Emma's POV
"What was that, Emma?" Mom demanded as soon as I walked in.
"What are you talking about?" I asked her, weakly.
She noticed I didn't come in with as much strength as I stormed down.
"What's wrong, baby?" She asked again.
"Everything." I replied
"What does that even mean?" She continued probing. I was walking to my room, ready to shut the door behind me, but she was hot on my tails.
"I want to be alone." I said.
That never worked, I wasn't expecting it to.
"Emma, I know a lot of things are wrong with us. And I promise to fix it as soon and as fast as I can, but please, please, what's wrong? I can't stand seeing you like this." She was already tearing up.
I hated myself more. I was her only child after my dad left us. I always promised myself that I wasn't going to cause her pain after I watched my dad walk out on us almost six years ago.
Al she did was work her ass off, except the brief alcoholic phase, but all she had been to me was an angel.
I can't live with myself knowing I'm embarrassing her.
"I did something stupid." I said finally.
"Oh, come on honey. I don't think that's what it's called. Everyone makes mistakes." She replied, putting emphatic stress on the 'mistake'.
"I'm so stupid." The tears were rolling down fully now.
"My baby." She said, hugging me tight and sitting me on the bed.
"I did not know it would end up being the whole school's business." I know she was waiting for me to get to the point, but there was still a lot I had to say.
"We never can predict how stuff turns out, Emma. What's wrong?" At this point, I knew she was holding her breath for what I was going to say.
"I'm too scared to say. I'm too scared…" I kept crying into her shoulders.
"Baby, that's what I'm for. If you don't tell me, who else would you tell." She kept prodding me.
"It's out. The whole school knows about it." I said, finally.
"About what?" She asked, curiously.
"My pictures." I said.
"That shouldn't be a bad thing, or is it?" She still hadn't caught up with what I meant. I wanted it to stay like this. I didn't want to start getting 'the eyes' from home. I wasn't mentally ready yet.
"How is it a bad thing, Emma?" Mom asked. I couldn't talk. The tears were heavier, my chest was heavy, I was heaving.
Mom kept rubbing my back.
"The family who just moved in…" Broken sentences were the most I could do.
"Yeah, the ones upstairs?" She guessed right.
"Yeah." I confirmed.
"You're scared they'd see your pictures?" She had begun piecing together, something I didn't want.
"That's not it." I said. "Not they, Kevin." I added
"You don't want Kevin to see you?" I had begun sensing the irritation
in her voice. Her grip on my shoulders was getting weak. Her face was beginning to look confrontational too.
"Kevin and I were a thing for a minute. He made me send pictures…" At the mention of 'pictures' I looked her straight in the eyes.
Suddenly, she got what I meant.
"...and he shared it, saying Monica stole it from his phone." I no longer felt her arm around me.
I screwed up and I knew it.
"When did this happen?" She asked. Her voice was devoid of all and any emotions. I couldn't sense anything and I couldn't bring myself to look her in the eyes.
"Things were weird at school today. I didn't see him all through the second half of the day. Apparently, she took them from his phone during lunch. He also had something going on with her. She threatened him, it was either him or me." I said.
"What does that even mean, Emma?" Her tone rose a bit.
"She threatened to release his pictures if he did not want her to release mine. It was going to be one of us. He chose mine instead." I was calmer, but the more I talked, the more I realized how stupid we all were.
There's no way Monica wasn't going to leak his. It was either that or she held him as a hostage lover. Either way, it wasn't a good thing for him, but I don't care.
"Don't you think this is a police case?" Mom asked.
"I don't know." I broke down again. It involved three high school students, I didn't think it would involve the police department.
I was scared.
"I think we should report it." I had always known my mom had no chills for anyone who was against me. But I also dreaded what she had to say to me.
"Okay." I conceded weakly.
She left the room.
I was by myself again, this time, too tired to even think.
I remembered crying my eyes out. I cried so hard I could not look at the light without hurting. When my mom got back, she shook me out of my sleep induced slumber.
"They say you have to be present. We're going with Kevin too." I did double parking, so I'd appreciate it if you are quick.
I jumped at the sound of that. Means there was gonna be questioning. Monica was going to be there too. Oh my gosh!
My life had literally turned upside down in less than a week.
When we got back to the police, Monica and Kevin were both there.
My mom knew to take my hand at that point, because I could have fallen back.
"I'm sorry." Kevin mouthed to me.
I looked away immediately. There was no forgiveness for what he did. He chose himself and his butch over me.
"Oh well." I heard her say, snidely.
I really wanted to slap her hard across the face, but that would do more harm than good.