She's Mine Now

Mae

I pulled my little Nissan into the driveway of my family home. It looked like every other home on the street, minus the nice yard and spring flowers. The two-story home was once considered a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood. Over the years, the neighborhood had become less affluent and more average. My parents were part of the downfall. No one ever said it aloud, but everyone in the neighborhood knew my parents were a little off.

They weren’t off. They were addicts.

I knocked on the front door before letting myself in. If I waited for someone to answer, I could be waiting all day. “Mom?” I called, stepping into the dark foyer.

I heard a snort, followed by a growl. No, we didn’t have a family dog. That was the sound of my father snoring. I flipped on a light, not wanting to step on him in case he had passed out on the floor. I spotted him on the couch, facedown. I sighed, shaking my head and not at all surprised to find him that way.

“Mom?”

“Here,” I heard her answer.

I walked into the kitchen to find her sitting at the kitchen table with an empty cup in her hand. She was high as a kite. “Nice,” I hissed.

“Don’t start with me,” she said. “I have a headache.”

“You have a hangover that you cured with your happy pills,” I spat.

“Oh, little miss perfect Mae. Always the perfect, pretty girl. Always smarter than everyone else. You don’t know what it’s like to live with that man. You would have a headache too if you lived here.”

I scoffed. “When I have a headache, I take a couple Advil. I don’t go out looking for drugs.”

“Why are you here?” she groaned. “Are you here to lecture me? I know, I know, you hate me. Your parents are a disappointment. We ruined your lives. Blah, blah, blah.”

“Well, I guess something managed to stick in that empty brain of yours,” I shot back.

She moaned, rubbing a hand over her temple before taking a sip out of the empty cup. I watched her, waiting for her to figure out it was empty. She frowned, put the cup down, and peered inside. “Someone drank my coffee.”

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. It was a typical Monday morning in the Kendell house. They had probably started partying on Friday and were just now on their way down. “I’m going to Dad’s office,” I told her.

“You stay out of there,” she ordered.

I walked through the kitchen, noting the dirty dishes piled in the sink and a pizza box with flies buzzing around. The house was a mess. It was always a mess. I pushed open my father’s office door and gagged. The smell of stale alcohol and what smelled a lot like old puke nearly took me to my knees. The door was always kept closed at my dad’s orders. It had always been that way.

I walked inside, holding a hand over my nose and mouth, and made my way to the desk. I should have brought gloves. I shuddered as I rummaged through the scattered papers and wadded-up napkins. I didn’t want to know. I just wanted the stupid book. I knew exactly what it looked like. I opened one of the drawers and found it sitting right on top. I snatched it and rushed from the room, closing the door behind me.

When I walked into the kitchen, Hayden was at the kitchen sink, loading dishes into the dishwasher. “Hayden!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in school?”

She shrugged. “I overslept and missed the bus. Mom can’t take me.”

I looked at my mother, who was still staring into her cup. There was a moment of realization. I couldn’t leave my little sister in this shithole. We had talked with my parents about letting her come to live with me in the past, but they’d always refused. They always promised to clean up their act. I had consulted a lawyer, but my parents were really good at putting on a hell of a show.

“Okay,” I said, softening my tone. “Why don’t I take you to school?”

She looked at my mom, then me. “Okay.”

“Let’s go get your things.”

She looked at me with a curious expression. “My things?”

“After school, you will be coming to my house.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

I offered her a smile. “Let’s go pack.”

“What are you doing?” my mother asked, apparently coming out of her little trance.

“I’m packing Hayden’s clothes. She’ll be living with me from now on.” I turned to Hayden, who was still standing in front of the sink. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. I put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. Go pack what you need.”

“Are you sure?” she meekly asked.

“I’m positive.”

The look of relief on the poor girl’s face made me hate that I had waited so long. She rushed out of the kitchen, and the sound of her footsteps running upstairs followed. I turned to look at my mother, who had risen from her chair and was scowling at me. “You are not taking my daughter.”

“Yes, I am.”

“She’s my kid!” she shouted.

“You gave birth to her, but you are not a mother. You let her go with me and I won’t call the police. If you want to fight me on this, I will take you down. Do you hear me?”

She looked as if she was going to have a heart attack. “How dare you?”

“I’m daring. Now sit down, shut the hell up, and let me try to help this girl before you completely ruin her life.”

I heard Hayden coming back down the stairs, shot my mother one last heated look, and pointed at her. She was too stoned to do a damn thing about it and we both knew it. Hayden appeared in the kitchen with a single suitcase. Judging by how fast she had packed, I imagined she was in a hurry to get out.

“Ready?” I asked her with a smile.

She slowly nodded, looking behind me to the table where our mother sat. My mom was back to staring into her cup. The hurt on Hayden’s face almost killed me. I quietly took her suitcase and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go home.”