world history was the last class of the day and to be honest, it's never that bad since i share it with both jack and kenzie.

kenzie and i usually talk through most of it and jack just tries every cheesy flirting tactic in the book on me. it gets annoying at times but it's not too bad since he makes me laugh.

"okay, can you all turn to page fifty-two for the extended research on—".

"this is a student announcement" the speaker suddenly began. "can jack gilinsky please report to the principal's office...that's jack gilinsky to the principal's office".

jack threw his head back and rolled his eyes at the call. he stood up, picking up his backpack.

"i think it's best that you take your things too, mr g—".

"yeah, yeah, i know the drill" he practically muttered, before leaving the classroom.

with a frown, kenzie looked over at me sitting beside her.

"the laptop?" she mouthed to me.

i nodded, knowing that jack didn't return the laptop and told me that he was never planning to. she shook her head and slouched back in her seat.

"fucking idiot" she quietly cursed.

jack was out of class for the rest of the hour. by the last bell, kenzie was still pissed off at her brother and just wanted to get home as soon as possible. i told her that i'd catch up with her later because before i left school, i had to do something first.

+

"i'm back!" i called out once i arrived home. nobody answered as per usual, making me question why i even bother saying it sometimes.

as i came into the living room, i surprisingly saw my social worker, deborah sat right at the edge of the couch, dusting off her pencil skirt.

"oh, what are you doing here?" i asked as she stood up. "is it time for the twelve week visit already?".

"i thought that i'd come a little earlier".

"why?" i questioned, throwing my backpack into the corner.

she looked at her feet, clearly holding back from telling me something before she finally looked me in the eyes with empathy.

"sit down sofia, we need to talk" she sat back in her seat and i followed.

"fuck, i'm not moving again, am i?".

"no, you seem to be pretty okay here so we wouldn't stop that" deborah assured, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "um, it's your mother. her progress in rehab had deteriorated".

i frowned, "what do you mean?".

"she was getting better and left the facility for a reward day but she unfortunately relapsed and overdosed" she explained. "they took her to the hospital and were able to save her, but then she discharged herself and hasn't been seen since".

i pushed back my curls in frustration, "but they're looking for her, right?".

"i've heard that they're trying".

"you've heard?" i recalled, raising my voice a little. "they're either trying or they're not".

"there's not much they can do if they can't find her and she doesn't want any help" she explained.

this is seriously the last thing that i needed right now. i sat back against the couch, running through my thoughts and remembering back to the last visit.

"but you said she was doing fine a few weeks ago" i mentioned.

deborah nodded, "i know, she was. she found hobbies, she would ask about you every now and then".

"does she know that i'm here?" i immediately asked, wondering if her disappearing was to come to see me, but my social worker shook her head.

"we're legally not allowed to disclose that to her, well not until she's stable and fit".

my shoulders dropped slightly at her response, not knowing what to do next or how to react. i'm so pissed off at my mother for doing this, for putting this burden on me right now.

"other than your mother, is there anything else you'd like to discuss, talk about, raise a concern?".

"no" i muttered.

"are you—".

"yes, i'm sure. can you just get out already?" i snapped, not being able to focus on anything but where my mother could be.

deborah sighed and stood, pulling the strap of her bag up my shoulder.

"i'm deeply sorry" she said, holding onto her clipboard. "the last thing i wanted to do was add this to your mind, but it was important that i told you".

she started to head for the door then paused at the entryway.

"please do call me if you need anything, sofia" she spoke one last time before finally leaving the house.

once the door closed, jordan entered, fiddling with a small pouch of weed in his hands. he scoffed, peering out the window.

"i hate cps. used to always threaten to take me away, as if any lousy ass home could hold me" he noticed the distressed look on my face and frowned, "what's up with you?".

"my mom, or should i say, jemima overdosed" i began to explain once dave walked in with a yawn. "she's alive or so they think, but she discharged herself and hasn't been seen since".

my father shook his head at the news, "typical jemima, always looking for her next hit of coke"

he shared a small laugh with jordan, both of them taking none of my emotions right now into account.

"could never keep up with that fucking mess" dave added.

my brows quickly knitted together, "is this supposed to be some sort of joke to you?".

"i don't understand why you're getting so emotional over trash like her" he said, grabbing his cigarettes and lighter. "i stopped caring, fucking cps stopped caring. everyone's lives are way better when we stop caring about jemima perkins".

"but she's my mom" i glared at him, my voice lightly cracking.

