Heart & Soul

Chapter 17 - Erika (Week 13)

It just occurred to me next week is Thanksgiving. Oh god. My family situation is a bit... different from everyone elses. My family is all dead. They passed a week after finding out I was going to be on the show. I mean, I mourned them, cried a bucket of tears for them, and still miss them like hell, but I made four promises enclosed in the letters in my suitcase. My mom and dad want me to pursue my dreams and find someone I love, Kayla wanted me to actually try on this show — which was NOT my plan — and Lukas knew about my passion for songwriting and told me to post my songs online. I still haven't done that yet, but I plan on doing it once I'm either deleted or chosen, using my newfound popularity of being on the show to get a few views.

"So, is anyone from your family coming for Thanksgiving?" Liana asks, and I shake my head.

"They're all busy." Busy being six feet under. But she doesn't need to know that right now. Or ever if it comes to it. And I mean, it'll probably come out if I make it to Christmas, but that's five weeks away. "They thought I'd make it this far, so they made plans as if I wasn't going to be home." And they're dead.

"Oh well. I don't think Jayla's parents are coming either. They had some urgent business trip. At least, she won't be the only one without parents coming." Liana says as Lylah, Jayla, Madilynn, Liv, and the rest of our dinner group barge into Liana's room. Alright, then. I guess it is almost dinner time.

"There's a huge announcement like, now. With all five guys, so get your butts moving." And they all had to come get us?

"We're coming, just give us a minute." Liana says for the both of us, and they all leave, and I pass through the bathroom into my own room, grabbing my phone and checking it to see if there's any texts, and read something from my parent's lawyer.

"Call me now." Sent two minutes ago. Kinda need to call him. Sorry Lane. Oh, I feel awful, but this is more important.

"Hi, Mr. Langsley. What do you need?" I ask, hoping this isn't a long conversation.

"I know it's late, especially for me, but there were some complications transferring the money and property to your name. I've been trying for a few weeks to get it all sorted, but my efforts were in vain." Awesome. Another two hour meeting with the lawyer. And I need to be somewhere. Like now. But my parent's will and sixteen million dollars is probably more important, right? Yeah, my parents were kinda rich. But, that's beside the point. "The bank refuses to transfer sixteen million dollars into the same account. What idiots. It's not that much money. And I tried setting up another account in your name, but you had to sign a lot of papers, and it just kind of fell apart." He details all he did, taking a good fifteen minutes, but I am not stopping him, because he gets pissed when I interrupt him during a time like this. I found that out a few months ago.

"Is there any way you can send me the papers or get me on the phone with the bank to get this all sorted out?" I ask, hoping this works.

"Tomorrow, I'll get in touch with them to set up a meeting between  the three of us, you virtually, of course, and we can deal with all of this." Alright. One problem solved. "Next problem. Transferring the money saved in your sister's name to your account. According to the law, you should receive the money, since you're next of kin, but the bank is being difficult. So, tomorrow's, or whenever this meeting is, can address that as well, but it's going to be more difficult than transferring your parent's money, since your sister's account wasn't linked to your parents, so we have to prove you were related. Thank god, your brother didn't have a bank account." My parent's lawyer is not the typical lawyer. He usually swears more than once in a conversation and tends to be a bit less formal than the lawyers you see on TV.

"What about the property? I mean, I'm just going to sell it," I ask, and I can tell that's not what's going to happen any time soon by the beat of silence.