My Mom's Best Friend's Son

Characters Jackie Simpson – The main character. She is a nerd and not used to meeting many people because she has not been exposed much. She is a straight-A student and always among the best in her class. She has had a crush on her mother’s best friend’s son for a long time but believes she can never have a chance with him because they belong to two different worlds. She lives with both her parents and does not have any friends. Age: 17. Tony – A bad boy. He stays away from his parents but visits often to check on them. He is a playboy who sleeps with any girl he wants, and women fall for him easily because of his good looks. Age: 21. Natasha – Tony’s mother. Extravagant. Housewife. Best friends with Mercy. Mercy – Jackie’s mother. Best friends with Natasha. Housewife. Peter – Jackie’s father. Hard-working. Parental and protective. Jackie POV I am a girl no one wants to spend time with. I keep myself indoors and I am not used to being among many people—except when I am at school, because I have no choice. I live with both my parents. I have a big sister, but she does not stay with us anymore. She is married and has a beautiful three-year-old baby girl. We have never been close because of the age gap between us, and there was never much to keep us bonded. My best friends are my laptop and my phone. They keep me company as I do research and read about what is happening around the world. Oh my God, I have not introduced myself. I am Jackie Simpson, a senior student, and I am seventeen years old, though I will be turning eighteen in a few months. I study chemistry and biology and hope to become a medical student. I know I can manage this because I am a very bright student in class, and I do not need to struggle much to pass. I do not have a boyfriend and I have never had one. However, I do have a crush on a guy whom I do not think I will ever have a chance with. My mother is quite extraordinary compared to other mothers. She is outgoing and loves shopping a lot, even at her age. She rarely does anything at home, yet she does not work. Sometimes I wonder how my father managed to be with her in their youth—he must have spent a lot of money on her. Poor man. However, despite all this, I love her so much because she is my mother. I have learned to live with all her faults. No one is perfect, and I am sure many kids out there have it much worse. The truth is that my mom is partly responsible for my extreme shyness. When I was in my early teens, she spent most of her time at her best friend Natasha’s house. Being a stay-at-home wife with little to do, they spent most of their time doing luxurious shopping. She used to leave me at home all the time, and this made me grow up believing that I belonged indoors. It made me very shy. “Jackie!” I am brought back to reality by my mother shouting from downstairs. I smile. That is my mother for you. She wakes up every morning shouting my name even when she does not have anything specific to tell me. She cannot even do anything on her own. I wonder how she and my father have managed to stay in love for such a long time despite her laziness. However, there are times when she acts like a real mother—but that is for another time. I quickly switch off my laptop and dress properly before running downstairs. Otherwise, my mother will burst my eardrums with her shouting. When I reach the kitchen, I am surprised by what I see. Is this the same woman who was shouting a few minutes ago? I find my parents kissing passionately. Shameless adults. I stand quietly, watching my little show, deciding not to interrupt their sweet moment. As they continue kissing, my dad’s hands move to undo my mom’s lace nightdress. Oh no. Do they want to have s*x here? No, no! “Ehem.” I do it intentionally, which makes them pull away shamefully like children caught stealing ice cream from the fridge. They really look lovely together. Their relationship must have been beautiful when they were young. “What are you doing here?” my mother asks, blushing. She tries very hard to look serious but fails and smiles instead. I smile back. Lovebirds. “You called me,” I answer. “Oh… okay,” she says, as if she had forgotten completely. “I wanted to tell you to get ready. Natasha is having a party, and you need to attend,” she adds. I am shocked. This will be the first time she has ever wanted to take me to a party—seriously, the very first time. Is she growing old, or am I suddenly looking better? Not that she ever thought I was ugly, but I never thought I was attractive either, since no guy has ever approached me. “Why are you looking like that?” my mother asks. “No… nothing,” I answer quickly. She tells me to prepare breakfast as she goes to select her dress for the party later in the evening. I begin preparing breakfast. Over the years, cooking has become one of my hobbies, and I am very good at it. I suppose this is one of the reasons my mother insists that I cook every day.