Pieces of us

Chapter Ten

The school's having a PTA meeting today, and while parents troop in, I'm looking out the window, watching for Mom. Nicole is standing next to me. She and Patricia keep giving each other stink eyes and grunting at each other. Since Patricia sits right in front of me, she keeps warning Nicole not to disturb her with her movements. But knowing Patricia, she's just being problematic.

“Hold on… Is that Tina Ovie? It's her!” I exclaim, excited to see a popular actress live and in person, even if it's from a distance.

Patricia immediately jumps to her feet and sticks her head out the window.

“Mom!” she calls, waving at the actress.

Her mom waves back and blows her a kiss. Patricia does the same before laughing as her mom disappears from sight.

“Yep, she's Patricia's mom,” Nicole says flatly.

“No way!” I retort. “Does that mean her dad is…?”

“Jimmy Ovie. That's my dad,” Patricia says proudly.

“Woah!”

I'm in awe now. Jimmy Ovie is also an actor, although not as popular as his wife. Unfortunately, they got divorced more than a year ago. I can't help wondering how Patricia must have felt about it, or how she feels now.

“It's why she's always acting like the custodian of acting. Unfortunately, I can't say she inherited her parents' talent,” Nicole says.

“I can hear you, you know.” Patricia glares at her.

Nicole merely clasps her hands together. “Wow. Your ears work.”

They've always had friction, but it's gotten a whole lot worse since Patricia slapped Yvonne during play rehearsal. Since Yvonne refused to fight back, Nicole has been doing it for her. And I think she's valid.

I turn my attention back to the passing parents and finally spot Mom. She's dressed in a floral blouse and jeans, carrying the bag that always seems to contain so many things.

“Mom!” I yell and wave.

She looks up, and her face immediately lights up with a smile. She waves back.

“Your mom is so pretty!” Nicole gasps.

I can't help but smile. “I know, right?”

“Wow,” Patricia says, looking out the window. “She is. Are you sure she's your mom?”

I turn to her, confused.

“You don't look like her at all.”

I've always heard people say that, and then they'd follow with—

“You probably look like your dad,” Nicole says. “And you're pretty too.”

Patricia scoffs.

“You also don't think I look like my mom?” I ask her.

“Sorry. You barely look alike. Which is fine…”

I pout and turn back towards the window, but Mom is already gone.

It's always pissed me off when people say I might look like my dad.

Stupid genes.

For someone who doesn't exist in my life, I hate the thought of carrying his face. I've never asked about him before, and I've decided I never will. If he were dead, Mom would have mentioned him and probably shown me pictures.

But she never talks about him.

Which means he's definitely alive somewhere. He must have hurt her deeply and just doesn't care about us.

Mrs Johnson walks in with an elderly woman who looks to be in her early sixties.

“Hello, kids!” she says as she walks in.

“Hello, ma!” everyone choruses.

Mark, who's been sleeping the entire time, swiftly raises his head.

“Mark, how're you?” the woman asks, her face beaming with a smile.

Mark merely sighs. I glance at him. He doesn't look pleased.

“That's his grandmother,” Nicole whispers in my ear.

I nod in realization.

“When I'm done, will you come home with me?” the woman asks.

“No,” he says. “I'd rather take the bus.”

Everyone quietly listens to them.

The woman simply nods before turning to the rest of us.

“Mark's friends, please be good to my boy.”

I can hear him mumbling something, but I can't make out the words.

“Yes, ma'am!” some of the boys chorus a little too enthusiastically.

They probably don't even mean it.

“You all be good students, okay?”

“Okay, ma!” Everyone answers.

She turns to Mrs Johnson, and they both head out of the classroom.

“Do you know that's the state's governor's mother?” Nicole whispers.

“Wow! She is?”

“Yup.”

“So he's the governor's son?” I ask referring to Mark,

“No. The governor is his uncle.”

“Oh…”

Nicole looks at Yvonne, who's sitting quietly at the front.

“Yvvie, isn't your mom coming?”

“I don't think so,” Yvonne answers.

“Why would a drug addict even show up?”

I hear Patricia mumble it under her breath, and Nicole hears her too.

“Patricia, you know you're full of crap.”

“What? I mean, everyone knows.” Patricia shrugs.

I look at Yvonne. She's now leaning on her desk. I can't see her face, but she doesn't look happy.

Kevin, Nora and Eddie, who hadn't been in class, walk in just then. They were returning from the field. Kevin and Eddie were probably out playing basketball, while Nora, who's a high jumper, has been busy preparing for an upcoming sports competition.

“Oh, you guys are finally back!” Patricia says, sounding relieved.

One would think someone in class was trying to harm her in the absence of her friends.

A real drama queen.

* *

About two hours later, the meeting has apparently ended, and parents are trooping out of the hall. I hurry downstairs to catch up with Mom.

I run into her arms as soon as I reach her.

“They said I can take you home now, if you'd like,” Mom says, stroking my hair.

“Of course, I'll come with you,” I say excitedly.

Then I notice something else has caught Mom's attention, completely wiping the smile from her face.

She slowly lets go of me.

I turn to see what or who she's looking at.

About a meter away, a woman is staring at her too.

Mom takes a step back as the woman slowly approaches.

I reach for Mom's hand, wondering what's going on.

Her hands are literally vibrating in mine.

I'm now looking at the woman.

“You?” She retorts ,looking shocked and somewhat angry.

Who the heck is she?

I look at Mom. Her lips part as if she's trying to speak, but she says nothing. I tighten my grip on her hand, hoping to calm her down.

I've never seen her this agitated.

“Mom? You came?”

All three of us turn to see Nora approaching.

She's smiling at the woman and reaches for her hand, but the woman subtly pulls away from her. Nora's smile slowly fades.

The woman looks from Nora, then to Mom, and finally, her eyes rest on me. Her gaze feels a little unsettling.

“Did you follow us all the way here?” the woman asks Mom.

“Of course not… I had no idea…” Mom answers, her voice strained.

I look at her. She's staring at Nora.

“Is that…” she tries to speak, but she's cut off.

“Nora, go back to your classroom and get your bag. We're going home.”

The woman says it to a confused-looking Nora.

I hear Mom gasp.

Nora quietly turns around to leave.

“Go get your bag too,” Mom tells me.

I reluctantly leave her side and follow Nora.

The two of us walk quietly side by side. I don't really know what to make of all this, and I bet Nora's in the same boat.

By the time we return downstairs, Nora's mom is gone, and Mom is sitting on a bench looking lost.

I walk up to her and put my hand on her shoulder.

She jerks and looks up at me.

But immediately, she turns to look at Nora, who's walking away, obviously trying to catch up with her mom.

Mom looks like she's about to cry.

She watches Nora until she's out of sight.

My mind is riddled with so many questions, but Mom doesn't look like she's in the right frame of mind to give me answers.