AN: This is an idea I've had in my head forever, but I finally decided to write it when I watched Skins and got to Effy. I'm also keeping it rated M for drugs, sex, alcohol because I'm not sure how detailed I'll be getting quite yet.
The day was dragging on and it was ridiculously hard for Kate to stay awake while doing paperwork. All the cups of coffee she drank didn't help at all. She slowly closed her eyes and just as her head was about to loll, a medium sized hand slammed on her desk.
"Don't fall asleep again," Ryan said as he placed another cup of coffee on her desk. "If you want to sleep, ask the Captain if you can go home. We'd rather not hear him yell at you again."
"Sorry," she whispered as she picked up her fresh cup of coffee.
"It's stronger."
"Thanks," she took a long, desperate sip.
"What's going on?" his question had a very serious and caring tone to it.
"Guess," she answered as she took another sip of her coffee before she placed it back on her desk.
"What's she been doing?"
"Last night she didn't come home until 3:30 am and when she did, she gave me a simple hello as if nothing was wrong. It pissed me off so much and I, of course, yelled at her, but she gave me that look."
"Her signature 'whatever' one?"
"Exactly. It's like she's back to being how she was… you know before." She pushed her hair back with her hand and sighed.
"I doubt she went back to her old ways," he attempted to reassure her, even though he had his own doubts.
"I'm trying to think like that, but why else would she come home at 3:30 in the morning?"
"Want to know why?" Montgomery said from behind her.
A few feet behind her Captain was one of her daughter's friends named Hayley. Her hair was a tad messy with blue and red highlights toward the front. She was toying with the zipper on her leather jacket. The way she kept shifting her weight from foot to foot was a sign that she was on edge.
"Hayley?" Kate questioned with her confusion more noticeable.
"Can I talk to you?" Hayley asked, avoiding eye contact in any way possible.
Kate looked between her Captain, Ryan, and Hayley before she answered. "Yeah, follow me."
They both walked into one of the empty rooms. Kate motioned for Hayley to sit down in one of the chairs. She hesitantly sat down across from her and folded her hands on her lap.
"What's up?" she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"It's about Rory," Hayley nearly whispered before she started to get fidgety in her seat.
"What about her?"
"You have to promise not to tell her that I told you. Please." Hayley held her stare before she looked back down at her lap.
"I won't."
"On Thursday, while we were getting changed for track, this fell out of her hoodie pocket." Hayley pulled a small plastic bag out of the chest pocket in her jacket. She slowly handed it to Kate.
Kate had to open it to try figure out what it was. When she did, she suddenly became furious.
"That would explain why she was so… hyper when we were outside. And she also went to Central Park with some friends. I didn't want to go, though," Hayley said which took Kate out of her thoughts.
"Wait a minute… she's using again?"
"Yeah, well I think so because she was with Tony last night."
"Tony?"
"Tony Staehler. Some dealer that goes to our high school. He's cute and sweet which makes it hard for people to figure out that he actually sells drugs."
Kate slid her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. This was not happening again.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go now," Hayley said after a few seconds of silence. "My mom has been really strict lately." She slowly stood up.
"Thank you for coming here and telling me this."
"She's my best friend. I don't want her to start this again. It's not as hard to stay clean as everyone thinks."
"I'm glad you did, Hayley," Kate smiled as she got onto her feet.
She walked her out of the room and watched her leave. When she was in the elevator, she turned toward Ryan and Esposito's desk.
"Find anything you can about a boy named Tony Staehler," she said as she walked over to them, her heels a little louder because she was pissed.
Thirty minutes later, Ryan came back through the elevator with a manilla folder in his hand. He walked over to Kate's desk and sat down on the corner.
"Narcotics have been following Tony for the past month. They actually have pictures from last night. No proof that he was selling, but I thought you might find interest in these," he announced as he handed her the folder.
She hesitantly took it from him and slipped her fingers into the opening. She paused because she didn't really know if she wanted to find out what was in here. But the need to know why her daughter came home so late was stronger. This isn't so bad, she thought to herself when she saw a photograph of Central Park. It was the second one that made her grit her teeth in anger. Her daughter was sitting on a bench with about seven other teenagers surrounding the front and on it. She had something in her hand, which wasn't too visible, and she was blowing smoke out of her mouth.
