"No. you listen here! You will not call my home and insult my daughter! We left for a reason…. No! How dare you make that insinuation! My daughter is a miracle and you are nothing but a hypocrite. Call this number one more time, Terrence and I will block this number and you will never hear from your brother again. If you don't believe me, I'll tell Michael myself." With that, Lilly slammed the corded phone down. She sighed heavily, frustration lacing through.
Terrence Richards, her dearest brother-in-law, had called her to continue the ongoing fighting that her family had just escaped. She didn't like threatening someone like that, but he was calling her daughter a witch. A grown man calling a young adolescent girl a vile and crude name. How disgusting.
Lilly rubbed her temples and tried to focus her attention back on the computer screen. She blinked several time to try and refocus them. Her anger, however, was starting to boil over and the only thing she could see was red.
"Honestly, you would think that moving out of Topsail would open their eyes." Michael stated as he walked into the room. He had just placed Blake down for his nap. Michael came around the kitchen table and kissed Lilly's forehead. He gazed at the phone with distaste. "Why do we even have a phone?"
"Because there's a thing such as the outside world and we have to be a part of it." Lilly replied.
"Boo." Michael answered in which made Lilly smile slightly.
"What I would like to know is how your brother got our number?" Lilly questioned him. Michael shrugged.
"No clue. I dropped contact at the state border. My family is just… what would best describe it… ?"
"Nosy assholes who have nothing better to do than ridicule and harass our family." Lilly muttered.
"Yes. That's a very good way to describe it." He said as he sat beside her. He gazed toward the computer screen, curious to what she was looking up.
"I wouldn't be surprised if your mother hired a private investigator to get it." Lilly bit out. She shook her head to try and relieve some of her frustration. She then looked Michael dead in the eyes. "How did such a good man come from such a horrible family?" She asked honestly.
"I'm the diamond in the rough. But back to the problem, if they continue this, I will file a report of my own and make sure they only call when they have nice things to say." He smiled and kissed her once more. "So, what did you find out?"
Lilly looked back to her computer. Her page was opened to a local News report. The main topic was dealing with a charity foundation that received a huge donation from the Jojo's.
"Lucas and Kylie Jojo. That's the parents. They are known as the wealthiest people here in Townsville, they donate a lot of their money to foundations and hold many charitable events. However, they travel a lot and leave their sons." She then clicked on a picture.
Kylie and Lucas were in the center of the photo. Below them was Brick, on his mother's left, Boomer on her right, and Butch to the far right next to their father. Lilly pointed to Boomer.
"That's him. Oh my he looks only six in this picture. So adorable." Lilly gushed. "The other two look quite nice too."
"Well that's odd…" Michael said. Lilly looked at him curiously. Michael pointed to the text on the left side of the picture. "Kylie Jojo, Lucas Jojo, Brick Jojo, Boomer Harris, and Butch Jojo…" He read. "Boomer Harris? I thought they were brothers?"
"That's what he said…" Lilly defended. She went to the search bar and started typing.
"Kylie Jojo, formally Kylie Thomas, married to Lucas Jojo, Son of Marcus and Fiona Jojo. Was born in November of the year 1981. Mother of twin boys and adopted mother of her nephew. Kylie Jojo is responsible for many foundations founded nationwide. She is most credited to her activity with educational programs…"
"So he was adopted. That explains the Last name." Michael commented. Lilly continued to scan the page.
"He's her nephew from her late sister…" Lilly said out loud.
"Late? As in dead?" Michael asked, a sick feeling tumbling in his stomach. Lilly nodded numbly.
"Belle Thomas, or Belle Harris after marriage. She was killed in… Oh my god…" Lilly gasped. Her hand came to her mouth as her eyes widened in horror. Michael saw tear spring to the corner of her eyes. She looked straight at him. "She was killed in a domestic dispute. Her husband beat her to death..." Lilly looked back to the screen. "Greg Harris. He's in prison for life. Boomer was officially adopted in 2005, after a year in Lucas and Kylie's custody."
"That poor boy…" Michael's voice was soft.
"He's alone… Him and his brothers are alone while their parents travel… that and he lost his mother at the hands of his own father… He's completely alone.." Lilly's voice cracked. Michael wrapped his arms around her quickly.
"He has his brothers. It may not be biological, but that doesn't matter. He has at least two people who are always there for him. Give the boy a little more credit. You gave him your number. If he feels too alone he knows he can call you."
Lilly could only nod, tears not only falling from her eyes, but from her heart as well.
"You know that feeling I had this morning?" Bubbles spoke. Blossom nodded, half focused on her work sheet. "It hasn't gone away."
"What? With everything that has happened?" Blossom asked finally looking up. Bubbles nodded.
"I still feel like something big is still going to happen. I don't know how to explain it."
"Maybe you're still hungry." Blossom joked lightly. Bubbles cracked a smile.
"Nope. I'm telling you, my radar is going off." Bubbles giggled. "Hey, before I forget. Buttercup wanted to know if you would like to go shopping with us tomorrow. Well, I shop, Buttercup mostly just follows me and makes sure I don't go overboard. But I think she would like a companion. I can't promise to be very involved, because I get kind of wrapped in all the materials, that I forget I have company." Bubbles laughed. Blossom smiled and shook her.
"Yes. I would love to go. Thank you." Blossom smiled at her. Bubbles smiled brightly back.
