~7~
The following week was a particularly good one for Anni. Brent was actually nice to her for a change...a little too nice, in Anni’s opinion, but she was not about to complain. On Sunday, he even shared his pot with her...especially surprising given his reaction when he found out about Anni’s habit. He’d been snooping through Anni’s diary about a year before, and when he saw that she’d been smoking, he exploded and grounded her—not for smoking pot in the first place, but for not sharing! So when Brent offered to “pass the peace pipe” with Anni, her jaw dropped.
“Are you sure, Dad??”
“Yeah, well...I’d rather you’d do it here at home than out there where it could be laced or something fucked up like that. Besides, you’ve been smoking ‘practice pot’ with your little buddies. I wanna show you what real bud is like.”
Either this is a trap, or he’s pitifully attempting to gain my friendship. Well, not gonna turn down free buds! “Okay, Dad...let’s smoke, I guess!”
The two sat down at the bar counter and passed the bowl back and forth. The third time it got to Anni, Brent stopped her.
“Are you sure?”
Anni scoffed. “Yeah, I think I can take it.”
She hit the bowl a third time, and noticed that her water glass was empty. Anni stood up, made it almost to the fridge’s water dispenser, and her vision began to darken. There was a ringing in her ears, and she barely got out the word “...Dad...” before she collapsed onto the floor.
About two minutes later, Anni opened her eyes to see Brent standing over her, smiling as he reached to help her up. She glanced over and saw the puddle of water and her cigarette butt in the floor. At least the water put out the cigarette! Anni made it slowly to her feet, slightly confused and more stoned than she’d ever been.
“Congratulations, Anni Jean...you just had your first head rush.”
“That...was...awesome!!!” Anni now completely understood why Brent had used the term “practice pot.”
“Just don’t tell your mother, got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
Anni didn’t know it then, but that day was the first of many times that one parent would lavish privileges without the other’s knowledge. Their marriage was slowly dissolving, and Anni would unwittingly become a pawn in their passive-aggressive fighting.
“May I be excused to my room?”
“I don’t see why not. Just try to be sobered up by the time your mother comes home.”
Anni made it to the bedroom, and the rest of the evening seemed to float by after that. Even the tap-tap of Brent’s beer cans throughout the evening didn’t grate too harshly on her nerves. Boy, I wish I could feel this way all the time! I could deal with life like this!
The next few days passed by, with Anni going about her normal business...homework, chores, more homework, even more chores. On Thursday night, the phone rang shortly before dinner time. Of course, Brent was annoyed with this, as he was under the impression that no respectable person should talk on the phone during dinner. Nevertheless, he let Anni take the call.
An ecstatic Kyra was on the other end, speaking so fast that Anni could barely understand her.
“Kyra, will you slow down? What’s this about a baby?”
“I took a pregnancy test and it came out positive and I’m gonna have a baby and be a mommy and you and Mindy are gonna be the godparents and oh my God what am I gonna name it?”
“Take a breath, woman! Holy shit!!! Congrats!!!!!!!” Anni got a stern look from her mom for the cussing, but she didn’t care.
Anni took a second to process all this, and then realized that Kyra had never expressed an interest in men. She won’t let a penis within 100 feet of her! How the hell did this happen?
Anni struggled to find a tactful way to ask the question on her mind. “Do you know...whose it is?”
Kyra sighed. “I got really, really drunk about a month ago. There was this guy...I think his name was Webby or something...anyway, by the end of the party we were having sex in the shower. I don’t remember much, except that it hurt. I didn’t really like it.”
“You get used to it. Or maybe you won’t. Anyway, congratulations honey! I wish I could stay on and talk longer, but I’m getting the eye from Dad for being on the phone right now. He made stir fry and it’s almost ready.”
“I am so craving Chinese food! Okay, I’ll let you go. Please don’t tell my mom about this, okay? I’m gonna tell her in my own good time, but I think I can hide it until about 4 months.”
“My lips are sealed, Kyra. Gotta go!”
Anni sat down to eat with her parents, and it wasn’t long before the questions started.
“So...who was on the phone? And don’t they know that people eat during this time of night?” Great. Brent’s already being a dick about this.
“It was Kyra. And she had some pretty big news!”
“I gathered that from your language!” Anni’s mom, Helen, had a smile on her face, but her tone was not very friendly.
“Sorry, Mom. It’s just that, well...Kyra’s having a baby!!!”
Before Helen could offer her congratulations, Brent was already on his soap box.
“I knew that girl was just a no good slut! She’s no better than her bitch mother!” Anni and her mother exchanged glances. Here we go again, they thought in unison.
A long while back, some twenty years ago, Brent dabbled in the same hard drugs that Kyra’s mom used to sell. Brent will claim to this day that Kyra’s mom shorted him on a deal back then, and therefore anyone in Kyra’s family is automatically a cheat and a thief. Kyra’s mom had no memory of ever dealing with Brent, but since he had an idea in his head, nobody was going to dissuade him of it. Needless to say, he wasn’t fond of Anni’s friendship with Kyra.
“Brent, the girl is nothing like her mother. Kyra’s a sweet kid. Can we please just drop this and enjoy your kick-ass stir fry?”
Disarmed by the compliment embedded in the request for him to shut his mouth, Brent had no choice but to oblige. “Fine. But I still don’t like you hanging out with her, Anni.”
Anni bit her tongue. She had a thousand things to say to him, to scream at him. Like he’s some fucking saint. Who does he think he is, judging ANYONE? That wok on the stove is heavy, still hot...his skull is small and fragile...wouldn’t take much. She exercised more self-restraint than she knew she had. One day, he’ll get what’s coming to him for all this.
The only thing that really stopped Anni from snapping on Brent was her mom. Helen Shaw was her best friend in the world, and if she loved this piece of shit, then Anni was going to do everything possible to keep the peace. Even if it means my sanity.
Anni quickly finished her dinner in the awkward silence that followed. She cleared the dinner dishes, and excused herself before her temper could get the best of her. This seemed like a good time for some writing. Good old journal...the only thing that doesn’t yell at me for expressing free thought or emotions. She didn’t write much when she was happy, so anyone glancing at Anni’s diary would have thought her quite an angry girl. But her journal was possibly the only thing keeping that anger under control. It was somewhere to put those hateful, vile feelings where they couldn’t hurt anyone. As long as nobody finds it again!
3/14/02
Saturday
Saturday
Brent is such a fucking asshole! I mean, he seriously thinks that just ‘cause Kyra’s mom supposedly ripped him off twenty fucking YEARS ago that Kyra’s automatically (and I fucking QUOTE) a “no good slut, just like her bitch mother.” Kyra’s mom doesn’t even fucking REMEMBER him! And sure, if fucking one guy one time makes you a no good slut, I guess she is, but you’d have to put me, and my mom, and probably HIM on that fucking list too! GOD he’s such a dick! If Mom wasn’t so fucking head-over-heels for this jerk-off, I’d have already been rid of him! AAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! He’d better have gotten me something fucking awesome for my birthday. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t say anything tonight...birthday in 2 days, Kandace is coming over tomorrow night, and he actually likes her for some reason...probably her boobs...so maybe I can get him to share his bud again or a couple beers if I play nice.
Kinda excited about this b-day...I know, 15 isn’t anything special...but it’s a year closer to sweet 16! Wonder what that’s gonna be like???
More later...Brent’s gonna call “lights out” pretty soon...him and his dumbass drill sergeant bit...he’d get kicked the fuck out of the Army office as soon as they saw his stupid face! HAHAHA!!!!! Gonna laugh myself to sleep now, nighty-night!
Love always, Anni
