#One day I'm gonna snap and yell at everyone I don't wanna have children and have them interrogate me for ages

[twpsyn-who]

Everything is nice and all at work then suddenly someone feels the need to remind you why you hate your workplace so much agshshdhs

[cicidarkarts]

Hospice - 3: Truth

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As the days went on, Ominis found himself going through similar routines. Only now, he had the added benefit of seeing Sebastian every now and again. In the cafeteria, Sebastian helped Ominis pick the best fruit cup, one without any dried up or discolored fruit. Sebastian also took Ominis to the kid's room down the hall, a place Ominis was too nervous to go in alone, due to the screaming children and overwhelming smells.

"And if anyone messes with you—" A thud, like Sebastian punched his own palm. "—they'll answer to me." Ominis giggled. "Okay. Just try not to get into too many fights." "Who, me? Never."

And sure enough, Sebastian was a natural in a group. He talked to anyone with impunity, and always seemed to know what to say. Ominis saw this firsthand when two of the other children were fighting.

"It's my turn to play with the crayons," said the kid, who sounded younger than him and Sebastian. "No it isn't!" shouted the other, about the same age as the first. Sebastian got up from the reading corner with Ominis and headed to the art corner. Ominis followed behind, curious.

"Hey guys," said Sebastian. "What's the issue?" "I wanna play with the crayons and she's been hogging them!" "I have not! I'm just still playing with them!" Sebastian went quiet for a second before responding. "Ooh, I see the problem. One of those crappy sets of 24. I hate those. Can't you just share?" "No way, she's using all the colors I want!" "Hmm… Hold on, I've got an idea."

Sebastian shuffled off for a moment, then returned. Ominis heard the snap of a crayon breaking, the girls yelling, and the sharpener working its magic.

"Smart," said Ominis as the girls quieted down. "Now you've got two sets of crayons." "Yep!" Sebastian agreed. "Here you go, ladies. Two crayons and the sharpener. Now you can share!"

The girls thanked him and giggled as he walked away.

"Resourceful," said Ominis. "And a hit with girls." "Yeah, well," Sebastian started, sounding immodestly modest. "It's really no big deal."

Ominis disagreed, but kept it to himself. Thinking about girls fawning over him, too, was both delightful and sweat-inducing. He didn't understand girls.

Later that evening, Ominis went back to his Sunday death bets, bringing Sebastian along. Ominis introduced everyone and the men took to Sebastian just as easily as the kids.

"If Ominis says you're all right," said Richard. "Ya must be." "Thanks, Rich," said Sebastian. "It comes naturally."

The group laughed, including Ominis. Laughter felt so alien to his body, so bizarre as it rocked his core, so good as it lightened up his face. Everyone staked their claims for the week’s death bets, except Sebastian, as Ominis waited for a passing nurse. When one rolled a cart through, he dug into her mind as fast as he could.

'God, I miss my cat—Pauline is doing much better—Herman loved his family visit today—I think Betty's dementia is finally getting to her, the poor woman. Couldn't remember her daughter last week, but that sudden clarity today isn't a good sign.'

"20 bucks on Betty," he said. "Batty Betty?" Phil asked. "I've given up on her. I don't think the reaper will ever claim that old crone." "Are you doubting the master?" asked Tony. "The little man is two for two! I swear he's got a gift or something!" "Is it too late to change my bet?" joked Richard.

When everyone headed off to their rooms for the evening, Sebastian walked with Ominis back to his room.

“What did they mean you ‘have a gift’?” asked Sebastian. “Oh, umm… I’m not sure. I just guessed right a couple times and they think I’m psychic or something.” “How did you guess right? Do you know the patients here?” “Not really.” Ominis shrugged. “I don’t know.” “Oh, come on, Ominis. You expect me to believe that out of all the people living here, you just happened to know who was gonna die by pure luck? I might be a stupid kid, but I’m not that stupid.”

Ominis stopped in the middle of the hall and rolled his cane in his sweating palms. His heart rate kicked up at the thought of telling Sebastian his secret. Would Sebastian even believe him? Would Sebastian think he’s weird?

“You might think I’m crazy,” said Ominis, voice soft so no one else could hear. “I’ve never told anyone this before, so you have to promise to keep it a secret.” “Of course, I promise,” said Sebastian, whispering just as quietly. “Ever since I was a little kid, I could read people’s minds.” “No way. What am I thinking?”

He probed into Sebastian’s mind. ‘There’s no way he could. But what if he can? Oh man, I might be in trouble. How much can he see?’

“I can see as much as I want,” Ominis answered aloud. “Even things you aren’t actively thinking. I can’t see your memories with my vision, but I can feel your remorse and guilt for pushing Anne off the monkey bars last year. Try not to be so hard on yourself.”

There was a lull in their conversation. Ominis wished to see Sebastian’s face—if he was shocked into silence, repulsed by his intrusion, or terrified of what Ominis could do. Ominis’ adrenaline coursed through him, pulsing in his ears. Fear gripped his mind, keeping him focused on Sebastian’s presence, heightening him to any little thing Sebastian could be doing. There was a muttering whisper of a breathless, “woah”, nigh imperceptible.

“That’s so cool, Ominis,” said Sebastian. “No, that’s not just cool, that’s amazing. So that’s how you’re winning these death bets?” “Yeah, I’m reading the minds of the nurses. I don’t really like doing it, but…” “But?” “I finally have people who like me and accept me. I finally have money to buy things that I want. I finally have a reason to use my power instead of being afraid of it.” “Why would you be afraid of it?”

Ominis quickly probed deep into Sebastian’s mind, like second nature. He felt things he had no business feeling, knew things he had no business knowing. It all hit him hard, rushing through his mind like the fuse of a firework until it hit its explosive crescendo, ending in the gas leak and collapsed home that ultimately killed Sebastian’s parents. When he came to reality, Ominis felt his lungs burning as he breathed heavily, and sweat dripped down his brow.

“See?” he panted. “It’s that. The lack of control. Like the lack of control you feel with Anne being ill. How you feel about your Uncle Solomon. How you felt about your—”

He stopped, his senses returning though his gut still swirled. Even Sebastian breathed heavier.

“I… I’m sorry,” said Ominis, composing himself and standing up straight. “I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t want to keep knowing these things. They scare me.” “But Ominis, your powers are incredible. It’s like you can know anything about a person just by concentrating. You can use your powers to win at these death bets. You can use them to win at anything.” “I guess…” “If you keep using them like this, who knows how much money you could get. Ominis, you’re sitting on a gold mine!” “Shh!” “Sorry,” Sebastian whispered again. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. But we should keep participating in these death bets and honing your skill.”

Ominis frowned. He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that after his invasive search through Sebastian’s memories. But he liked his mum being happy. He liked the praise he got from the death betters. And what he liked most of all was making a friend.

[ya-what--ya-erster]

just understand I actually hate this lol I started it as a request and then the person who requested it disappeared so.

Race-me: guys we have terrible news

Ali: terrible

Race-me: horrible

Ali: no good

Race-me: awful

Ali: horrific, even

Save-A-Horse: You guys are scaring me, tf did u do

Mom: I'm not paying the hospital bills

Ali: Lucky you

Race-me: They're going to be $$$$$

Elly: Yeah you guy's visit today was exciting

Spot: just tell us what happened

&Juliet: ya what's so tragic

Ali: ooh we missed that word

Race-me: so basically we can't do stupid shit anymore

Mom: the day has come

Race-me: until Alissa gets the baby outta her

Save-A-Horse: WHAT

Mom: the what

Spot: you should not be legally allowed to have children they'll be crazy

Ali: HA and you're gonna inherit it when Race and I inevitably go down together in an epic battle

Kath: omh ur gonna be a mom that's so exciting!!!!!

That's what made Alissa pause. 

A mom. 

The words felt strange. She added it up to just being nervous about parenthood and shrugged it off. 

Ali: yeah!!! I'm terrified actually

Kath: don't be! it's all good :) I've never been pregnant b4 but I love having kids they're so fun and cute

Sarah: and little bitches

Kath: shush ur scaring her

Ali: Bae I'm already scared

Race-me: Don't be it'll be okay <3

Ali: <3

button-eyes: ew get a room

Race-me: already got one a minute back buddy, if u didn't notice Alissa's pregnant

button-eyes: I hate you race

Race-me: I'd be doing something wrong if u didn't ;)

Alissa was now pretty far along in her pregnancy, and she just kept looking back on that one uncomfortable moment where Kath told her she was going to be a mom. 

She kept feeling it, that odd sensation where everything inside her felt backwards when someone said the word 'mom' in reference to her. 

On top of all that, she was feeling really crap about her body. That, she decided, was just the being pregnant thing, but something deep inside said that it wasn't.

It took some time, but one day, she finally figured it out. 

"Hey." Race sat down on the couch,  putting his arm around Alissa. 

"Hi. How was work?"

"Shit as always."

"What you get for working at Starbucks, bitch."

"Shut up. You want to watch TV?"

"News?"

"You know me well."

So Race picked up the remote and clicked the TV on. 

"-woman murdered in act of violence against transgender people. Witnesses of attack claim the victim was 'shoving propaganda in everyone's faces' and 'scaring children.' 12-year-old Abby Bright says 'she was only walking down the street, and then this man just pulled a gun on her-"

Race turned the TV off. 

"It's disgusting." He said after a moment. "Just killing someone because she was born with a dick."

"Yeah." Alissa nodded. "I don't really get it though." 

"Don't get what?"

