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I could feel the anger radiating through me at that moment. I walked over the the table, doing my best not to start screaming, my eyes locked with the two people sitting at the table, my father was the first to look up at me; he looked like he hadn't slept for days. And across from him sat my mother's sister, Milani. She reeked of cheap hair-dye and perfume, "Mabel," She said to me, forcing a smile on her face, here eyes stared into mine, the stare was almost soul-sucking. "Sit down for a moment," She continued to speak, "I would love to speak to you, I'm sure your father would too," So, I sat down against my better judgement, "I know I haven't seen you in, what, 10 years? Something along those lines, ridiculous isn't it? How old are you now?" She questioned me. She was the exact same, thinking that she was better than everyone else, just because she was successful.
"I'm 19," I told her in a quiet tone, trying to keep myself composed at least. I could see Lip and Fiona watching the whole thing go down from the kitchen.
"19? Wow, would you look at that, you're all grown up," She picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip of it before she cleared her throat, "Listen, I'll go ahead and get to the point, I'm sure you have some interesting southside stuff to go do... Uh, you grandmother will be paying for your mother's funeral, for obvious reasons," I watched as she traced the rim of her coffee cup with her manicured finger, her nails were long and red, how suiting. "I'm in town to discuss with your father what to do with the body, in the end we decided to just bury her, no use fighting over her ashes, is there? I just wanted to ask you what you thought of that plan, if you have anything to say, that is."
I was tired of holding back, there was years of pent up anger against my so-called aunt who was sat across from me, "My mother was sick," I said to her, "She struggled with addiction and you guys knew that, but you just kicked her out," She looked across the table at me, her stare cold, "You were actually the one who told your parents to kick her out, saying that if she hit rock bottom and struggle enough, that she would go and get help herself... But, of course she never did that, she was an addict with a shit load of mental disorders, who fucking knows what those were... Depression, bipolar, possibly everything under the fucking sun," I leaned forward now, "I called you and my grandma once when I was 7, my mother was zoned out on the couch, she had done some pretty hard shit that day, that was the first time she decided to dip into the hard drugs that she would do for the rest of her life. I grabbed her phone, I called you and begged you to take her away, but... But, I remember you vividly saying that she wouldn't get better if you helped her..." I paused for a few seconds, trying to stay on track and not break down, "In reality, you guys killed her, you let her keep struggling and laughed at her when she was down, and you continued to push her back down... She never was a real mother to me, maybe once years ago, when she was okay. She never went on field trips with me, never took me to the park, she never even showed up to my parent teacher conferences... I actually tried to get into so much trouble at school just so she would have to show up, so my teachers would stop asking me about her..." I took in a deep breath, "So, I do have something to say, and that is that you shouldn't get a fucking say in what happens to her, you manipulative, psychotic bitch."
Milani sat there in silence after I finished speaking, I could see her grasping at straws, she had no idea what to say at first, then she nodded slowly, "Mabel, dear, you don't know half of the story. We could never help her, she was running away all the time, changed her number and threatened to hurt herself whenever we tried to help her. Honey, she lied to you, she built you up to be just like her, you're aware of that, yes? You are your mother in the end and you will continue to grow to be her and to look like her."
That was the cherry on top for me, "Get out."
"We are here to-"
"Get the fuck out before I break your fucking nose and you have to get your nose job redone, you fucking- just get out!"
Milani quickly stood up and grabbed her purse, staring down at me, "You can't keep avoiding your problems, we have to discuss this now!" She was breaking down slowly and losing her cool.
I stood up too, clenching my hand into a fist, I didn't even think of my next move before I swung my arm forward and punched her in the face. Pain radiated through my arm and I heard her nose pop underneath my knuckles, she stumbled backwards and hit the table as she held onto her now bleeding nose. Everyone around me let out a loud gasp, Fiona's was the most noticeable, "Stay the fuck out of my life!" I screamed at Milani before Lip ran over and dragged me away from her. He sat me down in the office and closed the door behind him, it was obvious he was shocked with me.
"Mabel, your punches hurt. You cannot go around swinging at people like that," He joked as I looked up at him.
I rubbed my sore knuckles gingerly, "Yeah? Well she deserves more than a broken nose..."
Lip nodded in agreement, "Still, you can get arrested for doing shit like that, as much as I'd like to believe you would be okay in jail, you're too pretty for it," I faintly smiled as he said that and rolled my eyes. He reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder before he leaned down and kissed my forehead, "I'm going to make sure the cops aren't here yet," He laughed before he turned around and left me sitting in the office.
