Never Say Never (Completed)

Seven {Before I Fall Apart}

"Can you shut up! You guys are giving me a headache!"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be trying to nap at two in the afternoon!"

I groaned a little internally at my brothers bickering back and forth, setting the cookbook in my right hand on the counter and heading out of the kitchen to the dining room. William is standing by the end of the couch Lucas is currently occupying, a controller in between his hands. He had paused his game to glare at the ten year old a few feet away, irritation evident in every inch of his face. Navi sat in front of her play kitchen, a plastic apple in her small hand as she watched the interaction between our brothers with fear.

Just as I opened my mouth to break up the fight before it could get any worse, both of my brother's grew rigid. I understood seconds later, watching my mother staggering down the hall. She almost never joined us for any meal, I'd always have to take it to her and help her eat, as I was fearful if I left her with a fork, I'd come back to find she'd inflicted some sort of damage to herself.

Lucas rose to his feet, looking to me with a questioning look. I held up my finger, wanting to give our mother the benefit of the doubt and see what was going on. I knew she still hadn't called in her prescription, she'd been off her medication for almost a week. Before I could stop it, Navi dropped her toys and rushed across the room, throwing her small arms around our mother's bare leg, staring up at her with fresh tears in her eyes. Lucas started toward us as our mother lowered her head to see what had latched on to her.

"Please, child. Get off of me."

The realization that our mother had no idea who she was slowly began to hit Navi and she backed away and fell into Lucas's expectant arms. He picked her up and whispered in her ear as he walked her down the hall. I looked toward William over her shoulder, then nodded down the hallway, but shook his head, not wanting to leave me alone with her.

"Why haven't you called in your prescription, Mom?" I asked cautiously, eyes lingering on her blood stained arms. She tugged on the robe around her, rolling her eyes as a girl my age may do after being told she needed to take the trash out.

"Because I don't need medication. I am fine." She snapped. Then her green eyes flickered with anger for a fraction of a second, before growing dilated.

I reached forward to rest a hand on her shoulder but she swatted my hand away before it could come anywhere near her. "Mom, the doctor—"

"I do not need to be told what to do by a child!" She screeched, "You are living under my roof."

She was coherent. It was very rare that my mother's actual personality surfaced. So rare that I'd been no older than William the last time she was. Her doctors had explained that there wasn't a lot I could do but try show her love and that she had a support system. But as she stood in front of me, I could feel anger and bitterness bubbling in my chest. Maybe it was from watching her push Navi away like a pesky bug, maybe it was because I was having a bad day as it was, but I stepped forward and pointed at the ceiling with a dark look.

"Your roof?" I spat angrily. "The last time I checked I was the one busting my ass working two jobs and begging Dad for child support. You receive nothing more than a check from the government that you spend on useless shit that I feel guilty enough to buy for you. Don't you dare tell me this is your house, your roof, you'd be on the street if it weren't for me."

My mother, or the shell of the woman who once shared the same face, stepped forward and straightened before smacking me hard across the face. As she pulled her hand away, her index and middle finger nails dug into my cheek. It took me until William started making a whimper like sound to realize my nose was bleeding. I swallowed hard, trying to hold back my tears and keep my composure before looking the woman before me dead in the eyes and speaking.