“No, but even if I did I wouldn’t be telling you. I’m eighteen not twelve, I don’t need a chaperone on a date, thank you very much.”
He groans as he gets up from the bed. “Fine, but call me if you need me. And don’t forget to have a good time.”
I brush through my hair once more while he lingers in the door jam. At the sound of my phone buzzing, I walk over and pick it up, the worst case scenario running through my mind. Oh god, he’s calling to cancel. I swear to god…
“Hello?”
“Hi there, this is Officer Martins from the Bellflower police department. I’m calling for Alyssa Brookes.” Oh god. I hang my head because I already know what’s coming.
“This is she.”
“We have Kylie Brookes here and she will need to be escorted to her premises. There’s also a bail bond to pay.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible, Officer, thanks for your call.” I say politely.
Why am I not surprised?
I’m finally away from her, about to start college, going on a real goddamn date. I knew it was all going too smoothly. This is exactly why people like me, ones that are always waiting for the other shoe to drop, are realistic.
The world isn’t always butterflies and rainbows, it can’t be. There has to be balance, karma to keep the world in order. And this is exactly that, my karma.
As soon as I’m off the phone with the police, Cam is there. “What’s happening?”
“My mom’s been arrested. I have to go bail her out.”
“Well…”
“Don’t. Just don’t even,” I cut him off because I already know what he’s going to say. I know because it’s what I’m thinking.
I don’t have to go bail her out.
She’s a drunk, a drug addict, an abuser. What did I care if she was in jail or not? I didn’t, but also… I can’t just leave her there. It does sound tempting, and like a good way to teach her a lesson but she’s my mom.
No matter how badly she treated me, no matter what she’s done in the past - she wasn’t always bad. At some point in her life, she was a good person. She was a person my father fell in love with, married and had a family with.
If my dad were here, who knew how different things would be now.
And for that reason, I dial Asher’s number.
“Hey Alyssa,”
“Hey Asher. Look, I’m really sorry but I have to cancel our date tonight.”
“What? Why?”
“Something came up. I am sorry, maybe we can reschedule?”
“Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?” While sounding disappointed, which is sweet, he’s also concerned, which was the last thing I wanted.
“Yeah, fine. I’m… sorry.”
I hang up before either of us can say more.
I take the bug to the police station, hitting every single red light from home to Bellflower. I don’t hesitate when I get there. I want to be in and out as fast as possible.
At the reception desk, I speak to the officer behind the tempered glass.
“Hi, I got a call earlier. My name’s Alyssa Brookes. I’m here to pay bail for Kylie Brookes and to take her home.” The words tumble out of me but I’m well practiced. This isn’t the first time I’ve literally bailed her out since I turned eighteen and legally stopped being a dependent.
