“I’m not leaving here alone,” I spoke to Mark from across the parking lot. Royal could see the worry in my eyes, so I blinked it away trying to hide it a little better. I didn’t need him trying to step in and protect me again. He wouldn’t be there for me my entire life. I couldn’t cling to him just to get through this time in my life.
“What do you mean, Noelle? You’re going home and that’s that. Royal and I will be there shortly,” he ordered me, slamming his car door and coming over to me. I was still reeling from the fight. Anticipation and fear were coursing throughout my body. My emotions were on high alert. I was satisfied with what happened. Maybe Sasha would be wiser than to say shit about me. Or at least it would stop her from doing it to someone else.
“I’m not going home just to be attacked by my mother again,” I confessed, my eyes swinging to Royal’s. Mark seemed to be losing his patience with both of us, and he ran a hand down his face in frustration. I wasn’t going home alone. There was no way.
“You both are going to give me a heart attack. What has gotten into you guys?” Mark questioned both of us, his brow furrowed in despair. I could feel tiny rain drops starting to fall from the dark clouds above us. There was nothing I could say to help him understand. The fact that I had to tell him I wouldn’t go home without them proved that telling him anything wouldn’t help. He truly was oblivious to the person my mother was.
“She’s scared of her own mother, Mark. Use your brain and then maybe you won’t have to ask so many fucking questions next time.” I didn’t even notice that Royal had closed the distance between us, coming to a stop in front of me. I could feel his breath against my skin as he wrapped his arms around me. I was shivering, my lips trembling.
Hearing him say the words out loud seemed to make them more real. I never admitted to being afraid of my mom, but Royal understood things others didn’t. Sometimes I didn’t have to say a word for him to get what I was trying to say. Sometimes there were no words to be said. Instead there was merely emotions and feelings to be shown.
Mark peered up into the sky, his head tilting back. I totally understood the stress he was under. Royal being here, my mom constantly nagging him, and now everything that we did today. I’m sure he needed a stiff drink or two.
“I’m trying to understand what’s going on here, but I can’t. I know your mother is hard to deal with, but why would you be scared of her? I just don’t get it.” We were still standing in the school parking lot with a slight drizzle coming down, and I didn’t feel like discussing the entire issue here.
Royal’s arms tightened around me, bringing me back to the present. “I’m not going home unless you guys are there too.” It was the last comment I would make about it.
I pulled myself out of Royal’s warm embrace and backpedaled toward my car. I would sit in the driveway for hours, hell I would sit here in this parking lot in my car instead of going home.
“Just because you don’t believe it doesn’t mean it isn’t true, then again look at how you perceive me. Just this morning your bitch wife slapped her across the face,” Royal sounded disgusted. All I wanted to do was scream into the cold air. I felt strong and secure inside, but now that I was out here, facing the soon to be punishment of what I did, I was crumbling. There was nothing that I could do to save myself from the wrath called my mother.
“This is absolutely ludicrous!” Mark threw his hands up in the air as if he was giving up. I couldn’t blame him. Sometimes we all needed a day off, or a minute in time out.
“I’m going with her. Whatever you want to tell me you can tell me at the house, but I am not letting her go into that house and face her crazy mother alone.” Royal came to my defense, even when he didn’t have to. I smiled on the inside even though my belly was filled to the brim with anxiety. Misbehaving wasn’t something I ever did. It felt great telling Sasha how I really felt about her, and landing a punch or two against that perfectly shaped nose of hers.
“Whatever. Get in the car and drive back to the house. No lollygagging,” Mark ordered obviously still annoyed with us, before heading back toward his BMW. We watched him get in the car and drive out of the parking lot.
“Come on, I’ll drive.” Royal’s voice was soft, and it soothed the achiness that washed over me. I gave him my car keys and we got into my Jeep without another word said. I was certain the drive home would be a quiet one, but Royal felt otherwise.