Drama Momma (Surprisingly Perfect Sequel)

Your Pants

I immediately pulled out my phone. This was not how I was going to have this go. At least, not until my food was on the table.

I liked having something to eat during a show of fireworks. Quickly, I wrote out a text to Jace while the room was still covered in silence.

Tell your mom to shut up.

I narrowed my eyes as he looked down at his phone, as if it would up the pressure I was putting on him. He looked over at her and bit his lip for a second.

"Mother, don't say that," he said.

Brilliant, I had him in the palm of my hand: right where I wanted him.

My mom's face looked around the room, then Jace, lost and confused. Chrys was so surprised, she choked on the water she was sipping. Katherine put her wine glass down.

"I'll say whatever I want, Jacey-Wacey," she said.

I was typing like mad.

Say you want to have a civil dinner with no drama.

"Let's just like, eat and chill out," Jace said.

"I agree. You two are going to be grandparents for a second time. You should be excited," Chase said.

"Excited? You want me to be excited? What do you think is going to happen to your career when the media finds out that you impregnated some teenager from...from the projects!"

Mom's jaw was hanging open. It was time for me to join in on the fun.

"I'll have you know that the projects aren't our street. They're three blocks away!" I said.

"Thank you for that lovely analogy, Poppy," Chrys said.

Tell your parents to step up and be grandparents this time.

Jace kept silent. The food was coming. The double doors opened and the chef set my beautiful, steaming plate of chicken down. I dug right in, even though it was burning my mouth.

"Listen, I understand that you're worried about Chase's career, but I wanted to thank you for the generous gift you gave me. It'll help me move into a bigger house, since you're so concerned that we're living in the 'projects,' apparently," Mom said.

"Yes, yes. I heard about that," Katherine said, taking a sip of her wine. Henry came around for a refill. "Jace asked me for a check, didn't tell me it was for that."

Tell them it was because you wanted a better life for your boys.

"Look, the boys need to get out of that shitty-ass house and into something better," Jace said.

"How would you know that my house is shitty? You've never even been inside!" Chrys said.

Apologize. NOW.

"Alright. I'm sorry," Jace said.

"When are you moving out of there?" Katherine asked.

"I've already started looking. Thanks for asking," Mom said.

Tell them you're helping us move. Say to my mom that you're going to help with packing boxes and setting up the boys' new bedrooms.

"No! Hell no!" Jace got to his feet and slammed his palms against the fancy lace tablecloth, then pointed at me. "I am done being your little bitch!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I said, giving him a death glare.

"It's not worth it. Nothing is worth going through all this. I gave you cash, I changed shitty disgusting diapers, and I've bought you and your stupid friend lunch like ten times!" he said.

"Poppy, what is he talking about?" Mom asked.

"He's making something up. That's what he's doing," I said.

"I poked holes in the condoms and she knows it! I've been acting like her little bitch for weeks, and I'm done with it!" Jace said.

Chase got to his feet. "You purposely poked a hole in the condoms we were using?"

"Hell yes I did! You're always trying to upstage me with the boys! If you like acting like a dad so much, go have your own kid!" Jace said.

I looked over at Chrys, who was wiping her eyes with the cloth napkin. Mom was consoling her. I pulled my chair in, cut another piece of chicken, and got ready to enjoy the show.

"You've always been jealous of me, but I can't believe you'd do something like this! She's only fifteen Jace! She doesn't need something like this," Chase said.

"If it was so hard on her, she'd wisen up and get a proper abortion," Katherine said.

"Stay out of this!" both boys said at the same time.

"Why are you always trying to get revenge on me? I never did anything to you!" Chase said.

"You got your fancy-ass apartment in the city and have girls drooling all over you twenty-four-seven! I have to stay in this goddamn house alone because you only come back when it's convenient!"

"Well maybe you'd be able have a nice lifestyle if you didn't shit your pants at that audition when we were three!"

I started chuckling to myself and moved onto my scalloped potatoes. This was starting to get good.

"Just remember every day what you did to your pants in front of those producers! Think about your pants, Jace! You could've had it all, but that was just one small mistake you made," Chase said. "Chrys is a great girl, you could have a good life with her and your boys, but you screwed that up. That's all you do. You couldn't do something right if you tried!"

This went on and on, a big, circular argument that they had over and over again. We all sat there and just kind of watched them go at it. Once they lunged at each other, we were asked to leave by Katherine while Tim pulled them apart. At least I was done eating this time.

We took the boys in a hurry and got into Smushy. Chrys was still wiping her tears. Mom was at the wheel, with her someone's-gonna-die face.

I leaned my head against the window and tried to unscramble my thoughts. They could be mad all they wanted, but I knew in my heart that I did what was best for us.