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Jason recognized the solitary figure trudging along the sidewalk, and pulled over to the curb.
“Hey, Alex, get in,” he invited, leaning over to open the car door. “I bet I know where you’re headed.”
“Umm hmm,” she said, piling in and closing the door behind her. “It’s a madhouse at home.”
“So you’ve come to seek sanctuary with the calm and peaceful Chasity huh?” he joked, putting the car in gear.
“Yeah. I was going to hang out with one of my friends from high school for a bit,” Alex informed, removing the leopard print earmuffs from her ears. “But when I called her, all she wanted to talk about was my ex-boyfriend. So I figured an hour ride on the bus to West Chester was a much better alternative.”
“Yeah, I don’t blame you,” Jason chuckled. “I only live a few minutes away from Chaz. So I figured, I’d just show up unannounced and annoy her.”
Alex stifled a laugh as she relished the heat coming from the vents. “And annoy her, you will,” she agreed. A few minutes later, they rolled to a stop in front of a large stone colonial. “This should be it.”
They walked in companionable silence along the flagged path, and rang the bell.
“Hi, is Chasity here?” Jason asked the brown-skinned girl who opened the door a crack.
“She’s around somewhere being a bitch.”
Jason and Alex exchanged a quick look of surprise at the sullen reply. “Maybe Chaz wasn’t so off not wanting to spend the break with her family,” Alex muttered under her breath.
“Look, it’s a little chilly out,” Jason said, “so could you please let her know that Alex and Jason are here?”
“Whatever.” The girl shrugged, ducked her head back inside and shouted up the stairs. “Chasity, you got company.”
A few seconds later, Chasity clattered into the entrance hall and came to an abrupt stop.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” she asked, both startled and suspicious.
“I’m escaping from a touch football game,” Jason explained, unsure about the wisdom of this little visit now that Chasity was actually standing in front of him. “My dad and my uncles will be going at it for hours. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Chasity smirked. “Such a baby.”
“Chaz, they had me playing for almost two hours,” Jason responded, full of animation. “I’m telling you, they’re crazy.”
“And I was kicked out of the kitchen by my aunts,” Alex put in. “Too many cooks, you know?” Stepping inside, Alex looked around, taking in the polished antiques and winding staircase. “Wow, nice house.”
“It’s my grandmother’s,” Chasity interrupted. “I don’t live here. I’m living at my aunt’s house about five blocks from here. The house is finally done so I have it to myself...at least until she moves back up here from Florida permanently.”
“Girl, if I were someone else, I’d be totally jealous right now,” Alex joked.
Chasity shook her head. “Trust me, you wouldn’t be,” she assured. “Anyway, why are you two really here?”
“To meet your charming relatives?” Jason queried.
“What are you talking about?” Chasity asked, folding her arms.
“That girl who answered the door seems pretty um....yeah, charming,” Alex put in.
“Who, Melina? Yeah, that’s my cousin, and that bitch is far from charming,” Chasity jeered. “She used to bully me.”
“She bullies you?” Alex was shocked.
“I said used to,” Chasity corrected. “On my birthday a few years ago, she tried to snatch the diamond earrings my aunt Trisha gave me, out of my ears.”
Jason frowned. “Really? What did you do?” he asked.
“I beat the bullshit outta her,” Chasity nonchalantly replied.
“Yeah, I figured,” Jason laughed.
“She’s been walking around here, saying smart shit all night,” Chasity revealed, unfazed. “But I bet you, her old ass won’t put her hands on me again.”
Alex raised her eyebrow. “Old?”
Chasity waved her hand dismissively. “She’s got me by three years.”
Alex chuckled. “Well that’s one beat down I would have loved to see. I hate bullies.”
“Uh huh,” Chasity said absently, she glanced at her watch.
“Ready for us to leave already?” Alex joked.
“No...well yeah,” Chasity responded. Alex resisted the urge to giggle at her smart response, and just shook her head. “But really, I’m waiting for my aunt. She went to the bakery to pick up the desserts. I wish she would hurry up; I want to get this stupid, fake display of holiday happiness over with.”
While Chasity paced back and forth, her heels clicking on the marble floor, Jason spotted an album, tucked away and half-hidden behind a huge floral arrangement on a side table. He started to grin as he leafed through it.
“What are you doing?” Chasity demanded, snatching the book from him.
