Played Out. ::Featuring Roc Royal::

Played Out.

"And you think sending her closer to the problem will help her John?" Katrina whispered to her husband.

"They won't know she's down there, she'll be staying with my mother." John whispered back.

They were trying hard not to yell at each other, just so they wouldn't wake their teenage children, especially Essence. What they didn't know, was that Essence and her older brother Eric were hiding right behind the kitchen wall, listening to their every word.

"I'm not splitting our kids up, and I'm not sending them away. If you wouldn't have been a dumbass with your stupid pay check, none of this would be happening." Katrina was starting to get loud. The more words that came out of John's mouth, the more irritated she became.

"Don't act like you didn't have a part in this either Katrina, if you would learn how to keep your damn mouth shut and how to spend your money on things other than drugs, we would be just fine." They were both getting careless with the decibels of their voices.

Eric and Essence looked at each other confused as they listened closely to their parents argue. Neither one of them knew their mother was on drugs, and neither one of them knew why they were going to get sent away to live with their grandmother all the way in California.

"Damn it John, I haven't had a fix in weeks, and it was before you ruined everything with your gambling ass. I'm not sending our kids away. You need to find a way to fix this today." Katrina stated firmly to her husband.

Katrina knew she had just lied to John about not having a fix in weeks, because she had one yesterday, but it's not like she hasn't been trying to quit and get better. She just doesn't have the support system she needs; therefore she feels she has no problem. John on the other hand, has been gambling even without money, he just can't seem to stop. He's addicted. Both, John and Katrina knew the only way to keep their children safe would be to either send them to John's grandmother, or quit doing what they're doing, and they both know they aren't quitting their bad habits anytime soon.

"What else are we going to do Kat; they can't stay here, especially with Jimenez on both our asses. If we want them safe and alive, they need to be in California tomorrow." John spoke a little softer.

"Well they wouldn't have to be if you hadn't said anything about Essence. She's fuckin seventeen years old John! Why would you even offer her up like that?" Katrina was getting emotional now.

She couldn't believe her husband offered their daughter up as a "peace offering" just so he didn't have to pay Jimenez off. She knew John was selfish, but this was too much. Meanwhile, Essence was on the verge of crying her eyes out. Hearing that her father offered her up for whatever reason, made her feel like she wasn't wanted. Eric comforted his sister as she cried into his chest, he was trying to be calm for her, but the more he heard his father talk; the more he wanted to go in there and split his head open. He loved Essence more than anything; he would die for her with no second thoughts.

"I wasn't thinking at the moment. You know I love Ess to death, I would never just willingly offer her up so that I could get off on my bad doings. Jimenez doesn't know what she looks like and we're going to keep it that way by sending them off." John demanded.

John was drunk when Jimenez approached him last Thursday night. He failed to have the 5,000 dollars he needed to pay Jimenez, which resulted in Jimenez becoming furious. If there's one thing Jimenez doesn't play about, it's his son and his money. Jimenez gave John two choices that night; it was either his life or pay the money right there. But John didn't have the money, and he definitely didn't want to lose his life, so while out of his normal mind, he did something he would never do sober. He offered Essence up to do whatever Jimenez wanted, he didn't even know he did that till he got a call from Jimenez telling him he'd be by to pick up Essence on Sunday evening.