"Another thing, though…" Bubbles added almost uncertainly. "My older sister, Josephine, will be there with us. She probably won't talk to you or anything, but I thought you should know."
Blossom nodded, watching Bubbles' movements.
"I'm sure she's very nice."
"Yeah, she is. We were raised to be nice. A reputation thing I suppose." Bubbles stated, suddenly becoming more involved with her work.
Blossom didn't say anything… She didn't know what to say. Nothing came to mind as she stared at her friend's usually soft feature as they hardened with anger and pain.
Bubbles loved her family. Loved her parents. Loved her sisters. But, she was alone, because she thought different. Acted different. Spoke different. She wasn't as perfect as her sisters. She was very aware of that, but no matter, it still hurt.
However, Bubbles would smile, because if Bubbles could something better than anyone. It was smile so brightly that A dark grey storm cloud would smile back and give her a rainbow with a unicorn sliding down it.
"Do You need to be picked up or will you meet us up there?"
"I'm sure my mom will be free to drive me. Besides, I think she would like to browse herself. Mom hasn't visited this mall yet and I'm sure she's been dying to." Blossom giggled to herself. They may have not had much, but Blossom's mom never denied a healthy trip to eye shop.
Bubbles smiled back, her mood lightening up.
"Great! Ooh! I hope she brings your brother. He's so adorable!" Bubbles squealed. Blossom laughed a little more loudly. Then Bubbles gasped. "There's this store with the cutest baby clothes! I'm going to get Blake a cute little outfit!"
"You really don't need to do that, Bubbles." Blossom asked, slightly shocked. Bubbles only waved her hand dismissively.
"I know. I know. But I don't have any cute babies in my family to buy for. Do you know how many cute clothes they have for babies? This will be so much fun!" Bubbles gushed.
Blossom could only shake her head, smiling to herself.
"Hey, Blossom?" Bubbles asked a little while later. Blossom, glanced up. She sensed an uncertain tone in the blonde's voice. "In Topsail… Did you have anyone that you could talk to? You know, any one you consider a friend?"
Blossom straightened to that question.
"Like I said, I was bullied by pretty much everyone. Those who didn't bully me, were afraid of me. They were afraid that I would cast a spell on them. So, no. I don't think I consider any of them my friend."
"Was it always like that?" Bubbles asked. She still couldn't believe that Blossom, a girl who was so pretty inside and out, didn't have at least one person that was a decent human being to her.
Blossom shook her head to Bubbles relief and shock.
"I had one friend when I was small. People were still the same. Many people complained that I was a waste of oxygen and that I was a curse to the town. But, I had at least one person who actually liked spending time with me for a time. I think I could say, she was my first and only friend until the day she just stopped." Blossom said.
This confused Bubbles greatly.
"Stopped?"
"Yep. One day, out of the blue, she started treating me like everyone else. No explanation. No warning. It broke my heart. A pain that still haunts me."
"Do you mind if I ask who it was?" Bubbles asked. Blossom sighed heavily, but looked Bubbles in the eyes. In those pink irises, Bubbles saw a deep pain that cut through her like a knife.
"Brute." Was the name that fell out Blossom's lips in a broken whisper. "Brute was, at one time, my best friend. Then, she became my worst nightmare in one day. I still don't know why it happened. I asked for months, but she never answered me. Instead, she became the worst of them all." By this time Blossom had tears running down her cheeks.
"Oh Bloss…" Bubbles whispered, leaning over to comfort her friend.
"I was so confused. I was so hurt. It was like someone picked up a knife, pierced my heart, and was twisting it. But worst. So much worst. My mom and Dad were so worried. I stopped eating. I couldn't sleep. Every time I looked in the mirror I felt disgusted. I started to see the monster everyone accused me of being." Blossom's words were now slipping out with any control.
Bubbles could only listen, a sharp pain coursing through her veins.
"I wanted to know so badly what I had done to make my only friend hate me so much. What did I do to drive her away? If I had known, maybe I could've fixed it, or something. Then, she did the cruelest thing ever… she made me feel loved again… she made her brother play me like a violin… and still… I can't hate her. I've tried! But I can't! I still want her to be my friend again…"
"It's okay, Bloss." Bubbles spoke soft and calmly. "You're such a beautiful person. It's so hard to think anyone would ever be so cruel to you. You love so deeply that even when someone does something unthinkable to you, that you forgive them without a second thought."
"I'm so pathetic." Blossom said in a muffled sob.
Bubbles shook her head and smiled sadly.
"Loving someone no matter what is not pathetic. It's remarkable. Your heart is so gorgeous. One day, you are going to meet someone who loves you just as much as you love them and you are going to be so happy. I know it. I can feel it. Open those big beautiful eyes of yours and keep searching. Never give up." Bubbles said.
Blossom gazed up into the deep blue pools that belonged to her friend. The wisdom she saw didn't come as a surprise. Maybe … just maybe… Bubbles was right. Blossom continued to allow Bubbles to comfort her.
Even if she was right… Blossom was still pathetic.
And she continued to cry.
Thank you for all the support. All the feedback was just amazing. I'm glad that my story is able to reach so many people. Please, feel free to message me at any time. It may take me awhile to reply, but I would love to continue to help more who battle the long war we call life.
So another piece of the past has risen from the past. And now, Lilly knows a story behind Boomer's past as well.
Until next time! I hope you enjoyed.