"What even is being trans? Like, is it just wanting to be a different gender or is there more to it than that?"

"Well, I'm not trans, so I don't really know, but Jack told me it's like, feeling wrong inside the body you were born with. Like. If you were to be trans, you'd probably not like having boobs all that much. You might wanna, like, cut your hair short, and maybe you'd wish your voice was lower or something. You'd probably really hate being pregnant. But I dunno, that's just how I perceive it, I don't really-"

Race kept rambling, but Alissa didn't hear him. 

Her brain was yelling. Screaming, even. 

What if that's me? She wondered. 

"-so... Ali? Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Alissa looked up from her hands. 

"You kinda zoned out there."

"Why'd you tell me what Jack said?"

Race looked at her curiously for a moment. Then, his head snapped upwards.

"Shit."

"Shit what, Race?"

"He didn't really want me, uh, you know he didn't want people to know-"

"So Jack's a girl now?"

"No." Race said slowly. "Jack was a girl and now he isn't."

"Oh." Alissa very unsteadily stood up from the couch, almost falling. Race caught her. 

"Woah, hey. Where ya goin'?"

"Next door."

"What for?"

"I left my sweatshirt over there." 

Race was used to Albert remembering random things at random times, so he accepted this explanation. 

"I can go get it for you."

"No!" Alissa practically shouted. "No, sorry, I just, I can get it I need to talk to Davey about some books anyways so."

Race just laughed. "Okay. I'll start some dinner. Wanting anything in particular?"

"I, uh. Hm. Really salty."

"Cool. I'll get started."

Alissa nodded and practically ran out the door. 

Well, as fast as she could go, which was not very fast. 

So, she speedily walked ten steps to knock on Davey and Jack's apartment door. 

Knock knock knock.

Alissa banged on the door. There was a hassle inside, she could tell, and then Jack appeared at the door, not wearing a shirt. 

That's the first time Alissa saw the scars, and the only time for quite a while after. She found the sight oddly soothing. 

"What can I do for ya?" Jack asked, leaning against the door frame. He scrunches up his face, makes a little clicking noise with his mouth, and throws his head backwards. "Jeez, hate that one. Hurts like a bitch."

"I bet. Can I come in?"

"Sure thing. DAVE, GO PUT CLOTHES ON."

"Oh, ew."

"Shuddup. Come on in."

Alissa followed Jack inside, her eyes angled downward. They sat on the couch and Jack glanced to Alissa, who was once again looking at Jack's scars. 

"Never seen nothin' like 'em before, have you?" Jack asked. 

Alissa shook her head. She knew the answer to the question, but she asked anyway: "What are they from?"

Jack hit himself on the top of his head three times, then replied. 

"Got my tits chopped off."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

After an uncomfortably long silence, only filled by Jack's occasional twitching, Jack spoke up again.

"Is something bothering you?"

Alissa shrugged, then nodded. 

"Race told me you're trans on accident, and he was telling me what it could, uh, be like, as a trans person, and I just... everything he was saying sounded so familiar so I just ran over here to talk to you and. I dunno. Everything feels wrong and Race isn't going to love me anymore because I think I'm a boy and it's not supposed to be that way for me because I'm married and I'm like three weeks away from giving birth and I have a good job and I just don't need this right now, I can't just walk away from everything I have going and-"

"Allie." Jack tilted his head to the side (semi-aggressively). "It's okay."

"I don't know what to do."

"Just be true to who you are. You don't have to lose everything. Race would still love you, and if he didn't I would have a serious talking-to with him. Your kid could be okay with a not-mom. You work as tech for Broadway, I think you'll be fine. Be reasonable, okay?"

"Uh-huh."

"So what can I do now that you've taken a breath and chilled the fuck out, can I ask?"

"Language, Jack!"

"May I ask- Sorry, Davey."

"Better! Thank you."

Alissa let out a shaky laugh at the interaction. "I guess I just... want to know how you knew? How you know?"

"Shit, uh. I don't know. I ain't got a magical discovery moment to share with ya. But I could tell ya how I knew I wasn't fakin', if ya want."

"Anything. Please."

"Kay-"

"JACK!"

"OKAY MOM- sorry, Dave's tryna get me to speak all proper-like. Anyways. It was right before me an' Davey was married. Like, a month. I have this aunt, horrible woman, who called me up to ask about the wedding, cause she was confused. Wanted to know if Jack Kelly was a relative of ours and then wanted to know why he was marrying a boy. So I just told her it's me, cause it wouldn't hurt anyone except for me. 'But Maria,'" Jack put on a mocking high voice. "'it can't be you! Stop joking with me! What do you mean you aren't joking? ¡Eres una hermosa joven que será una hermosa esposa y madre! You were such a precious little girl, you can't be a Transgénero." Jack took a deep breath and pinched himself on the arm. "I felt nasty, hearin' all that bullshit. That's when I knew I ain't ever gonna change my mind. Gotta tell the rest of the story, though, cause it's a good one."

Alissa nodded. She knew Jack struggled with knowing when to stop talking, and she was actually interested, so she allowed it to continue. 

"Aight, I reintroduced myself as Jack and she said, 'well, at least you're marrying a nice boy who knows that you'll always be a girl.' And-"

Jack burst into hysterical laughter, and Alissa heard Davey softly laugh from the kitchen. 

"Sorry. Some context for maximum laughability here. My aunt was always very insistent upon me marrying a good Catholic boy with a steady job and lots of money, yeah?"

"I can only imagine."

"So I done asked her ta define 'nice boy' for me and she gave me them same terms there then asked if I was actually meetin' them requirements."

"You did not."

"I can only imagine her face as I listed off the 'zact opposite of what she wanted for me. I have a gay husband who loves me as a man, who's Jewish, and is an author, and is actually broke as fuck jus' like me." Jack laughed again. "Her disappointment was gold. And also a factor in me knowing I ain't gonna be anything 'cept who I am. I want her to be disappointed forever."

"That's a very you thing to think."

"Yeah, that's why I thought it."

"Jack?"

"Uh-huh."

"Who would I be if I wasn't Alissa?"

"Like a name, or..."

"Yeah. A name."

"That's up to you. Get back to me on that, though."

Two nights later, Jack received a message. 

Call me Albert.

Now, Albert had a baby with Race named Charlie. 

And Race was still painfully oblivious to Albert being... well. Albert. 

That would last for long though. 

Crash.

Ten minutes after Charlie was finally asleep, there was a shattering noise from next door, and Charlie was awake again, and crying.

"Ugh. Lissa, will you take care of him and I'll go chew Jack's ass? That bitch."

"Okay." Albert nodded. 

Race for a minute lol

"Jackass, open the door!" Race banged on Jack's door, praying Davey wasn't home to yell at him. 

Jack opened the door, as requested. 

"Do you realize- oh shit." Race paused at the sight before him. Jack's hands were bleeding, there was glass shattered all over the floor, and there was a dent in the wall. Jack had a wild look in his eyes, like he was ready to bolt from the apartment at any moment.

"Hey, what happened?" Race gently pushed Jack back inside and closed the door behind them.

"Tossed the fuckin' lamp at the wall. Then I tried to clean it up and..." Jack waved his bloody hands around. "Fuckin' stupid impulsive decisions. Both of 'em. An' Dave really likes that lamp, shit."

"Jack. It's okay, yeah? Why don't ya go clean up ya hands and I'll order ya a new lamp, and we can clean up the mess after okay?"

"You don't gotta buy a new lamp-"

"Course I don't. I'm using your money and your phone, bitch. I'm only doin' it cause I know you'll impulse buy something stupid if I let you onto the amazon website."

Jack nodded. "Thanks. Password's 3283."

Race opened the phone. As he typed into the Amazon search bar "blue lamp," a notification came through.

Albert: is Davey at yours

Race tapped on the contact and scrolled up, suspicious.

Albert: I have to tell him but I just can't

Jack: it's okay, Al. Until you're ready, we can just keep doing what we've been doing

Albert: it just makes me feel bad

Jack: don't feel bad. you don't owe him anything

Jack: you should come over I'm lonely

Albert: you come over here, bitch ;)

Jack: Your the worst

Albert: You're*

Jack: fuck you

Albert: have at it

Jack: unfuck you

Albert: Jack please

Jack: no

Albert: I'm sorry

Albert: I'll earn your trust back I promise

Albert: however you want ;)

Jack: no

Albert: pleaseeeeeeee

Jack: okay

Albert: really???

Jack: No. 

"Jack?" Race asked accusingly. 

"Yes Racer?"

"Who's Albert?"

"Co-worker."

"Are you cheating on Davey with him?"

"What?!"

"You're cheating on Davey with a random co-worker names Albert. First of all, you are scum. Second, who the fuck names their child Albert?"

Jack had to laugh at that. "Nobody names their child Albert. Albert named himself Albert."

"Okay, whatever. Who does that? The point is, I'm going to have to tell Davey, Jack."

"I'm not cheating."

"Okay, yeah. Um. Co-worker. Is this co-worker working on that one show with you and Alissa?"

"Yep."

"So I'm gonna go ask her about this, so you better pray she either covers for your pathetic ass or tells the truth which is that you ain't cheating. I'm talkin' on your knees prayer, Cowboy."

Race stormed out of the apartment and back to his own, leaving Jack's phone behind. He could just talk about it.

"So Jack's cheating on Davey." Race said angrily to Albert as he walked inside. 

"What?" Albert jumped off the couch. 

"Some guy names Albert. Bunch of weird stuff in the DMs."

"Um. Albert?"

"Yeah."

