Slight content warning: physical violence and mentions of past child-abuse
"Momma," Misty said loudly, shaking her mother's arm.
Her mother groaned, her eyelids flickering slightly, but she didn't wake up.
Misty shook her again, more insistently. "Mom. Wake up."
Her mother's eyes shot open, bloodshot and a brilliant blue. She frowned. "Elizabeth? I thought I told you to leave me be. I've got the most terrible headache…"
"No, Momma, it's Misty," said Misty impatiently. She didn't have the time or the care to stand around waiting for her mother to get over her permanent hangover.
Her mother narrowed her eyes. "What are you still doin' here?"
"Well, I'm leavin' today. I wanted to wake you and say goodbye."
Momma shook her head. "You shouldn't have come back."
"I had to, Momma, it's school break."
"Should have stayed with your grandmother."
Misty shrugged. "She didn't want me."
"Well, we ain't want you here either!" her mother yelled. Her fist came flying towards Misty – years of practice allowed her to dodge.
"Yeah," she said, scowling. "I got that."
"Why'd you have to go an' wake me?"
"I wanted to ask if you had any cash, for the bus."
Momma snorted out a laugh. "No I ain't got cash, and if I did I sure as hell wouldn't give it to you."
"How am I meant to get back to school?" Misty asked, unsurprised and yet still angry at her mother's complete disinterest in her life.
Her mother shrugged, and closed her eyes again. "Ain't my problem."
"Momma!"
"Get out!" Her mother picked up an empty beer bottle and threw it at her. Misty raised an arm to deflect it and felt it shatter over her elbow, feeling the sting of glass.
She left. Though she didn't know it at the time, it would be the last time she'd ever see her mother.
0o0o
She didn't really need money for the bus – she just wanted to get as much money she could out of her parents before she left. Her father was nowhere in sight – he was probably at the bar down the street with all of his white trash little buddies. Misty didn't care. She didn't care if she never saw him again. He and her Momma had made it clear she wasn't wanted – well, Misty didn't want them either. They could go eat a bag of dicks for all she cared.
She hadn't seen much of her other siblings since she'd been at home. Lizzy had said they were with their grandmother – she knew that Nana was scared they'd be contaminated with all the gay germs, because that was totally how being gay worked. She would've liked to see them, talk to them, but they'd been taught that Misty was devil spawn so they were probably scared of her or something. She didn't know. It hurt to think that her siblings – her sweet little siblings – had all been turned against her, had been fed hate-fuelled lies until their entire perception of her had been corrupted.
She knew there was nothing she could do for them, especially if they didn't want her help, but she hated to think that she was abandoning them with their abusive parents. She had to leave, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. At least they had Lizzy and Nana – even though their grandmother was a homophobic piece of shit, she at least treated the kids nice, and got them away from their parents. That was more than Misty would ever do for them.
"What're you thinkin' about?" Lizzy asked, sitting across from her.
"The kids. I'll miss them. I didn't even get to talk to them."
"I'll tell them you say bye."
"They won't care."
"No. But that's not your fault, Mist."
"Yeah, I know."
"Anyway, you got me. You'll always have me."
"I love you, Liz."
"Ew, gross. We'd better head off soon if you wanna catch that bus."
"Okay. I'm done here anyway."
"Come on," Lizzy said, reaching down. Misty took her hand, and Lizzy pulled her to her feet.
They walked hand in hand all the way down to the bus station. It wasn't too far – but with all her luggage, even shared between the two of them, it was a struggle. The bus station was down in town – the town Misty had been avoiding the whole time she'd been here. This was the town, after all, where they'd wanted to burn her alive for being gay. This was the town where she'd been beaten up by men twice her age for liking girls. This was the town that had tried to kill her. It was surreal to think she was finally leaving it.
There were familiar faces all around as they walked. They walked past Mrs Connely, who'd been Misty's third grade teacher. She'd always been kind to Misty, but now she walked past without meeting her eye. Mr and Mrs Thorpe – they'd used to live next-door, until her parents had built the mansion with their lottery money. They'd always looked after Misty and her siblings, had given them somewhere to stay when they couldn't go home. Mrs Thorpe fed had them when their Momma was drunk, fixed up their cuts and bruises after her father's rampages. But now they charged straight past Misty and Lizzy as though they were nothing but dog shit.
Misty wondered if her family had been treated bad too since the town had found out. Were the kids being hit for having a dyke sister? Was that why even her own siblings refused to talk to her? She was too afraid to ask Lizzy – she didn't want to know the answer. She didn't want to know if her siblings had been hurt because of her.
It had felt like forever to reach the bus station, but now they were here Misty wanted to take that long, torturous walk all over again. Because soon that bus would arrive, and it would take her away from her siblings, and who knew when she'd see them again?
Lizzy knew it too. Her eyes were bright as she set down Misty's suitcase in the dirt. "You promise to write, okay?"
Misty attempted a smile. "I promise."
"Otherwise I'll be forced to track you down. And I will find you," Lizzy said.
"I know."
Lizzy sighed. "I'm so mad at you for leavin'."
"It's not forever, Liz, it's just for now." For now. That was what she told herself, but the lies she used to comfort her own guilty conscience would have never placated her sister.
"How long is 'for now'?" Lizzy asked. She put her hands on her hips, looking up at Lizzy with accusatory eyes. She didn't have time for Misty's bullshit, and they both knew it. "A year? Two? Three?"
Misty sighed. She wished she had the answers. She wanted to comfort Lizzy, but had no idea how. "I don't know. But we'll see each other again. I promise."
"Whatever," Lizzy mumbled, but her heart wasn't in it. She buried her face in Misty's shoulder. God, did Misty feel terrible. She would have brought her along in a heartbeat – she knew that Liz and Cordelia would adore each other. But she couldn't do that. For one, she had no idea where they would end up. And Lizzy was still just a kid! Misty simply couldn't uproot her from her whole life and drag her across the state. Maybe one day she'd be able to visit – but she knew it would be years before they'd be safe.
So Misty held her. Pressed kisses to the top of her head. Hugged her as close as she could because it was the last time for a long time they'd be able to do this.
They stayed like that until the bus arrived. Lizzy let go first. She sniffled, and wiped her eyes on Misty's scarf. "Love you, Mist," she said.
Misty wiped away a tear of her own. "Love you, Liz."
They had already said most of their goodbyes, and Misty didn't want to cry in front of a busload of people. That would invite questions, and Misty really just wanted to be left alone until she got back to school.
So she grabbed her suitcases, kissed Lizzy once more on the cheek, and boarded. After cramming her things into the overhead luggage storage, Misty found a seat by the window. Lizzy was still standing there, watching the bus, her eyes scanning along the windows. Misty waved at her, trying to draw her attention – Lizzy's eyes snapped to her, and she waved back. Misty rested her hand on the glass as the bus began to move.
She watched Lizzy as the bus pulled away. Her sister stood there at the station, growing smaller and smaller, and eventually Misty had no choice but to look away.
She blew her nose. Soon, she would see Cordelia again. Everything was going to be okay when they were together again.
Sorry, I know it's been like a month. I hate school so much.
Chapter title comes from 'Say you Will' by Nirvana. Jokes. It's by Fleetwood Mac.