"Where are you going, daddy?" she asked with a doll in one hand and a red popsicle in the other.

"I just have to go to work, but in a different place now and it's far away so I have to bring my suitcase, okay Rubí?" Her father smiled sadly, he tried covering his face with his suitcase and clothes as he barely folded them inside.

Ruby was eight years old, it was the second time her father had left because of a fight. At least, that's what her older brother told her it was about. In reality, the problem was much larger than those two kids could imagine at the moment, but they will. Soon enough, the years will go on, and they'll understand the not so hushed arguments their parents kept having until one leaves again and again.

She nodded at her father's words and believed them, and every time after that. She watched him struggle to get everything organized and sigh in frustration. When he was done, her mother came around the corner again and whispered something in his ear.
"Go wash your hands Ruby, you're dripping ice cream everywhere."

She looked down at the droplets on the floor and then at her wet fingers, still holding her popsicle. She got up and threw her popsicle in the trash. Her father came over to her and kissed her forehead. "Bye, daddy" they shared a smile, and he left, shutting the trailer door with force.

...

Fernando jumped as high as he could but still couldn't make the slam dunk he wanted to, Ruby watched him upset herself, still begging him for a turn with the basketball. "It's my turn, Nando, please, you said."

He shrugged her off once again and kept dribbling the ball left and right. Even tried doing it around and in between his legs. His sister ran to him, snatched the ball out of his hands, and ran. He out ran her on the court and bumped into her, hard enough to leave her laying on the concrete floor with tears in her eyes.

"Mom!" He'd done it again. He regretted it as soon as she started yelling for their mother's attention. He knew what would come as soon as he stepped foot inside their home. He immediately tossed the basketball into their yard and made a run for it.

...

It was 6 in the evening, their landline phone rang, and she already knew who was calling. Her school is probably about to snitch on her for something she had done this week. Her mother answered and listened intently, it felt like the conversation was one-sided and went on for ages. "Ruby, why did I just get a call from your vice principal saying you were late to most of your classes this week and were seen kissing a boy in the cafeteria?"

She sighed, this was bound to happen, and all of it was true, but not as simple as they said it. "I wasn't even that late, it was like five minutes, and it's a big school for me to run with these short legs, ma'."

Her mother gave her that patronizing look of all mothers' facial expression, "and the boy? You know damn well you're not allowed to date yet!"
There she went, blowing her head off in every conversation with them it felt. Ruby shut her mouth in the moment and mumbled under her breath some kind of explanation.
"No boyfriend. No phone, you're grounded. Give me it."

"But ma'!" She didn't mean to whine, but it was really unfair. The boy wasn't technically her boyfriend yet. It was eighth grade, and basically, a teenager, she didn't understand why her mother was so controlling.

"I don't have time for excuses, Ruby. I told you what would happen if I got called from your school with shit like this." Her mother started lecturing her as she turned round to roll her eyes so she wouldn't catch her.
"I need you to get it together, find something else to do, take a part-time job at the grocery store or something. It would really help me out, that's for damn sure."

...

"Congratulations on getting your license, baby." Her handsome boyfriend kissed her cheek. On this wonderful occasion, her mother decided to take them and her brother out to dinner at a nearby Chinese buffet. It was her favorite, and she was so ecstatic, having gotten her driver's license on her first try, not even her friends managed that in high school.

They had a nice time chatting and eating as much as they liked. She was so happy that both her mother and brother accepted her boyfriend Terrence, and that they could do things like have a nice outing and talk without the yelling that goes on more than not.That is until the worst happened.

"Fernando Flores, you are here-by under arrest for breaking and entering on private property as well as the reported burglary inside of said private property."

All the while her brother was being pushed and manhandled all she could think was that this was a nightmare and it wasn't real, that she would wake up at any moment now and she would be at home not here. She raised her voice just like her mother and pleaded with the officers that there was some mistake they were making. This could not be happening.

...

"Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!" She heard the distant voices calling her but was struggling to regain consciousness.

"What happened?"

"You fainted, dumb-dumb, but you're doing great, Yolanda's almost done!" Her friend had severely forgotten how to use her inside voice after those jello shots.

She turned her head to look down at her arm, which the tattoo artist was holding onto with gentle force. Yolanda really knew how to make colorful ink stand out on honey brown skin, which she was loving at the moment. This was the best next way of overcoming her break up after a wild frat house party.

Just like her tattoo symbolized, she was blossoming into a beautiful yet daring young woman. Adrea and Henry both agreed it was what was the best tattoo to reference this point for her. They hadn't left her to do this alone either as they both took the plunge with matching tattoos to symbolize what they wanted to be in life. Andrea chose the all-seeing eye on her wrist with a blue pupil. Henry, on the other hand, just added to his collection of tattoos on his left arm with a rainbow of pride. These were the most loyal friends she had, knowing they've been by her side since freshman year of college.

Graduation was a week later, and it was amazing. Finals were brutal, so walking across that stage, receiving her diploma from the dean, was like walking on air. She looked for her mother and couldn't see her face anywhere in the wave of faces. She wasn't sure whether to be sad or relieved. But what she did know was that her life couldn't get any better than this now. A twelve month signed lease for her own apartment to share with one of her best friends, a car with less than 100 thousand miles on it, and to top it off she was having her first real full time job interview within the week.

...

"You're kidding, right? What the actual fuck! I can't just pick up and move to another state!"

"Ruby is pissed all the way off. She threw a laundry basket at her yesterday and you know she got aim." Henry whispered knowing she was within hearing distance.

"No, no, no you listen! I've had it with you, get the fuck out of my life. If you think that for one second I'm giving you any of my money, you can go-"

She was pacing and screaming now, Henry moved further away into the kitchen area and pulled Eric closer as well.

"Well, at least I know better than to stick around a pot-head that you knew was getting into the worst shit and let him ruin my life with his! I'm done. Look for someone else that'll put up with you and whatever your crack-head friends are getting into trouble for now!"

Ruby screamed so loud her throat clenched in pain by the end. She had never talked to her mother as aggressive as that, but the yelling was mutual. But she was sick of it and sick of her mother staying around the wrong people. Ever since she left the house to go away for college, it was like she was the mother reprimanding a teenager. Although this wasn't the first time Henry had walked into this screaming match, over the phone or in person, his boyfriend Eric hadn't so he was expecting him to rush out of here at any moment.
Finally, in silence, she put her phone away and chugged a whole bottle of water in one go. Turning towards the two who were cowering in the kitchen, she waved them over with a smile. "Welcome to the shit-show, Eric."