"No," she whispered as she brought her face closer to the picture. "No. That's not possible. She's been clean for the last few months. I've been getting her drug tested once a week. Is this some kind of joke?" she questioned Ryan who slowly shook his head. "Where did you get these again?"
"Narcotics have been following the boy. They say he's a very well known dealer from Central Park," he calmly answered.
"This kid?" She pointed to the picture. "He doesn't look older than sixteen. Why would she be with him?" she asked herself aloud.
"I'll let you find that one out," Ryan said before going back to his desk.
Once her partner was sitting behind his computer, she picked up her phone to find that she had a message from Castle. She ignored it and dialed her daughter's number instead. It rang three times and then there was complete silence. She wasn't stupid and knew someone was on the other end.
"Rory, I need to talk to you," she said as calmly as she could. Any hint of a serious conversation about to happen would get her avoided at all costs. She even steered clear of calling her daughter by her full name, Mallorie.
"About what?" Rory questioned very faintly.
The sound of a lighter being used traveled through the phone. At this time, Kate turned up the volume and paid very close attention to the background noise. There were sounds of screeching wheels and people. It almost sounded like a party, but she wanted to make sure, so she snapped her fingers to get Ryan's attention. He immediately came over and helped trace the call.
"Elmont. Uh… I think she's on a bus or car or something," he whispered to her.
"Where are you?" Kate asked her question into the phone.
"Around," Rory's answer sounded distant like she was thinking about something else besides the conversation at hand.
"What do you mean around?"
"I have to go," Rory said to her mom. "Yeah, I'll do it," she murmured to someone else before she ended the call.
"Want to go after my daughter with me?" Kate inquired when she stood up.
"Police chase?"
"Something like that." She smirked at him.
"Wait, don't we need a reason?"
"Does potential drug bust and murder count?"
A small smile formed on Ryan's lips. "Sounds good." He turned toward his other partner. "Espo, let's go." He waved for him to come over.
…..
Ryan and Esposito drove one squad car while Kate took the other. She let them lead the way since Ryan was still tracking Rory. They turned their sirens on, so there would be a clearer, quicker path ahead. It took them quite awhile to get to the street that held Rory and she was definitely in a bus. The detectives pushed down on the gas pedals and skidded to a standstill in front of the moving vehicle, which caused it to come to a complete stop.
Kate was the first one out of her car. She made her way over to her partners.
"You guys take the back. It may be prohibited to open the emergency doors without a reason, but she's not afraid to do anything that goes against strict rules," she instructed and watched them run to the back while she walked up to the bus doors.
Her badge made everyone that was sitting close to the door become less annoyed from the disturbance of the ride. She stood in the front of the bus and scanned the seats. Her eyes didn't fall on Rory, so she got confused. But since she wasn't going to give up just yet, she got down on one knee and looked under the seats. She shook her head with a slight smile of achievement when she saw her daughter's worn out, red Converse.
"Take this," Rory whispered to her friend, Jordyn, as she held out a small baggy.
"What? No way. I don't want to go to jail," Jordyn snapped back.
"My mom won't search you. She's after me. I promise you won't go to jail. You can put it in your phone since yours can close. Just please take it."
"Fine." Jordyn snatched the small baggy, pulled out her phone, and closed it on the baggy.
Ten seconds after they did the exchange, Kate was standing on the side of the seat, arms constricted across her chest.
Rory licked her lips and looked around on the floor. "Found it," she said as she picked up her bracelet that she pretended to drop at the last minute.
"Mhm." Kate nodded as she kept her eyes locked on Rory.
"Nice to see you, Ms. Beckett," Jordyn nervously said with her eyes glued to the seat in front of her.
"It's quite rude to stare," Rory said as she looked out the bus window, trying to avoid eye contact with her mom.
"Empty your pockets, Mallorie," Kate demanded a little more hostile than she intended. And since Rory couldn't run from her, she used to her full name to show this was serious.
Rory obeyed and emptied her pockets. All she had in them was money, gum, a Zippo lighter, and her cellphone. She managed to give her mom a deceitful, half smile.
