Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'm trying to keep you all happy ;) I found it interesting how many of you thought Miley's absolutely crazy for wanting to see her mom and in a way, yah she is, but ultimately I just see her as a kid who desperately wants her mother's love. We don't just hurt the ones we love, we also love the ones that hurt us. But enough of my psycho analysis...here's the next part
Chapter 10 – Dead Air
It was chilly inside. It wasn't horribly loud, just an annoying buzzing of dozens of voices talking at the same time. She did not want to be there. She shifted in her seat, the picnic table they were seated at not the most comfortable thing. Picking at the edge of her sleeve she chanced a glance at her sister next to her. Miley was more nervous than she was, she could tell.
A heavy door opened at the far wall and though she could not have heard the sound over the cacophony, Luann looked up. Their mother entered the room, dressed in a ghastly orange jumpsuit. The door closed behind her and she made her way over to their table, the officers in the room following her with their eyes. She wasn't even in handcuffs and it made her mad. Miley shifted nervously to her right and Loreen, who sat at the table across from them, was watching them carefully. Luann wanted to leave.
Brenda got to the table and smiled at the girls. Luann frowned. Her mother hugged her, though she did not respond and moved on to Miley. She hugged Miley, who actually returned it and then sat on the bench to their right. Luann figured she better keep an eye on her sister; Miley got pulled in to things way too easily and she got attached to everyone. Their mother looked at them as if seeing them for the first time and shook her head.
"I'm so glad you could come, I was a little worried you wouldn't…well," Brenda started, smile faltering slightly. Luann glared at her, but Miley was looking at her openly. Her daughters had always been so different from each other, yet inseparable. She looked at her youngest, noticing how much less pale and sickly the girl seemed, "Oh Miley, you look so good."
Luann sneered, "Yeah, amazing what taking her to the doctor and getting her medications can do, isn't mom?"
Brenda turned to her older daughter. Luann had been hostile with her for a long time and she knew she couldn't exactly blame her. Miley had always been the one to seek out her affection and love - something Brenda was unable to give her. Perhaps she shouldn't ever have become a parent, her and all the other morons in her parenting class at the jail. The DA had, as a condition of her plea bargain, ordered her to attend parenting classes. It would have been stupid of her to say 'no'; eight months in jail instead of a possible 15 years in prison sounded like a good deal to her. She knew she had failed her daughters, but Brenda did not think classes and forced sobriety were going to change that. Nevertheless, they were her daughters.
"Luann, I know you're angry with me and that's okay. But I want you two to know I'm turning my life around. No more drugs, no more alcohol." So she was lying, as was everyone else in this godforsaken place. There were more drugs to be had on the inside than outside. She wasn't going to give up drinking just because her daughters were feeling lonely. But part of her knew she should slow down after all and make an effort.
"That's great mom," Miley said and managed a weak smile.
Brenda looked back at her and returned the smile. Miley was such a good kid, really, getting good grades, never getting in trouble and being generally nice to everyone. Brenda had no idea how it had happened. Luann, on the other hand, reminded her a lot of herself – headstrong, hostile, easy to anger.
"Don't be nice to her, Miles, she's fucked up our lives," Luann said, hating how their mother was drawing her sister in. She could see the look on the woman's face, maybe part of it was sincere, but Luann didn't think their mother would ever care more about them than her own life. She was obviously making nice for the authorities.
"Luann, there's no cursing allowed in here," Loreen reminded her, for the third time. She was present in part because the court wanted to ensure Brenda was sincere about becoming a better parent and also because the girls were minors and as such not allowed in the jail without supervision.
Brenda turned to the woman, looking at her for the first time, "And who are you?" She knew the woman must be CPS, the way her beady little eyes kept watching her with her daughters. Brenda knew she probably would not have let Luann get away with smart-mouthing her if the woman hadn't been here. Well, that and if she hadn't been in jail.
"I'm the girls' social worker. Don't mind me, I'm just supervising."
Brenda nodded slowly, turning back to the girls, "So, where do they have you now? Group home?"
"Foster home," Miley said. She could feel Luann next to her tapping her foot incessantly. She wasn't sure, either, what to think of their mom, being so sincere and nice to them. But Miley wanted to believe that she loved them and maybe once and for all would change and become a real mom to them. She wanted her own mom to be like Susan and love her and be there for her and take care of her.
"That's gotta be rough. But don't you worry girls, I'm getting out of here in a few months and we're gonna start our lives over," Brenda said, trying not to sound angry. Some strangers were raising her daughters and she did not like it.
"Foster care is great mom," Luann fell in, voice low but somewhat condescending, "we actually get to eat and they took Miley to a doctor and no one gets high or drunk and passes out. Miley really likes it there, don't you Miles?"
Brenda looked at her younger daughter, knowing Miley would never say anything to purposefully hurt her, not like Luann. She figured her daughter was probably lying anyway; Luann had never liked foster care before.
Miley looked from her sister to her mom. She wished they would stop antagonizing each other, especially Luann who could never try to make nice with anyone. "It's not so bad," she said, settling for the truth in different words. It really wasn't so bad; it was the best place she had ever lived.
Luann shook her head, "Miley's just being shy. She really loves it; she even found herself a little girlfriend."
She felt Miley's hand clamp around her wrist as soon as the words left her mouth and Luann opened her mouth in shock. She could not believe she had just said that. Luann knew she'd been sort of mad at Miley for making her come, but she had never meant to do this. She looked over at her sister. Miley's jaw was clenched.
"What do you mean 'little girlfriend'?" Brenda asked.
