Oh My...

41.) What To Do Now

a/n

and this chapter is dedicated to the lovely @skilliy !!!!!! they made this kickass cover as seen above, and theyve been with this story since it was only a few chapters. honestly theyre sooooo talented at making covers and i totally recommend going to them if you need a cover!!!! also they have some pretty sickass eminem fics out that i totes recommend you read

guys i love seeing how talented you all are!!! if youre ever bored and you wanna make a cover or chapter art or whatever, id love it forever and post it to the story!!!!

Good Fellas was playing on the boxy TV in a little musty motel room. My trip to Brooklyn has extended for another few weeks as we all tried to figured out Bree's custody situation and where she was going to go.

Claire was still talking to Katie, trying to convince her that Warren was the only save place for her to stay. It took two weeks and the collective efforts of myself, my mom, Claire, Jimmy, and Bree herself to get Katie's mind to waver from a strict no.

"Do you know what Barry did to that little girl?" Claire hissed in a low voice. It was the night after Thanksgiving when we all decided we needed to talk about what happened, though Katie was still clearly hesitant about it; she had her head down with her hands clapped over her ears. Claire disregarded her obvious discomfort and continued in graphic detail. "Me and Alex were downstairs with him, and he was being a sexist prick.  I told Alex to leave and asked him where he got off, and you know what he told me?"

"Shut up, Clare." Katie snapped in an uneven, weak voice. "Shut the fuck up."

"He told me females are only on Earth to breed. Like fuckin' animals. He said we were nothin' but "carriers" and we were only good for sex and having strong boys-"

"Stop lying!" Katie cried, tears racing down her bright red face. "Shut the fuck up-"

"Mom," Jimmy chimed in, his face ghostly white and disturbed. "You know that she isn't-"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM?!" Katie screamed in his face, shooting up to her feet and pacing back and forth around the kitchen. "I can't get by without him! Not financially! We-"

"You could've done something," Claire snarled menacingly. "Moved in with one of us, moved out of that expensiveass house, give away your expensiveass clothes and jewelry. Any good mother would've done anything to get out of that house. Admit it, you didn't want to."

"Claire," My mother and I both hissed. Katie wailed out another set of sobs.

"YOU'VE ALWAYS HATED ME! EVER SINCE WE WERE KIDS! YOU WERE ALWAYS OUT TO GET ME!"

Claire stood up. "You're so helplessly delusional and sick-"

"Both of you stop it!" My mom exclaimed, clapping her hands together loudly to get their attention. "You're both acting like children-"

"Shut up, Diane." Claire spat. "God, you always want to act like the mother, ever since we were teenagers-"

"Because I was the only one with any goddamn sense!"

"Ever since mom died, you guys always oppressed and victimize me!"

That's when they began to yell over each other, acting like the dysfunctional sisters they were. Next to me, Bree quietly slid from her chair and walked out of the kitchen, trying to discretely wipe her eyes. Jimmy followed her and they both walked out the front door.

I stood up and scowled at the fighting women. "You guys are all so fucking immature." I stated.

All of their raging eyes landed on me. Normally, I'd be terrified if three angry women were staring at me with murder in their glare, but at the moment all I could muster up was disgust. "Alex, don't you start-"

"No mom, I think I will. Did you guys even notice that Bree isn't even here anymore?" They all glanced around before a look of guilt melted their previous loathing expressions. "I know this family has a lot of demons, but y'all have to put that shit in the past now. We're dealing with someone else's life, and if you three can't get your shit together and do something about this, then I'm leaving and taking Bree with me."

Claire's eyes leveled at me. "And why do you think you can make it on your own?" She snapped.

"Because I'm turning eighteen next year and I made connections both in Brooklyn and Detroit that could help and get me an apartment and a job in less than a week." That was a total bluff, but they didn't have to know that. All I had to do was scare them into believing I was serious.

Katie's face flushed white. She turned and looked at her sisters desperately. "I don't want my little girl living on the streets with a pill head." She whimpered. I glared daggers at her.

My mom stared me down with intimidatingly cold eyes--trying to make me crack under the pressure. I didn't budge. After a few minutes, she exhaled loudly through her nose. "Alex, go make sure Bree is okay."

"Are you guys gonna act like civilized adults?" I demanded.

They all gave me a dirty look. "Go." 

After that night, they still fought, but they fought less about themselves and more about the situation, which I considered an improvement. Though, on the third night of their racy debate, Claire said something a little bit too personal to my mom and she kicked us out of the house and set us up in a lousy motel just off the bridge.

Claire slugged down a bottle of beer as she watched Good Fellas with me. It was just the beginning, where Henry Hill was explaining how every since he was young, he always wanted to be a gangster.

Claire pointed at the TV with her bottle. "Remember when they found that cat in the meat truck, all frozen solid and shit? Someone should do that to Barry."

I laughed. "Three cheers to that." I replied, even though I wasn't drinking.

Claire was quiet for almost thirty minutes after that. Finally, just as I thought she was falling asleep, she murmured, "I think Katie is gonna crack."

I stared at her. "Like, she'll let Bree come down with us?"

She nodded wearily. "I don't worry about Jimmy being around Barry as much as I worry about Bree. Bree is such a good girl, I don't want her to be fucked up like the rest of us."

"Too late for that--I think madness runs in the Wallace genes."

Claire laughed at that. "You're probably right."

I stared up at the water damaged beige ceiling. "Where is she now?"

"Katie has her stayin' at their house for the time being. But like, Barry isn't going to be gone for long. I'm really scared about what he's gonna do when he gets out."

"That's why me, you, and Bree are going to be living more than three states away."

"But I'm also scared for my little sister." Claire said sadly, biting her bottom lip. "That man is a beast, and boy did we make him angry..."

"Stop talking about him like he isn't a human being." I quickly stated. "We're gonna do something about him. But for now, let's just get Bree out of there."

Claire grabbed my wrist and gave it a squeeze. "You know, you can be really smart and mature when you want to."

I bit back a smile. "Thanks, Claire."