"Jordyn," Kate instructed, shifting her eyes onto Rory's friend.
Jordyn slowly pulled her cellphone out of her pant's pocket, so the baggy wouldn't fall out. She then took her wallet out of the back one. Kate took the wallet and opened it. It only held money, a permit, and cards to various stores in the city. She was just about let them go about with their business until she noticed the glossiness in their eyes.
"Let's go," Kate directed and pointed to the front of the bus.
"We're kind of busy," Rory replied as she put her things back in her pockets.
"Kind of busy my ass. Let's go," Kate said a little more firm this time.
Jordyn quickly got up because she feared the detective next to her. She walked to the front of the bus and turned back to watch her friend.
"Mallorie, let's go," Kate deeply spoke.
"You ruin all my fun," Rory said with a sigh and slid off the seat. She followed her friend out of the bus. They were both met with Detectives Ryan and Esposito. She rolled her eyes at them and crossed her arms. "You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm the one that should be saying that," Kate said as she walked down the steps and into the street. She put her hand on Rory's shoulder and guided her to the car. She opened the back seat and let her get in on her own. "Jordyn, Detectives Ryan and Esposito will drop you off at home. Rory will see you at school on Monday," she said over her shoulder before getting in the driver side.
Rory looked out the back window and smiled at her friend. She pointed to her pants and put up two fingers. To them, this meant tonight, but to Kate, it only confused her, which made her more even aggravated.
"Nice ride," Rory complimented as she tapped the roof of the car. "Can I drive?" She was shot an angry glare from the rearview mirror. "Fine."
They drove back to the precinct in complete silence, which was a shocker to Kate since Rory was one to never be quiet for a long period of time. It also made the car ride feel a lot longer than it should have.
Once Kate parked the car and got out, she noticed Rory holding the flame of her lighter against the back seat. She rolled her eyes, swung the back door open, and snatched it from her.
"How the hell do you keep getting these? I take them all away from you yet you end up with one again."
"I have my sources, Madame," Rory answered with a smirk and slid out of the car. "Am I under arrest or something?" she questioned when she looked up at the 12th precinct.
"No, but guess what you're doing for me today."
"Helping you catch a murderer?" Rory guessed. "No?" She thought some more, but her brain was being too slow at the moment. "How about finally meeting your shadow?"
"Excuse me?"
Rory's eyes widened when she realized that she said that out loud. Her mom didn't know that she found out that Richard Castle was shadowing her for quite some time now. She pursed her lips and stuffed her hands in her hoodie pockets. It was best that she didn't say anything else and just walk into the precinct with her mom right on her heels.
"You still haven't guessed," Kate said when they were in the elevator.
Rory shrugged and watched the floor numbers go by until they were on the right one. When they entered the bullpen, all eyes were on them, or at least that's how she felt. She let her mom take the lead and hid behind her since she was several inches taller.
"Here." Esposito handed Kate an empty cup when she passed him.
"It's not Wednesday," Rory stated when they stopped in front of the girl's bathroom.
"I told you that if I have any doubts, I can make you take one anytime that I choose," Kate replied before she opened the bathroom door.
"I don't have to pee."
"Fine." Kate let the door shut on it's own. "I'll buy you a soda and you can drink it. You're not going home until you fill this." She held up the cup and walked over to the break room.
Rory took this time to take her phone out. She texted her friend Trevor who knew the answer to almost all of her questions. He answered her within seconds after she sent him the text. She smiled at the message before she slid it back into her pocket. When she looked up, her mom was standing in front of her with a questionable look.
"Stupid people make me laugh," Rory said as she took the Mountain Dew from her mom. "I see that you're letting me actually have soda," she stated her observation and quickly opened the can before her mom understood. She was busy taking a really long sip when she noticed the wide, green eyes that were on her.
"Give it back to me," Kate demanded as she held out her hand.
Rory smiled with the can still against her lips. She backed away from her mom and kept going until she took a right turn. The moment she picked up her pace, her mom called out to Ryan to block her. She rolled her eyes and stopped when he was in her path.
"Hand it over," Kate said from behind her.
"A little sugar won't kill me."
"I might if you don't give it to me."
