Silver Lining

Three Years Earlier: The Angry Mermaid

(TW: Abuse)

3 years earlier

Lucy gulped, clutching onto the skirt on her uniform as she walked towards the cafeteria. It was her first day of the ninth grade, and she was well beyond anxious. She had to find a group to sit with, and fast, otherwise she'd be doomed to spend lunches alone for who knows how long.

She stood in the doorway of the cafeteria, scanning the room for anyone she might know. When suddenly, she spotted a blob of messy brown hair a few tables away. She let out a sigh of relief, and smiled to herself, practically running towards the table where the brown haired boy resided.

"Oh thank god we have the same lunch!" Lucy squealed, sitting across from him.

"Oh hey, Lucy!" He smiled back. "I was hoping we'd have the same lunch. I have something for you."

"Yeah? What is it, Aj?" She tilted her head in confusion.

Ajeel pulled a few dollars out of his lunch box and held it out. "Here!" He smiled, "I asked my dad for lunch money this morning, and then made my own lunch. You can have it."

Lucy stared at the dollar bills in front of her. She hadn't been able to bring her own lunch, and she certainly didn't have the money to buy one herself, considering her housing situation has been... complicated. "Really?"

"Of course!" He smiled. "Take it already! My arm is getting tired," he groaned.

Lucy smiled and took the cash. "Thank you, thank you!"

-

It had been a year since Lucy's mother passed away in the eighth grade. She remembered the slow, dark months before her passing. Spending hours in the hospital with her while she underwent chemotherapy. Washing bowls that had been puked in, bringing her mother water, helping her eat.

She hadn't gone to school during that time. Her father was helpful when her mother was first diagnosed, and for a few months after that, but that was it. As her mother got worse, her father's spirit slowly died along with her. He left most of the work to Lucy: the cooking, the cleaning. He only really came around when it was to drive her mother to chemo appointments, or the rare occasion when they ate together. It hurt Lucy, but she chose not to show that around her mother.

How does a girl endure all that hardship and pain at such a young age? She holds onto the one good memory of her mother like her life depends on it. For Lucy, it was sitting at her favorite diner with her mother, The Angry Mermaid. She remembered sitting in a booth, listening to Brown Eyed Girl on the jukebox, and sipping strawberry shakes. She remembered her mother's smile being as big and bright as the sun, as she gifted Lucy a small golden bracelet with a ruby heart shaped charm. And she held onto that memory with her whole being.

Until one day, her mother stopped eating the food she made for her. She stopped sending Lucy to get her water. It wasn't too soon after that that she just... stopped. Her mother's passing, and the months afterwards were a dark blur in Lucy's mind.

The death of a loved on should bring family together. But in Lucy's case, it drove family apart. Her father stopped coming home some nights. Would occasionally forget to pay a bill or two. He slowly drifted from her life.

I suppose, though, there was a silver lining. The loss of her mother, and the negligence of her father, forced Lucy to become independent. As soon as she was able, she sought out a job. It was a small job, one in which she spent hours after school sweeping popcorn out of movie theater aisles, but it helped her pay the bills that her father didn't.

When one day, her father didn't come home. No note, no explanation, no goodbye.

Lucy should have felt hurt. She knew that. But in her heart, it felt as though he'd run away a long time ago.