"Nothing mom, Luann's just being a jerk, like always," Miley said, though her heart was hammering.
Brenda looked between them, unsatisfied with Miley's answer. The looks on their faces said everything. "Miley, are you telling me you're still dyking around? I thought we put a stop to that?"
Miley swallowed the lump in her throat. She remembered her mom 'putting a stop to that' pretty well. She wasn't the one to normally get in trouble at home, her mom mostly just ignored her, except for the time she'd found an LGBT student union flyer from school in Miley's backpack. Her mom had never beat her so bad in her life.
"Miley, I told you, I will not have a daughter of mine be a…a disgrace…an abomination," Brenda said, voice taking on a dangerous undertone. She turned to the social worker, "You're teaching my children it's okay to be homosexual…I want them removed from that home…I can't imagine what kind of people just let this…this obscenity go unpunished."
Luann watched her sister lower her head and sniffle. She was angry, with herself and her mom. She turned to the woman, "You can't be serious. Look around mom, you're in fucking jail and you're calling her a disgrace? Miley is the only one in this whole damn family who is ever going to amount to anything…just leave her alone. And for the records, those people have been better parents to us in one month than you in fifteen years."
She stood up, having had enough, "Come on, Miles, let's go…we don't need this shit."
Miley chanced one last glance at her mother, who looked partially angry and partially stunned, before following her sister. Loreen followed them without a word, obviously agreeing with their decision to leave. They collected their belongings from the lockers outside and left through several doors and a chain link fence. Loreen walked them back to the parking lot. No one spoke.
Susan saw them approach and immediately knew something had gone wrong. She put down her magazine and got out of the car. She'd wanted to go inside with the girls, but Loreen had thought it a bad idea and offered to take the girls instead. Susan had consented, but refused to let them come here by themselves. She knew now it had been the right decision.
Before they even reached the car Susan could tell Luann was furious and Miley was upset. Loreen came up to her with a heavy sigh and Susan just nodded at her. She wanted to focus on the girls and not paperwork. Whatever Loreen needed she could call next week. Miley reached her first and hesitantly stood next to the car, not looking at her. Her chin was quivering and Susan closed the space between them, wrapping the girl in a hug. Miley started crying in her arms, shocking Susan and she rubbed her hands across the girl's back, trying to calm her down.
Luann stood just to the right and behind her sister, biting her lower lip. This was all her fault. If she hadn't opened her big mouth trying to bait their mother she never would have let slip Miley was in a relationship with a girl. She'd known how homophobic their mother was and she'd still just blurted it out. She remembered coming home from detention to find Miley bruised and bloody after their mother had found out. She hadn't left her sister home alone after that.
Susan looked at the older girl, feeling her heart breaking at their situation. Tough, over protective Luann looked like she was ready to cry, too. Susan reached for her and pulled her into the hug, as well. Luann stiffened at first, but then wrapped her arms around Susan and her sister. She just wanted everything to be okay for once.
After a few moments Luann pulled away and Miley shortly after, wiping her eyes. Susan cupped both their cheeks and smiled, "Let's go home, girls. I'll get Robbie to make us all some Loco Hot Cocoa when we get home and we can watch a movie or play a game or something, alright?"
The twins got into the car and Susan pulled out of the parking lot, ready to get out of Nashville. They were silent the entire drive back.
* * *
"Miley." Nothing. The older brunette sighed.
"Miley…come on…I said I was sorry how many times?" Luann watched her sister and tried to keep her frustration in check. Miley continued to ignore her while she changed into her pajamas. Luann crossed her arms and leaned against the wall in front of the door.
"You know I didn't mean to…don't listen to anything mom says…you're fine just the way you are, Miles."
Suddenly a tiny, stuffed bear hit her in the face, stunning her into silence. She stared at her sister. Miley's brows were drawn together.
"I hate you, Luann."
"No, you don't."
Miley walked up to her sister and crossed her arms as well, "You've been an ass about Lilly and I. You hate my girlfriend for no real reason. Don't tell me you accidentally let that slip to mom."
Luann frowned and let her arms drop by her sides. "Miley…I didn't do it to hurt you…it just came out."
"If I'm fine just the way I am…then why aren't you okay with it?" Miley's voice was softer now, sounding unsure.
The older brunette leaned her head back. She had no answer for her sister. Suddenly the door opened, bumping the back of her head and Luann turned around. She stepped back enough to let it open and Lilly entered the doorway, looking at them in confusion.
Luann glared at her, the source of all her problems, "Don't you knock, Blondie?"
"It's my bedroom, Luann," Lilly bit back, hating the fact that she couldn't escape from the annoying brunette anywhere. She looked at her girlfriend instead. Miley seemed sad, again. "Hey Miles, you okay?"
Miley just nodded silently. Lilly pushed past Luann into the room to stand next to her girlfriend. She'd just come home from grabbing a bite to eat with Tyler and Jackson, when her mom had told her she should go find Miley. Lilly had figured then the visit with the twins' mom hadn't gone over so well.
Luann looked at them, feeling that irrational anger and jealousy again. She had always been the one to make her sister feel better, to be there for her when she was sad or hurt. Lilly was taking her place in Miley's life and she did not like it one bit. She turned to walk out of the room, but Miley's sad voice stopped her.
"Luann…"
The older brunette turned and sighed. No matter how angry she was, Luann just couldn't leave Miley thinking she hated her or didn't accept her. She couldn't stand seeing Miley sad. She walked back over to her sister and wrapped her in a hug.
"I love you, Miley…no matter what," she said softly in her sister's ear and walked out of the room.