When I get home I leave my bike in the front yard and notice all the lights are on in the house. I take a deep breath before I walk inside and see Ma sitting on the couch alone. I don't know if that's good or bad. If Ma is the only one who knows what happened I could handle that. I mean I'd rather have a one hour lecture from Ma than spend five minutes with Mama Snix.
"Maria!" Ma shouts as I walk into the living room "Sneaking out after we went to bed. What the hell were you thinking?"
"I was obviously thinking you wouldn't find out." I say irritated
"Don't you dare get an attitude with me, Maria." Ma says in a stern voice "Mom is in the garage right now trying to calm down."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" Ma says as she crosses her arms
"That depends." I say as I sit on the couch with her "Is Mom in the garage or is it Mama Snix?"
"MARIA!" I hear from the garage and notice it's Mama Snix
"Shit!" I yell as I try to run, but Ma pulls me onto the couch. I'm so dead
"You're not getting out of this, Maria." Ma says as Mom walks into the living room
"Maria, where do I even begin?" Mom asks calmly and that's even scarier than when she's yelling. I don't know what to do right now. I know her question is a trap. the second I go to answer Mama Snix is going to pounce.
"You can go back to bed and pretend nothing happened." I say carefully because I know what's coming
"Now is not the time for your smart ass comments, Maria!" Mom shouts "I can't believe you would even try to be funny right now!"
"I'm your kid. What do you expect?" Stupid! Shut the hell up!
"Don't fucking start, Maria!" Ladies and gentlemen it is with great displeasure that I introduce you to Mama Snix "What the hell did you think would happen? Did you think that we wouldn't find out you weren't here?"
''You sure as hell didn't know I was gone the last six months I've been sneaking out." I mumble to myself
"What was that?" Ma asks
"Nothing."
"What made you sneak out in the first place?" Mom shouts "You could of gone to see Tori whenever you wanted, but you decide to go now. It's almost one in the morning, Maria! I should be in bed right now! Not yelling at you for sneaking out!"
"Then go to bed." What the hell is wrong with me? Do I really want to piss off Mama Snix more?
"I told you to watch your attitude, Maria!" Mom shouts
"Look Mom," I say calmly so I don't piss her off anymore "To answer your question I couldn't go see Tori whenever I wanted. I couldn't even call her or text her."
"Why the hell not?"
"Because, your wife has been watching me like a hawk ever since we talked about Tori."
"Rae," I notice the change in my Mom's voice, meaning she's mom again and not Mama Snix "You told me you were gonig to drop it."
"I'm just having a hard time dealing with Maria growing up." Ma confesses "I didn't even realize how often I was watching her."
"Really?" I ask irritated "You didn't realize you were watching me? That you would watch what websites I was on while I was on the computer? That you were standing outside my bedroom when I would try to call Tori?"
"Watch the way you talk to your Ma, Maria!" Fuck! Just like that Mama Snix is back
"Why? this whole thing started, because she couldn't give me some damn privacy!" I shout as I jump off the couch and head towards my room
"We're not done here!" Ma shouts
"I just want this conversation to be over with." I say Calmly "So, please just tell me what my punishment is so we can move on with our lives."
"No," Ma says "Sit down we're going to talk about this."
"Fine." I sigh before I sit back down on the couch
"Maria, if you felt like I wasn't giving you any privacy, why didn't you just say something?" Ma asks
"Because, if I had you would of got defensive, then we would of got into a fight, then you would of told mom and I'd be dealing with Mama Snix." I explain calmly
"How do you know that?"
"That's what you always do. You and I never work out our problems on our own. We never work them out at all. The second we start arguing you call Mom, and because she's so whipped she comes running." I say honestly, which causes my Mom to smack me upside the head "Ow Mom!"
"What have I told you about calling me whipped?" My Mom asks calmly, which tells me Mama Snix is gone
"What have I told you about physical punishment, Santana?" Ma asks and Mom mumbles something under her breath "What was that?"
"I said sorry, Baby." Mom answers and I burst out laughing "Laugh it up now kid. You know I have no problem releasing Mama Snix when Ma's not around." Well that got me to shut up "That's what I thought."
"Do you really feel I run to Mom everytime we have a problem?" Ma asks
"You do it all the time."
"I do?" Ma asks
"Yes." Mom groans "I always have to play referee to your fights."
"Which totally isn't fair to me." I pout
"Maria, if you have a problem with me, I promise to try to keep it between us." Ma says before she hugs me
"I can handle that." I say as we pull apart "Well, now that we've had our little heart warming moment how about we all head off to bed."
"Nice try, Kid." Mom says "But, you're still getting punished."
"Come on." I whine "Mom are you telling me you never snook out to go see Ma when you were in high school?"
"Well, yes I did." Mom confesses and it gives me an idea
"Mom, what is the one thing you say you hate the most?" I ask with a smirk
"I know what you're trying to do, Maria." Mom says
"Just answer."
"A hypocrite."
"Exactly." I say as I stand up off the couch "Getting mad at me for doing something you use to do makes you a hypocrite, and you hating hypocrites and being a hypocrite is also hypocritical. I would hate to be responsible for turning you into someone you hate."
"Being a smart ass isn't going to help you, Maria." Mom says "First, you're grounded. Which means no leaving this house except for school. Second, Give me your phone."
"No!" I shout as I fall to my knees "You can't take my baby. She's my contact to the outside world."
"Maria, give your mother your phone." Ma says in a stern voice
"Please, don't take my phone." I beg "I can't sleep if Tori's voice isn't the last thing I hear at night."
"Aww that's so sweet."
"I think you'll live."
Do I even have to tell you who said what?
"You don't know that." I say as I finally stand up off the floor "Research shows if you cut an addict off cold turkey they will go insane. Can you imagine the horror if you were to provoke me? You would have to deal with Snix Jr and that can't be good for anybody."
"You'll be fine." Mom says irritated "Now, give me the damn phone so I can go to bed. I have to be awake in four hours to go to work."
"Fine." I say as I pull the phone out of my pocket and try to hand it to my Mom, but I've got a tight grip on it
"Let go of the phone, Maria." Ma says in a stern voice
"I'm trying." I answer honestly "I told you I'm an addict."
"Let go!" Mom shouts before she pulls it away from me
"Take care of my baby." I say a little shaky
"Yeah, sure whatever." Mom says before she shoves it in her pocket
"How long is this punishment?"
"Two weeks. Longer if you don't go to bed right now." I nod before I run up to my room. I can tell Mom's tired and I've had enough of Mama Snix tonight
