The Wrong Address | COMPLETED

13. The Price of Principle

Ashlin

When I got home from work that Thursday night...all I wanted was to sleep. Yet fate had other plans, plans that included me getting an earful from my mom. She was back from her trip and boy was she mad at me. However there was some good in the situation, as she was angry at both me and Ryan.

Apparently Ryan hadn't told mom a thing about her becoming a grandmother. He hadn't even told her he had brought Gabriella to stay with us. So she was extremely pissed at him too.

After Gabriella had dismissed herself to Ryan's room. Daphne King ordered us to sit in the study with her.  She wanted to ensure we were having a private talk. So the living room wouldn't be best as Gabriella would surely hear.

As soon as Ryan and I sat down, mom exploded.

"What in God's green earth is wrong with you two?!" She asked rhetorically.

Her face was filled with an emotion we hardly got to see from her.

Anger

A whole lot of Anger.

"I mean I know you're spoiled and reckless Ryan but a baby! You don't even have a job! You're both still in college, do you expect me to take care of the baby?!" She spat at Ryan, raising some valid points.

Ryan and his girlfriend were still studying and Ryan was jobless and penny less. He depended on our parents for everything. So it was a real puzzle to know how he was going to take real responsibility.

"Mom, calm down... I've got it all under control" Ryan spoke, trying to close the topic.

However, Daphne King was not having it.

"Calm down! How dare you tell me to calm down! You get a girl pregnant, bring her to my house without notifying me and you're jobless. Yet you want to tell me to calm down?" Mom angrily replied, firing headshots at Ryan as I took it all in.

"I'll get a Job, I'll work hard for this baby." Ryan countered, his voice one of determination.

Mom seemed unimpressed but she moved on and turned her attention to me.

Shit!

Here we go...

"As for you...how did you find yourself  across the country without informing me or your father young lady?" She asked, her voice calm but I knew better.

It was the calm before the storm.

"A friend needed my help and it was urgent" I explained, as truthfully as I could.

"Since when do you have friends in Strenderville Ashlin? What is wrong with you! You run off without telling anyone what's going on! Then you return to find your brother with a stranger and keep it to yourself!" She began, the calm now gone.

It was now a full blown storm.

"I expect this from your brother but you really surprised me! Not to mention you're out here headlining messy articles!" She continued and it was now evident she was more disappointed with me than angry.

I didn't know what to tell her, I couldn't tell her I had gone to rescue a stranger. I couldn't tell her that the boy from the article was suicidal and I vowed to be his shoulder to lean on. It was principle to keep what I knew about Zion between the two of us until he was ready to open up. I needed to hold his trust and help him without dragging everyone into it.

So I kept quiet, allowing mom to come to her conclusions.

"Since you have nothing to say, you both are dismissed. However, I'm taking your devices Ashlin. Gather them and bring them to me." Mom instructed, earning a heavy sigh from me as I internally rolled my eyes.