CHAPTER 26

                                    

                                          

"I'M A MESS, BUT I'M THE MESS THAT YOU WANTED."
ANDIE WASN'T OKAY. Although, if you ask her if she was, she would say she was alright with a smile and a nod. Nobody would assume, it wouldn't even cross anybody's mind, that she was struggling. 
Other than Peter. He noticed everything. He noticed every small frown, how her eyes turned glossy as she mentioned her mother, how she had recently taken up a job working at the superstore down the road, along with a ice cream stand store, and a babysitting job. 
He was worried about her. Especially after her little sleep — or, her not sleep fiasco. She was exhausted, mentally and physically. 
It was finally Andie's day off of all her work, except she had work at her superstore at seven tonight. 
She walked to her mother's room, she had to take a step back. It smelt, it was insanely dirty with moldy dishes everywhere, her clothes covering the floor. She was sleeping, her hair was very dirty and greasing. 
Andie scoffed. "Get up." she yelled, throwing a piece of clean clothing at her. Cléa awoke, not saying a word. Simply sighing. "Go to work, maman! Get the fuck up!" she screamed, throwing more clothes at her. 
A quiet groan left the mother's lips. "Don't swear, Andrea." warned Cléa with a slightly raspy voice. 
Andrea. 
No one called her Andrea, not anymore. Not since the day her father died. "That's a low fucking blow. Don't call me that. Ever." Andie spat, tears now brimming her eyes. 
Cléa scoffed, holding her forehead. "Not right now. I have a headache." she begged. 
Andie shook her head. "No you don't. You don't have a headache, I do! I have a fucking headache. Did you know that I have two different jobs, not including babysitting? I'm paying for rent, maman, I'm sixteen and paying for rent! How is that fair? If you don't get your ass out of this bed, we are going to lose our home just like we lost the other one!" she screamed. Tears unwillingly fell down her face as she begged.
While Andie cried, Cléa looked like a rock. There were no tears, her expression was still. It looked like she didn't care, but in reality, she was just numb inside. "Don't go there. We're not gonna lose our apartment." she scoffed. 
Andie fell to her knees, now sobbing uncontrollably. "Yes, we are! You haven't been to work in months! You're going to get fired and everything will be the same as when I was twelve. We'll have to move cities, and move into a different home, and I'll lose all of my friends again. Maman, please! I cant do it again. I cant." she sobbed, sitting on the coffee stained floor. "It's not fair. Why do I have to be the adult here? I was hurt too when papa died, believe it or not. But I had to get three babysitting jobs to buy food, to pay rent, to live. I had to grow up, I had to act like a full grown adult when I was twelve. I'm the reason papa is dead, because he was protecting me. And you resent me for that. That's not fair. It's not my fault that the dumbass Avengers had to come fucking shit up, it's not my fault that a car got thrown on him, it's not my fault that we lost our home — his home, the last home he lived in. That's why you don't like me now, right?" 
A lengthy sigh was heard. "Andrea, this is ridiculous. Of course, I like you." Cléa shook off Andie's rant, and sobbing. She claimed that she loved Andie, and in her heart she believed that. But Andie could tell on her face, she was lying. Her face showed disgust and disinterest.