The Forgotten Ones

In every group of people there is often one who gets left behind. Often it is the less popular of the group, or the least charismatic or outspoken. In the case of this particular group it was quite the opposite. Funny enough, Marie wasn't even aware that the world was spinning without her. Her fight with her mother, and her anxiety of having to go out and do some job she hated like some bottom of the barrel adult for shit wage was more important. If the others asked Marie could admit she sent some texts around briefly, asking about anything weird going on the past few days. Even asking vague questions hoping someone might brag about breaking into school recently.

Marie was a prodigy when it came to manipulation, of managing social situations and people. Many teachers would brag about her, claiming she soon would be a marketing titan in the industry or a social media queen. Looking in the mirror in her low cut lime green tank top and cream colored skirt she for sure had the figure and body for it. She caressed her chest and gave a sexy model pout at her reflection. Marie didn't have the biggest breasts in school but her athletic tall frame worked with her DD cups in a way that drew men in like flies whenever she dressed for attention. Maybe she could find a way to get some cash to run away, ditch her mother like her father did, and become a real social media queen like her teachers not so secretly hoped she'd become. Normally she would lie, tell her mother she was going on a field trip that had a bunch of career opportunities. But after last night, Marie had a feeling her mother would pull some more pity case lies about having no money. If they really were that low on money than why wouldn't her Mom cut something less important like the streaming service she watches rather than threaten to stop buying her makeup?!

"Ugh! I'm not supposed to be poor!" Marie growled out loud and threw her pillow across the room. "That's for people who are too stupid for the good jobs, or like have kids in high school, or do **** and dumb shit! I'm top of my class, I'm gorgeous, and I'm..." Perfect. She wanted to say perfect. But in her mind she was more humble than that, she reminded herself this. "Doing as well as I possibly can." Yes. Much better.

It was almost lunch time and Marie grew impatient. How has it been an entire night and morning and her Mom still hadn't knocked on the door to try and apologize or put effort in to mend the shit show she created at dinner last night? It wasn't Marie who decided to ruin dinner with a bomb shell out of nowhere. Giving up waiting 'innocently' for an apology she decided to go get a drink from the fridge to scout where her mother even was. Walking downstairs she heard the TV and rolled her eyes. Seriously. Burgers, binge television. If Mom was blessed with their family's genes she'd be totally fat since Dad left. It was a sad sight, peeking in and seeing her in frumpy pre-worn clothes bundled up in a ball, eyes glazed watching the TV lost in her own world. And a bag of chips messily on the table beside her armrest. As if that couldn't be something they cut out of the budget as well! Marie walked away before sighing. This had to be some elaborate ruse. To guilt trip her. It almost worked to, but she was better at this than her mother!

Marie stormed upstairs with her water and planned on how she could get out of this approaching menacing fog of unhappy low wage employment. Meanwhile her mother Sarah kept half watching her show, too torn up and broken to look at her daughter she felt was behind her. She felt like a failure. Over and over Marie's words about her unable to keep Richard around played in her head. A reality she told herself wasn't true. But hearing it so passionately from her own daughter...? Sarah let out a tear while watching her drama on screen, oh what she'd do to have a simpler life. A life like she had in high school. Popular, one of the most sought after girls in school, bright...a promising future. What her daughter reminded her of every time she looked at her. But Sarah had one thing different in her life...she had a child at a young age. Everyone treated her different. Called her a slut, treated her like some **** addicted loser. They ignored that she was still the same person. Guys came onto her stronger, expecting her not to turn them down and getting mad when she did. Girls gossiped and each rumor spread like wildfire, the torrent being too quick to ever control.

Sarah squeezed the pillow hugged against her chest. It was worth it. All of it to have such a beautiful, talented woman of a daughter. And as much as they might argue now, as much as Sarah felt like she was failing, she was proud to be able to call Marie hers. Memories of being poor, worried of not being able to provide for her daughter while they were young flew through her mind. Then came Richard. He wasn't rich by any means but he was attractive, confident, and was well off. He could easily raise a daughter and seeing him pamper her was one of the greatest sights Sarah could remember. It was the life she wanted for herself that she never had, the life at least her daughter would live...

Or so she thought.

Richard was welcomed with open arms for what he offered, for what he said and how he acted. Not for who he was. And when Sarah found out Richard was unfaithful and planning on influencing Marie to become some lewd social media star to make them rich she stepped in. They began arguing. Sarah was worried for Marie, feeling Richard had grown closer than the two girls had ever gotten. She was worried Richard's cashing in would ruin her life. And as much as she loved Richard and tried to see past his terrible actions, this was her limit. Sarah had put her foot down and told him she'd never let Marie throw her life away to become some eye candy possession for men. And Richard looked at her...a cold expression she had never seen before that still terrified her anytime she thought back to it. She still felt the sting of his back hand to her cheek. Even so long after. Sarah remembered him saying without him, Marie wouldn't be anything at all and because of her dumb naïve nature she doomed Marie to grow up poor as nothing better than a stripper.

Sarah struggled for weeks. It all seemed so unreal, something a normal person would easily shrug off for being so obnoxious and over the top. But for Sarah's broken confidence and low self value, it truly haunted her. And if Marie...the very woman she was protecting felt the same? Sarah shuddered. "I wish I could go back..." She muttered, not noticing the television flickering the characters flashing to her graduating class. The lights flickered, the television static popped, even her cell phone began endlessly vibrating but she was so lost in her disassociated spell she didn't notice a thing. Lost in a daydream of a better day.