"You happen to know anything about him?"

"Yeah, he works with Jack."

"Shit."

"I know."

"No! Shit as in I know who it is and it's not what you think at all."

"Okay, tell me about it then."

"So that's me. Albert."

Race choked. "Um, excuse, what?"

"I'm Albert."

"Holy shit. Shit. Shit shit shit- My wife and my brother, holy shit, non ti definirei mai una puttana ma, What the fuck?"

"RACE I'M TRANS."

A moment of silence hovered over the two. 

"Okay. My husband and my brother. Or, partner and brother. Whatever. I can't even-"

"Race! Please breathe, you're freaking me out, please listen to me!"

"No! Listen to me! Non capisco! I thought you loved me!"

"I do! I love you! And I have most definitely not been cheating on you with your brother. He's practically a brother to me too, Anthony. Did you forget about the three year long contest that we've been having? First to crack loses and all that?"

Race's face settled into a less heartbroken form. 

"Uh-huh."

"Is that what had you worried?"

"Also the, uh, 'until you're ready, we can just keep doing what we're doing' thing?" A light blush dusted Race's cheeks. 

Albert laughed. "Being trans dudes in secret. There's a whole- it was a joke Davey made."

"Davey knows, too?" 

Albert met Race's eyes. 

"Yeah. He was kind of there when I had a full-on freak out vent thing to Jack because I was confused."

"But why didn't you tell me?" 

Albert put his head down, covering his face with a curtain of red hair, and mumbled something Race couldn't quite get. 

"What's that?"

"I was scared." Albert repeated, still not looking up. 

"Hey," Race reached a hand forward, brushed the hair out of Albert's face, and rested the hand on his cheek, forcing Albert to look at him. "Albert, right?"

Albert nodded. 

"Cute."

"Bullshit, I heard you yelling at Jack."

"Changed my mind. It's perfect for you."

anyone wanna see one of my things I'll literally never finish?????? its newsies ralbert and javid ft trans Albert and trans Jack btw

[pizzaboat]

Amity is approached by the weird girl one day at school on big break.

Fluff and daisy chains ensue.

Amity didn't like break times at school. everyone would be forced outside, and expected to run around and do something while all the adults huddled by a corner in the shade, sipping from their flasks and gossiping.

It might have been safer to just do what everyone else was doing but Amity didn't want to do what was expected of her that day.

She ignored her usual group of 'friends', that really just consisted of some kids her parents had deemed suitable for their daughter. And made her way to the trees on the grass, which provided shelter from the unforgiving heat of May, and distance from the screeching of other the other children.

Amity had tried to make it work with them, the kids her parents had picked out for her. She really had. But they weren't nice people, these kids; they made fun of her Azura books and bullied her ex-friend Willow.

They weren't the kinds of people she wanted to hang around.

She had been sitting in the cool, pleasant shade for about five minutes reading her favourite book out of the Azura series, when she heard someone aproach her, and crunching footsteps stop infront of her.

Amity readied herself to be scolded by one of the adults for having a book outside and being on the grass, or for one of her 'friends' to yell at her for ignoring them when thet had called her.

Instead an unfamiliar voice asked;

"What're doing?"

Amity looked up to see a girl her age, watching her curiously, she had a friendly smile on her face, and a sparkle in her eyes.

Amity recognised the girl. Her name was Luz, she'd learned that listening to the teachers chastise the girl for not listening in class or being disruptive in general..

"Reading." She answered cautiously, clutching the book close to her chest.

"Wait, are you reading Azura? I love Azura!" Luz exclaimed.

"Who's your favourite character!?" The girl asked, "mine's Azura herself, because she's a hero–she helps people, I wanna be like her when I grow up!"

"So what about you?"

Amity was honestly really taken back by the girls eagerness to just walk over and start up a conversation, about Azura of all things. she thought she was the only one in her class that liked it. it took her a moment to realise she was staring at Luz.

"Um.. I-I like Azura also, and Malemorf, they're pretty cool." She managed to get out.

Luz dropped to her knees infront of Amity, leaving her open lunch box beside herself.

"Malemorf is pretty cool too," Luz agreed,

"They're so mysterious, makes ya wonder what their up to, y'know?"

"Yeah!" Amity nodded.

"Did you read the new book?" Amity asked her then.

Luz shook her head, "Not yet, my Mami said she'd buy it for me if I don't get in trouble for an entire week of school-"

Luz flashed a grin, displaying a single gap in her front teeth.

"-You can see how well that's going for me." She chuckled.

"Did you get in a fight?" Amity gasped.

Luz frowned, " Um well, not exactly.. Boscha hit me with her soccer ball, it knocked out my front tooth, I think she did it on purpose,"

"She started laughing at me when I cried, so I threw her ball over the big metal fence over there."

Luz pointed to the other side of the playground, and sure enough there was a chain link fence, separating the school from a thick forest.

"Wow, that was mean of her. did you get in trouble?" Amity asked.

"I thought I was gonna be in big trouble with my Mami, because all the teachers were really mad, and Boscha had started crying then.." 

"..So, I hid from everyone in the janitors closet. The school called my Mom!"

Amitys eyes widened.

"She showed up, and they found me, I thought I was done for,"

Luz paused for dramatic effect then.

"But she found out what happened and she was mad at the teachers and Boscha, not me!"

"I was so confused until she explained that the teachers 'shouldn't have lost their tempers with a ten year old for reacting the way they did' or something,"

"OK maybe I still don't get it, but she brought me home early and bought me ice cream because my tooth–and said I wasn't in trouble with her so.."

Luz shrugged.

"Huh, your Mom sounds cool," Amity told her, "my parents would have grounded me for a month if I caused so much trouble. "

"Hey, That's not cool!" Luz exclaimed, "Not even any ice cream for your toothy!?"

"No."

"Well they sound mean." Luz pouted.

The mood shifted.

Her parents weren't mean, she thought. those were just the rules.. Amity knew that.

They sat in silence for a while after that. Amity went back to reading her book. Luz picked at the grass around her, apparently the ants had gotten at her lunch ruined it, Luz hadn't been happy about that.

"Pstt,"

Amity looked up from her book.

"What?" she said cooly.

"Are you mad at me?" Luz asked.

"Why would you think that?" Amity retorted in an, admittedly, unfriendly tone.

"Because you haven't talked once to me after I called your parents mean," Luz told her.

"Well, I'm not mad." Amity lied, "I'm just reading."

"And I'm sorry," Luz sighed, "I just dont want anyone to be mean to you.. you seem really nice."

"Well you don't have to worry, because they're not and I'm not–and you don't know anything." Amity snapped.

Luz turned away from her hurt. Amity felt a pang of guilt then, but didn't try to consol the girl or apologise. Amity wasn't nice. She'd been horrible to Willow, just like she was horrible to Luz just now. That was who she was. It would just be history repeating it's self if she tried to make a new friend.

She would only make things worse by trying to talk any further to Luz.

Besides, Luz was the class weirdo. Amity shouldn't be talking to her. Blights associate with a select few. Her parents taught her that. Amity realised then, she should go find her friends.

She felt Luz grab her hand, shocking her out of her thoughts.

"Hey, I made this for you," Luz said, producing a bracelet made of daisy's from her other outstretched hand.

"To say sorry for upsetting you further."

Amity blinked in surprise, and took it.

"Oh–um, thank you, but why?"

"I just told you silly," Luz frowned, "You looked sad when I came over, so I wanted to help cheer you up, but I've only made things worse.."

"So I made you a daisy chain to say sorry."

"But I was rude to you.." Amity shook her head, "you can't be nice to me when I'm not doing the same for you."

"But you were already in a bad mood," Luz shrugged, "so I've decided to forgive you, I know you didn't mean any of it."

This kid was weird.

Amity realised Luz was still holding her hand then. She felt her cheeks burn but she didn't know why. It must be anger or hunger, she had skipped lunch after all.

"How did you make it, the daisy chain I mean?" Amity asked putting her book down and moving closer.

"Oh, well it's easy!"

Luz took her hand back, and showed her how, an intense look of concentration on her face as she tied a string of daisy's together. Amity felt a smile form on her face as she watched the other girl work her magic.

"See?" 

Amity nodded, and tried to copy with sub-par results. 

"It's only your first one, so don't beat your self up!" Luz encouraged.

Amity nodded, but fifteen minutes later the school bell rang signalling the end of lunch and Amity still hadn't gotten it, even after multiple attempts to show her how from Luz.

The two had been laughing all the way through though. Luz had forgotten to ask for her name, which had sent them both into hysterics when Luz realised. It had been the most fun Amity had in ages.

Luz's stomach rumbled. Amity had an idea.

While collecting their stuff and walking back inside, she whispered to Luz;

"Do you want half my sandwich?"

"Oh my god-yes, thank you!"

Amity chuckled.

She'd make Luz that daisy chain tomorrow.

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Seventy-Seven

So sorry this was so late, guys. Thank you for the sweet messages. For those who don't know my cousin was found by her two little children yesterday morning. She's been a heavy drinker for the last few years and we suspect she was getting into drugs as well through her husband. She was only 26 and way too young to die. I always idolized her when I was little, and wanted to be just like her. I know everyone has demons and are imperfect but it's really opened my eyes that even people we put on pedestals have things they're working through, just like us. Addiction runs in my family (obviously because this is the second cousin we've had to bury this year due to drug/alcohol addiction), I just always thought she would make it out. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, it isn't going unnoticed.

