Page 83 of Girl Violence

ROSIE:I don’t know what the fuckk any guy sees in you. Srsly.

JOSETTE: Fuck. Seriously?

ROSIE: Oh, fuck off, you slut. You need to get your head checked. First Tyler, then Ian, and now Vince? I bet you have crabs. ????

JOSETTE:No, hun. That’s your face. ??

Rosie had read it but didn’t message her back. Josette wasn’t mad about the messages. She understood their need to lash out. She’d won, and they lost.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Josette’s phone catches her eye again, and she groans. Why is this so hard? All she’s doing is calling someone, yet she has the worst sensation squeezing every muscle in her chest. How hard can it be to just pick up the phone, dial the number and wait for an answer?

Because she hasn’t talked to her in a year.

Because she doesn’t know what to say after all this time has passed.

Picking up the phone, she dials her number. She hears ringing, followed by, “Hello?”

She hangs up and puts the phone back on the table, her heart beating so fast it’s hard to catch her breath. She sounds the exact same. She doesn’t know why she thought she’d be different. She’s still the same person—

Josette’s phone suddenly vibrates against the table, and her eyes bulge as she picks it up and stares down at the screen, seeing she’s calling back. After several rings, she swallows hard and finally answers it, pressing it against her ear. “Hello?”

“Did you call me, Josette?” her mother asks, and she cringes.

“No,” she lies and then hits her forehead. “I mean, yeah. I did.” There’s a moment of silence as she paces the living room floor. “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” she replies, sounding shocked. “I missyou. So much.”

When she says that, Josette’s heart plummets and tears fill her eyes. She had no idea how much she missed her until she said it. But she does. God, she does.

This was Vince’s idea—to call her mother. After he opened up to her, Josette confessed that she missed her mum and was running out of reasons to stay mad at her. She didn’t emotionally abuse her all her life like Vince’s dad did. She just left. She left to be happy because she wasn’t with her dad, who was unhappy too; he just hasn’t realised it yet. It’s not her fault she met someone. Josette always made out like she abandoned her, but she didn’t.

“I miss you, too,” she mumbles, hearing her sigh with relief.

“I’m sorry for everything. I truly am. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know,” she murmurs. “I’m sorry, too. Things got a little…”

“Dramatic?” she answers for her, and Josette can’t help but grin. Because yeah, she’s incredibly dramatic.

That was it. That was all that needed to be said before they both started talking again like they used to. In Josette’s head she had painted her mother into a monster, but her heart knew it was lies, and the more they talked, the more she realised she was still her mum, and she loved her.

After setting a day to meet her for a weekend when she doesn’t have college that she applied for and got into, Josette hangs up and catches movement from the corner of her eye. She sees her dad standing in the doorway, obviously having listened to the conversation.

He smiles, and Josette smiles back.

They’re not a perfect family, but this is a step in maybe becoming one.

* * *

After the phone call,Josette goes and sees Vince to tell him about the new development. Although college started, he’s kept his job at the library. Despite not carrying on her employment, Miss Finn hasn’t gotten rid of Josette that easily, which is apparent by the look on her face whenever she saunters inside to see Vince.

Catching the bus into town, Josette is making her way to the library when she sees someone she hasn’t in three weeks walking across the street. Jason stops when he sees her and smiles. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she says. His hand catches her eye. The scabs over the cuts on his knuckles. He sees her looking and grins, flexing his fingers.

“I nearly broke my fingers, but I enjoyed it.”

Shudders wrack Josette’s spine. “I…thanks.”

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