After Curfew

Chapter 13 - The Green Room

Chapter 13 - The Green Room

I knew I had to get home but I decided to stop at Jackson's apartment first to see how Cherry was doing. I could just call but it seemed wrong so instead I parked in front of his apartment building, grateful that I didn't have to walk through the sketchy alley.

I knocked on the door and after waiting for a few minutes I knocked again, a little harder this time. I swear I could hear hushed voices on the other side of the closed door... After another few minutes of waiting the door finally swung open revealing Jackson standing there in a pair of dress pants and a nice button down shirt. He only opened the door enough for me to see his body so that I couldn't see into the rest of his apartment, and by the nervous look on his face I immediately knew he was hiding something.

"Hey, I just came to see Cherry..." I said giving him a sceptical look as I noticed his disheveled hair and glossy eyes.

"She left this morning, said she was going home." He replied his response coming out a bit rushed and I didn't miss the way he was rocking from foot to foot and rubbing his hands together, unable to stay still.

"Are you high right now?" I said frustrated and annoyed as I noticed his dilated pupils, the vacant look in his eyes all too familiar. "You're fücking doing coke again aren't you?" I asked him, already knowing the answer as I shook my head at him in disgust.

"Willow, you need to leave. I'll talk to you later okay?" He said, his glazed eyes looking at me with urgency and I just nodded in defeat knowing there was nothing else I could do. He's not my responsibility. He shut the door immediately and I backed away, quickly getting into my car.

Something wasn't right, but if he wanted me to leave then I would leave, he's 25 years old for god sake, he can take care of himself.

FinalIy I arrived in front of the gate that led to my house, but when I entered the code it was denied. I wasn't the least bit surprised that my parents changed the code on me. I pressed the intercom button and waited for someone to answer.

"What are you doing here Willow?" The sound of my mothers icy voice said coming from the intercom. I bit my tongue getting rid of all my real emotions before responding.

"I'm here to apologize, can you please open the gate?" I said hoping my tone came out sounding desperate and genuinely sorry, even though I honestly couldn't have felt more opposite.

"Oh you've finally realized how much of an ungrateful child you've been recently?" My mother responded, her words causing my blood to boil. I bit my tongue until I tasted blood before finally responding.

"Yes." I managed to say, my voice coming out strong although I felt like my heart was being strangled, I hated letting my mother walk all over me but I needed to play along if I was going to start living at home again.

"Very well." She finally replied, and I could only imagine the satisfied smirk that she was wearing. The gate opened and I drove up the long driveway and parked my car in the garage. Before I got out of my car I tried to call Cherry to check on her but I was sent straight to voicemail. With an aggravated sigh I finally got out of the car and made my way to the garage door, I took a deep breath before twisting the door knob and walked into the large house that felt nothing like a home.

"Hello?" I said walking into the silent house as I waited for my mother or father to make an appearance. Soon I heard the loud clicking sound of my mother's heels against the marble floors.

"Hi honey." She said, a fake smile plastered on her undeservingly beautiful face. I stood in front of the door silently, unsure of what to respond. I had expected her to scream at me for the comment I made when we fought the other day, but instead she stood in front of me, dressed to a tea with a wide smile on her face. I tried to avoid making eye-contact not wanting to look into her blue eyes that reminded me so much of my own, but that were filled with too much vanity and greed to be pretty.