Words: 5k

Warning(s): explicit language, violence, drug abuse, mentions of sexual assault

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"That's it?" I sneer at Nikki, on his heels after shoving Sparkie aside and leaving him in the dressing room, my hand reaching out to grab Nikki's wrist and snatch him back to me to keep him from walking away. "Not too long ago you beat the shit out of him for doing the exact same thing, Nikki, what the hell is so different now?" I demand, and he pulls away from me, his hazel eyes darkening with a looming sadness as he just looks down at me. 

"He's a fucking pervert, Viv. We know this, alright? Just kick his ass if you want to. I'm not gonna beat a dead horse." He dismisses me. 

What had changed was when he beat Sparkie to a pulp the last time, he didn't know about Duff. After discovering my relationship with one of his friends, it wouldn't have shocked him to find out that Sparkie and I were fooling around, too. I was a slut in his eyes, which was fine, because he was one in my eyes, too.

"Why the hell can't you just try to protect me, for once, Nikki?!" I snap at him, tears in my eyes, and he huffs out a huge breath, glaring at me. 

"Because I don't care, Vivian!" He screams.

"Oh, that's pretty evident, Nikki, that really is!" 

"I haven't protected you? You haven't protected me!" He throws at me, pointing his finger in my face. 

"Protected you from what?! Drugs?! The bullshit of fame?! People that want a piece of you just to say they're friends with Nikki Sixx?! I've tried! I've dedicated my fucking life to you! To making you happy, and making sure you were okay and every time I thought you were, you'd just go off the deep again!" I shout, a lump in my throat...my lost babies...my relationship with Duff..."I've protected you more than you even know, Nikki. And if I haven't, I've tried, and I'm still trying!" I outburst. 

His black-smeared eyes widen at my words, his jaw clenching as his nostrils flare. 

"You're still trying to protect me?" He asks, shaking slightly. "What exactly from, Vivian? Huh?" 

I blow him off, shaking my head slightly, about to walk away when he grabs my neck, making me squeak in pain. 

"You weren't protecting me from shit when you did that Playboy cover just to spite me. You weren't protecting me when you started fights with me over tiny shit, you weren't protecting me when you were hiding our relationship from people to begin with and you sure as fuck weren't protecting me when you hid your friendship with Duff from me!" He hisses out, his nose brushing mine, his hand still around my throat. "You want guys to respect you when you aren't worth a fucking thing which is why you had to get naked in a magazine to get validation in the first place." He adds viciously. "And as for Sparkie, you've made it pretty evident you'll wrap those pretty legs around just about anyone so excuse me for not thinking Sparkie is where you draw the line being that you're just another pussy to unload in and get on to the next attention-humping slut."

A satisfying crack sounds when my fist connects to his eye, making his fingers release my throat as he groans, stumbling back.

I wipe my tears, taking a deep breath as I shakily step past him, my eyes closing slightly as I wince at the unbearable “I hate you!” screaming past his lips, being hurled at me.

“You don’t get the luxury of hating me, Nikki.” I snap at him, continuing to walk away.

“You’re ungrateful and spiteful and selfish. Everything I have done for you--our lifestyle, our house, our--”

“And I never asked for any of it! I never wanted any of it! I just wanted you, Nikki!” I turn around to look at him once more, my voice cracking tiredly because we’ve had this conversation a thousand times before. “You didn’t have to do any of it for me but you did because you were trying to earn my love and respect but you already had it, I already adored you without the other bullshit, and you adored the excess and the groupies and the drugs!” I point out and he looks at me painfully, tears in his own eyes, out of anger, no doubt.

“I fucking failed you, Vivian, how many times are you gonna make sure I hear it?!” He yells back.

“Until you stop victimizing yourself and making me out to be the bad guy when you know damn well you did this to me! You ruined me, just like my fucking mom said you would!”

“I ruined you?!” He questions, his eye beginning to swell up. “I never forced you into a relationship with me, Vivian! You knew exactly what you were getting into when you got with me!”

“If I knew what I was getting into, I wouldn’t have given you a minute of my time, let alone six years of my life because you weren’t worth it!”

“I hate you!” He repeats, this time he really sounds like he means it, and I can’t help but give it right back to him as the words, “I hate you!” fly from my mouth before I can stop them.

He already deemed himself unlovable due to his mother only wanting him when it was convenient for her, and his father never wanting him to begin with...I only reinforced that, without meaning to, somewhere along the way.

“What the hell is goin’ on?!” Doc shouts over us and we look at him. “What the fuck happened to your eye?!” He pipes next, looking at Nikki.

“It’s fine.” He swats Doc away when he tries to take a look at it. “I can still play and make you plenty of money.” He adds in a hiss, shoving past him, shooting me one last death glare before leaving us.

“What the fuck happened?” Doc demands.

“I’m getting a divorce.” I state. “That’s what.”

When I turn around I see Izzy, his eyes hiding behind his shades, cigarette hanging from his lips as he trails behind me when I pass him.

“Ya know, it’d be easier if you didn’t add fuel to the fire, Viv.” Izzy tells me, not meaning any harm by it, but I’ve had enough.

“And my life would be easier if you were just dead.” I snap, slamming the bathroom door behind me.

I wondered what it would feel like if Nikki just knew about Duff and I. I wouldn’t have had that looming, paranoid fear, I wouldn’t have constantly been avoiding certain conversations altogether and I certainly wouldn’t have given Sparkie any ammunition...of course, it would have been the absolute end to our marriage, then and there--same day divorce, no questions asked…

“Nikki, just hear me out, please,” I plead, tears rolling down my cheeks as I tug my shirt on.

“How was it?” He asks me, fuming, and I furrow my brows, slightly.

“W-Wha--”

“--You said you wanted me to hear you out, Vivian, so I wanna know exactly how fucking one of my friends was?” He hisses, and I shake my head.

“You don’t need to patronize me, Nikki, I just made a mistake--just like you made with Vanity.” I tell him.

“Oh, my God.” He scoffs out, making a beeline for the tousled blankets in the living room floor in front of the fireplace.

“Nikki--”

“--When you found out about her you marched into the room, threw things around, called me every disgusting thing you could think of and wouldn’t hear a thing from me about why it happened but you do it, a-and it’s just a ‘mistake’ you made?” He asks me, his voice struggling to maintain it’s stern composure.

“I’m sorry, Nikki, alright? I am sorry, please don’t do thi--Nikki!” I shout as he throws the blankets into the burning fire, heading to our bedroom. “Nikki, stop!”

He starts stripping the sheets from the obviously screwed-in bed, next.

“You destroyed my shit when I cheated, why the fuck does it matter that I do it to you, huh?” He’s not even yelling, he’s surpassed the stage of “yelling” anger.

“Because I didn’t cheat!” I insist.

“Then why are you so upset that I walked in and saw you in bed with him, Vivian?” He asks next, keeping the tears in his eyes from toppling as he speaks.

“Because I didn’t want you to find out this way.” I admit, my voice shaking and hoarse from crying.

He throws the sheets at my feet, before silently going to his closet, grabbing his clothes as fast as he can.

“What are you doing?” I ask him, panic in my voice.

“I’m not sleeping here tonight, Vivian, I-I can’t.” He tells me.

“Nikki, no, we need to talk about this or-or something, please.”

“I can’t be here, right now, I-I look at you and I just…” He can’t finish, clenching his jaw. “...I’m not staying here tonight.”

“Then we can talk about it tomorrow, Nikki, just please--”

“--I don’t know when I’m gonna be back, Vivian, I don’t, so just leave it at that. You stay here as long as you want and he can, too, I don’t care anymore.” He lets out, weakly, grabbing the suitcase he came in with.

“Where are you going?” I hold back a sob and he ignores me. “Nikki, please, talk to me about this, I--”

“--There’s nothing to talk about. I slept with Vanity and you slept with Duff, we’re even now, and should both be done with this shit.” He continues packing quickly.

“Nikki, please don’t go, we can work this out like we’ve always done, please.” I grab his hand, my eyes swelling from crying, my nose running, but I don’t care.

“How do you expect me to feel sorry for what I did with Vanity when you’re trying to make everything better with another guy’s cum in you?” He asks me, calmly. “This marriage was obviously just damned from the start, so just call it what it is and let’s both get on with our lives.” He closes his suitcase, picking it up.

I’m pathetic with tears cascading down my face, giving one last "hail Mary" attempt as I hold to his arm that reaches for the door knob, and sob out:

“Nikki, please, don’t leave me like this, I don’t care about what happened with Vanity, just don’t leave me like this, can we please just talk about it and try to work on it, please, Nikki.”

He looks down at me, his own dam breaking just briefly enough for one of his tears to fall from his face and land on my lips, slithering through my slightly parted lips.

One last taste of him, before he’s shaking me off of him, and leaving me.

Yeah, I guess it’s good he didn’t find out sooner.

“Hey,” Duff’s voice cracks my thoughts, making snap back to reality as I look in the mirror, seeing him tower over me, and Stevie cheerfully bouncing on the balls of his feet, bringing a small smile to my lips, “Doc said you were in here.” Duff adds and I wipe my eyes, trying to avoid messing my makeup up any worse than it is.

“Yeah, I figured.” I reply softly.

“You just have one last night, okay?” Steven reassures me. “Just one more night and you’ll be outta this mess and back home.”

“Right.” I try to give my most convincing performance, grinning as best as I can...Duff clearly sees through it, clearing his throat a little.

“Vivian, if you wanna go back to the hotel, I won’t be mad.” Duff offers.

