House Rules...

NiaJean walks into the kitchen with her mother Andrea and they are carrying shopping bags full of new clothes.  Her younger sister Deja is in the kitchen standing at the counter making a sandwich.  Deja is a cute slender tomboy type girl who has her own unique artistic style.  She is more of a milk chocolate skin tone with a twist of caramel and has the beautiful distinct features of her mother.  She is an artist that is still trying to find her niche in the world and their mother Andrea disapproves of her approach to life in general and makes a point to express her opinion every chance she gets.  

Andrea gives Deja a look of disapproval then sits all the shopping bags down in one of the kitchen chairs.  NiaJean gets ready to take the bags that are in her hand to her room but decides not to leave Deja and her mother in the kitchen alone for fear of them getting into one of their frequent heated discussions.  She sits at the kitchen table and shifts through the bags of clothes in an effort to detour from the fact that she’s actually acting as a mediator.

Deja takes a deep breath because she can feel her mother’s stare burning a hole through her.  She tries to ignore the daggers coming from her mother’s eyes as she continues making her sandwich without looking up at her face.  “What up ma?”  She says as she nods her head in her mother’s direction.  Andrea frowns at her then takes advantage of the open door of communication by asking, “Deja, when are you going to move out of your sister’s basement?”  Andrea leans closer to her and tries to look at her face but Deja continues looking down.  “And you look like you’re high.”  Andrea makes her statement without clearly seeing whether or not it’s true.  Deja quickly finishes making her sandwich and puts everything away.  She gets the potato chips out of the pantry and piles so many on her plate that a few fall onto the counter.  She picks up the ones that fell on the counter and shoves them in her mouth but still hasn’t answered her mother. 

Andrea continues standing there in a frozen position frowning as though her look is piercing through Deja.  Deja finally looks at her mother while she nonchalantly places another chip in her mouth but still doesn’t speak.  “Deja, you do hear me talking to you?”  Andrea asks with irritation.  Deja finishes chewing her chip then answers with a sense of sarcasm, “Don’t start this today please.  It’s so nice outside, you just went shopping.  You should be in a happy space right now.”  Deja throws her hands in the air and twirls around like she’s doing a happy sway.  Her actions irritate Andrea even more as she tenses in anger.  NiaJean jumps up from the kitchen table and gets her mother something to drink in an effort to calm her down then gives Deja a look as to tell her to stop with the sarcasm.  Just as Andrea begins to speak again…

Sage skips into the kitchen smiling and singing but doesn’t realize the room is filled with tension.  “Hey Grandma!  Hey Mommy!  What’d you get me?”  Sage asks with excitement.  NiaJean quickly hands her a bag of clothes and Sage gets ready to run out the room but stops for a brief second and looks at everyone in the room.  She can finally see the tension on their faces as her eyes widen.   She quickly resumes leaving the kitchen.  “Thank you!”  She says with a big smile on her face.  “You’re welcome.”  NiaJean answers as Sage skips away happily. 

Andrea is still intensely staring at Deja with her hands on her hips but decides not to speak for fear she might say something she’ll regret.  Deja becomes irritated with her mother’s judgmental gesture and picks up her plate of food.  “I’m out.”  She says as she walks away.  Andrea is furious as she watches Deja leave the room.

NiaJean picks up the bags that are on the kitchen chair and tries to rush out of the room before her mother starts complaining about Deja but she is stopped by her mother’s words.  “She is so disrespectful! I don’t think that girl is ever going to get her life together.”

“Mom, she’s getting her life together, it's just not in the way you think she should.” NiaJean says in her sister’s defense.  “Where, what is she doing?  I don’t see it.”  Andrea asks.  “She’s starting school and she’s working on some art and music stuff.”  She answers.  “Do you know how many times she’s said she’s starting school and hasn’t done it yet?”  Her mother says in anger.  NiaJean is not in the mood to argue with her mother about Deja so she makes an attempt at one more positive reply to her mother before dismissing the subject.  “She’ll be fine.  She has to do it in her time, when she's ready.  I think she’s on the right track.”  She reassures her.  “I hope so because something has got to change with her, she’s not getting any younger.”  Her mother replies and is getting ready to go on another rant but NiaJean stops her before she gets started.  “I really don’t want to talk about Deja anymore mom.”  Her mother looks at her with disappointment expecting NiaJean to indulge her in further conversation but NiaJean doesn’t say another word to her mother just sternly looks her in her eyes. 

Andrea gets the hint then prepares to leave and says, “I’m going to go.  Your father and I have a date tonight.”  She smiles at NiaJean as her thoughts change and NiaJean smiles back.  “Have fun.”  NiaJean says as she touches her mother’s hand.  “I will and I’m wearing the new sexy dress I just bought.  I’m getting some tonight.”  Andrea shakes her shoulders at NiaJean as though she’s doing a sexy dance.  NiaJean cringes at the thought of her parents having sex.  “TMI mom.”  NiaJean replies.  Her mother looks at her and rolls her eyes.  “Like you don’t know anything about that.”  She shakes her head at NiaJean then walks toward the front door.  “Give Sage a good bye kiss for me.”  They hug and Andrea dances out the door in a peppy mood.

Sage walks into the kitchen right before NiaJean leaves to take the rest of the shopping bags to her bedroom.  “Mommy, I’m hungry.”  She says.  NiaJean is surprised to hear this since she just saw Deja in the kitchen making a sandwich for herself.  “Didn’t Auntie Deja feed you?  She asks.  “She did but I'm hungry again.  Something smelled funny downstairs." NiaJean is shocked and instantly becomes irritated as she pulls food out of the refrigerator for Sage.  “Like what?" She asks curiously.  “I don't know, like something was burning or something" NiaJean is boiling inside but keeps her cool in front of Sage.  She fixes her something to eat and puts her plate on the kitchen table.  Sage sits down to eat and NiaJean heads downstairs as her adrenaline increases with each step.

She tries to keep her cool as she walks down the stairs but bursts with anger when she sees Deja lounging on the couch watching TV, looking high.  “Deja!  Seriously?  Were you smoking in my house and around my daughter?”  Deja sits up on the couch and answers with attitude. “I didn’t smoke in front of her, I would never do that!"  NiaJean stares at her like she has lost her mind then scolds her.  "Were you friends here? I told you I didn’t want any of this around my daughter.”  Deja’s attitude becomes more intense.  “You are such a hypocrite, you smoke and it wasn't anywhere near your daughter!  We went outside!"  She snaps. 

NiaJean is taken back by Deja’s response but tries to remain civil instead of jumping on the couch and strangling her.  This is an act she seriously considered but refrained from it since Sage was upstairs relying on her to stay out of jail.  “First of all, I don’t do it in my house and second Sage doesn’t know.  And third, this is my damn house and I need you to follow my damn rules!  This is the last time I’m going to tell you about having your friends in my house.”  “They weren’t even here that long.”  She says in a dismissive tone.  “Well I don’t want them here at all.”  NiaJean replies.  “You are so paranoid.”  She replies as she blows NiaJean off.  “No Deja, I’m a mother with responsibilities which is something you seem to know nothing about.  Damn it I can’t believe I vouched for you with mom!”  She yells.  “Don’t vouch for me then!”  Deja yells back.  “Next time I won’t!  I should've known you weren't trying to do different!”  NiaJean marches up the stairs and slams the door. 

Her phone rings and she looks down at it.  It’s him calling…”Shit!”  She screams but doesn’t answer...