“Looking at pictures of you when you were younger and nicer,” Jason shot back.
A half an hour later, Chasity looked at her watch again. “Shouldn’t you two be leaving?” she sighed.
“Nope, I have another hour to go,” Alex said, relaxing against the sofa’s down cushions.
“I’m not ready yet,” Jason replied, resting his head against the pillows.
“Okay, let me rephrase that...It’s time for you two to leave,” Chasity corrected.
“Sweetie, stop being mean and introduce me to your friends.”
Jason and Alex looked over to where an elderly woman, all soft curves and wispy salt and pepper hair, stood beaming at them from the doorway.
“Why?” Chasity moaned. “Grandmom, I don’t want to.”
“Come on, sweetie,” Chasity’s grandmother urged, pleased that Chasity had made friends at college. Her granddaughter had always been such a loner. Besides, she liked the look of these two.
“I’m Jason,” he intervened, stepping forward with his hand stretched out.
“Grandmom, come on. How many people did you invite?” Chasity huffed as a knock on the door interrupted the introductions. “I swear, if this is Uncle Johnny and his ugly girlfriend, I’m going home.”
A soft laugh erupted from Chasity’s grandmother. “You’re so silly,” she mused.
Chasity let out a loud sigh as she flung the door open. “Oh, hell no,” she hissed and tried to slam the door.
“Is that any way to greet your mother?” Brenda Parker slurred, stopping the door with her hand.
“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” Chasity accused.
“That’s none of your business, little girl,” Brenda responded with the careful, exaggerated speech of the habitual drunk.
“I’m not in the mood for this, leave me alone,” Chasity said as she slammed the door in her mother’s face.
“Chasity, why did your grandmother invite your mom here after what she did?” Alex asked, bewildered.
“Because she doesn’t know,” Chasity responded. “Look, you guys have to go. This is going to get ugly.”
“No, I think we’ll stick around for a bit,” Jason said, his jaw clenched.
“Just be the bigger person,” Alex put in, “and walk away if she starts to upset you.”
“Yeah, right,” Jason muttered as Chasity rolled her eyes at Alex’s suggestion. “Like Chasity is about to back down from anything.”
“What on earth?” Chasity’s grandmother exclaimed, her voice unsteady, when the front door swung open and Brenda barged in.
“This is my mother’s home. I have every right to be here!” Brenda yelled.
Chasity shook her head and turned toward Alex and Jason. “Go home, you guys.”
“Chasity, I think that we should stay,” Alex protested, full of concern.
“Alex, I don’t care what you think—go home,” she repeated and pushed them out the door; her only thought was to escape upstairs. Chasity couldn’t face another argument with her mother and she didn’t want to upset her grandmother.
“Where are you going?” Brenda shouted.
Chasity turned around. “Don’t start with me. I’m not in the mood.”
“Still a disrespectful brat, huh?”
“Whatever, Brenda,” Chasity spat before turning to walk away.
“Don’t walk away from me, you bitch!” Brenda shouted and threw her empty glass at her daughter. Luckily, Chasity’s quick duck caused the glass to hit the wall instead of her head. The glass shattered, scattering shards all over the floor.
“Are you crazy?” Chasity yelled.
“I told you, never to walk away from me while I’m talking to you!” Brenda screamed.
“Leave me the fuck alone, Brenda,” Chasity demanded as she flicked little pieces of glass out of her hair. “Why are you here anyway? Nobody wants you around.”
“Me? Oh no Chasity, the person that nobody wants around is you. Why don’t you do everyone here a favor and leave?”
Chasity took a long look at the crazy, drunken woman in front of her, and snapped, “You know what? I’ll leave.”
“What in God’s name is going on?” Chasity’s grandmother scolded, holding herself stiffly upright.
“Grandmom, I’m sorry, but I have to go,” Chasity stated, voice shaking as she felt herself tear up.
“No, you’re not going anywhere.”
“Grandmom, just let me go. I gotta get out of here.”
“No, you stay put,” she ordered, placing a restraining hand lightly on Chasity’s arm. “Brenda, why are you treating this child this way? I raised you better.”
“That girl is nothing but trouble,” Brenda spat, stumbling against the wall. “It’s about time that you woke up and saw her for what she really is.”
“Brenda, you’re drunk,” Grandmother Duvall cautioned. “You need to calm down.”
