"Erica, I want you to become something of yourself. How can you do that if you're shaking and gyrating around?" Her mother asked, peering at her over the newspaper while relaxing in the recliner.
"Ma, I don't do that! I'm not gonna be some girl in a rap video or something." Abandoning the newspaper, she glared at her daughter. "Sure you ain't. I've been down that road before, Erica. That's how I met yo daddy. And don't you see how big of a mistake that was?"
She took a deep breath before she lost her cool, "Ma, listen carefully. I'm not you. I never will be. Why can't you support me and let me make my own mistakes? But this won't be one of my mistakes, Ma. I want to be a dancer."
Ann shook her head, holding up hands in a way of giving up. "I'm sorry, Erica, but I can't condone any of it. That's not where you need to be in life. Why not a stable career? You know, like a doctor or lawyer?"
"Ma, no! This is what I want to do! What makes me happy. I'm gonna be a dancing assistant, not some stripper in a club! It's what makes me happy! Why can't you be happy for me?!"
"Erica, I'm serious. Go to college. Learn something. And stay away from that studio."
"Ma, why can't you see that this is what I want to do. All my life, you've be dictating and demanding and ordering me around like I'm some sort of drone! But I'm not. And just because I'm your daughter doesn't give you the right to tell me what I can do with my life anymore. Why do you keep brainwashing me to try to fulfill yyour dreams, huh? At twelve, I let you talk me out of using tampons. When I was sixteen, I let you talk me out of joining the basketball team. I let you talk me out of quitting my job at Winn Dixie cuz we needed the money for Jaz's bills. But no more. I finally can do what I want, Ma. And you can't talk me out of it by being so doggone selfish!"
Erica was silenced when a palm connected to her cheek. Ann glared at her. "Stop making me out to be the bad person here."
"Forget this, Ma. I don't need this. I'm 18 now. I asked for your blessing, not your permission." "My. House. My. Rules," Ann challenged her, crossing her arms, standing up.
"Then I don't need to be here anymore. I can make it on my own. With or without you," Erica retreated upstairs to her room. She grabbed her bookbag and started throwing her clothes and other things into it.
Ann just made her so angry sometimes. She felt like throwing something or hitting someone. But she just kept the anger inside, like always. She was forever being the silent one-trying to keep everything inside. That's why she was such a good dancer because it was her emotional release. It was Erica's dream to be a dancer. And it pissed her off that her mom couldn't be supportive of that.
Erica's mom, Ann, had been a dancer before and that just made her discourage her daughter even more. This was all because Ann had made the mistake of having a child outside of marriage and embarrassing her own parents. Ann just feared that her daughter was going to screw up her life. Like the whole art of dancing was 'evil' or something. But she never let Erica know the reason behind her anti-dance beliefs.
Jazmyne scurried into her big sister's bedroom. She had heard the whole thing in the confides of her bedroom. "Do you have to go?"
"Yeah."
"When will you be back?" The six-year-old asked, climbing onto her sister's bed. < "Never."
"Please don't go, Erica. Mama's sorry," Jaz pouted, her eyes getting cloudy.
"No, she's not."
"Please stay."
"I can't, Jaz. She won't believe in me. I'm not meant to be a doctor or lawyer or whatever! I hardly graduated high school at all," she punched her bookbag. steady trying to stuff clothes into it.
Jazmyne walked over to her and grabbed her hand, forcing Erica to look at her. "I believe in you."
Tears that threatened to fall from her eyes gave in. "Thanks, sweetie. I know you do. I love you, okay? And just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I won't see you, okay?"
"Okay," the little girl whispered. "I love you, too."
Erica hugged her little sister before slinging her backpack on her shoulder."Be good and I'll see you in two days, tops. Okay?" Jazmyne sniffled, "Okay."
"Don't worry about me. And don't cry, sweetie. I just gotta go. I can't stand living here with her. It's not about the love, it's about-"
"I know that. It's just that....I will see you again, right? Daddy said he'd come back and he never did."
Erica wiped away her sister's tears. "I'm not Daddy, either, Jazzy. I will come back, okay? Remember, I still gotta take you to that Nsync concert like I promised you."
Jazmyne smiled at the thought of that,"Okay. I betta see you in two days then." Erica laughed,"All right. I'm still saving the money for those tickets so it'll be soon. I always keep my promises."
"I know."
Erica looked around her room one last time, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She wasn't. "Bye, Jaz. Go to sleep. You got your first day of school tomorrow."
"I know. Bye," she whispered, hugging her sister tightly.
When she let go, Erica ran down the stairs. She made it through the living room without having to see her mom. She skidded to a stop when she saw Ann sitting at the kitchen table, drinking her coffee.
"You're just like your father. Dreaming won't get you no where," Ann spoke, staring at her mug.
"You're right," Erica whispered."I'm am like Daddy. You ran both of us away."
Before Ann had a chance to say something, Erica hurried outside. She threw her bag in the passenger seat of her blue Mustang. It was a graduation gift from her dad the year before. She didn't even get to see him. He just sent it to her without going to her graduation at all. She was grateful that he had thought about her and sent her a gift at all.
Erica sighed as she slid into the driver's seat. She stared at her house one last time. She smiled, seeing her sister waving at her from her bedroom window. Erica waved back. She cranked up the car and drove away. She didn't regret leaving at all.