"Fine." Rory turned on her heel in order to face her mom. She smiled before gulping down the rest of the Mountain Dew and handing her the empty can. "You didn't say it had to be full."
Kate advanced on Rory until she was only a few inches from her face. She looked down at her, hoping it would make her uneasy. "I've had enough of your crap today," she said in a furiously deep manner. She thought the height difference would have worked, but instead she got an amused grin. "Just go sit down," she commanded before she did something she would have regretted.
Rory dragged her feet to her mom's desk and sat in her chair. She brought her knees up to her chest and spun the seat around a few times until it was stopped.
"Wrong seat," Kate said and pointed to the one next to her desk.
When Rory was seated where she wanted, she noticed how fidgety she was being. Usually, she would have guessed it was the sugar from the Mountain Dew, but right now she had a feeling it was something else. And the moment she saw her daughter's hands start to shake, she knew.
"What did you take?" she asked as she took a sip of her cold coffee.
"Those meds the Doc gives you and you make me take. Why?"
"Besides those and because you're shaky."
Rory held her hands out in front of her. "Huh. You're right. Must be the sugar you let me have." She smiled before slouching in the seat.
Kate wanted to accuse her daughter of her actions from last night, but she wanted her to confess on her own. Besides, she would have her proof in less than an hour since soda made her daughter pee in ridiculous amounts. Until that time came, she picked up her pen and began where she left off in her paperwork.
Within twenty-fives minutes, she was close to the end of her task until the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of the empty chair by her desk. She whipped her head to the side, making her hair fly off her back and over her shoulder, to find that Rory wasn't there. She scanned the bullpen until her eyes fell on a thin figure in one of the empty rooms.
"What are you doing?" she asked when she walked into the room to notice that Rory was sitting in a chair with her face pushed up against the window.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a bird?" Rory monotonously asked.
"Excuse me?"
"You know… a bird. They are always free to go wherever they want. They can fly and look at everything below. Nobody is stopping them."
Kate squinted her eyes at Rory and spun the chair around, so she was facing her. "Look at me," she said when her stare was averted. "Rory." When her command wasn't met, she put her finger under her daughter's chin and lifted it so she would be looking directly at her. "You're high, aren't you?"
"Tired. I'm always tired lately," Rory replied as she brought her head to the back of the chair. "It sucks."
Kate sighed. "Do you have to pee?"
"I already went when you were doing your paperwork."
Kate ran her hand over the back of her neck to stop herself from strangling the teen in front of her. She exhaled the breath she was holding. "I don't like being lied to."
"I filled the cup." Rory pointed out of the room and at her mom's desk. On the part closest to the chair, she was in a little while ago, sat the cup. She saw her mom's astonished look. "You said I couldn't leave until I filled it. And I kind of want to leave. It's the weekend. Why would I want to be here?" she questioned, leaving out that she didn't want to run into her mom's shadow of a few years; she really, really despised him even though she never really met him.
"Okay. You can go," Kate said when she looked at her daughter who was getting out of the chair. She quickly grabbed her arm. "But if anything comes up, you come back here when I call or text you, got it?"
"Roger that," Rory answered, yanking her arm out of her mom's grasp. She walked out of the room and toward the elevator. Right before she went past the open doors, she raised her hands, middle fingers up. "Fuck da police," she laughed as she stepped into the elevator.
"How do you handle her?" Esposito asked Kate when she walked over to them.
"It's not easy, that's for sure. But I'm going to run this down to Lanie," she held up the cup filled with urine. "I ran out of those over the counter drug tests."
"Have fun." Ryan nodded when she started to walk away.
…..
The instant she walked through the door into the morgue, she was met with the smell of formaldehyde, hitting her nose like lightning. It was a lot stronger than the most times she came in contact with it and it was making her feel a little lightheaded. She walked over to her friend and held up the cup.
"Do you mind?" she asked a little nasally because she wasn't breathing through her nose.
Lanie took the cup and closely observed it. She untwisted the top and brought her nose to it. When she inhaled and noticed the disgusted look she was getting, she smiled.
"Smell it," she said, holding it out.
Kate hesitantly brought her head forward and inhaled the scent. "Smells sweet…"
"Now taste it."
"You're out of your damn mind."