Desperate to get away, Chasity made a dash for the door, leaving her coat behind.
“Chasity,” Brenda slurred. “Did I ever tell you how much I hated you?”
“Brenda!” Grandmother Duvall gasped as Chasity stopped, and spun around to face her mother.
“You tell me every time you see me,” Chasity shot back. “You’re just mad because your life is trash. You’re nothing but a disgusting drunk.”
“It’s your fault!”
“It is not my fault,” Chasity hissed. “You’re the one who turns to the damn bottle every day, not me. You’re the one who lost your job because you kept coming into work drunk, not me. You’re the one who drove Daddy away, not me.”
“Everything was perfect in my life before you came around,” Brenda groaned, sinking into one of her fits of maudlin self-pity.
“But I’m not even around you anymore,” Chasity protested. “You flew to my school, just to tell me that you never wanted me to come back home.”
Chasity’s grandmother grabbed the nearest table for support. She was shocked. She’d never heard any of this. She was so angry and disappointed in her daughter, she could have spit nails.
“You see that?” Brenda asked, looking around at her stunned audience. “You see how she talks to me?”
“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me.” Chasity shook her head. “Do you hear yourself? Do you think that you can stand here, try and tear me down in front of everybody, and I’m not gonna say anything back? You’re crazy.”
“Don’t talk to me like that!”
Chasity felt her head pound. She was sick of her mother and her endless tirades. “You know what? You make me sick. I’m leaving.”
“I said, don’t walk away from me!” Brenda darted up to Chasity, grabbed her by her arms, and slammed her against the wall.
“Get off of me,” Chasity hissed, pain radiating up her back and neck.
“For God’s sake, Brenda, let her go,” Grandmother Duvall shouted.
“I should squeeze the life out of you right now,” Brenda swore and tightened her grip on Chasity, her long nails gouging into Chasity’s soft skin. “Just like you squeezed the life out of me. I should never have brought you home from that damn hospital the day you were born.”
“Why did you?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll tell you one thing. I didn’t do it because I wanted you. You were a mistake, not the product of some precious love, and I was left to take care of you.”
Chasity stared at her mother with shock. “What the fuck did you just say?” she asked in faltering tones.
“You heard me,” Brenda panted. “Your real mother should have gotten rid of you like she was supposed to. But what does she do? She leaves me to take care of her garbage.”
Chasity broke free from her mother’s grasp and shoved her away. Brenda rounded and charged at her, delivering a stinging slap across Chasity’s face. Chasity steadied herself, her self-control gone, and punched her mother in the stomach.
Brenda doubled over and fell, allowing Chasity the opportunity to jump on top of Brenda and rain punches down on her.
“Get her off me!” Brenda screamed as she tried to ward off her daughter’s blows.
“Oh shit,” Alex gasped as she and Jason barged through the door upon hearing the commotion. They had refused to leave without knowing that Chasity was okay.
Jason pushed his way past Chasity’s grandmother and grabbed Chasity around the waist. “Enough, Chaz, enough,” he said calmly, pulling her off of her mother. “Come on, let her go.”
As Jason and Alex escorted Chasity outside, bruised and bloodied Brenda got to her feet. “Mom, did you see...”
“Get out,” Grandmother Duvall shouted, tears streaming down her face. “Get out now, Brenda.”
“What?”
“Take your drunk behind out of my home,” she said with ominous quiet and pointed to the door.
“Grandmom, at least let her clean her face up first,” Melina argued and shepherded Brenda toward the bathroom.
“Chasity, take a deep breath,” Alex soothed, putting a comforting hand on Chasity’s shoulder as she paced back and forth in front of the steps.
“Alex, don’t touch me,” Chasity snapped, knocking Alex’s hand away.
“Baby, at least take my coat, it’s cold out here,” Jason suggested, trying to place his coat on her shoulders.
“I said don’t touch me,” Chasity hollered, knocking the black coat to the ground. “Didn’t I tell you to go home?”
“We couldn’t leave you like that,” Jason protested. Chasity was seething; she could have punched him and Alex both in the mouth.
Before Chasity could say another word, Trisha pulled up in her silver Mercedes Benz. “Baby girl, what are you doing out here without a coat on? You’ll catch a cold,” she said, stepping out of the car.
Chasity didn’t say a word; she only stared at her aunt with pure anger.
