Celestia wants to leave her home and get as far away as possible from her alcoholic mother. When she stumbles into a drunk man and helps him home, what happens when he becomes her way out?
#2 in Smile
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August 13th **Trigger Warning** Mentions of abuse.
"Ok let's-" my phone rang loudly, interrupting Kai and his declaration.
My stomach dropped as I quickly pulled my phone out, planning to ignore it until the words ma flashed across my screen. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry—give me a sec." I slid from the chair and jogged into the hall we entered from to answer.
"Ma? What do you want?"
"Where are you Celestia...I neeeed you." She coughed as what sounded like pained moans hid in the bottom of her throat.
"Ok. Ok...Im coming." I hung up, my hands clasping my phone tightly as the guilt flooded my every sense. I almost felt nauseous at the thought of abandoning Kai and his hard work.
"Moonie-"
I stared at Kai as he appeared around the corner. "I'm so sorry." I murmured, my voice unable to reach any higher. "I have to go."
I watched as he smiled softly, the sweet and accepting look in his eyes fighting the crushing heartbreak that tried to take over. "It's ok. There's always time." He fought hard but that look is unmistakeable to someone who used to see it every time they looked in the mirror. "Do you need me to walk you home?"
I shook my head as I slid my shoes on. "No, it's ok. I'll come back and we can finish ok? I'm sorry. I'll come back as soon as I'm done. I promise." I glanced at him once more over my shoulder before exiting his home.
As soon as I stepped from the porch my eyes began to water. I haven't cried in a long time. This guilt that I've been carrying around on my back for almost a decade hasn't affected me as much as leaving Kai right now has. Before, this guilt was just a bothersome buddy that sometimes made me cover the mirror and avoid staring into glass windows. Right now, those mirrors were shattering and I had to stare into those shards as I picked them up.
I ran down the road and dodged through houses that progressively got smaller until I hit the dry gravel. "Ma!" I called out.
"Celestia?"
I attempted to catch my breath as I kicked the door shut. "What's wrong? What'd I need to come-" I turned to find a bottle flying toward my head. My body slammed against the door to avoid it, the heavy glass shattering on the wall next to me.
"Where the fuck were you? Huh? Your shift ended hours ago."
I stared between my mother and the glass scattered across the floor. "What? Why does it matter? You can't just throw a bottle at my head!"
"You're a whore!"
"What?" I laughed. I don't know why, but I laughed. There was nothing funny but I was angry and I guess my anger was turning into a joke made by myself. "I got off early and was gone for three extra hours!? How does that default me into being a whore?!"