"don't feel bad, she stopped caring about you from the moment she took a hit of heroine and found out she was carrying you" he spoke, lighting up a cigarette. "that bitch never wanted you so you might aswell get over it and move—"

"fuck you!" i yelled, cutting him off.

he took no interest in my outburst and blew out the smoke that he just inhaled. i can't believe that this is the man that i'm supposed to call my dad, the one guy in the world that i'm supposed to be able to count on in times like this.

shaking my head at him, i stormed out of the living room to leave the house.

"bit harsh?" i hear jordan say to our father just before i slam the door behind me.

i quickly walked down the street to kenzie and jack's house, knowing that their place is always where i feel safest and most at ease.

when i reached their front door, i knocked and promptly wiped my tears. their little sister, jasmine opened it with a casual smile.

"h-hey jasmine, is jack here?" i questioned before she nodded her head.

"he's upstairs" she told, letting me in the house.

"thanks".

i passed her and the rest of the younger kids in the living room, before going up the steps two at a time.

i walked down the corridor, peeping around for jack until i reached his room. the door was already open and he sat on his bed, focusing on a bunch of papers scattered around him.

he looked up, noticing me with a head nod.

"hey".

"hey" i said, entering the room more. i shut the door and sat beside him on the bed. "what are you doing?".

"homework" he let out a loud sigh. "i know such a shocker for me but math is easy as fuck so i'll be done in like five minutes".

i kept quiet before he glanced at me for a second.

"what's up? waiting for kenz?" he asked me. "she's gone to the store with my mom, i asked for condoms so i'll be stocked up if you're ever up for it".

jack flashed me a cheeky smile, before frowning a little at the saddened look that remained on my face.

"what's wrong?" he questioned.

"nothing" i shook my head, giving him a reassuring smile. i stroked his cheek then leant in to start kissing him.

i immediately increased the pace of my lips, starting to palm him through his basketball shorts and trying to pull them down.

"hey, hey, hey" jack chuckled, gently holding me back. "as hot as you being eager is, i've kinda gotta finish this before my mom gets back and plus you're clearly upset about s—".

"jesus! i said i'm fine!" i quickly lashed out, getting up to leave his room. but, jack rushed towards me and pushed his door shut again before i could. i looked up at him.

"sof, come on".

tears lined along the bottom of my eyes as i stared down at the ground, embarrassed by my emotions.

"it's my mom" i began. "they don't know where she is. she could be overdosed in a fucking ditch right now and all i can picture is her dead—".

i paused, looking at the ceiling to conceal my tears.

"talk to me" jack softly said, leading me to his bed to sit down.

"i'm not even upset about that" i sniffed, wiped my eyes. "it's the fact that i care so much, the fact that dave was right by saying she's a bitch who only worried about herself".

"you care because she's still your mom" jack told me. "parents fuck up and we still care no matter how much we try to deny it".

i shrugged, fiddling with my fingers, "i don't know. i just thought, or stupidly thought that she was getting better and finally putting me first...but that shit is never reality".

jack rubbed my back to comfort me, "look, you don't need her, okay? not right now. you've been doing fine without her for the past few months, you shouldn't let her messing up run past you".

i slowly flashed him a small smile, tucking my hair behind my ear. a brief silence drew upon us whilst i patted against my undereyes to fix my makeup.

"thanks by the way" jack remarked and i frowned in confusion. "for the laptop".

i shrugged, "how'd you know it was me?".

"they said someone came forward and took the blame, don't really know anyone else who isn't on their last warning and would do that" jack explained. "but it was smart though - lower class southside girl who's been in the system all her life steals laptop for educational resources then sells for extra cash".

"once they heard that my dad was dave, they understood" i added.

"he seems to have a reputation around here".

i nodded, chuckling at his comment. although i didn't take long for my mind to cast back to what my social worker told me, back to unspeakable images of my mom.

"hey" jack noticed the dampen in my mood.

he caressed my cheek to lift my head up more and used his thumb to wipe my fresh tears. he then leant and kissed me, slightly catching me by surprise.

i kissed him back, expecting him to pick up the pace and our clothes to be on the floor within seconds but he gently pulled away.

i leant my forehead against his, letting out a smile of relief and realising that this is the first time that we've kissed and it hasn't led to sex.

i glanced behind me at the worksheets on the bed, picking one up, "wasn't this last months homework?".

"i'm a busy guy, okay?" he snatched it out of my hands.

"busy doing what?" i laughed. "stealing laptops, fake yard sales, getting high,".

"banging you".

"oh" my eyebrows raised, "so i'm an inconvenience now?".

"with an ass like yours, yes" jack responded, making me push him lightly.

his attention soon went back to his homework, and i decided to lay next to him and easily annoy him by freaking him out over wrong answers.

-

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