Mess Us Up – Jaxson Kidman Page 0,32

gives directions.

“Just keep yourself hidden the best you can,” she says to me. “You’re not getting out either. You’re going to drop me off and just hang out for a bit.”

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“An appointment.”

“Okay,” I say.

There’s silence for a few minutes.

I think about the bag of money. The plane tickets. My father and Tanya.

All stuff that Mama Dae doesn’t know about.

Now I have a secret that she would want to know. I’m stuck between Mama Dae and Mac.

“I know you feel the same way he does,” Mama Dae says.

“What?”

“You and Mac.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah.”

“I can’t wait to hear the story.”

“The story?” I ask.

“Well, come on, Jolie, how does a rich girl like you end up with a guy like Mac? You had your whole life laid out for you. Mac had to scratch and claw for everything he has. Did he come from money? Yeah. But that doesn’t mean much when you have no direction. You’re not the type to get all messed up either. I can see that in your eyes.”

“Uh… I just…”

Mama Dae laughs. “It’s okay. I’m not pressuring you. I’m not mad. It’s intriguing to me. Hey, make a quick right up here and then drop me off in front of the building. Then swing around to the back parking lot and relax.”

I do what I’m told.

I realize I’m dropping Mama Dae off at a doctor’s office.

When I stop and look at what kind of doctor it is, my heart sinks.

Mama Dae looks at me and winks.

“You can’t go alone,” I say.

“You can’t come in,” she says.

“Mama Dae… you have to tell someone…”

“Jolie,” she says. “This is the part where you shut your fucking mouth.”

I close my mouth.

Mama Dae climbs out of the SUV.

I wait for her to get into the building before driving around back like she told me to do.

When I park the SUV, I grab my phone.

I look at Mac’s name.

I cover my mouth.

I start to cry.

I wait for a long time for Mama Dae to come to the SUV.

When I see her walking, it’s the first time I feel as though she’s being honest with herself and the world. It’s not that she looks her age but she looks as though she understands reality.

That breaks my heart worse than anything else.

I grip the steering wheel and just watch her.

When she finally looks at me, her face changes.

She becomes the tough, hard ass woman that controls everything.

That doesn’t take the heartache away from me.

I have no idea what to do or say when she gets into the SUV either.

So I just stay silent.

She takes her seat and I feel her looking at me.

I slowly look at her.

“Feel better now?” Mama Dae asks.

“What?”

“That you were right,” she says. “I’m sure you’ve said something to Mac. Right?”

I swallow hard.

My heart starts pounding my chest again.

“Mama Dae… I…”

“What? Just say it.”

“I… I was scared.”

“Scared?”

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” I whisper. “By accident, I mean. And that night I saw you on the floor, I thought-”

“This is another shut the fuck up moment,” Mama Dae says. “You’re not going to steal my moment in this, Jolie. If you do, you’re going to be reduced to the same level as your father. And let’s not forget the reason you’re sitting next to me right now is Mac. And only Mac.”

I swallow hard and put the SUV into drive.

I feel like crying again.

I want to give Mama Dae a hug.

Before she forgets who I am for good.

11

MAC

I stand in the waiting room outside of Dean Dickhead’s office.

I light a cigarette.

Because I know that’ll piss everyone off.

And it makes Dean Dickhead move fast.

The door opens before I can take my second drag.

“Put that out,” he says to me.

“Yes, sir,” I say.

I smash the cigarette to the counter and leave it as a smushed up mess.

Dean Dickhead points to his office.

I walk through the open door and when I see Rex sitting in what’s usually my chair, I freeze.

Rex looks forward.

Not even for a second at me.

The office door is shut and Dean Dickhead moves behind his desk.

“We have a problem,” he says. “A big problem.”

No, you have a problem. A big problem. I can see your fingertips twitching. You’re all out of your supply, aren’t you?

“What’s going on now?” I ask.

“There’s been a few attacks on campus,” Dean Dickhead says.

“Attacks?”

“Jared has been attacked several times,” Dean Dickhead says.

“Right,” I say. “I heard about that.” I look at Rex. “What about you, Rex?”

“I don’t know shit,” Rex says.

“See?”