Polaroid

06//Listen to your mother

"I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my school ladies and gentlemen, it is childish and inexcusable. You all have detention today after school. You're all lucky I don't make examples out of you." Principal Belden said looking at us threateningly.
"I've alerted your parents, although there are some I doubt are surprised..." She added looking straight at Lance. Sure it's really rude, but honestly it's probably true. You can't really blame him though, he hasn't been the same since his dad walked out. So much for staying out of trouble.
*Charlie*
"Hey, mom? I'm sorry about what happened.-" I started before getting cut off
"Explain. How did this start?" She demanded with one eyebrow raised and a hand on her hip.
"Ashton is dating his ex-girlfriend. He confronted her, and then punched her in the stomach. You can't blame me for defending her." I explained, just remembering it was getting me pissed off.
"What's her name? Obviously she must be pretty important to get this worked up about." She replied, cutting up some vegetables.
"Gracelia Prescott. Her dad is Alexander Prescott, the lawyer." I answered, opening the fridge and pulling out a half-empty water bottle.
For some reason, she remained silent and unmoving as if a deer in the headlights.
"You alright, mom? You look kinda pale..." I trailed off, growing concerned.
"Charlie...there's something you should know, sweetheart." She began, making me nervous "Before you were born when your father was deployed I had another baby." She explained with a panicked look on her face.
"And?"
"You have to understand something, I was very lonely and Henry was gone so long. Alexander was there for me, it was very short lived and I broke it off as soon as I found out about the baby..." She cried desperately.
"What are you trying to say? What the hell did you do? You cheated on dad and hid my sister from me? What the fuck?" I screamed slamming my fist on the counter.
"You watch your mouth, young man. I know what I did was wrong, but I'm still your mother and you will follow my rules." She roared back at me.
"You're some mother," I mumbled, not caring if she heard me or not. I picked up my keys off the counter and walked out the front door, my mother screaming my name after me.
I got in the car and sped down the road. He's my only option right now.
"Aye Sammy!" I yelled throughout the dimly lit weed shop.
"Back here!" He replied from the back room. All of the sudden there was a loud thump.
"God fucking damn it!" Sam shouted.
"Everything all right, dude?" I asked standing in the doorway. I watched Sam clean up some spilled product from when he dropped one of the boxes he was bringing in from his 1972 Chevy LUV to the stockroom.
"Fine. You mind grabbing a box or two?" He asked, giving me a look that says "don't you dare say no". I walked up to the large truck and picked up the box of shipment closest to me.
"Where do you want me to put this?" I asked, with a somewhat bored and annoyed look.
"Over there is fine. On one of the shelves." Sam replied pointing at a tall metal rack that reaches the ceiling and goes wall to wall. You need a lot of space for product in a place like this, especially when you're one of the best joints in town. Pun intended.
The two of us sat on a couch in the back room ten minutes later, smoking a joint.
"And then I walked out." I finished, puffing out smoke.
"Damn, dude, if she's hiding this, imagine what else she has hidden away." Sam said, taking the blunt from me and taking a drag.
I was appalled by the fact that she kept that hidden for so long, my father had already been through so much.
"I really don't know what to do..." I started. "Like am I supposed to tell my father? Gracelia? I can't just drop a bomb like this on her, she has enough on her plate as it is with the case and everything." I stressed the situation to Sam.
"Go off the grid and live in the wilderness like that one guy from Alaskan Solitude." Sam suggested, laughing afterward as if it was the funniest thing in the world.
"Thanks, but I don't think I can live in the woods for 30 years." I laughed breathlessly.
"Come over to mine for a few days until things cool down and then see where it leads. Or hell, if you're willing to pay rent, you can live at my place." Sam propositioned.
"I don't have a job, how am I supposed to pay rent?" I questioned.
"Work here! I've been thinking about hiring someone and you're perfect. I mean, you smoke, you get things done, and I know you won't steal from me like that kid Gavin last November." Sam exclaimed.
"Yeah, whatever happened to him?" I asked curiously.
"Ren Liang owed me a favor." Sam answered as if it were nothing, making my jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Ren Liang of Jade Vikings did you a favor? What'd you do for him?" I questioned him, not believing a word of it.
"Let's just say Ren gets very lonely on cold nights at 2 a.m." Sam explained.
"Gross dude. Really gross."