BAD REPUTATION.

16

Brandy Mae

After 'repairing' the tap, mopping the kitchen floor and changing out of my wet clothes,I enter the living room to find Romeo and Judd, laying on my carpet- still in their wet clothes-playing a one-sided arm wrestling game. I say it's one sided because Romeo is winning.

It's such a strange thing to see my son so comfortable in the company of a person who's not Norah or me. I need to get rid of Judd before my son gets too attached.

"Rommy, go to your room and change into some dry clothes". I watch as he runs up the stairs and when he's out of sight, I turns to him."Come with me. I need to talk to you."

Without waiting to see if he's following, I turn around and go upstairs.

"Wow,Brandy Mae, is this finally happening?!" He asks gleefully when he catches up with me.

I roll my eyes."Whatever you think is about to happen will never happen. I'm going to give you a towel so you can dry yourself and after that I need you to leave." I tell him matter of factly.

We get to my room,which is the same room I've had since forever. It's not a big room and there is nothing special about it, but it holds all the knick knacks of my twenty years. The walls are covered by magazine cutouts of models, surf boys and the Destiny's child(one can see I was clearly a huge fan them). I put them there way back in my teen years when I had time. Behind the door, primo spot for my eyes, is a Cosmopolitan magazine cutoutof the one and only great smirker of all the time. The male version of me. The one who appears in my dreams.The great Ian Somerhalder.

There are also photos of Romeo, chronologically showing his growth from the baby who looked like he was suffering from malnourishment at five months old, to his teary face at his first birthday, to his toddler days with his crazy out of control afro, his face covered with red icing sugar from his spiderman themed birthday cake on his third birthday and one of me and him on his first day of baby class.

Against the wall,  there is a crib which once belonged to a toddler Romeo but since he's now outgrown it and moved into my mother's room, I have turned it into my closet. It holds clothes my day to day clothes.

"You have a nice bedroom." Says Judd, who is moving around touching things and doing something he's very good at- getting into other people's business.

I just roll my eyes at him because we both know it's not a nice room. It's just a small clustered room with a single bed. It's probably smaller than the size of his bathroom.

I rummage in my 'closet', trying to find a clean towel. Finding one, I shove it at him." Dry yourself and get out of my house." I angrily tell him.

He takes the towel and comes to stand in front of me," hey look ,I'm sorry about the kitchen. I could have helped you clean up."

I'm not always an angry person, really, I'm a sweetheart most of the time but something about him just ticks my nerves. A muscle in my jaw twitches."You're sorry?! What are you sorry for Judd?! Are you sorry for always doing exactly the opposite of what I tell you? Are you sorry for thinking that just because you are a some kind of celebrity or something mere rules should not apply to you? That you have every right to meddle in other people's business? That you can just show up at my house every time you feel like?! Are you sorry for implying that I'm only good for a late night booty call?! I know with your perfect life and having people who do everything for you leaves you with a lot of time to meddle in other people's business but I'm gonna need you to back off from my life. I need you to stay away from my son and I . I have enough problems as it is without adding dealing with you or having to explain why you are showing up practically naked to our house to my son. Just leave me alone Judd!" By the time I'm done, I'm breathing heavily. I feel like I might pass out from lack of hair.