S2/01. Trash Talk

1.7 Mariella Schnautz
Spring 1998, Schnautz residence, Oasis Springs

She was here again.
Mariella could hear her voice through the open door, full of glee and pretense.
She heard her dad's voice, too, though it was much quieter. Mariella hated how sheepish and embarrassed he sounded around her.

Since That Day she came to their house almost every day, brought soggy ravioli and meddling advice on what would be best for Mariella now, neither she'd been asked for.

So Mariella went all out to sabotage her efforts as good as she could. She cut off her tops, wore dark lipstick and kept her nails long and sharp, it was enough to infuriate every parent and teacher of a fourteen year old girl whose worst offense was her big mouth until three weeks ago.

Mariella examined her work and found she was very content with her cosmic purple nails. Her new look grew onto her. It was more grown up, and also fit her music taste better than her tame middle schooler clothes.

"You don't say?!"

The outcry from the kitchen jump scared Mariella and almost made her spill the nail polish bottle.

"It is just proof that it's true," Mariella heard the bitch continue, full of pity and fake compassion.

As if she wasn't enjoying the shitshow Mariella's father was put through.

Mariella had always hated the condescending looks the neighbors had given Herbert since he had married Mae and the effect it had on him. He was more self-conscious around them than usual, tried even harder to play the picture perfect family than when he was just a single father. He was horrified whenever Mariella – and Mae – stepped out of that picture.

When Mae left, they got even more out-of-line. Everyone rubbed their "told you so" in her dad's face, with Jenny Brandenburg leading the way.

Mariella wished her dad would throw her out; teacher or not, but he seemed to like having her around.

Wasn't it enough that they had to see Mrs Brandenburg's pitying face every day at school? Mariella didn't want her faking compassion in her own home too.

At least she wasn't her sports teacher, she bet she'd also have to do extra rounds on the cinder pitch after classes because she would never be able to keep her mouth shut. Together with the nerds and the fat kids, who were punished frequently by Mrs Brandenburg for their lack of interest and talent in sports.

Fernandez wasn't so lucky and he was often her victim.

Sometimes Mariella joined him so they could go home together.

"I still don't know how I could be so blind, Jenny." Herbert's voice was tired. "It was so perfect, she was such a good and caring wife. And Mariella adored her..."

Something Mariella regretted deeply now.

Since she could remember, it had been always her and her dad, it was them against the world. No one had a place between them and their pizza and football evenings, and it was good like that!

So Mariella had made sure that it stayed like that.

Until they'd met Mae.

Mae was different than the other adults she knew. Mae didn't fake interest in Mariella or played nice to please Herbert, nor was she trying to impose herself. Mae wore frilly mini-skirts and colorful unicorn earrings and knew how to make the best blueberry muffins with chocolate filling, amongst many other tasty foods. Mae was just... cool.

And she seemed to truly love Herbert, she never looked down on him for his clumsiness and timidity.

So Mariella allowed her into their lives.

A big mistake.

 

 

Mariella didn't believe that Mae had had an affair, that was just ludicrous. But nevertheless, Mae was just another liar and a cheater and had dropped Mariella and Herbert like a hot potato to live a more exciting life in a big city.

Mariella would never forgive her.

Not for leaving her and her dad behind, to rot between all the old geezers and stick-in-the-muds and their stupid, judgy gossip.

 

"You are so gullible," Mrs Brandenburg tsked at Herbert. "None of us was surprised when the dirty truth came out."

"I know, I know Jenny..." Herbert said. "I should've been more suspicious when she chased me... someone so much older, and with no money. She wasn't even upset when I told her about Mariella. She even wanted to have another baby with me! Now I'm glad it never happened."

"A baby?" Jenny screamed.

 

A baby?? Mariella almost screamed too.
Holy crap! What were they thinking? Her dad was waaaay to old to have more kids and Mae... she wasn't too old, not at all, but – wasn't Mariella enough?

 
Why would they need another baby to care for? And Mariella bet they'd expect her to do the same, dududu how cute the little brat was, right? And she'd have to keep her music volume low and worse, maybe even babysit, because that was what she'd be good for then. They'd forget she existed otherwise.

She'd never thought her dad nor Mae capable to do that to her.

But she had heard it with her own ears.

Suddenly Mariella found herself very relieved that Mae had left. She didn't care much if that backstabber had any babies far away from here, but Mariella would ensure her dad'd never think about having more kids again.

She started Toxic Purple's recent LP that Fernadnez had copied for her. On her old cassette player, not the brand new disc man she got recently, so she could turn up the volume to the maximum she could tolerate.

Then she opened the door again.

 

How could a woman scream so beautifully? Lyta was so talented.
One day Mariella would have to go to their concert.