“What? And miss you guys’ last show on this tour? Are you kidding me?” I brush it off, my chest clenching as he looks down at me and Steven just raises a brow, their sweet faces obviously showing concern.

“You don’t have to act all tough around us, ya know.” Duff tells me, and I rub my lips together.

“I’m not acting.” I insist, shaking my head, turning back around to wipe the smudged mascara from under my eyes. “I’m tough as nails.” I explain, sounding as if I’m trying to convince myself, and them, of it.

“Duff, dude, Axl wants you.” Slash peeps his head in.

“Alright, man, I’m comin’.” Duff says. “See you in a second, k?”

I nod, maintaining my unbothered expression as he kisses my cheek, leaving me with Steven.

“You know, you’ve got a lot of shit on you right now, but...we’re not cats, Viv.” He tells me out of nowhere.

“What?” I ask him, confused.

“My grandma has this fat-ass cat, and he got sick and even though he was at his food bowl, he wouldn’t eat, he’d just make it seem like he was. My grandma’s vet told her cats pretend they aren’t weaker than usual to keep other cats from finishing them off.” He states and I let out a breath, nodding.

“You think I’m bullshitting to keep from making it worse?” I ask him, trying to keep my shaking voice at bay.

“I think when you and Nikki were still together and working on things, and shit was hell behind the scenes but seemed so glamorous on the outside, you didn’t pretend everything was fine to keep Doc off your case...you pretended Nikki wasn’t a heroin addict and your relationship was fine to keep other girls from ganging up on you and trying to steal him away.” He says calmly.

“Well, Vanity can tell you that didn’t work.” I scoff, sniffling.

“You don’t have to keep pretending everything’s fine, anymore, Viv.” Stevie states.

“I’m a woman, Steven. It’s not fine. Everyone is pinning my failed marriage on me as if it’s my fault he was on drugs, and sleeping with another woman, and--” I stop myself before I start crying, not wanting to refix my makeup. “--When it goes public, he’ll be praised for being a rockstar and knowing what he wants, and I’ll be scolded for not being sexy enough or fun enough or pretty enough or nasty enough or whatever enough to keep him happy and entertained to the capacity it requires to keep men happy.” I tell him, my voice rasping through the lump in my throat. “None of this would be a problem if I were just a freaking guy.” I add, laughing humorlessly.

He doesn’t have anything to say, opting to wrap one of his arms around my shoulders while the other wraps around my stomach, hugging me to him, his cheek resting against my hair as a tear rolls down my cheek, my hands find his, welcoming his embrace full-heartedly.

I predicted it.

Once the news of our divorce hit newsstands, it was automatically my fault, and when those “Nikki Sixx Files for Divorce from Estranged Wife” headlines turned into, “Nikki Sixx and Wife Retract Divorce Filing”, and then, “Vivian Sixx Announces Pregnancy Bombshell, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) is the Father”, all hell broke loose.

Things like, “Vivian Sixx: You Can Put a Ring on a Groupie, but It’s Still a Groupie,” and “*Insert whatever rockstar’s name I happened to be at the same social gathering as* and Vivian Sixx, Here’s What We Know,” were put on tabloids.

When Los Angeles Daily Times spun a bullshit story about me and my alleged affair with Jani Lane, who was engaged to Bobbie Brown--who was also one of my friends--at the time, and also claimed I didn’t get along with Bret Michaels or Bobby Dall because they were somehow my recent ex-lovers, Izzy and Steven went down to their office with a shotgun and threatened the moron who wrote the article.

An apology was issued publicly, rather quickly, as it should’ve been, but everything everyone said about me, and the situation, whether negative or positive, stuck with me for years, and it took awhile for the negative to be shaken off.

"We go on in, like, twenty minutes, Viv." He tells me softly and I nod. "I love you." He adds. 

"I love you, too, Stevie." I reply. 

His lips give a quick kiss to my exposed shoulder before he's leaving to go join Axl, Izzy, Slash, and Duff.

I fix my makeup once more, going to Mötley's dressing room to grab my purse and reapply my lipstick. 

Emi and Donna quiet down when I come in, they're sprucing their hair up, glancing at me, looking like they've been caught even though I didn't hear what they were talking about.  

"Hey, girls." I tell them, grabbing my lipstick. 

"Hey, Viv." Emi replies.

"Where the guys at?" I ask. 

"Vince and Tommy went to find some girls, Mick's talking to Doc, and Nikki…" they trail off, exchanging a look. 

"...Is in the bathroom shooting up. Got it." I scoff, using their mirror to smear red on my lips. 

There's a tension, as if they want to tell me something else, but don't exactly know how to. 

"What's up?" I ask them, next. 

They look away from me and I furrow my brows. 

"Girls, what's wrong?" I question and Donna sighs. 

"Sparkie just came in here and told us--randomly--that you and Duff have been sleeping together on this leg of the tour." Emi confesses, my nerves bunching up and frying. 

"W-What?" I ask. 

"He told us and then asked where Nikki was and we told him we didn't know because we didn't want him to tell him that because it's not true." Donna adds and my face tells it all. "Oh, my God." 

"Nikkk cannot know, he can't tell him." I insist, heading to the door. 

"We'll find Nikki, you find Sparkie." Emi offers. 

"Thank you." I tell them, opening the door, running into Nikki. 

"The fuck are you doing in here?" He questions me. 

"Um...girl talk." I lie as best as I can and he rolls his eyes, pushing me out of the way, sitting on the couch, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. 

I look at Emi and Donna, mouthing, "keep him in here," and they nod.

I shut the door, on the hunt for Sparkie. 

As I'm walking backstage, I notice how the crew is staring at me more than usual, even more than when my Playboy issue came out. 

I furrow my brows slightly, seeing Nikki's bass tech about to pass by, grabbing his arm and stopping him. 

"What's everyone's deal?" I ask him and he looks at my hand on his arm, and back to me. 

"It seems you've given people reason to talk about you...and Duff...again." he explains, alluding to me using Duff's in Playboy. 

"Did Sparkie--"

"--Yeah." He nods and I feel my blood boil. "Good luck." He gives me a small smile and goes on his way, making me shake my head a little as I look at everyone looking at me, whispering under their breath. 

I make a couple laps around backstage, managing to never find Sparkie, but I do see Tansy by the drink table, and I make a beeline for her. 

"Where's Sparkie?" I ask and she looks at me. 

"Oh, um, I-I think he went to talk to Nikki." She tells me. "He went to check in their dressing room, maybe? I'm not sure, he didn't say but he said he couldn't find him and headed that direction, why?" 

My heart hammers in my chest, and I can't bring myself to answer before I'm rushing back to the dressing room as fast as I can in my heels, opting to just take them off altogether and carry them in my hand. 

"Hey, Vi--" I shove through Vince, Tommy and Mick who're about to enter, opening the door in a burst, feeling tears pool in my eyes as I stare at Sparkie and Nikki sitting together on the couch. 

That's it. I'm done with. I'm fucked. Nikki knows. He knows. That's it. 

"Hey, Viv." Sparkie fauxly grins at me, propping his feet up on the small coffee table scattered with porn magazines, and I feel my stomach turn, my eyes shifting to Nikki, whose expression is too neutral for me to know if he knows or not. "I'm glad you could join us, I was just about to have a very important conversation with Nikki." He tells me. 

"Can I talk to you outside for a moment, Sparkie, please?" I beg, anxiety prickling at my nerves, glancing behind me when I hear feet shuffling, seeing we now have an audience of Tommy, Vince, Mick, Steven and Izzy, along with Emi and Donna who sit quietly in the corner, looking guilty for not keeping Sparkie away. 

"I think whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of Nikki." Sparkie says, standing up and I roll my jaw. "In fact, why don't you tell him?"

"Sparkie." Tommy speaks up, causing the grease ball to look at him over my shoulder. "Dude, chill out." 

"What exactly do you need to tell me?" Nikki questions loosely, still in the clouds…

"Yeah, Vivian. What exactly do you need to tell him?" Sparkie smiles.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Is all I can come up. 

"I'm sure they do." He adds flatly, and Nikki stands up stepping to us. 

"What the hell's he talking about?" He questions me. 

"He's a lunatic, Nikki, I don't know." I shrug, the palms of my hands sweaty. 

"You don't know?" Sparkie raises his brows, stepping past me and Nikki to walk to the door. 

I know what he's about to do: drop the bombshell and leave me with Nikki to suffer. 

Anger takes over at the thought, how disgusting he's been to Tansy, how repulsive he's treated me, how cruel he's been to Nikki in terms of making him feel like he has to have heroin...I glance down to see the plunger of a syringe in Nikki's black boot. And I snap. 

My hand pulls the capped needled syringe from his shoe, and I get the cap off, the needle slamming into the skin of Sparkie's left shoulder blade, just after he's about to say, "I bet Duff knows," but he only manages to get out, "I bet Du--". 

"Vivian!" Tansy's screaming shriek rips through the room as I get Sparkie on his knees by bearing my weight on him while continuing to shove the needle in and out of him, stabbing him with it as hard as I can each time, arms wrapping around my waist and him, trying to get me off of him. 

When I realize I'm being pried away, I discard the syringe and claw my nails at his eyes, making him scream and holler louder while everyone's yelling at me and Tansy's sobbing. 

I feel the forceful pull of a set of arms around my waist, and two more sets of hands on my arms, finally plucking me from Sparkie. 

Doc, Steven, and Mick are all holding me at bay as Tansy looks Sparkie over, everyone else in shock. Except Nikki. 

Sparkie's a crying, babbling wreck. 

