Mollie walks into a pink, girly bedroom. She drops her stuff at the foot of the bed and sits on it. She looks around, disgusted at how obnoxiously pink and girly the room is. Sh sighs and tales out her phone; she sees all of the people at her school getting ready for Laurie’s Halloween party. She tosses her phone on the bed, annoyed that she’s here instead of with everyone else.
A woman knocks on the door and enters the bedroom. She’s tall and has short black hair. She smiles at Mollie.
Gina: Hey, Mollie. Dinner should be ready in 15 minutes.
Mollie doesn’t say anything, she just picks her fingernails and ignores Gina. Gina leaves the room, and closes the door behind her. Mollie sits up and looks at the closed door in disgust. She gets up from the bed and looks at the shelf across from her. She sees a picture of her and her father from when she was a kid. Mollie takes the picture frame and faces in downward on the shelf.
…
It’s now dinnertime at the Castro household. The family sits at the kitchen table; Gina, Mollie, her father Justin, and her half-sibling, Selena.Mollie sits at the dinner table silent as she eats her food. Gina and Justin are talking before they stop and continue eating.
Gina: So how’s school going, Mollie?
Mollie doesn’t answer, she continues to play around with the food on her dinner plate. Justin notices it.
Justin: Mollie.
Mollie: Huh?
Justin: Gina asked you a question.
Mollie: Sorry, I didn’t hear.
Gina smiles and repeats her question.
Gina: How’s school going?
Mollie: Fine, I guess.
Mollie continues to eat her dinner, Justin feels slightly embarrassed by his daughter’s behavior. A squeal from Selena in her highchair is heard, and Justin tends to her. Mollie looks visibly annoyed.
Gina: *to Mollie* Have you’ve been practicing for the high-school audition?
Mollie doesn’t respond; she is too busy looking at her father tend to Selena.
Gina: Mollie?
Mollie: *annoyed* What?
Justin: *stern* Hey.
He looks at Mollie. Mollie continues to play with the food on her plate.
Justin: Gina just asked you a simple question.
Mollie: I don’t feel like talking.
Justin: That’s not an excuse to be rude to Gina.
Mollie puts her fork on her plate and gathers her dishes.
Mollie: I’m done with dinner. Thanks.
She gets up from her seat and takes her dishes to the kitchen. Gina looks sad.
Justin: You know how teenagers can be.
Gina: I know. I just wish there was more that I can do for her.
Justin wraps his arm around Gina, who smiles to the gesture.
…
Back in Mollie’s room she takes out her phone to scroll through various social media platforms. She soon after gets a message notification.
Theo: hey castro 😉
Mollie smiles at the message and responds back to the message.
Mollie: what's up, walker?
Theo: just chilling in my room. hbu?
Mollie: same, @ my dad's house for the weekend.
Theo: that blows.
Mollie: tell me about it.
A knock is heard on Mollie’s bedroom. Her father walks in.
Justin: Can we talk?
Mollie: About what?
Justin sits on the bed and Mollie locks her phone screen.
Justin: About you and Gina.
Mollie: What about us?
Justin: She feels bad when you push her away when you’re over. I know you’re my daughter, but–
Mollie: But Gina is your wife and Selena is your daughter. Got it.
Justin: Lena’s your half-sister.
Mollie: So what?
Justin: *upset* Mollie.
Mollie doesn’t say anything back.
Justin: I’m just asking for you to be nice to Gina. She wants to make your weekends here as comfortable as possible, and it’s not fair to her that–
Mollie gets angry at her father for only considering Gina’s feelings instead of hers.
Mollie: It’s unfair to her? How is it unfair to her?
Justin: You’re tuning her out, Mollie. You’re making her feel like she doesn’t belong here.
Mollie: *angry* Well she deserves it!
Justin: Mollie Sue Castro!
Mollie huffs in her bed.
Justin: You are in her house, and she is treating you with nothing but respect, and I expect you to do the same for her.
Mollie phone buzzes. She knows it’s Theo texting her back. Justin gets up from the bed and walks towards the bedroom door.
Justin: You can’t stay in your room all weekend; come out and socialize with the rest of the family very once in awhile.
The door shuts behind him and Mollie takes out her phone to read the message notification.
Theo: u should come to laurie's party tomorrow
Mollie: I'm not invited to her dumb party.
Theo: be my +1? there's nothin that says you can't
Mollie ponders the thought.
Mollie: see you then.
Letters From Liz. 