Chapter 12: Past I

Therefore, one day, seven-year-old bubbly me, gets home from school excited to see her father and complete the blocks they had been doing for days. He had promised that if we finished the blocks before the weekend he would take me for ice cream. Seven year old me was excited at the thought of going for ice cream, to cut the long story short I got home to see my mum bawling her eyes out. I asked her what happened she told me my dad left us and moved to another state, stunned I didn't say anything and I went to my room, fast forwards to seven years later, I came back from school one day to see my mum smiling at me the whole house sparkling. It was strange because I was the one who cleaned the house when it became too dirty to live in. I cooked myself sometimes, most times ordering take out, I rarely saw my mum since she was too busy at work. Then all of a sudden she was smiling and wearing an apron, ignoring her I trudged to my room tired and eager to do my homework for I was very studious. She shouted something to my retreating form but I was too tired and angry to listen. She ignores me most days, then, she is back smiling and wearing an apron. Whom was she fooling? She was not even there when I got my first period. I huffed and dropped on my bed trying to push the clothes on the bed to the floor, a few hours later I was studying when my mother came into my room looking annoyed,

"I thought I told you to come downstairs for dinner, I wanted to introduce you to someone,"

"When did you say that?" I asked, clearly not in the mood to deal with her

"I want to introduce you to someone come downstairs with me," she said firmly. I grudgingly obeyed, wanting to get her off my back. I walked into the dining room, with her following closely behind me. Lifting my eyes from the ground, I saw the back of a man, with copper hair sitting at the table. Upon hearing us, he turned to us with a smile. And let me tell you it was creepy. I took in his pressed clothes, neat shining shoes and slicked back hair. He did not look a person my mum would date. Although I do not know what kind if men she likes, but given that my dad was a leather jacket kind of man, I think I have an idea.

He wiped his hands on his pants, extending them to me. I hesitantly took it with no expression whatsoever on my face. I noticed the slight tremor in his fingers when he took mine, he nervous. I scoffed, glad to think a grown man like him was scared of 14year old me.

"I'm West," he said to me, I nodded. Still looking at him, he looked confused for a moment, and then he looked panicked. He looked at my mother over my head for a second before he cleared his throat, speaking up again.

"Pardon me; I don't think I got your name."

"That's because I didn't tell you," I replied sassily.

"Hey no attitude, young lady," my mother rebuked from above me and she disappeared somewhere. I glared at her retreating figure, and when she was gone, I directed my gaze to West, who looked like she wanted to piss his pants. Wow, he really could not handle pressure.

"Amber." I snapped he looked at me surprised

"My name is Amber," I repeated, my voice leveled this time. He smiled, a wide and genuine one. I was also tempted to reciprocate it but I immediately steeled myself, glaring at him instead. He shrank back and I laughed inside my head.

"I don't know why you even bother to ask my name. I'm sure, mother would have told you everything, even the brand of diapers I used when I was a baby," I mumbled at him.

"She did." he nodded seriously and I gasped in horror. I knew she would do stuff like that. I grumbled something under my breath and sat at the table. West joined me shortly and we just sat there staring at each for a while before mum brought food in.

We lapsed into silence as mum said grace, of course, and we began to eat: the only sounds being the clinks of our cutleries with the plates. I did not focus on the pending silence; I just wolfed my food down, trying not to show how delicious the food was. I intended to stuff myself full with the home cooked meal before I returned to my takeouts.

In the middle of the meal, my mum cleared her throat, and I glanced at her beneath my lashes to see her staring at me. I ignored her trying not to get her gaze into my head. I just wanted to finish the food and disappear to my room for refuge. I did not even know why I was here, if she wanted a home cooked meal with her boyfriend, she could have just done so; I do not see why I should be here.

"We are engaged," She suddenly announced.

Oh, that is why I am here. I carried on with my food, paying attention to every particle and whatnot, which made it up. She is engaged, so what? I still do not see any reason for me to be informed. For all I know, she could break up with him or him with her by next week.

"We are moving in with him."

Okay, that definitely got my attention. I raised my head slowly to face her, no expression whatsoever in my face.

"Congratulations." I choked out

"When will you be moving out?"

She frowned,

"You don't seem to get what I said. I said, we. I meant the two of us." she responded. Now it was my turn to frown, I think I do not frown in a cute way as most girls do, and it is shown when West shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Well he should be afraid. Struggling to keep my anger at bay, I ask tightly,

"WHO.IS.'WE'?" I ask slowly, emphasizing each word.

"I just said it now: the both of us."

"Well I don't think so." I comment my voice raised

She slammed her hands on the table, rattling the dishes and completely startling West

"Don't raise your voice at me!"

"Well then, maybe you should just leave. Go with him and forget me: I am totally fine without you."

"We are moving in and that's final"

"Well for you and not for me!" I push the table away and storm to my room.

To cut the long story short, I moved in with them two weeks later. My anger and pleading could not do anything. I did not understand how she could trust another man after what my dad did to her. So, despite it being a petty thing to do, I sabotaged West, in any way I could to make my mum angry. Unfortunately, they saw through my plan.

I laid low for a couple of weeks taking in my surroundings, West was rich. He lived in the uptown areas. His house itself was on the way to being a mansion. I wonder how he and my mother met. Fortunately, I was still going to my former school, he suggested that I change my school but I gave him a look so fierce he immediately backed down. Although I think, he is cowardly for a lawyer. He had his firm in the middle of town, and from what I gathered, they were doing pretty well.

In this new house, I had a room to myself, a very large one to be precise. It could even be classified as a suite, as far as suites go. It had a living area with comfortable looking couches (which were comfortable by the way), a sofa full of stuffed toys and a huge plasma television could be seen immediately you enter. To the left was the real bedroom with a huge four-poster bed, a bedside table on each side: both holding lamps, French doors that led to a balcony, a walk in closet, a fireplace with beanbags surrounding it, a study table. Further to the right was the bathroom with a huge bathtub, glass that encased the shower and a sink that had different beauty products spread across it. Did I mention the living area ceiling had a huge chandelier hanging from it; it also had a floor to ceiling window with a recliner where you can cozy up and read a book with the sunrays hitting your face. With all this stuff it was very wrong and hard for me to dislike him, so I soften just a little towards him: by acknowledging him whenever our paths crossed with a nod or a grunt, it was better than nothing.

The only thing that still made me dislike him then, was the fact that he took me to school in his very expensive car. You see I was the kind of person that did not like attention, which was what he and his car did. The first time he took me school, he pulled over directly in front of the school and man, it was shocking for everyone there and I became the talk of the school. No matter how much I begged him, he insisted on taking me to school, saying something along the lines, of him not trusting the bus, it was a frustrating period if my life. Because one, I had to listen to sermons on how the bus is bad at home and endure the stares I got from school. At some point, some very unfriendly rumors began spreading about me and I started being kind of bullied. It was at the point I met the ex: Blake Johnson.