Alana was hugging Max. He was staring down at her. She was crying on him. “Lionel said it wasn’t my fault! But… I heard his mom… Calluna… My dad’s girlfriend! She said it was my fault… My fault that my brothers are doing bad things because… daddy wasn’t there…. Because he wasn’t there in their life… he was… He was too busy worrying about me!”
“Alana, what Calluna said was wrong. I think she should apologize to you. You didn’t do nothing wrong.” Max tells her in a calm voice. Alana felt upset.
“I feel like I am… I am a bad girl… I wasn’t supposed to be born… If I wasn’t… Daddy wouldn’t have been with my crazy mom! Tj and Lionel… they… they…”
“They would be the same.” Max said.
“No they wouldn’t! my dad would’ve been there for them to keep them in line!”
“Alana your brothers are a little out of control but you know who’s fault that really is? It’s theirs. I am sure they would come to their senses and will stop acting like retards, but it’s not your fault!”
“But… if daddy was there… if he was there with them when they were younger… they wouldn’t be like that now.”
“The past is in the past now. No one can change the past. What was said and done already happened.” Max touched her face and made her look at him once again. “You can’t do anything about it. Why don’t you stop worrying about your parents fighting. Don’t worry about your brothers. Just worry about yourself.”
“I can’t be selfish!”
“Alana, I love you. I want to be with you no matter what. No matter what happens, I want to stay with you. Even if your father is with his girlfriend or not. It wouldn’t change. When were old enough we can get our own place. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about those fights.” Alana dries her tears.
“When we’re older? You want to stay with me for years? Are you sure?” Alana asked surprised.
“Hey I may look at dirty magazines, watch those nasty videos, but my mind is all on you. I think of you. I don’t want no other damn girl. You is all I need.” Hearing that made Alana happy.
“I love you too!” She blushes red as she hugged him tight. Max blushed red. He hugs her back.
“No matter what, I want to stay with you. Now I have a question I need to ask.”
“What is it?” Alana asked as she lets go of him.
“When we… you know before… it happened twice… You still got your uh…” Max felt embarrassed to ask.
“You mean my period?” Alana asked. Max wasn’t sure how to responds to that. “Don’t worry, I have been. I am not pregnant.”
“Even…even if you were… I wouldn’t leave you.” Max said. Alana blushes more. Her heart was beating fast. “I would… really try to help raise the baby with you. If you did get pregnant.” Alana felt happy with Max and was starting to forget what just happened to her.
Lacy’s dad had left to go pick up Peg. Lacy felt furious. Abbilynn was trying to calm Lacy down. “I don’t like her! I don’t want to be near her!” Lacy complained.
“Lacy, there’s nothing else we can do. It’s just going to be for a few nights.”
“I don’t care! I don’t like that annoying girl! She’s so annoying with her lies and her obsession with the color pink! It gets on my nerves!”
“Lacy. I can’t do anything about it. I am uncomfortable with her coming here too but there’s no choice about it. I can’t be rude.” Abbilynn said and left the living room.
“Looks like you’re going to be stuck with her.” Robert mumbles.
“How about asking your mom if you can just spend a few nights with us until Peg is gone?” Ronnie suggested. “I am sure she wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want her to think I want to go over there to play bang, bang with the both of you.”
“But that’s what we do.” Robert laughed a little and went back playing the game.
“Shut up. Do you want me to turn that game off on you?” Lacy rudely asked Robert. He didn’t reply. Lacy went out of the living room with Ronnie.
“I wonder if Lacy will be able to spend the night with us?” Robert wondered as he was sitting there playing the game.
Lacy was in the kitchen with her mother and Ronnie. “Can I please spend a few nights with them so I don’t have to deal with Peg?” Lacy asked. She wanted to not be around Peg.
“I don’t know Lacy. You will have to ask their father too and he probably might not agree to it.” Abbilynn responded. She sits down at the table drinking a soda.
“Please mom! I want to go!” Lacy says begging her mom.
“Fine, but you have to ask their father if you’re allowed. Be on your best behavior.” Abbiylnn just gave in. She knew that Lacy and Peg were not on good terms. The both of them fought a lot and argued even being in the same room together.
“Good.” Lacy left the kitchen.
“I will make sure she be’s good.” Ronnie tells Abbilynn.
“Yeah right.” Abbilynn didn’t believe Ronnie. He left the kitchen. Lacy was on the phone and called up Robert’s and Ronnie’s dad. She wanted to make sure she was allowed to spend a few nights over there until Peg was gone.
Alana was staring at Max. “Do… Do you think I should go home?” Alana asked.
“I can walk you home if you want me to.” Max said. He was trying to be nice to her because he knew she was upset earlier. “If you want to go, I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Max blushes at her.