Lanie brought the cup up to her lips and took a sip. If she wasn't mistaken, her friend went a few shades lighter.
"It's apple juice," she explained her actions.
"What? No way," Kate said as she snatched the bottle. She slowly brought it to her mouth and let a little bit of the liquid pass her lips. When the taste registered, she was pissed.
"Looks like you just got played," Lanie said.
"I'm going to kill her."
"As long as she doesn't end up on one of my tables, go ahead because if I was in your position, I would do the same thing."
"This definitely means she's using again."
"Unless she purposely did this to get on your nerves. We all know that she loves to irritate you until you start pulling your hair out."
"Let's call and ask," Kate said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Rory's number, but it went straight to voicemail. This usually wouldn't have bothered her, but with the stunt that was just pulled, it became impossible to not be so mad.
She tightened her grip on her phone until Lanie said something.
"Maybe it died."
"Her phone never dies. She charges it before she leaves the house," she said while her voice started to get quieter toward the end of the sentence.
"What are you thinking?" Lanie asked as she pulled off her gloves to wash her hands.
"Do you… do you think she's acting out because I'm barely ever home lately?" Kate questioned as she stared off in the distance.
"Kate, honey, you've barely been home since you became an officer when she was like one or two. She wasn't acting out then, was she?"
"No. Well, at least I don't think so because her ADHD symptoms didn't start to occur until she was around three or four."
"Which doesn't come from not being around. That's medical."
"Exactly. But this? I feel like she's doing this for attention."
"When's the last time you guys went out, just the two of you?"
"Months ago…"
"You should set something up. Reconnecting with her might be a good idea."
"It's impossible to get time off lately. Bodies have been dropping left and right."
"You don't have to take my suggestion, but I would at least intervene."
"Sounds easier than it really is. Getting her to actually listen to me is way harder than when she was little. At least back then, she would get scared and beg for forgiveness. Now… she just laughs in my face like it's no big deal. Being a cop doesn't threaten her at all."
"Because she knows you won't arrest her. She knows you won't aim your gun at her. She may do stupid things, but she's very smart."
Kate shifted her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. Everything Lanie just said was 100% true. There was no way she could ever arrest her daughter, even if she murdered someone. And pulling her gun on her? Never going to happen. If anything, she would put her in lockup for a few hours to make her experience real jail with hope it would scare her.
She found a spot on the wall furthest from her and let her mind wander.
…..
"Mallorie Anne, come on. Mommy's got to go to work," Kate said as she searched her toddler's bedroom for any sign of her hiding spot. "Hmm…" She pursed her lips, trying to think of a small place her daughter would hide.
She exited the bedroom, and walked into her room. It was hard not to smile when she saw a small lump in the middle of her bed. How her daughter got up there was beyond her, but at least she found her. Being late to work was not an option because her Captain was on her case lately. She slowly climbed on the bed and to the small lump. She tried to pull the blankets off of Rory, but it was noticeable that she was holding it down.
"I have to go to work," she said, using more strength with the last yank. After revealing her little girl, her heart sunk.
Rory was curled up in a ball while clutching onto her stuffed panda her grandma gave her before she passed. Her brown waves were clinging onto her face because of the static. The look in her crystal blue eyes was what made Kate's heart ache. It was a mix between sadness, disappointment, and tiredness.
"No go," the two year old said, muffled because she was clutching the panda close to her face.
"Aw, baby, Mommy has to go to work. I have to make money, so I can keep buying you new toys." Kate smiled, hoping what she just said would work. The moment she saw her daughter's eyes start to tear up, she knew persuasion would be pointless. "How about we go someplace fun tomorrow, just you and me?"
"Today," Rory cried before she rolled on her other side, so her mom wasn't looking at her.
Kate didn't know if it was Rory's plea or her wanting to have a day alone with her little girl that made her take her phone out of her pocket. She hit the precinct's speed dial. When her training officer, Royce answered, she asked for him to transfer the call to their Captain.
"You sound upset. Are you okay, Kate?" Royce asked, hovering his finger over the transfer button on the phone.
"Someone is extremely upset that I'm leaving and I don't blame her. We see each other for maybe two hours a night and then it's bedtime. Do you think Montgomery will be mad if I take the day off?"