"Tell him now, bitch!" I bark at him, and he only wails louder. 

As sick as it is, hearing him that distraught brought me a joy I'd never known. Sick bastard had finally gotten what he deserved. Maybe it makes me a crazy bitch for doing it, but nobody else had the balls to try to kill him when we all wanted to, so I suppose I took one for the team. And you know what? I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Sick bastard.

"You cannot just start beating the fuck out of people--not even beating, this time, Vivian, he can go and press some serious charges against you and--"

"--Because he's a pussy." I snap and Doc snatches at my wrist, stopping me. 

"Because you stabbed him, repeatedly, with a heroin needle, Vivian." He grits out. 

"So, I'm supposed to care whether the needle I plunge, repeatedly, into a drug-hustling-rapist is dedicated to the use of smack or not?" I furrow my brows. 

"I'm not saying that--"

"--Then don't say anything at all because at this point, everything he's done to Tansy and tried to do to me, is inexcusable and I'll stab him a million more times if I damn well please, and anyone trying to talk me our of it is a Sparkie sympathizer and I assure you, you don't want me to find out you sympathize with him." I promise, turning to walk away. 

"I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it, Viv. I'm just saying that you weren't this violent six years ago." He states and I stop, rolling my jaw, before turning back to him. 

"Because I didn't have much of a backbone six years ago, and I cared about making everyone happy six years ago and I let people run over me if it made them happy six years ago and I was stupid and naive and had this idea that if I'm a good person, people will be good people back. But seeing how drastically my life has changed in a matter of two years in terms of my marriage and personal relationships and all the boozing, drugging and pussy-chasing in between, I don't have the grace or the patience to try to make people happy anymore. And that's not me being a crazy bitch, or a shitty person, that's simply me adapting and reacting to the environment I've been put in. I'm trying. I am doing my best. If my best isn't good enough for you then please walk to the back of the line of people waiting to deep throat my clit." I calmly tell him before going anywhere else to collect myself before the show starts. 

"Hey, Stripey Balboa." Izzy chuckles to me when I get in their dressing room. 

"Izzy." I roll my eyes, plopping down on the couch and he raises a brow.

"Have you gotten your barbarism out of your system yet?" He asks next. 

"I will once I shank you with a needle if you keep talking your shit." 

"I'm not talking shit. In fact, I admire your willingness to completely throw out your moral compass over a shit-smothered asshole like Sparkles and, by doing so, making me afraid and slightly aroused." He replies with a slick, sarcastic grin, before genuinely smiling. "Honestly, though, I'm glad it was you and not me because I would've killed him before drugs ever did." He adds, leaning forward and patting my knee before standing. 

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier." I say before he can leave, turning to look at him. "My life wouldn't be easier if you died. Yeah, I'd have one less person to worry about, but you're one of the people that makes my life good, so...I wouldn't know what to do without you." 

"Nikki didn't have any reason to cheat on you. I just said that to piss you off." He admits with a sigh. 

"So, we're good?"

"I don't even remember why we weren't good to begin with." He shrugs, giving a little wink before leaving me alone. 

After a few more minutes, I decide to go grab a Pepsi, standing up to leave, only to accidentally bump into a woman that seems somewhat recognizable, but also, not, at the same time. 

"H-Hi, um, i-is this where the band hangs out before the show?" She asks me, glancing around. 

"Um, yeah, most times...which band?" I reply and she raises her brows. 

"What?" 

"Which band? There's Guns N' Roses, and Mötley Crüe." I explain. 

"Oh, Mötley Crüe. I got in contact with their manager and he gave me directions and mailed me a backstage pass, so--"

"--Doc did?" I question and she nods.

"Yes, I tried to find him, but I can't seem to find any familiar faces so..." she trails off and I nod. 

"Okay, well, let's go find him, alright?" I suggest kindly, feeling bad at the fact she looks way lost and like a fish out of water as we walk down the hall. 

She glances at me for a moment, before clearing her throat. 

"You look even prettier in person." She says to me and I look at her. 

"Thank you." I reply. "So, are you a reporter or just a die-hard fan?" 

"Oh, neither." She says. "Where's your wedding ring?" She asks next and I'm at a loss for words for a moment. 

"Um, I lost it." I lie. 

"Oh." 

We continue looking for a couple more moments, to no avail. 

"They're probably grabbing some last minute stuff from the bus, but um, you're more than welcome to eat anything or drink anything you want while you wait." I motion to the table of food prepared for the guys and the road crew. 

"I was thinking I'd get to know my daughter-in-law a little better." She says next. 

"Oh, is she here with you?" I question, looking around, but she takes my left hand, looking blankly at my empty ring finger before adding, "at least I think she's still my daughter in law." 

[one-spidey-boii]

BUMMER SUMMER || peter parker; ch. two

read chapter one here

masterlist

an; welcome back y’all. thank you to all who have read so far, even tho it’s only chapter two. i’d love to hear your feedback! enjoy!

**italics indicates flashback**

warnings; mentions of battle wounds (i.e. blood/scars/etc), future smut, mature language, fluff, angst, both peter and oc are 18+!!

word count; 2.2k+

edie's pov

so that's spiderman? seems like a fun guy, i think as i walk through the dark alleyways so i don’t draw unwanted attention to myself. it's late and i'm navigating my way home, still thinking about my run-in with the red and blue clad boy. it's easy to tell he's young by the sound of his voice, leading me to believe he’s twenty at most. that doesn't bother me of course, as i too am considered young for a crime-fighting vigilante.

i turn the last corner before reaching my street and sigh with relief at the sight of my apartment building. the light in my window is off, aiding in the illusion that i'm asleep so my mom doesn't come in while i'm away on my semi-nightly adventures. just before i can touch the brick stones of my building as i pass by, a mechanical swoosh comes down and picks me up off the ground. i let out a small yelp and quickly find myself placed on the roof.

"hey, wolfie." mr. stark says as he walks out of his iron man suit. i let out the breath i was holding and turn around to face him. i offer him a small smile and take my hood down.

"mr. stark, hello, sir."

"school's almost out, right?" before i can answer, he keeps talking, "good. i'm gonna need your help with something."

i wipe away the beads of sweat running down my forehead as i bend down to pick up my throwing knives from the concrete ground. i steady myself and focus on the tattered piece of cardboard nailed to the wall that is my makeshift target. with a small grunt, i fling one towards the center of the red dot, hitting it dead on. i continue this activity until i run out of things to throw and my arms feel like jelly. i lost count of how many times i'd hit the center of the target in a row.

stepping back with a satisfied smirk, i collect my knives, shoving them back into their rightful place in my bag or around my waist and turn on my heel to head home. i manage to take two steps before a voice stops me in my tracks.

"hey, don't walk away now, kid, the next one would have been fifty." my eyes widen at the familiar voice that often appears on my living room television. i slowly move to face the man and gulp, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, not being able to say a word.

"come on, one more. show me what you got." says tony stark, with a loose smile on his face.

without a word, i force my trembling hands to grab my favorite knife from my right boot and brace myself for a throw. my breathing is shaky as i raise my right arm and inhale along with it. i can feel the sweat running down my back as i close my eyes for a moment. don't embarrass yourself, e, i think to myself. with that i snap my eyes open and silently chuck the knife towards the target.

i missed.

"oh for fuck's sake." i groan into my hands before i remember who i'm with and freeze. i keep my head in my hands, making sure to cover my face, only gathering enough courage to peek at tony stark through my fingers.

"well, that's awkward, i won't lie," he says, looking uncomfortable, "but i think i saw what i needed to see beforehand. i'm tony stark, or iron man if you wanna get fancy." he reaches a hand out in my direction.

"edie wolfe, hi." i reply with a defeated and lame handshake. to save both of us from looming silence, he pulls at my hoodie before continuing on, "okay, ms. wolfe." he pauses to inspect my attire, "what is this? leggings? and a hoodie? kid, if you're gonna be throwing knives, you gotta expect people to throw them back at you. this isn't going to cut it." he motions to the thin fabric covering my arms and chest.

i laugh at his words, "oh hey i see what you did there."

not catching on to his own pun, he moves on again, "what? actually never mind, we have a lot of talking to do, wolfie."

ever since that night, he took me under his wing- and a week later i got a package with a brand new suit in it. one that would protect me a whole lot more than what i was working with before.

"earth to wolfie, beep beep boop," mr. stark says as he pokes me in the forehead. i swat his hand away and give him my full attention. he continues on, "so you're in? a summer at the compound, being scary and keeping bad guys away?"

i raise an eyebrow at him, "what makes you think my family will be okay with that?" i ask. mr. stark simply rolls his eyes, "i already talked to your father, need i show you the proof?" i shake my head and he nods with satisfaction.

"okay, kid. see you in a few days." he says, preparing to get back into his suit, but before he can fly away i stop him, a question looming over my head, "am i doing this alone?"

"of course not. i wouldn't leave you alon- well actually i can't leave him alone so that's why you're gonna be there," he explains with a shake of his head.

"and who exactly is this person?" i ask with my arms crossed.

"how about one friendly neighborhood spiderman!" he yells and takes off before i can say anything back.

-

finally, the last day of school was upon us. it seems that the ending of every school year is bittersweet, and to be honest it hasn't quite hit me yet. senior year was way lamer than everyone played it off to be. you're told that you're officially ‘top dog', but let's be real- no real credit is given until you've graduated. but hey, here's to making it this far.

i'm sitting at my usual lunch table, surrounded by peter, ned, and mj. we pass jokes around the group and take in every moment we have left of our time together, yanno, since peter is leaving. but so am i. which is something i still have to share with everyone.

