Soulmates

Chapter 56

Within the ever-closing walls of the Anderson household, Jaz wanted to cry. However, her body isn't letting her do that.

    She opted for screaming incoherently into a pillow for about five seconds.

    She sighed. Much better.

    The door to her room burst open as a 10-year-old girl, without much regard for her volume, said, "HI JAZ."

    It took everything in her power to not wince at her cousin. "Hi, Sara."

    She hated birthday weekends. In fact, she had a list that somehow expanded with each:

1- The drive to Albany was too long

2- The food on her dad's side was always lacking flavor

3- Her grandma is racist to everyone except Jaz

4- It's always so fucking loud

5- Jaz always has to stay the night

6- Everyone except Jaz's Aunt Ashley is homophobic

7- Jaz would almost always need to deal with drunk parents

8- Passive. Aggression.

    And so forth.

    Jaz always liked her mom's side of the family much more than her dad's. She only sees her other family once a year, and it's almost always for a huge event. This year, her cousin, Anas, was getting married.

    But, sadly, that wasn't the case here.

    Once a month, there would be something going on. This thing required the entire fucking family to go to Albany from wherever they lived. Jaz didn't pay attention to anyone except Sara, who only ever talks about how much she hates Bayonne, New Jersey.

    And this month...Jaz forgot. It was someone's birthday. Cousin Ashley? Uncle Sam (fun fact about Uncle Sam, he is actually in the navy. Jaz both loves and hates the irony)?

    Whatever, it didn't matter. The point is Jaz did not--and will not--have a single moment to herself until Sunday at 8 p.m. when she got home.

    Sara didn't seem to read the pain evident on Jaz's face. "Can you play Uno with me? Please?"

    "Uh--"

    "Please?" Sara said, looking like she was about to cry. "I asked everyone and they all said no. Bash just told me to frick off and stop being annoying. Uncle Sam said to just deal with it because it's Bash's birthday."

    Jaz took a deep breath. "Let me go talk to Bash, then I can beat you at Uno."

    "No, you won't!" That was true; Jaz is going to lose on purpose. "I'm going to set it up!"

    While Jaz abhorred these days, she adored out-debating Bash.

    The now 17-year-old, privileged fuck and his current girlfriend, Jaz, forgot the name, were trying to convince her mother--an immigrant from Morocco--that illegal aliens are terrible.

    Laughable, Jaz knew.

    "Like, immigrants are just taking away jobs from good, American people." Bash quickly added, "I'm not saying you are, you came here legally."

    "You don't know that," Jaz said.

    Bash blinked. "What?"

    "How do you know she came here legally?" Jaz asked. She knew her mom did come legally, but she loved seeing how Bash's face fell.