Chapter 2

Listen to seventeen by Alessia Cara.

"Hi, Melanie." Sophia smiled at my best friend and ignored me like I was invisible or she was too blind to see me.

I go with she was too blind.

"What are you doing with this weirdo?" Irritation laced Sophia's voice, while she eyed me like I was some disgusting bag of shit. "You shouldn't be seen with losers like this."

Anger boiled in the pit of my stomach and I yearned for my fist to make contact with her face.

"Watch it! She's not a weirdo, she's my best friend." Melanie fired back and I mentally gave her a pat on the back.

"What ever. There's still a spot for you if you wanna join the yums." She rolled her baby doll eyes. "Do you mind explaining the maths Mr Murray taught us today?"

The yums, the stupidest crew name I've ever heard. The yuks sounded better because they were nothing, but a bunch of jerks who liked to see other people sad.

Melanie glanced at me like she was asking for permission. 

"Mother needs me." I hugged her and walked away.

"Why are you friends with a creep?" I heard Sophia asking Melanie.

They called me a weirdo and a freak because talking to people was not an easy task to me. I wore braces one time and it was hell for me because I was being called ugly Betty.

Melanie and I became friends when we were paired in a science practical. We became closer when she saved me from getting bullied.

She was kind of popular and not popular; she was average.

I got into the bus and watched as we passed houses, cars and trees. 

I got down at the bus stop and walked home. I stood opposite my house and damn it! My dad's car was not where I expected it to be, meaning he wasn't home.

I was tired and had no choice, but to go home. I wished my nana was alive, maybe I would have gone to her place and have her make me one of those her spaghetti cabonara. I salivated at the thought of this.

My maternal grandmother was the perfect definition of caring. She pampered me a lot, but she died of cancer. May her soul rest in peace.

My fathers side, I don't even know if they exist. 

Back to now, the more I walked closer to the house, the sicker I became. 

Finally, I reached my house door. Oh, did I say my house? Well, I meant 'her' house. 

She once told me it was hers and not mine; she said I paid zero bills, she called me useless. 

I was pained by these words.

I sucked In a deep breath and pushed the house door open, bracing myself for whatever I was going to face. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and smoke, making my stomach sick. I gulped nervously and closed the door. My eyes frantically searched the room and fell upon my cream colored sofa before my gaze bounced on the four yellow walls for any sign of my mom. She wasn't here, what a relief. 

I walked to the kitchen to get me water from the fridge and just as I closed the fridge, I heard the voice of my mother from behind, causing me to jerk.

"Woman." she dryly called out to me.

I turned and saw my mother with a bottle of whiskey in her hands, drinking her light green eyes out. 

"Don't call me that," I said and poured the contents of the bottle into a glass cup. 

"Why shouldn't I or aren't you one?" She ran her fingers through her black hair. 

"Just don't call me that."

"You are a freak. I watched you change into one." She drew in from the cigarette and puffed it out, earning few coughs from me. 

"You mean you laughed and mocked me when I started."

Yes, she laughed when I first saw my period. It happened early. 

On one faithful day after breakfast, I took the plates to the kitchen to wash them. My body felt different, I felt tired and just not myself. It felt funny down there like a bottle of oil was emptied in between my legs.

Feeling uncomfortable, I took off my cloths to shower and saw my nightie stained. I wondered what I sat on until I noticed my panties were equally stained. I got scared, thinking I contacted some kind of infection, but wondered where and how I contacted it. I mean, that was my first time and I had no idea about it. I know you are thinking that they would have taught me in school, yes, they did; but I was just scared. Besides, mother never told me. 

I got dressed and I was more than moody that day even to my dad. I thought I had contacted some kind of infection and I was beyond scared to tell my mother. Mother asked what the problem was because I was never that gloomy with Dad around, but I refused to answer. She said maybe some guy touched me and was currently molesting me, but I was scared of saying it. 

My dad came into my room to ask and I broke into tears, earning a look of concern from him. He asked what the problem was and I dramatically told him I had contacted an infection. I begged him not to tell Mom because she would just conclude that I had unprotected sex. He assured me that I wasn't infected and promised me my mother wasn't going to yell at me before he called my mum and stepped out of my room to give us some privacy.

I finally told her and the first thing i heard from her was "buhahaha!" She fucking guffawed, I just looked at her in disbelief. Shee asked some few questions and told me I just became a woman and shit. She told me that if I begin to have a tingling feeling in between my legs with a guy sitting beside me and I go for it, that I should prepare to become a mother. She laughed really hard and i wished her eyes popped out. 

I forgave her because she showed me the things to do, but she laughed and mocked and teased and said shits about sex. 

Back to today, she sat down on our wooden chair and looked pitifully at me. 

"So what if I did? You were stupid." She barked out a mocking laugh.

"Well, you never told me about it." Tears stung my eye lids. "You better tell dad before I do." I walked to the counter to drop my glass cup. 

"You wouldn't dare," She said with gritted teeth. 

"You better do. I mean, how could you? The first time I saw you I said nothing, but now you are doing the same thing over and over again." I complained and earned glares that passed scary messages to me from her. 

"I hate the memory of what I saw that day and today. Ever since then, you disgust me," I said irritably. 

"Watch your mouth young lady," She warned. 

"I'll only watch it, if you watch what you do behind father's back." I blurted like I didn't have control over my mouth, causing her to clench her jaw. 

Yes, I saw mum on a guy the day dad traveled. What was she looking for outside of her matrimonial home?

The funniest part was she didn't feel remorse for what she did when I caught them, but instead she asked me to get out of the room and shut the door behind me, while the guy half her age continued to bang her. I never told dad because I didn't want to hurt him, especially now that his blood pressure was rising and I never want to be the reason behind a broken home.

He loves her, but she doesn't deserve him. 

"The most painful part is that they are half your age, you should be ashamed of yourself." I chided with watery eyes. 

"Shut up! You wouldn't understand." She dropped her bottle of whiskey on the counter and cleaned her hands onbher strapless purple gown.

"No wonder daddy's sister dislikes you, she never comes to see us, why? You!" I exclaimed

"Understand what?" I asked. "Understand that you open your legs for men half your age?" I bellowed more like a question, trying to get the dirty image of him humping on my mom earlier today.

She walked up to me and I could see her eyes burning with anger. 

"I never want to be like you, I never-" I didn't get to finish my sentence because my mother landed a thunderous slap on my face. 

"Linda!" My dad exclaimed from the kitchen door. 

My cheeks began to hurt me like they lit it on fire as balls of tears cascaded down my cheeks. 

"What's going on here?" My dad asked and I sobbed.