Playing the Ice Princess

FOUR

"Nothing can dim the light that shines from within."

-Maya Angelou

CHAPTER FOUR: In which she decides to visit her mum

There was silence on the line, I thought she hung up, but she screamed, "LILIANA HEATHER PETERSON, HOW DARE YOU NOT CALL YOUR MUM FOR THREE MONTHS..."

Ah, there goes my poor eardrum.

"Mum! I"ve missed you so much!" I said sweetly, making sure to sound extra happy. More like extra cringe-y.

She sighed, "Don"t act like that with me, young lady. Now, you haven"t visited in three months... your stepdad and I miss you greatly,"

"Yeah, I have been busy with... stuff," I said awkwardly trying to conjure up a excuse in my mind.

"Does that stuff have anything to do with an unexpected engagement?" I could picture her smiling knowingly.

Dang. The saying, "mother knows best" really is true... how did she-dad must"ve told her... and she did nothing to stop it! I feel betrayed.

"Mum! You knew and didn"t stop it? How could you!?" I added in a couple of sniffs to make it seem like I have started crying.

"Oh, save those fake tears and come here so we can chat. In person." She said, not buying my BS.

"Mum-" she interrupted me, "Sorry sweetie, an emergency has happened in the office, so I have to go. But like I said, we will continue this when you decide to visit your poor mother, dooset daram azzizam, khodahafez."

I murmured my goodbye in Farsi and hung up.

Now, my family tree is interesting, because my mum, a Persian woman, was on a class trip to Italy where she met my dad, a wealthy businessman, and then smiles and roses they got married and they had me. Yay. Except they decided to divorce over a stupid argument, and over time, I have noticed when they occasionally see each other, there is still a spark in their eyes... but they better not do any two-timing crap and hurt my stepmom and stepdad... because I will be on their asses...

***

"So you"re really leaving?" My stepbrother, Adam, asked standing with his arms crossed in the doorway.

I nodded, "For a couple of weeks. The old woman has been complaining I haven"t seen her face enough,"

He smirked, "Well, you did ignore her for three months,"

I gasped, "Honestly! I didn"t ignore her! I just got wrapped up in the engagement, that"s all."

He raised his hands in surrender, "You shouldn"t be explaining this to me, explain this to Aunt,"

I laughed, "I still don"t understand my you call my mum, "aunt","

He shrugged, "Well, it would be awkward to call her "mum" like you, and disrespectful to call her by her name, so we stick to "auntie, dear"."

I shook my head, "Weirdo. But wish me luck..."

He clasped his hand in a mock prayer, "I hope she"s not too mad,"

"Same, bro, same."

***

Standing at the airport all alone is more awkward than it sounds. Apparently the mother who was complaining that her daughter forgot about her actually forgot about her daughter... the irony indeed.

I huffed an angry breath as I dialed her, after a patient five minutes of ringing, she finally decided to pick up, "Yes? I know you love me and all, but calling me so soon? Reminds me of when you were in kindergarten and you-"

"MUM!" I screamed, frustrated.

"Young lady! Do not raise your voice with me! Now, why so angry?" She asked innocently.

"Mum, I"ve been stuck at the airport for two hours waiting for you to pick me up..."

She gasped, "Oh my! Completely forgot you see... but wait, why not call a taxi? I"m sure there"s tons waiting outside for people that just got off planes."

I mumbled, "I don"t know the address..."

"What was that dear?" She asked, although I"m positive she heard me the first time... she"s just trying to embarrass me.

I sighed repeating what I said louder, "I don"t know the address,"

She gasped dramatically, "Don"t know, or don"t remember?"

Does it make a difference?

"Oh course it does..." she answered as though she had read my thoughts. "And no, I didn"t read your thoughts or anything psychic, you just said that out loud."

"Anyways, mum, please pick me up!! I"m tired of looking like an i***t and all alone..." I pleaded.

"Wait. Are you Lila or Liliana right now?" She asked.

"I"m-" before I could reply, I saw my future husband, in the same airport... is this a coincidence or is he stalking me?

"Mum, I"ll call you back later, just send someone to pick me up," I said hurrying to end the call and catching another glance of him.

"Liliana-" I hung up. That"s gonna get her to yell at me later.

Currently, I was disguised as Lila Shaw, the bold, gorgeous, seductress, who was confident to get any man. Which meant bold red lipstick, unlike the simple lipgloss Liliana would wear, long, straight blonde hair, that"s actually a wig I ordered online that looks extremely lifelike... cost me a whole bunch too. And blue contacts, which combined with my actual eye color, made it seem like my eyes were the shade of blue that the ocean turns into at night. A calm, dark blue. And finally, my revealing clothing would give my dad a heart attack if he ever saw me in them. Unlike the modest clothes Liliana wears... our facial features seemed a bit similar, but thanks to makeup, that"s all we share. Liliana looks completely different from Lila. And this Lila was going to start Phase Two, flirting with Liliana"s future husband.

***

"Dooset daram azzizam, khodahafez."

"I love you darling, goodbye."