4
Jordan
Jordan ranher fingers through her short blonde hair. She didn't mean to sleep so long. Reaching over to the nightstand, she grabbed her vibrating cell phone. It was a text from Lucky saying that she and Kat were going to some houseparty.
She understood all of this was huge for Lucky, but she couldn't help feeling left out. Knowing how Lucky was, she couldn't blame her, she had to blame Kat. Jordan was sure Kat wastrouble.
Going to a stranger's house party didn't sound like Lucky at all. But maybe it did. Lucky never spoke much about how she felt about her overprotective parents. Jordan often wondered if Lucky threw herself so completely into her music as an escape. Jordan wished she had that kind of escape. Any escapereally.
She came on tour with Lucky for exactly that reason--to get away. Lucky was like a sister and she'd do anything for her, but when she asked if Jordan would tag along on the tour, Jordan said yes more out of selfishness thananything.
Teasing Lucky about how her parents constantly called her was really her being jealous. Not that she wanted someone hovering over her every moment of the day. She just wanted her parents tonoticeher.
OneMonthAgo
"Mom, I can't do this anymore. I'm moving out," Jordan said sheepishly to hermother.
"It's okay. I know it's been hard on you here. I'm surprised you lasted this long. When are yougoing?"
"I don't know. I'll start looking for a place after I get back fromLucky'stour."
Hearing her mother's words of understanding shocked Jordan, and she briefly wondered if things could changeathome.
After her parents divorced when she was five, Jordan's mom neglected her daughter. As best as Jordan could figure, Betty was embarrassed not only because she was a divorced woman in her twenties, but also because she had achild.
Once Betty remarried though, she didn't return to her motherly duties. She passed along all responsibility to Jordan's new stepfather, who resented her. To call her life hard was an understatement. She wouldn't wish her life onanyone.
An hour later, she was in her room folding her laundry when her motherentered.
"You don't have to leave." Her mother's voice was filled with venom. "You have it great here. You've never been anything but an irresponsible, ungrateful shit. You'll never do anything withyourlife."
"I guess you spoke to Tim,"Jordansaid.
Betty didn't respond. Jordan wished her mother's words surprised her, but she was used to it. They wounded her each and every time. Normally she wouldn't say anything, she'd be the good girl and keep her mouth shut. But her mother's sudden change stung more thanusual.
"How am I irresponsible?" Jordan asked. Her nerves made her feel cold and she shook both out of fear and the chill. "I've been buying groceries for the family, paying utilities, and giving you money for years now. I never even asked for a thank you." The tears stung her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks. She angrily swiped at them with her sleeve. "You're my mother. You should haveprotectedme!"
Betty stared blankly at Jordan. "I love him and when you love someone, you support them. He's the man of the house and he can do whatever hewants."
"But I'm your daughter," Jordan whispered as her mother turned her back andwalkedaway.
Jordan pushed the door closed and leaned her back against it, hoping no one would try to come in. She let her tears fall as her sobs wracked her small frame. She promised herself that once she left, she would live on the streets before ever coming back homeagain.
* * *
Aknockon her bedroom door woke her the next morning. 7am. It was Sunday, why were they waking her so early? She heard another knock then Tim'svoice.
"Get up," Tim said. "Your uncle is going to be here any minute with his truck. You're moving out. I got boxesforyou."
Jordan quickly packed her things. It all belonged to her. She bought her own bedroom furniture in high school. She had been supporting herself and her family while attending college and working. She didn't know what they would do for money without her, but shedidn'tcare.
After finding a cheap storage unit, she realized this was probably the best thing that could happen to her. She felt free, weightless. She just needed a place to stay until Lucky's tourstarted.
"Hey, when do we go on tour?" she asked Lucky on thephone.
"I have to leave for LA tomorrow to start recording, and then the tour starts around two weekslater."
"Want some companyinLA?"
