The Iceking's Obsession

Chapter Six

I spent the evening filling mom in on my very eventful first day and she was engrossed in my story like it was one of those Kardashian shows she watched everytime. Mom sat out on the porch with my left foot in her lap, enjoying the massage it was getting from mom's hands.

"So you bump into a hot guy on your first day in school and meet his friend. And you don't realize you're living in a novel?" Mom joked and I roll my eyes.

"Seriously mom" I laugh and rest my head back on my arms folded behind it. Something kept bugging me and I couldn't place it. I was happy. I was away from California. I was in a new school meeting new and nice people. Mom was happy and she wasn't talking about us moving soon. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that was wrong so why was this gut feeling not going anywhere. I feel like something big is going to happen and I might not be happy with it.

My phone beeps and a message pops up. I check it and find a message from a number that wasn't saved on my contacts.

"Hi"

I was about to reply when I get another message from the same number.

"It's Xander"

Oh! Xander. I gave him my number and didn't wait to get his. I drop my left foot from mom's legs and replace it with the right as i start to reply.

"Hey" I reply and we start to exchange pleasantries and make small talk like ask each other what we had for dinner.

Xander: So, I was wrong this afternoon

Wrong? About what? I remember his car and how I wrecked the front of it and my heart jumps in my mouth. I didn't tell mom about that part too, so when she looks at me with a worried expression on her face, I force a smile and ease my right foot from her legs and tell her I have to go and rest inside. I knew things were too good to be real. Now, I have to pay for Xander's car repair. No wonder I had a bad feeling, like something bad was about to happen and I didn't know what it was. Well, Jane Preston, here's it. Seek no more.

Me: "About what?" I decide to play dumb just in case it wasn't about the car. I was desperately hoping it wasn't about the car. But what else could it be? Maybe he discovered Kylie actually liked him like i said and not this Noah guy. Seriously, I haven't even met this Noah guy and I have a weird feeling about him too. What's with these weird signals from my gut feeling?

Xander: See, my dad got back tonight from France. It was meant to be a surprise and he was a little mad that I f****d the car up in days. So, you have to pay me back.

Fuck!

Me: How much do I owe you?

Xander: I don't know if you can afford it.

No. I wanted to scream no. I can't afford it, but instead I acted cool and typed.

Me: Tell me.

I wait for one whole torturous minute before he replies, "Dinner, tomorrow night."

Wait. What?! Xander's got to be kidding me. I ruined his car and get a dinner in return. On a normal day, I'd tell him I'm busy with school work and end up curled on my couch with cheese balls watching Netflix, but I smashed my trunk in his car so I owe him one.

"Hey. Why are you grinning?" Mom asks from the entrance where she stood with her arms folded over her huge chest which was the direct opposite of mine. Not that I was totally boobless or anything but mom's breasts are so huge it's almost unfair to every other woman out there. No one has the right to rock it the way she does.

"Uhm... Nothing" I reply and quickly type a "Okay. What time?"

"Seriously? You're grinning again. Boy issue?" She asks and I almost tell her I'm going to dinner with Xander tomorrow night but she'd lecture me on the mantra I already knew and remind me of how falling for a boy could ruin me, and my education and my future and that happily ever afters only happen in movies. So instead I ask, "How's the search going?"

Mom has to find a job and I'm hoping she gets something permanent this time. Last time, she decided to wait in a Michelin star restaurant. The pay wasn't bad and it wasn't ever about the pay. It was just obvious she didn't want to stay there, so the next two months we packed up and now we're here in Chicago, living in this beautiful and quiet area.

"No luck yet. But you don't have to worry, Harry's recommendation will get me into a really good place soon."

"Will it... Will it be permanent?"

Mom looks away and drags her fingers through her ponytail. "I don't know Jane."

"Why?" I whisper. Things were looking good already. Chicago is beautiful. So why?

"It's not something you can understand. I'm really sorry Jane." Then she walks up the stairs and into her room then she slams her door and the house goes quiet again. I want to scream after her. "What's there not to understand? Tell me. I can handle anything. I've handled all our crap all these years!" but instead, I keep quiet and reach for her MP3 player and turn Ed Sheeran's Perfect up. It was mom's favorite song. For a woman who didn't believe in love and all the baggage that comes with it, she really liked Ed Sheeran.