Shoot The Jerk

Chapter 21: This Is Going To Get Awk-mmmphf!

This Is Going To Get Awk—mmmphf!

CHAPTER  21

Kayla

I dashed home, tripped over the doormat again, went straight up to my room, changed into my PJs, grabbed a pillow, got a bucket of chocolate chip ice cream and settled on the porch swing.

I liked to be miserable in luxury.

And that was how my mother found me, hugging a pillow and a bucket of ice cream.

“Well, what have I stumbled on here? The little princess and her pillow fort guarding a tub of ice cream?”

I snorted.

“More like ice cream guarding the princess.” I think we both knew that it was soothing the princess’s heart.

Mom sat down beside me on the swing, and rocked it gently. “It’ll be all right, you know.”

“You don’t even know what this is about.” I pointed out.

“I may be ignorant. But I’m not blind.” She smiled. “I can see that you’re unhappy. And I think the person responsible is the same one who made you so happy the other day when you went out to the pier.”

Oh, she wanted to talk, did she? Fine. I was going to completely unload on her.

“I try to be strong, you know, I really do. But somehow I end up feeling sorry for myself every single time. I don’t know how he does it. Surely I'm not supposed to feel this insecure.”

I looked at her, expecting some sort of panic at the thought that her daughter has a love life to be upset about. But she just had a curious half-smile on her face. And I realised then, that I could tell her anything, and she’d understand.

And I smiled too.

Then she spoke. “You are, you know. Strong, that is. In fact, you were the only one who was strong when your father passed away. I wasn’t a very good mother, and Kim and Jamie were certainly not good siblings, especially with the whole drug mess, but you pulled through. Next time you feel insecure, think about your dysfunctional family, and remember that you are strong.”

She gave me a sweet quirky smile and added, “And now is the time when the wise mother goes off to bed.”

I frowned, puzzled. I thought we were having a moment here. Then I heard shuffling from the side.

As my mother’s footsteps faded away, I could feel my heartbeat get louder, and I looked towards the bushes. I wouldn’t admit till my last dying breath that I was hoping it was Jake. But even I wasn’t so blinded by my feelings as to believe that that little shadow in the woods could possibly be him.

I sighed.

“Hi, Martha.”

“He left.” She sobbed.

“What?”

“Matt left.”

“What do you mean he left? Where’d he go?”

“I d-don’t know. Fed me some cr-crap about him not being able to stand his d-dad. And you kn-know the worst part? I underst-stand. I fucking understand.”

Damn, she dropped the f-bomb. Martha never dropped the f-bomb.

“Ice-cream for two?” I said weakly, sounding as miserable as she did.

She sniffled and scrambled over to the porch swing. I moved over, and offered her half of the big fluffy pillow, handing her the spoon. We sat eating ice-cream turn by turn and sighing occasionally.