3. This sucks

TASHA

When I arrive home, I dump my school bag on the sofa and proceed to the kitchen to wash my hands.

I have never fought before in school. I can get into fights anywhere, but fighting on school grounds is off limits. That was one rule of mine that I made to myself to keep. However, today, I broke that single rule, and I am certain that I will be made to pay for it no matter what.

"Tasha!" I hear my mum yell my name.

Oh fuck no! Why is she home already? Her chef working hours at the restaurant down the street doesn't end until 6pm.

And why do I have the feeling that she already kn—

"What the hell happened in school today?! What is going on with you?!" She yells again as she enters the kitchen, clutching her phone in her hand.

"Mum I can expl—"

"How could you stoop so low?! Fighting a girl in school over a boy?!" Her beautiful blue eyes blaze as she spits out the words in anger.

"He isn't just any random fucking boy mum! Jason was my boyfriend!"

My mum bobs her head back a bit. Her eyes twitch in utter disbelief as she flips her deep wavy black hair over her shoulder. "Jason? What do you mean by Jason was your boyfriend? Wait a min—"

"Yeah mum. Jason is the guy who made me lose my shit today and got into a fight. He cheated on me with a girl, and the girl in question just happens to be Diane."

I chuckle painfully. "Turns out she and Jason were banging each other's brains out behind my back."

My mum clamps her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening.

"I just. . . . ." My voice cracks. "I just couldn't take it mum. I caught them fucking each other right before my very eyes. And I. . . .I lost it."

"Oh dear." My mum pulls me into her arms and strokes my hair. "This sucks."

"Yeah." I whisper into her chest.

The kind of pain shredding my heart right now is the kind of pain I never dreamt of feeling in my entire life. I loved Jason so fucking much.

How could he do such a terrible thing to me?

"I swear to God," My mum rakes. "If I ever see that Jason boy near this house again, I am going to dump a full bowl of hot scalding water on his shitty, God forsaken face."

I sniff. "Just make sure that the water is super hot."

She chuckles. "Oh darling, trust me to make sure of that. Gosh, I still can't believe that he did something like that to you."

I lift my head from her chest and wipe my eyes. I shrug. "Maybe I wasn't good enough for him."

"Hey!" My mum scolds, shaking me by my shoulders. "Don't you ever think like that ever again. Listen to me. You were more than enough for him. He is the one who wasn't enough for you. He is the one who couldn't keep his fucking prick in his pants. He is the one who chose to cheat on you. He is the one who made that choice. And as for Diane, well, now you know who she really is."

She cups my face. "You have to be strong darling. And listen, you are permitted to cry, but you are not permitted to blame yourself for what happened. Jason and Diane are both assholes that fit each other perfectly, and you, my darling, you deserve better. You hear me?"

I nod.

"That is my girl." She brushes my hair back before pulling me into her embrace. I nuzzle into her, allowing her warmth and patchouli oil perfume to calm my nerves. In the entire world, my mum is only one I blindly trust to always stand by me. However, if my dad was still alive today, I would have trusted him blindly too.

My dad suffered and battled terminal cancer for as long as I could remember before he passed away three years ago. He was a loving, cheerful soul, tall with jet black hair and a face that shone like the bright morning sun even on a gloomy day. Sometimes, mum spaces out while staring at me, and when situations like that happen, I don't try to stop her from looking at me, because I know that in her mind, she is looking at Dad.

Yes. I have my dad's face. His light brown eyes, his straight nose. Even the dotted birthmark on the left side of his face. I have his jet black hair too, although mine is a little bit lighter and not deeply black like his. My hair is long and straight too. Though I should be mad at myself for being a living reminder of the man I love so much that isn't in this world any longer, I am rather happy.

Right now, I am so sure that if he was still alive today, Jason will never smell the four walls of this house again.

But I have Mum. And I am certain that she will definitely not take it lightly with Jason if he ever shows his face here.

I sniff and lift my face from my mum's shoulder. "I am tired mum. I want to go to my room."

"Alright dear. And oh, before I forget. . . .," She pauses, her silence making me feel like she is weighing the next words to say. "I will be coming with you to school tomorrow. I never knew you could be a nasty fighter. Principal Salazar said you injured Diane and Jason."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah I did. But I think they will be fine. I just scratched them."

"Just scratched them? Principal Salazar said they were rushed to the school clinic."

"Yeah. They were taken to the school clinic, but that doesn't mean that I hurt them too much. Besides, they deserve more than what I did to them."

Fucking assholes.

"Tasha." My mum warns.

"I know mum. I will try my best not to fight in school again. Besides I have never fought in school until today."

I turn around after voicing out that last statement and grab my school bag from the sofa before I begin to head upstairs to my room.

_______________

10:00pm.

As I roll over to my other side on my bed, I keep on wondering what kind of punishment Principal Salazar will give to me tomorrow. I wonder the kind of article the school's gossip blog will post about me on their platform this night. The urge tempting me to grab my phone and check their plushy pink website for any updates is nearly irresistible. That blog, Ville Secrets, is the worst fucking nightmare of any Westville student. It has brought so many students up and crashed so many students down.

Anyway, whatever tomorrow brings, I just hope that I will be prepared for it.