"Seeing as we're actually helping with a case, I'd say yeah. And since you're the best damn officer here, who should just become a Homicide Detective already, he might be more along the lines of pissed, but I don't know. He's a father, he might understand," Royce sympathetically said, which warmed her heart.
"Alright. Transfer the call," she replied, rubbing her crying daughter's back to try and soothe her.
"Montgomery speaking."
"I was wondering if it was okay to stay home for the day, Sir," Kate said as she slowly ran her fingers through Rory's soft hair. The new baby shampoo her dad suggested really worked wonders for the tangles she would sometimes encounter while brushing it.
"I don't know, Beckett. We're in the middle of a case…"
"I know, Sir, but I'll make up for it tomorrow."
"Are you sick?"
"Not exactly."
"I need an actual reason for you to miss work."
She inhaled and during her exhale she explained. "Rory is extremely sad that I'm going to work today. I was hoping to have one day to spend time with her since I see her for maybe two hours a night. I never thought about how much it affected her until now."
"I'll make a deal with you," Montgomery said, making her feel anxious for what he was about to say. "You get Officer Esposito to show up on time tomorrow and I will let you have the rest of the week off."
"Sir…"
"I have been in your position before. Seeing as you have accumulated a lot of vacation time since you started, I will allow you to stay home during this one case. Besides, there's other officers that I'd like to see shine."
"Are you sure? I mean I could be back tomorrow."
"Just take the rest of the week off. If Esposito is late tomorrow, I will put you on call."
"Oh god. It might be a hard task, but I'll persuade him. He usually listens to me for some odd reason."
"Good choice. I'll see you next week, Officer Beckett."
"Thank you, Sir. I really appreciate it."
"Go be a good mom."
She ended the call and set her phone on the bed. She leaned down, so her mouth was by Rory's pierced ear. "Guess who's staying home for the rest of the week," she whispered before planting a gentle kiss on her temple.
Rory slowly turned to face her mom. When she saw her smile, she knew she was serious and not playing a trick to make her feel better. The last of her tears traveled down her rosy cheeks before they were being wiped by her mom's thumb. Once her nosed was gently kissed, she let out a small giggle.
"Come on, you," Kate said as she lifted her daughter into her arms. "Let's go to the museum."
…..
It was practically dinnertime when Kate walked into her apartment. They ended up finishing most of their paperwork an hour ago, but the boys wanted to go out for a drink. Castle was the persuader on that one. He told her one drink wouldn't hurt. Besides, she thought she deserved it after everything that happened earlier with Rory.
She dropped her keys in the bowl on a low shelf that she installed the day after she moved in. She slipped off her heels and set them on the rug against the other wall. The red, worn out Converse caught her eye. Rory was home and it wasn't a surprise that her shoes weren't set neatly. More along the lines of kicked into the wall. This was one of her pet peeves, so she set them side by side before walking over to the fridge for a drink. When she opened the fridge door, she noticed a can of Monster sitting in the far back. She picked it up to find that it was only half full. Oh god. Forgetting about her thirst, she went on a pursuit for her daughter.
The closer she got to her room, the louder the music was. She seriously regretted buying that iPod dock. It never stayed at the level of volume that she preferred. Every so often they would get complaints from their neighbors and it wasn't easy when she made people in the building, she lived in, angry.
She raised her fist and loudly knocked on the door. Right when she was about to turn the door handle, the door was flung open to reveal Rory. Her leather jacket was still on, and she had an outdoorsy smell to her. This meant she got home not long before she did.
"Volume down, Rory," Kate commanded.
"You mean up," Rory replied, closing the door, so there was only a small opening.
Kate knew something was up, so she pushed the door back. Since she was a lot stronger than Rory, it didn't take much strength for her to get it to slam against the wall. Once she could see the full bedroom, she froze. A boy was sitting on the bed.
"What's going on here?" Kate asked with a great deal of anger as she looked between Rory and the boy.
"Trevor, this is my mom. Mom, this is Trevor," Rory said with a smile.
"Hi," Trevor greeted with a sidewards grin. His scraggly, black hair made his green eyes stand out. Kate could see that there was a lot of pain behind them, but the way he held himself illustrated that he had a lot of confidence. "It's nice to finally meet you."