"uh, hey, guys. can i be a debby downer for a moment?" i ask, clearing my throat and disturbing the light mood of the afternoon. the table quiets down and all eyes are on me. "so you know how peter is leaving this summer?" i ruffle peter's hair in an attempt to not make that statement so sad.

"yeah, edie, we know." mj says with an eye roll as she picks at her cold french fries. i roll my eyes back at her and mock her voice. i can't help but notice peter's guilty face sitting next to me, little does he know i am going to make it a whole lot more weird up in here.

i take in a big breath and hold it to up the anticipation, "well it looks like i'll be gone too."

ned drops his chicken wrap and shakes his head furiously, "nuh uh, nope. no way. sorry, e, i can't allow that to happen," he says with a stern voice. peter chooses this moment to negatively highlight my new confession, "edie, how dare you! someone needs to be here to look after the kids."

i lower my head in shame, god this was so hard to do. faking a playful smile, i try to make light of the situation, "hey, c'mon, we all know mj is the mom friend of the group."

mj shakes her head violently and protests against my statement, "absolutely not. i veto that with all of my being, ned is the mom." she insists as she points to the pouting boy. we all laugh at that before falling into an uncomfortable silence. i glance in peter's direction and try to smile at him. doing this to him was the hardest, i tell him everything and knowing full well that i can't tell anyone about my stay at the compound, it just hurts my heart. we won't be able to communicate all summer.

"my mom signed me up to be a camp counselor...at, uh, a self-defense camp." i panic at the last second, realizing i never thought about what kind of camp i would fictitiously be a part of. the whole table bursts out into laughter.

through short breaths and a hearty laugh, ned pokes fun at me, "edie? teaching children how to kick someone's ass? look at you, you're like a soft pillowy little marshmallow." i stick my tongue out at him and cross my arms.

"hey, i wouldn't shut down the idea too fast, remember e's dad is like, an actual fbi agent. i'm sure he's taught her some stuff," peter chimes in, coming to my rescue. i nod along and hum a 'mhm', snickering inside at how much they don't know.

-

once i'm home, i pack my suitcase with all the things i think one would need to stay at a high tech superhero compound. i grab all of my knives and shove them into a utility pack, along with my suit.

my parents know where i'm going, and lucky for me they’re okay with it. well, at least my dad is.

my father, sam wolfe, works for a hidden branch of the fbi that trains government spies and the occasional assassin. thus being the reason i grew to be so good at combat. he would take me onto the roof of our building and have me shoot at targets and hit punching bags. we would practice for hours at a time, his booming voice critiquing my every move and decision as i worked. i've never been comfortable with a gun, so i stuck with knives and made that my craft.

i haven't seen my dad in a few months now. to 'protect' me and my family, we weren't allowed to know where my dad was going or why he had to leave in the first place. once mr. stark came into my life, he and my father became close, putting his trust in mr. stark to watch out for me whenever he was gone.

my mother on the other hand, she hates everything about it. she’s afraid of the world and all the things that lurk behind closed doors. when dad isn't around, we aren't allowed to talk about anything related to knives or fighting or tony stark. and for my nine-year-old brother's sake, i oblige.

pulling my bag onto my shoulder and lugging my suitcase through the hall, i meet my mother and brother in the living room. she meets my eyes with her cloudy ones and closes the distance between us with a strong hug. i chuckle at her before wrapping my arms around her plump frame.

"mom, it's okay-" i start, before she cuts me off, "shhh, edie. let me have this moment."

i shut up and continue to embrace my mom. i know this is hard for her, but she needs to understand that this is an amazing opportunity for me. i'm being put in charge of the avengers compound for the entire summer. i wish i could share this excitement with my dad, but i know he's happy for me, wherever he may be.

"edie, promise me you'll come home if you can't handle it. no one is going to judge you for that. you're only eighteen. i can't believe your father is letting you do this." my mother rambles as she pulls away from me. i smile at her and just nod my head.

my little brother looks over in our direction with a shy smile on his face. i ruffle his hair and pull him to me for a quick hug, "take care of mom for me, booger." i whisper into his ear. he gives me a simple nod and backs away.

my phone buzzes in my pocket. i pull it out to see a message from mr. stark.

'beep beep, i'm here'

i sigh and look up at my mom one last time, "that's my ride." she lets a single tear stroll down her cheek before wiping it away and shooing me out the door.

once out of the apartment, i lug my suitcase down the three flights of stairs and out onto the sidewalk. mr. stark is pulled up to the curb in his fancy black car. he rolls down the passenger side window and yells at me through it, "time to party, wolfie."

i stroll to the car and pull the back door open to throw my stuff down. then i hop into the front seat and look at mr. stark, "you know, you could have come in."

"yeah, well we all know your mother doesn't like me very much. i don't wanna poke the bear," he says as he pulls his sunglasses over his eyes and revs the engine, "let's get you to your new home for the next three months, shall we?"

|| taglist; @my-patronus-is-mabel-pines

[thatssonanii]

House Party

Bloodline Family Series

Parties were pretty much an every weekend thing for Eli, Koda and Milo. Sometimes during the week too. But they never had their own. For almost a month, the cousins planned their party. Trinity and Jimmy were going to be out of town about an hour away, all their siblings were going to be with Grandpa King and Nana. Koda and Milo weren't sure where their parents would be but they knew they'd take the alone time.

"You're really gonna use Auntie Trin's glass punch bowl? Didn't we buy one from the store?" Milo asked walking into the kitchen.

Eli shrugged. "It was cracked. This is good, she never uses it anyway."

Milo shrugged emptying the snacks into the other party bowls they'd brought. Koda was lining sodas up on the counter.

"I found the beer your dad hid in the garage," Koda laughed.

"Cool, he won't even realize they're gone. Is ya friend still gonna dj, Lo?"

Milo nodded going to throw his trash away.

"Yeah, he should be here in a few. Did you remember to lock the doors upstairs?"

"Ummm, yeah, I think I did. I'll check in a few."

The furniture was moved out of the way, the dj was set up, snacks and drinks were out and the boys were dressed. Fortunately for them, their parents had actually called them to check on them so they didn't have to worry about that being a problem.

A couple hours later, Eli's house and backyard was full of people, classmates, friends from other schools and a lot of people they didn't know. They were enjoying themselves much more since it was their party.

While his cousins danced Koda was by the dj area, taking pictures and videos of them. The more Milo danced the harder he laughed. Going over to them he joined in on their vibe, it was contagious.

Eli continued to dance and looked around the party feeling eyes on him. When he caught the eyes of the girl watching him, he smiled then tapped his cousins.

"I'll be back, I think i spotted my situation for tonight," Eli said staring at the girl.

Koda laughed, "Handle your business, cuz."

"Hoe ass boy," Milo joked.

After slapping hands with his cousins, Eli crossed the party to get to his girl. He snuck up behind her putting his hands on her hips.

"What's up, beautiful? I don't think we've met." He whispered in her ear.

The girl turned around and smiled at him. "We haven't but I know who you are."

"Is that right?" Eli smirked.

"That's right, Eli. I'm Suzy. Now that we're acquainted I wanna see if what I heard is true."

Licking his lips, Eli looked around the room for a moment them back down at Suzy. "Damn you don't waste time but if that's what you want. Follow me."

Milo hit Koda's arm and pointed to Eli, who was climbing the stairs with Suzy behind him. Koda watched them, he couldn't help but laugh.

"That's your hoe ass cousin, Lo." Koda joked.

While the cousins enjoyed their party, Trinity was waiting on the hotel bed for Jimmy to get out of his shower after their date. They decided to take a two day trip to Tampa just because. Trinity checked her texts, her emails then the vivint app. It kept sending her notifications from the doorbell camera. She had been ignoring it figuring Eli and his cousins were going somewhere but it was over 50 plus notifications.

As she looked through the stills from the camera her anger boiled over. She knew these boys were into doing some bad shit but to have a party was something new.

Jimmy came from the bathroom immediately noticing his wife's frown.

"Damn, did I take too long?" He asked jokingly.

"I think," she paused taking a deep breath, "No. Your son and his cousins are having a party."

Jimmy sat on the bed beside her laughing, "They always go to parties. No big deal."

Dropping her phone in her lap, Trinity turned to look at her husband. "No, fool. Your son and his cousins are having a party in our house."

"The hell you mean he having a party? In my house? I known you playin."

Trinity tossed her phone to him, "Look at the pictures. All those kids going in our house with bottles and shit. What does that look like to you?"

Taking the phone, Jimmy looked through the stills his jaw clenching after every picture. He gave her the phone back then went to put his clothes and shoes on.

"Get dressed and packed, we goin back. Ima kill his ass and his damn cousins too," he huffed loudly.

Once the couple got on the road, they called the other two couples to let them know what their kids were up to. They were going to wait for Trinity and Jimmy to get back in town before going to confront their kids.

Meeting up two houses down, the parents stood together fussing about their children. They could hear the loud ass music from where they were standing and it only pissed them off more. Meanwhile inside the house, Eli was still upstairs, Koda was dancing with Parker and Milo in the backyard with Aunni and their other friends.

"Okay, I'm over waiting. Can we go snatch these lil bad asses up or what?" Apryl complained.

"I'm sayin," Kandice agreed, "That lil slow ass boy is gon wish he took his ass to that farm when I'm done."