“Well… I don’t want my dad to think I am mad at him. I might call him up.” Alana pulled her cell phone out and started to dial out on it. Max watched her as she called her father up.
Lacy got the okay from Robert’s and Ronnie’s father. He was going to let her spend the night for a few days. Lacy’s parents let her go as well. She packed a backpack with some of her clothes, personal items, and hair brush. Robert and Ronnie leave to go home and brought Lacy with them. Rick had came back with Peg.
“Where’s that girl that thinks she can date my boyfriend?” Peg asked and was looking around.
“If you’re talking about Lacy she went to spend a few nights with her friends.” Abbilynn tells Peg and left the living room.
“How dare she! She went to have sex with my boyfriend because she knew it will drive me insane!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but please don’t do anything bad.” Rick tells Peg and he also left the living room. He went into his bedroom with Abbilynn to discuss a few things. They were discussing where Peg was sleeping and everything.
“Hmm… Maybe I should… I think I should do something to totally get those girls to freak! How dare they all have a boyfriend and how dare those guys not find me attractive.” Peg pulled a mirror out of her purse. “I am the prettiest. I am short, cute, skinny, and loveable. How can they not find me the best?” Peg asked herself. “I am the nicest person ever and they still treat me wrong. Those girls are all spoiled princesses.”
Lionel was with his mother. Cliff was on the phone with Alana. “Mom, what you said was wrong to Alana.” Lionel said to his mother.
“Shut up. I don’t need you lecturing me now too!” Calluna yelled at her son.
“You hurt her feelings! You think putting the blame on dad’s daughter will make it seem like it’s all her fault for my behavior and Tj’s?! It’s not! She had nothing to do with it! Did you ever sit there to think about yourself?! Look at you! You’re always getting drunk! Being depressed about dad instead of trying to watch Tj and me!” Lionel felt angry with his mother for being mean to Alana. He wanted to tell her the truth. “How about you stop being a drunk?!”
“Are you blaming it all on me?” Calluna asked him. He didn’t know how to respond. Cliff came into the room.
“I talked to Alana. She’s alright and spending time with her boyfriend.” Cliff said. “What is going on in here?”
“I told mom the truth.” Lionel tells Cliff. “I told her the truth about Tj and I. She needs to stop blaming others for what she did.”
“Lionel, please calm down and don’t argue with your mother.”
“I DON’T LIKE IT! SHE PUTTING THE BLAME ON SOMEONE INNOCENT!” Lionel yelled loudly at his father.
“DON’T YOU GET IT?! I WOULDN’T BE A DRUNK IF YOUR DAMN FATHER NEVER WENT WITH THAT WHORE! IT IS THAT DAMN WOMAN’S FAULT AND HER DAUGHTER!” Calluna yelled at Lionel.
“Stop it! The both of you. Look, no one can change the past. I am sorry Calluna what happened. I should’ve been more supportive and not do what my parents wanted me to do. I am sorry but no one can change the past. We can change the future.” Cliff went over to Calluna and hugs her. “I want to be with you. Calluna I really love you. I love our sons and I love my daughter. Please don’t hate my daughter. Alana is nothing like her mother. Her own mother doesn’t even like her. Can you accept her and be her mom?” Cliff asked. Calluna just looked up at Cliff.
“I…I really love you too!” Calluna starts to cry and hugs him back. “I do and I don’t know what to do… I feel so upset! Alana wouldn’t like me now… I was so mean to her!” Calluna kept crying. “I feel like I don’t know what’s going on with me! I feel like I am surprised we’re together but I still feel hurt from the past!”
“I love you a whole lot Calluna. I want to marry you and make things right. For our sons and my daughter. She can be your daughter too. And we have a grandbaby. Don’t we?” Cliff looked at Lionel. He blushes.
“Well… I…” Lionel started to get embarrassed.
“Are you planning on staying with your girlfriend and support her? Support her and the baby?” Cliff asked Lionel.
“I…I want to. Even though we do get on each other’s nerves sometimes.” Lionel admits.
“See Calluna? Even though Lionel did some bad choices he wants to support Paige and the baby. That means you get a real job and no more doing that bad shit okay?”
“I am getting help. I am stopping. I will for Paige and the baby.” Lionel tells his father.
“I need to apologize to Alana.” Calluna says feeling upset for blaming her.
“You can when she comes home.” Cliff tells her. Calluna brings her lips to Cliff’s. He kisses her back. He could taste the alcohol from her mouth that she drunk.
“I am going…Going to talk to Paige.” Lionel left the room. Calluna parts lips with Cliff.
“You need to rest if you’re getting sick again.” Calluna tells Cliff.