Trisha frowned with concern at the sight of Chasity’s eyes welling up with tears. “What’s the matter? What happened?”
Chasity gave no response as she stormed around to the back of the house. Trisha turned to Alex and Jason. “What the hell happened?”
“She got into a fight with her mother,” Jason replied, picking his coat up off the ground.
“What?!” Trisha didn’t need to hear another word.
Trisha stormed inside the house, coming face to face with her mother. “Mom what happened? Where’s Brenda?”
“Cleaning herself up,” Grandmother Duvall solemnly answered, sweeping up the broken glass in the corner with a broom and dust pan.
“What is she doing here? Why did you let that woman in the house?”
“I invited her over for Thanksgiving dinner. I thought that it would be nice to see her,” Grandmother Duvall said, placing the broom in the corner. “Why didn’t you tell me Brenda had kicked Chasity out of the house?”
“Mom, we didn’t want you to get upset.”
“Too late, daughter.” Grandmother Duvall skewered Trisha with a piercing look. “It was terrible. Brenda was screaming about how much she hated Chasity, and that the poor girl was a mistake. She even said that her real mother should have gotten rid of her. What was she talking about? Chasity’s not adopted.”
“She said that? Where is she?” Trisha hissed.
“Patrisha, what was she talking about?”
“Mom, where is she?” Trisha demanded, then caught sight of Brenda coming out of the bathroom with a towel held to her swollen jaw. “You bitch!”
“Trish,” Grandmother Duvall cautioned. “I’ve had enough violence in my home for one evening.”
“Brenda, how could you say that to her?” Trisha charged. “How could you tell her that she was a mistake and that her mother should’ve gotten rid of her?”
“She was a mistake and you know it,” Brenda shot back.
“You’re so fuckin’ evil.”
“Are you two saying that Chasity was adopted?” Grandmother Duvall ground out. The two women were silent. “Answer me.”
“Yes, Mom, she was,” Brenda revealed. “And if you want more details, why don’t you ask your favorite daughter?”
“What do you mean favorite?” Grandmother Duvall objected. “I love all of my children equally. I don’t have a favorite.”
“Oh, please,” Brenda sneered. “Ever since Trisha bought you this damn house, you’ve forgotten about all the shit she put you through as a teenager.”
“She changed, Brenda.”
“Whatever, Mom.”
“So now you’re mad because Mom doesn’t hate me like you do?!” Trisha shouted at her sister.
“Go to hell where you belong,” she hissed as she walked toward the door.
“Brenda,” Trisha called, stopping Brenda in her tracks. “If you ever put your hands on Chasity again, I swear I’ll kill you.”
Brenda simply rolled her eyes and walked out the house. As the door slammed shut, Grandmother Duvall looked at Trisha.
“Trish, what’s going on here?”
“Mom, this is not the time. I have to find Chasity.” Knowing that Chasity couldn’t have gone too far without the keys to the house that they were now sharing, Trisha walked out the back door and into the massive back yard of her mother’s home, scanning the grounds. Finding nothing, Trisha checked the small pool house off to the side, and found Chasity inside, sitting on the floor.
“Sweetie, I was so worried about you,” Trisha said as she crouched down next to Chasity.
“Please don’t touch me,” Chasity said, holding up a warning hand.
“Honey, do you want to talk about it?”
“No, not really, I’m fine. Thanks,” Chasity hastily replied, standing up from the floor
“Chasity, please don’t shut me out,” Trisha pleaded.
“I said that I don’t wanna talk about it!”
“Baby, I know that you’re hurt.”
“I don’t care!” Chasity shouted.
“I know you better than that. I know that you do care and that you are hurt. I don’t want you to go to bed angry, just talk to me,” Trisha urged, tears streaming down her face.
“Fine, you want to talk?” Chasity snapped. “You wanna talk sooo bad? Fine. Let’s talk about my adoption.”
“What? I—”
“Please, tell me that you didn’t know about it, and that you’re just as surprised as I am.”
“Chasity...”
“Please tell me that you haven’t been lying to me my whole life,” she ground out, her voice cracking, getting higher in pitch as the tears began anew.
“I wish that I could. But I can’t,” Trisha confessed. “I knew that you were adopted.”
Chasity shook her head. “You’re so full of shit.”
“I know that you’re pissed at me right now, but this doesn’t change anything. You are my family,” Trisha assured her.
