His Worth | MxM

² nine

I sat here, watching as a woman who was put together sat on the stand. She glanced over at me once and I saw her eyes linger for a moment. Only to look back in the other direction.

I'm not sure why, but as I looked at her I felt an instant...need to speak to her. I didn't want to keep sitting here in silence, I want to know who she is.

I saw her grin at the prosecutor, raising her hand as she swore in.

"I, Florence Varon, do solemnly swear-."

I flinch, hearing her last name as I felt sick to my stomach. I glanced at my Archer who looked pissed off as he shook his head in ridicule. Looking over my shoulder, I saw how angry Nate looked along with his parents.

When I faced forward, I saw her just finishing swearing in.

"So, Florence, are you able to say you know anything about your youngest son, Malakai-?"

"Objection, your honor! That is irrelevant to this case."

"Proceed." The judge nodded at the prosecutor who nodded back.

I watch...my mom shake her head no as she sat back.

"Why is that? You look so put together, what happened? How is it your son, who was supposedly in jail unfairly and unjustly, have such a put together parent? Wouldn't he be able to decipher what it means to enter into jail willingly?"

"I believe so, but I'm not sure. I wasn't around for most of his life. This is my...first time seeing him after the time his dad and I left them... So I can't say I know, because I never could make him aware of what jail is really like. His dad and I had our run-ins with the law, and we left to keep them out of that." She tells him surely.

I couldn't even think straight right now.

My...mom was on the stand, and she was being called by the prosecutor. After all of these years...this is how she reveals herself to me? On the stand, for or against me?

"Are you aware of the predicament both of your sons are now in?"

"Yes, of course. Malakai is all over the news and Micah is...possibly the reason why." She tells him, my lips tightening together.

I didn't want to be in here anymore.

I honestly felt like...I was going into shock.

Her lips were moving, but I wasn't hearing what the fuck she was saying. How could I?

All I know...is that once I blinked, I was feeling Archer nudge my shoulder. I look at him and saw him looking at me with concern as he nods to the side.

"We're having recess." He tells me, and I stood up so fast. I rushed out of there without even looking back because I was so thrown off from all of that.

When I got to my waiting room, I saw Nate enter in soon after. He looked at me as if he understood...like he already knew.

"Malakai..." He says my name in a croak-like manner, and I felt my lips tighten together.

I rushed to him, hugging him as I made sure to not lean against Rue too much. My lips tighten together...feeling all of the shame I knew I would be feeling.

"I'm sorry..." I breathe, hugging him even more. "I am so sorry. I haven't become any better from this. You were right...the only one victimizing anyone, was me."

"You don't have to apologize. You've been through a lot in your life. There has constantly been something-."

"You don't have to make excuses for me. The way I was towards you wasn't fair, it wasn't right. I believed I knew how to handle everything, and I don't. I just didn't want to look weak and pathetic." I tell him, shaking my head in disapproval to myself. "But that's not okay."

"Malakai...you were never pathetic. All of this would traumatize and confuse a person easily. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"I can't help-."

We both flinch as we hear the door to the room open.

I look behind him as he turns, and I felt everything within me become hot. Hot with anger as I looked at my mom...seeing her look at me nervously.

No...Florence looked at me nervously.

I'm not calling her that.

"Malakai-."

"It's Worth," I interrupted her, seeing her frown in confusion, "Our names hold a lot of worth and I only want those who are special to me to say it. So...for you, it's Worth."

I saw her look at me in shock, only to clear her throat as she nods in understanding.

"Okay...Worth, I wanted to speak to you on...just everything in general. I hope you don't mind-."

"How dare you?" I sneer in disgust at her, seeing her look away from me awkwardly. "I couldn't even recall my parent's faces, ever! I went off of nothing and knew nothing. All I knew was that you and my dad abandoned me! Yet...this is how you want to show yourself to me after all of that time?"

I watch Florence look away almost as if she was conflicted. Except I wasn't conflicted at all.

"You came here, on my trial, and chose to make yourself known to me this way. Why didn't you look for me under normal circumstances? Why like this?"

"You were...in jail when I was looking for you. Didn't Micah tell you? I was one of the first ones who wanted to see you once you were released, especially since Micah told me you in jail for him. I was so..."

I wasn't hearing her anymore at that point once again.

Was I manipulated once again?

Micah already saw our parents and he made it seem like we were all we had. When this whole time...he already saw her?

I look back at her, seeing her wait for me to respond. Except not only did I not know what she said, but I was just in shock.

It's always something new, and I just want this all to be over.

"You need to cut him off," I look when I hear Nate speak, seeing him red in the face, "You have no choice now. What she said is the most obvious thing. He kept something such as this from you. If that doesn't tell you enough - I don't know what will."

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- yolo🥢