"You too…" Kate replied.
"Blah blah blah," Rory said as she demonstrated her words with her hand. She rolled her eyes, something she learned from her mom when she was younger, and attempted to close the door.
"You know the policy," Kate spoke, keeping her foot between the door, so it wouldn't close.
"I'm unaware of this policy you speak of."
"When there's a boy in your room, the door remains open, got it?"
"Whatever."
"But seeing as you pulled a stunt on me earlier, he has to go. I need to talk to you."
"Ugh," Rory huffed as she looked over at her friend. "I have to kick you out."
Trevor stood up, revealing his extremely tall height. He was at least 6 feet.
"Alright." He gave her a charming smile. "Have a good night," he said to Kate before walking out of the room and to the door.
Rory followed him and opened the apartment door. "I'll call you later or something."
"Cool," Trevor said after he grabbed his skateboard that Kate didn't notice was against the wall.
Rory watched him walk out into the hall before closing it behind him. She turned around to find her mom's eyes on her. "What?"
"Sit," Kate motioned to one of the kitchen chairs in front of her. She kept her hands folded on the table while she sat up straighter.
"I think I'll pass," Rory said with a slight smirk.
"Sit down before I make you sit down," Kate fiercely demanded.
Rory roughly pulled out the chair that was across from her mom. She dropped all her weight in it and slouched with her arms folded across her chest. Serious conversations were not something she liked to encounter.
"You think you're funny, putting apple juice in that cup?"
"You said I had to fill it. I don't recall you saying pee in it."
"Cut the crap, Mallorie. You made it so damn obvious that you used recently."
"That's just what you think." Rory tapped her temple with her middle finger. "Just because you can come to conclusions about murders does not mean you can with me."
"Okay, if you say so. But have you?"
"Have I what?"
Kate pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. How she managed to not hit her daughter for the past several years was beyond her. She was the only one who knew how to push her buttons. A day didn't go by when there was no anger toward her since the day she began to get out of control.
"I asked you a question," Rory said, folding her hands on the table to act like her mom.
"No, I asked you one first. I want an answer now."
Rory stared at her mom for a moment. A huge wave of confusion came over her after that statement was said.
"What?" She squinted at the table. "No, shut up," she said out of frustration, trying to remember what happened before her mind trailed off in a completely different direction.
"Relax," Kate said more calmly when she saw Rory's frustration starting to come forth. The way Rory bit down on her lip, trying to regain control on her thoughts, reminded her of herself. But when she saw how her she was tapping her fingers on the table and bouncing her leg, she became concerned. "Rory…"
Rory pushed back the chair really hard. If she didn't have a strong grip on the edge of the table, she would have fallen back when it hit the floor. Once she regained her balance, she ran over to the door and fiddled with the handle until it opened, but she wasn't fast enough. Her mom held the door shut from behind her. Rory rested her forehead against it and closed her eyes.
"Running away from your problems won't solve them. And drinking that Monster won't help with your concentration either," Kate murmured into Rory's ear, something she learned when she was a toddler. Speaking into Rory's ear helped make her listen or at least hear better. And since she wasn't getting a reply, she picked up her daughter's Converse and handed them to her. "Let's go get something to eat and after I want you to pee in the cup that I brought home. Okay?"
Rory slowly turned around as her mom backed away to give her more space. She grabbed her shoes and sat on the floor to put them on. When she was tying the second one, her frustration got the best of her.
"Fuck it," she huffed as she dropped the laces and slammed her head against the wall.
"Language, Mallorie!" Kate growled. "And stop over thinking it," she said as she bent down in front of her. She quickly tied the dirty laces and took a mental note to give Rory money for completely new shoes. "How does Remy's sound?" she questioned as she pulled her daughter onto her feet.
"Whatever," Rory mumbled.
...
"Our bond will break cause you can't relate
To anyone, to anything at all.
You brought your worst and I'm right here.
Now I've seen it all, and it's never been so clear."
A Day to Remember - It's Complicated
AN: Thoughts? I'd love to hear them. I also made a photoset to go along with this on Tumblr in case you wanted visuals or something. :)