The men followed their wives to the house and inside, Apryl was in front pushing the teenagers out of her way, Trinity and Jandoce glaring at any of them who looked like they wanted to say something back.

One of the girls stopped dancing and smiled at the parents. "Mrs, Reigns," she screamed over the music. "I didnt know you guys were coming!"

"Girl, get out my way," Kandice demanded pushing the girl out the way.

Jey saw where the DJ was and headed over to him. Roman spotted Koda while Jimmy looked around for Eli and found him leaving against the banister on the second floor talking to a girl. Apryl eyed the party goers, Kandice and Trinity went to the kitchen.

Roman grabbed Koda by the back of his shirt, yanking him away from Parker. Koda snatched away prepared to fight whoever it was, his face softened realizing it was his father.

"Fuck," Koda mumbled not taking his eyes off Roman.

Jey slammed the laptop the DJ was using closed and glared at the young boy daring him to say something. When the music stopped everyone looked to set what the problem was except Koda, he didn't move. Noticing the issue, Eli started to descend the stairs stopping in the middle when he saw Jimmy staring at him.

The teenagers started to complain about their being no music which angered the parents especially Apryl, who still hadn't found her son.

"Shut up! Where is Adrian?" Apryl yelled. They. stood dumbfounded staring at her making her suck her teeth. "Where the hell is Milo?"

Again, nothing.

Apryl nodded, "Oh so nobody knows where his light bright ass is? That's fine, so since no one knows I guess I'll start beating ass till someone talks."

About ten of the kids blurted out that he was outside prompting Jey to head that way. Jimmy and Roman continued to stare at their sons.

"Get yall asses out now and off anything is missin out of this house, I'll visit each of you personally until I find it." Apryl threatened loudly.

Kandice came out of the kitchen to stand beside her cousin. "Leave, now!"

The teens rushed out of the house as quickly as they could, trying to avoid getting too close to the parents. Eli tried to scoot pass his dad but Jimmy stepped on front of him. The ones in the backyard were long gone when they saw Jey. A few minutes later after the house was clear, Jey came walking back in the house with Milo behind him.

Trinity rushed out of the kitchen towards her son and snapped the back of his head making him flinch. "Not only did you have a damn party but you used my good dish! And one of your lil friend broke it!"

Eli moved back from her with his hands up. "My bad, I ain't think it would get broken."

Sliding her sandal off, Trinity started to hit her son with it, gushing with each hit. "These bad ass kids in my house tearing my damn house up."

Koda took a step back, Roman took a step forward. Koda did it again and Roman followed.

"Boy, if you take one more step away from your daddy it better be to run," Kandice spat.

"Why the hell would you participate in this, Adrian? You know my elevator don't go all the way up and neither does your daddy's." Apryl said moving closer to her frightened son. "Look at this mess, Adrian. Trash everywhere, shit is broken and is that beer and weed I smell on you?"

"No!" All three boys answered.

"We had a beer or two but we wasn't smoking, Auntie," Eli spoke up.

"Shut. Up." Trinity said through gritted teeth. "She wasn't talking to you."

Jimmy folded his arms across his chest, "How the he would you know what they did? You had your ass upstairs laid up with somebody daughter."

"Whose idea was this party?" Kandice asked.

"Who was it?" Roman barked.

The boys jumped and all three started to talk away the same time.

"Okay, okay, okay," Kandice yelled. "One at a time."

"Me and Koda," Eli said looking down.

"No," Apryl said shaking her head, "No, it wasn't. Try that again. Who?"

Koda nodded scratching his arm. "It was us, Auntie. It was me and Eli."

"Stop that lyin, Makai," Kandice warned in a low voice.

"I'm not lying," Koda stressed.

Roman eyed his son, "Do you really wanna piss me off more than I already am, Koda? Is that what you really wanna do?"

"N-no, sir. But I," Koda stuttered.

"It wasn't your idea or Eli's," Jey added. "It was Milo. Wasn't it, Milo?"

"Yes, sir." He mumbled quietly.

Apryl laughed to herself. "Its almost 3 in the morning and we're tired. We're gonna go upstairs and go to bed. You three stay down here, we'll finish this in the morning."

Eli raised his hand a bit, "But my room is up there."

"Not tonight it isn't," Trinity said smartly.

"Why are we stayin down here," Koda asked quickly.

"Cause you're gonna clean this house up before we get up. Don't even think about napping or going to sleep before this house is spotless," Kandice warned looked at all three boys.

Koda sucked his teeth and quickly regretted it, feeling his father chop his chest.

"Don't try me, Koda. You know better," Roman told him.

The parents went upstairs leaving their kids without a second glance. The boys didn't move right away until they heard the bedroom doors slam. They knew they going to have a long night and day.

[thatssonanii]

Family Dinner

HAHN

The drive to Hanna's house was nerve wracking for Amanda. She had been in touch with Eddie for details and surprisingly he offered her a tremendous amount of support. She could tell he had changed since they two had met years ago.

Eddie brought them in the house, he made sure all of his family was in the living room which included Esperanza, Katheryn, Luca and Mitch. They sat talking amongst each other, waiting for the unknown last guests for dinner to start. Cameron and Caleb figured it was Cheyenne.

Eddie stood in the doorway with his hands clasped and a small smile on his face.

"So before I met any of you, I had been to Savannah several times to help out these incompetent ass police. You know what now that I think about it those assholes never said thank you."

Caleb snapped his fingers, "Hey! Hey! Focus, son."

"Right sorry," Eddie laughed, "Well I was helping on an investigation into a crooked ass judge and his family. But I found that as usual the cops were wrong. It was the judge not his family. And I came into contact with a family member that agreed to help us bring him down."

Everyone listened intently to him.

"Oooh they a snitch," Treasure called out making the adults except Hanna laugh.

"Treasure," Hanna warned. "Don't make me pop you. Hush."

"But they is a snit-," Treasure was cut off by Mitch covering her mouth and kissing the side of her head.

"Shhhhh, T. Don't do that," he whispered to her.

Eddie watched them nervously for a second before continuing on. "Umm I didn't know anything about them until afterwards during that long ass drive to Virginia. Worst trip of my damn life, so many stops, all that damn talking, switching cars."

"Edward!" Hanna yelled. "Focus, baby. You're nervous just spit it out."

"Right, right. Um, so when I met Mama and she brought me," here continued with a smile, "I met Pop, my brothers, sisters, niece, nephews, uncle, Mitch and Auntie Katheryn. I felt welcomed. But I also felt burdened."

"Burdened? Why?" Benny asked scratching his beard.

"Because of the things that I knew. Things that I knew none of you knew. Secrets that I was supposed to keep. Secrets that no one knew, not even Charles or Pop knew about. I know things about you all that you think no one knows. And I wanna come clean about one in particular."

Lainey giggled a bit. "Who did you kill?"

"Technically I didn't kill them," Eddie admitted scratching the back of his neck.

"This food isn't going to hold up much longer, Eddie. Spit it out," Luca said sighing.

"Okay okay sorry. Um, me and the family member came to an agreement that if she helped us then I would help her disappear."

They're attention was focused solely on Eddie. They were waiting for the ball to drop, anxious about what they were about to be told. While, Amanda and Spencer stood in the foyer listening on. Amanda was on edge as well.

"The dad, I knew from get go, was the most hated. I hated him well, I hate most people so that doesn't count but anyway. One of the children was an in denial asshole. The other child and mom erre the good ones." Eddie paused to take a deep breath. He unintentionally stared directly at Katheryn, there tears in his eyes but they didn't fall. "We .... I helped her fake her own death. I watched the devastation it caused and she heard it. I'd forgotten about it honestly until I met my family. I got back in contact with her a lil while ago and convinced her to come back home."

When Spencer heard that, he grabbed Amanda's hand and walked with her to the living room. Spencer's eyebrows rose seeing Caleb and Luca but kept quiet understand that this moment was not his. They already had their moment. There were audible gasps and the room fell silent.

"I honestly had forgotten about it until I met you, Auntie Kat. If you hate me, I understand but I'm sorry." Eddie dropped his glossy eyes from Katheryn's.

Weeping softly, Katheryn stood and moved closer to Amanda. She touched her daughter's warm cheer.

"You're alive," she whispered. "All this time and you've been in Virginia. I can't."

With that Katheryn left the room and went upstairs. Hanna followed behind her, she was in disbelief as well. She didnt check for a pulse when she found her but she didn't think she needed to.

Luca stood looking at all of his family.

"And since you all are already in shock one more thing wouldn't hurt. Caleb, Spencer and I worked together for years. Now let's go eat. Italians aren't very nice when they get hungry."

Eddie, Caleb, Spencer and Treasure followed behind Luca to the dining room smiling . They were hungry and couldnt wait any longer. Cameron sucked his teeth at them.

"How the hell they drop bombs on us and go eat? This some bullshit."

Cameron, Zion, Benny, Mitch and Charles went to the dining g room as well fussing at the other men. Esperanza said awkwardly for a moment before leaving the room as well.

Lainey, Marcie and Melissa approached Amanda and hugged her.

Lainey held her hands and smile at her, "I'm Lainey. Don't worry about your mom or ours. They'll come around."

"Right. Even if it takes a couple of days, it'll okay. I'm Marcie," Marcie reassured her.

"And I'm Melissa. Don't be scared or ashamed of anything. The three of us have had our share of bad shit happen to us. Our family was and is there for us. We're gonna do the same for you." Melissa said smiling. "We're your family now."

The four women walked to the dining room together, all of them smiling. They knew things would be okay. There would be a few storms but the sun would always shine.