“You know what, I’m actually relieved,” Chasity confessed. “Now I can cut all ties with this fucked up family.”
“It’s not that simple,” Trisha cried.
“Oh no?” Chasity asked, cocking her head. “Let’s see. Birth mom thought I was a mistake, didn’t want me, and gave me up without thinking twice. Sounds pretty simple to me.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Trisha protested. “Your mother wanted you. She only did what she thought was best for you at the time.”
“Best for me, or best for her?”
“Sweetheart, please don’t do this to yourself,” Trisha pleaded. “You have never been unwanted. You were not and have never been a mistake.”
“Patrisha, stop,” Chasity said. “My head hurts and I’m tired. Just leave me alone.”
Trisha let herself out of the pool house, and crumbled against the wall, sobbing. She loved her niece more than life. She wanted more than anything to make the hurt stop, to make everything better, but she knew that she was powerless to do so.
After a while, Trisha gathered herself, smoothing her hair and brushing away the tears. Slowly, she walked back into the house where Alex and Jason remained in the living room, waiting. She had to confront them, as their obvious worry and stubborn jaws told her that they would demand an explanation.
“This is all my fault,” she began. “Chasity didn’t want to come here for Thanksgiving. I forced her.”
“Her grandmother didn’t know what was going on,” Jason charged, face frowned. “But you did. Why didn’t you protect her?”
If Trisha thought it odd to be subjected to an inquisition from a college freshman, she didn’t let on. “It was a mistake. She won’t stay here, and I’m sure she doesn’t want to come home with me. She’s very upset with me right now...rightfully so.”
“I’d invite her to stay at my house,” Alex put in. “Though, I’d doubt she would come with me.”
“No, she definitely won’t,” Jason added.
“No, no,” Trisha interrupted. “Look, this holiday has been crap so far for Chasity. I know my niece. She doesn’t share her time or her space with just anybody. I thought you could get the rest of your group together and go have some fun. Maybe the Wyngate Hotel in Philadelphia.”
“That’s a great idea, Ms. Trisha. But I can’t afford a luxury hotel,” Alex interrupted. “I’m the broke student in the group.”
“No, sweetie,” Trisha said, holding up a hand. “My treat—I’d pay for everything. Do you think you could persuade her? She needs to get away.”
Alex and Jason exchanged looks, then Jason nodded.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her,” he assured her.
Jason left the house and slowly walked across the grounds until he reached the pool house. He hesitated a moment before knocking quietly, and letting himself in.
“Did I seriously forget to lock the fuckin’ door?” Chasity spat as if she were still alone in the room.
Jason just looked at her sympathetically. He had come not only to pass on the message from Trisha, but to see if she was okay for himself. “This may be a stupid question but...are you okay Chaz?”
Chasity looked at him, eyes still red. It was obvious she’d been crying. “You’re right, it was a stupid question,” she hissed. “Get out, Jason.”
“I’m here as a messenger,” he explained, taking a step towards her.
“I don’t want any messages from anybody in that damn house.”
“I figured that, but I told your aunt that I would talk to you...she wants to send you and the rest of our group to the Wyngate Hotel for the weekend. So you can get away.”
“Oh, how cute,” Chasity said in a bitter tone. “A typical Trisha Duvall bribe, and with your cooperation. What else do you get out of convincing me to go?”
“That’s not fair,” he protested, sitting down on the loveseat next to her. “Your aunt, like me, just doesn’t want to see you upset. She’s trying to make things better.”
“I don’t need for you to be Captain Save-the-liar,” Chasity scoffed.
“I’m not trying to be.”
Chasity was tired of the back and forth; she just wanted him to go so that she could sleep. “Whatever Jason. If it’ll get her and you off my damn back, then fine. I’ll go on this little guilt trip. Happy now?”
Jason stared at her intently. “It’s not about me being happy, Chaz.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m over this, just leave.”
“You know that I can’t do that, not with you hurting like this,” he said as he put his arm around her.
“I’m not hurting,” she muttered, fighting to hold it together. “Can you just—can you just go? Please?” Tearing up again, she felt herself nearing a breakdown as she recalled the nights events and everything leading up to it. “Damn it,” she cried, no longer able to fight her emotions. Jason drew her close, nestling her head against his shoulder. He sat quietly and just held her as she let the tears take her.
