Sins 35
Max continued to do the dishes, while her mother went next door to the neighbor. To ask her if her eldest would make a cigarette run. Max finished the dishes and looked around at her surroundings. Before she saw everything in Ipswich she had expected to live out her life in a crappy trailer like this one. Now she had better waiting for her. She couldn't help but feel a bit resentful towards her mom. After all the woman had known that her dad was rich and they were living here of all places.
She started dinner and was stirring it when her mom returned. She walked in and flopped down on the sofa. "So what did he die of?" said mom Max frowned at the sink "lung cancer" she answered. Her mom looked at the cigarette in her hand with a funny expression. Max suppressed the urge to smile. It was a good enough lie. "So that's why he kept trying to get a hold of you?" said Mom.
"Why didn't you let him?" said Max her mom shrugged and lit the cigarette she had just put into her mouth. "She would have had a cow," said her mom "so she did know" said Max "yeah she knew and wasn't too happy about it" said her mom "that wouldn't have stopped him" said Max "no apparently not" said her mom. She gave a hollow laugh. "What was he like when you know, he was younger?" said Max
"He was a good man, too good for me," she said with a hollow laugh and a coughing fit behind it. She took a sip of her soda and another puff. Max turned off the food because it was done.
"How come you moved us way out here?" said Max it was a question that had plagued her since she had gotten to Ipswich. Her mom took another drag on her cigarette and looked closely at her daughter. "Him mostly, I wanted to raise you, not his bitch wife," said her mom "why would his wife raise me?" said Max
"I don't know but he would find a way, he kept going on about you being a Danvers and some stupid family curse" said her mom. She waved her hand dismissively. "But he never told you anything else?" said Max.
"I didn't care to know, all I wanted was my freedom back then" said her mom "and you think he wouldn't give it to you?" said Max "not without taking you away from me and believe me he tried" said her mom "what do you mean?" said Max
"He called child welfare on me when he found out you were hanging out backstage" said mom "what else did he expect I couldn't afford a sitter and I wasn't going to ask him for money" said her mom "why not he would have given it" said Max "not without strings attached, he was like that, all men are you'll see" said her mom
So it was basically her pride that kept them here, figures. "Then why did you accept the money he sent?" said Max. Her mom pointed around the room "because this is all we have and I wasn't about to be homeless" said her mom.
"So how did you get child services off your back? Said Max "I moved, found a neighbor to watch you, so when they came calling again you were not on site" said her mom "they dropped it?" said Max "yeah but I still moved a few more times, Evelyne is a vindictive bitch I didn't want her attacking us anymore" said her mom "yeah Caleb feels the same way" said Max "His son?" said her mom "yeah my brother" said Max
"Does he acknowledge you?" said her mom "yeah actually he does and he actually is pretty cool why?" said Max her mom snorted "surprised his mom even let you near him" said her mom Max shrugged "he's eighteen and his mom doesn't get out much she's a bit of a lush now" said Max. Her mom laughed "oh really miss perfect is a drunk that's rich, serves her right" said her mom. Max found herself getting a bit angry for some reason. "She was losing her husband to a vicious disease, you'd drink too" said Max
Her mother looked shocked for a second. Max turned her back on her and grabbed a plate from the cupboard. Dished herself up a small portion of the food, grabbed a fork and headed for her room. She picked up her soda as she passed the hall table.
Max flopped down on her bed and ate her dinner. She didn't have much of an appetite for the food. There was a shuffling in the hallway and Max looked up from her plate. "You've changed," said her mom. "Yeah" said Max
"For what its worth baby I'm sorry" said her mom. Then he woman shuffled back into the living room. Max sighed and set her plate on her bed. She stood up and walked back into the living room. Her mom was sitting on the edge of the couch staring at the TV set, which was turned off. Max walked quietly into the room. "I knew he would change you," said her mom. "I'm still me mom" said Max "yes but you've outgrown this place," said her mom.
She sounded sad and Max walked closer. "Yeah I have, but I think I did a long time ago, you just never noticed" said Max "what are you planning on doing?" said her mom. Max sighed and kneeled down next to her mother. The woman turned towards her. She looked tired and a lot older than she remembered.
"Going back as soon as I turn eighteen" said Max. "Why?" said her mom. Max shrugged "I want to and I have a boyfriend" said Max
"A boyfriend? Who? what's his name?" said her mom "Reid, Reid Garwin" said Max. Her mom looked shocked for a second "oh my gawd you landed a rich one, this is hilarious, you do know that his father was one of your dad's closest friends?" said her mom "yep, we've discussed it" said Max.
"So why do you want to, besides the boyfriend" said her mom. Max looked around the room again and bit her lip unsure what to say. "Let me guess you got a taste of the good life and you want more" said her mom "well yeah actually I do, sorry but I don't want to be stuck here all of my life" said Max
"Do you really think you can fit in with them, with their fancy cars and yacht clubs, do you?" her mother said. Her voice was cruel and mocking. "You did, once" said Max. "I was a fool and you are too" said her mom. Max bit her lip and tried to keep her temper."Yeah well I'd rather be a fool than a loser" said Max.
She stormed out the door and down the trailer park street. "Maxine Elaine Rhyde you get your ass back here!" her mother yelled after her. Max ignored her and kept walking. She walked until she was in front of Jesus' trailer he was sitting on his porch cleaning the parts to his carburetor.
"Hey chica whatcha doing back?" said Jesus "eh school sent me back something about parental permission" said Max "So whatcha doing down here?" said Jesus "fight with mom," answered Max.he nodded that was normal for her so he was used to it. "So how did it go with the dad?" said Jesus
"He died Jesus and I never got to meet him, but I did meet my brother" said Max "cool, on the brother part too bad about your dad," said Jesus. "So did you get anything?" asked Jesus. Max froze oh shit what if her mom went looking while she was gone? "Shit I got to go talk to you later ok?" said Max and she ran back to the trailer.
Sure enough she found her mom in the room looking through the paperwork. "When were you going to tell me?" said her mother. "We're rich!" her mother jumped up and ran towards her grabbing her shoulders and hugging her. "Oh I knew having you was worth it" said her mom "mom let go" said Max her mom was squeezing her too hard, so Max put some power behind the request.
Her mother abruptly released her. "Mom forget you ever saw that paperwork you were only dreaming now go to your room and lay down you need more sleep," said Max. Her mother set the folder down on the bed and sleep walked to her room. Max watched her go then quickly stashed the paperwork in another location. This time she took the time to place a concealing spell over it. She felt a bit guilty about using against her mom, but if her mom got a hold of her money it would be gone in a week. She heard her mom's door close and listened until snores came from her room.
She stayed up a bit, watched some more TV and then fell to sleep. She woke with the sunrise and got dressed for school. She had a few weeks till fall break. She grabbed a few handfuls of dry cereal and headed for school. Her mom still wasn't up yet.
After enduring a lengthy discussion with the office staff Max was placed back in the classes she had left behind.
She picked up her books, which were still in her locker ironically and headed for class. She ran into Shay, Shay on the way. "Girlfriend what did you do, punch one of those snobs and they kicked you out?" said Shay "no but I wanted to" said Max "so you staying?" said shay "just until my b day then I'm gone" said Max "so your leaving again?" said Shay "yeah but I'll still keep in touch you know I will" said Max "yeah I know" said shay. The rest of her day was spent catching up with friends and relating everything that she had done while she was gone.