Falice O N E S H O T S

Mother Dearest (2)

JB glares at her, "Hi." She pauses, staring at the woman, "I thought you got kicked out."

Beverly chuckles, leaning back against the chair she was sitting on, "I did. I'm just waiting for my ride."

JB lets Hotdog run out into the yard without her, she sits down in a chair across from Alice's mother. "Why are you so mean to Alice?" she asks point blank, making Beverly's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

The twelve-year-old folds her arms over her chest, "Oh, don't be like that. You know exactly how you treat her. I picked up on it and I've only known you for a few hours."

The older woman stares at the unfazed preteen, "You have, have you?"

JB nods, "Just--why? Why do you do that to her? Alice tries so hard to be the perfect mom and you have been nothing but awful to her. I should know, my real mom sucks, too."

"And what's so wrong with your mother?"

The girl digs the toe of her converse around, "For starters, she had me working at her chop shop for as long as I could remember. I also ran drugs for her, but I didn't realize they were drugs."

Beverly's eyes look like they were going to pop out of her skull.

"But the worst part is she wanted me to lie to my dad and trick him into thinking we were going to be this happy family. And--I believed her! I believed all of the bullshit she fed me!" She pauses, looking at the older woman, "All I want is my mom to apologize to me. Really truly apologize. That would mean everything to me. Maybe it would mean everything to Alice, too."

It's dead silent for a few moments. The blonde woman flicks off her cigarette, "I know I've been--well, I suppose I've been quite terrible to my daughter, now haven't I? I love her, I really do. I've always wanted what is best for her. She wasn't exaggerating about my behavior when she was a kid though. And then the ba--well, I don't want to say anything out of turn..."

"I know about the baby. We all do. We know because he's coming to visit any minute."

She looks as though she's seen a ghost, "What?"

JB nods, "Yeah, his name is Charles. He's an FBI agent. Alice got connected with him a year ago and he's been a part of our family ever since."

Beverly anxiously fumbles for another cigarette, lighting it almost immediately, "Alice and I certainly have a lot to discuss...that is if she'll let me. At this point I doubt she's ever going to talk to me again."

JB gets up from the chair and heads into the house. She finds Alice sitting on the couch with FP. "Hey, um, Alice?"

"Yeah, sweetie? Did you take Hotdog outside?"

She nods, "I did...I also found your mom. She's sitting on the porch. She wants to talk to you."

Alice rolls her eyes and rests her head in her hands, "Are you kidding me...?"

FP rubs her back, "Honey, you don't need to go out there."

"Did she say what she wants? I thought I made it pretty clear that I wanted her gone."

JB sits down next to her dad, "Well, I kind of have a feeling she wants to tell you something. And as much as you probably don't want too...I think you should."

Alice quirks up a brow at the preteen, stroking the girls cheek before walking out of the living room and towards the red door. 

She slowly opens the door, her mother jumping when realizing it was Alice and not JB.