A Queens return

What a day...

After everything, I returned home, the weight of the day's events hung heavy on my shoulders, a sense of unease gnawing at the edges of my consciousness. The confrontation with Adrian and Jacob still lingered in my mind, the memory of their conflicting claims to my affections casting a shadow over my thoughts.

As I stepped through the front door, I was met with the stony silence of my parents, their expressions tense and disapproving. Without a word, they handed me a phone, a sense of dread knotting in the pit of my stomach as I realized what awaited me on the other end of the line.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed the phone to my ear, the voice on the other end brimming with disapproval as they recounted the events of the day. My parents listened intently, their eyes narrowing with each damning detail. The school had just called and explained them what happened.

When the call finally ended, my father's voice cut through the silence like a knife, his words laced with accusation. "What have you done, Luna?" he demanded, his tone sharp and unforgiving. "What were you thinking, causing trouble at school like that?"

I opened my mouth to protest, to explain the events that had transpired, but my words caught in my throat, choked by the weight of my parents' disapproval. Instead, I stood there in silence, my gaze fixed on the ground as they continued to berate me.

"You're a disgrace," my mother spat, her voice tinged with disgust. "Bringing shame upon this family with your reckless behavior."

I flinched at her words, the sting of their condemnation cutting deep. I wanted to defend myself, to make them understand the truth of what had happened, but I knew it would be futile. In their eyes, I was nothing but a disappointment, a burden to be borne with resignation and resentment.

My father's voice rose in a crescendo of anger, his words a relentless barrage of criticism and contempt. "Useless," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "That's what you are, Luna. Utterly useless."

I recoiled at the venom in his words, the sting of his condemnation cutting deep. "I-I'm sorry," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. I was just..."

"Just what?" my father interrupted, his voice thundering through the room. "Just trying to bring shame upon this family? Just trying to make us look like fools?"

Tears welled in my eyes as I struggled to find the words to defend myself, to make him understand the truth of what had happened. "No, I swear," I pleaded, my voice trembling with emotion. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just... I just wanted to be myself."

My mother scoffed, a derisive sound that cut through the air like a knife. "Yourself?" she echoed, her voice dripping with scorn. "What do you know about being yourself? All you know how to do is cause trouble and bring shame upon this family."

"I'm not useless," I insisted, my voice quivering with emotion. "I may not be perfect, but I try my best."

My father's scornful laughter echoed in the room, and my heart sank at the sound. "Trying your best?" he mocked, his tone dripping with disdain. "What good is that when all you do is cause trouble?"

I clenched my fists at my sides, the sting of his words burning deep. But I refused to let his anger crush me. Taking a deep breath, I summoned every ounce of courage I possessed and continued to speak.

"I'm not trying to cause trouble," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside me. "I just... I just want to find my place in the world. To be myself without feeling like I'm constantly falling short."

My father's expression softened slightly, but the skepticism in his eyes remained. "And what exactly does being yourself entail?" he asked, his tone laced with skepticism.