best to sound as happy as possible.
“Heya lovely, what are you doing?”
“At the beach”
“By yourself?”
“Yes” she responded. “Why what’s up”
“Amaryllis that’s not safe at all are you dumb?” Rue ridiculed.
“No, I’m not, how can I help you.”
“As you know, Louis is here and he’s staying in one of our spare rooms. So is Harry, and they’d like to see you”
“Harry” she said his name flatly, giving Rue a clear thought of how she felt. In other words, it didn’t excite her. “Isn’t he seeing someone”
“They’re boys, they have booty calls”
“I don’t know love…”she checked her watch. “Its kind of late”
“So what, stay the night”, she did her best attempt to convince Amaryllis.
“Ok” Amy responded and checked her watch. “Be there in 30?” She smiled when Rue squealed, a sure fire sign of happiness.
“Ok honey well I wi-” she was cut off by a loud bang noise, not once, but twice. “Amaryllis, Amaryllis answer me!” she knew the bang was no where near her, it was coming from Amaryllis’ end of the line.
“Rue what’s wrong?” Louis asked noticing Rue’s wide eyes go from vibrant to vexed and tearful. “Rue?”
“Amaryllis?” she shouted into the phone in tears. Her voice cracked, Louis took the phone from her and bought it to his ear. “Amaryllis is everything ok?”
The line was dead, flat, and revealing. Louis looked at Rue, not understanding and not grasping the intensity of danger.
“I’m calling 911” Rue locked herself in the pool house and made the call. Many things in life were mistakable, many things can be written away, but there was no way to ignore, make excuses or deny this. One knows the sound of a gunshot right away, one knows the force in the bass of it.
Five minutes later, Louis and Rue were in her car, racing to the Atlantic Cape Medical Center.
By that Friday, Rue was on a boat with Louis as she had told her friend she’d be, and he was putting on his best smile, using his best manners and making her laugh at any opportunity he had been given. They spoke about their lives, Louis proving he was easy to speak to, and a excellent listener. Two vital qualities when she was romancing someone. His long limbs intertwined with hers as they laid on a striped blanket, his scent ravishingly delicious and addictive…and she found out, his lips were just the same. “You’re perfect Rue” he told her playing with a ribbon of her golden blonde hair. Her wide eyes, glimmering.
Rue was having the time of her life on the boat, but miles away in the parking lot of the Destiny Inn, mother and daughter were about to hit rock bottom. Amaryllis needed to get away, run away even, she couldn’t stand it anymore, tonight was the final straw. A threat to her life because mommy dearest hasn’t been paying her drug debt and Benito was taking all her money. So of course her mother went to her for help with the debt. “I don’t have 1200 dollars to just throw away mom” Amaryllis looked at her mother with aversion in her eyes. “Call your dealer and fix it yourself”
“No, he wont just let 1200 slide”
“So strut your stuff and make the damn money” Amaryllis was drawing the line, finally. Something inside of her awoke. If she knew her mothers dealers name, or even what he looked like, she’d go straight to the police. Unfortunately the mans identity was as useless as a shadow. “All the money I make goes to supporting us”
“Amaryllis Jean Ponce De Leon they are not taking no for an answer and neither can I” her mother grabbed her shoulder and dug her nails into her shoulder creating small half moons that turned red with blood. Amaryllis pushed her mother away, she was used to being clawed. “For me” her mother begged with a certain urgency that Amaryllis couldn’t comprehend.
“Mom you’ve paid off debts before, why is this one so important?” she applied pressure to her claw marks and rolled her eyes once her mother began to spit out a irrational story about how this man is a menace, and changed and is now resorting to threats. “Threats my ass, I’m going to go to the Nugget” she didn’t have work, but seeing a familiar face in her manager will make her feel better. She took off, driving to the Nugget and parking her car in the employee lot. Sitting there for a moment, she recanted her mothers story to herself, and becoming soft again. How can I help her, she thought. “What can I do?” she thought aloud. Instead of going to see her boss, she walked to the beach, strolling along the line where the waves kissed the sand.
It was awfully quiet, and she closed her eyes, feeling the breeze ever so gently around her like a whisper in the wind, peaceful. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, a phone call, but she ignored it. By the third call, she answered. Standing ankle deep in the water, her jeans cuffed and flip flops in her hand…it was Rue. “Yes my dear” she chimed trying her best to sound as happy as possible.
“Heya lovely, what are you doing?”
“At the beach”
“By yourself?”
“Yes” she responded. “Why what’s up”
“Amaryllis that’s not safe at all are you dumb?” Rue ridiculed.
“No, I’m not, how can I help you.”
“As you know, Louis is here and he’s staying in one of our spare rooms. So is Harry, and they’d like to see you”
“Harry” she said his name flatly, giving Rue a clear thought of how she felt. In other words, it didn’t excite her. “Isn’t he seeing someone”
“They’re boys, they have booty calls”
“I don’t know love…”she checked her watch. “Its kind of late”
“So what, stay the night”, she did her best attempt to convince Amaryllis.
“Ok” Amy responded and checked her watch. “Be there in 30?” She smiled when Rue squealed, a sure fire sign of happiness.
“Ok honey well I wi-” she was cut off by a loud bang noise, not once, but twice. “Amaryllis, Amaryllis answer me!” she knew the bang was no where near her, it was coming from Amaryllis’ end of the line.
“Rue what’s wrong?” Louis asked noticing Rue’s wide eyes go from vibrant to vexed and tearful. “Rue?”
“Amaryllis?” she shouted into the phone in tears. Her voice cracked, Louis took the phone from her and bought it to his ear. “Amaryllis is everything ok?”
The line was dead, flat, and revealing. Louis looked at Rue, not understanding and not grasping the intensity of danger.
“I’m calling 911” Rue locked herself in the pool house and made the call. Many things in life were mistakable, many things can be written away, but there was no way to ignore, make excuses or deny this. One knows the sound of a gunshot right away, one knows the force in the bass of it.
Five minutes later, Louis and Rue were in her car, racing to the Atlantic Cape Medical Center.