After 17

Chapter 7- 17 Calls

Hadley, Massachusetts...

We had finally made it. I hadn't said a thing to mother after the text. I didn't even tell her about it. Because if she knew, she would yell at me like I was the one who did something wrong.

The hotel was better than the others I've been to. But it still wasn't something out of a movie. There were couches in a lounge-type area and there was a coffee bar but it doesn't count since there was a mouse in the hallway and the elevator was kinda compact. Or maybe it felt compact because I didn't want to be anywhere near my mother so being in a relatively small room with her made me feel claustrophobic like I couldn't breathe.

My dad was my role model and he knew everything about me. Even when I was a kid, with pigtails, debating with my church friends over who would be the coolest people to meet from the Bible, behind Jesus(I will always say Paul and David), I told him everything. I was with him all the time and I was going to have that again. But I don't. And that's my issue.

We put our luggage in the hotel room and then went to a local McDonald's near the hotel. My mother was complaining about her burger while I ate my chicken nuggets in silence but her groaning and complaining made me want to go to another table.

"I have a surprise for you." Her attempt to make me talk to her is pathetic. Saying she has a surprise for me, resulting in me asking what it is. It would've worked...if I was 10.
"Talk to me BB, I know that-"

"It's Brooke. My name is Brooke."

She shook her head and went back to eating her burger. That's when I realized her plan worked. She got me to talk to her I guess.

*Silence*

"Remember when we walked down the street, holding hands when you were five? I would dance with you in the living room after our walk and then we'd eat ice cream with chocolate syrup and sprinkles. Do you remember?"

Since I'd already answered her before, I decided there is no harm in doing it again.

"No." My voice was cold towards my mother.

"That's because it didn't happen.
You did that with your father."

*Silence a little shorter than the last time*

"I've always wanted to spend time with you, BB. But-"

"Stop with the bull. I asked you every day to spend time with me and your ass-"

"Language, Brooke. You're making a scene."

"I don't care! You never gave a damn about me and all you did was turn me down! Now you wanna fake like you loved me because you find yourself in a mess that you made!"

People started to look at our table but I don't care. I won't let her try to act like she was ever more than just a mother - a factual birth giver.

"Settle down BB, we can talk in the car!"

"And now that I'm telling you the truth you want to leave?! Just two seconds ago you were about to start spilling lies. And I've already told you that my name isn't BB, it's Brooke!"

"Young lady, you will not talk to me like that!"

"YOU WANTED ME TO TALK!"

The McDonald's went silent. Even tables yards away we're staring. There I was, making a scene. And just like my mother...

I walked away from the mess I made.

I took my chicken nuggets and fries and went to the car only to be met with seventeen missed calls. Seven from dad, ten from Allison and Alyssa(split evenly between them), and one from a stranger I once knew...
Jack.

He left a voicemail but considering that the last time I talked to him I wanted to throw a knife at him, I don't think responding is the best way to go...but I've already had a trash day and I do care a bit.

The voicemail said:

"Hi, Brooke...it's been a while."

That was your own doing.

"I just wanted to say that the last time we talked ended badly and the time before that ended with me telling lies."

You lie every time we talk so the last part was pretty redundant.

"I want to say I'm sorry..."

Then say it.
I felt like the words would fall off his lips like they always used to when we got into fights but...this wasn't an ordinary fight...

"But I won't."

What. The. F-

"I won't sit here and act like I'm sorry. I did what needed to be done. I couldn't pretend like I was in love with only you. You can't sit here and be mad about it because there isn't anything to be mad about. If you could stop telling lies, being stubborn, and acting childish then I might take you back."

I don't want you back...

"I like you but...you make it hard to."

This man just called me to blame me for his cheating.

A silence fell over the car.

And then the sound of my laughter erupted.

I just might save the voicemail to my phone so I can laugh once and a while. He thought that I was waiting for him to call or something. It was the first time, the whole day, that I felt great. After all, he always knew how to put a smile on my face.

"NOW WHAT GOD DAMN DEMON POSSESSED YOU TO MAKE SUCH A SCENE IN THERE!? YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID! WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE HOTEL ROOM YOU CAN GET ON THE PHONE AND TALK TO WHOEVER YOU WANT BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, UNTIL WE GET THERE, I DONT WANT TO HEAR A THING! YOU UNDERSTAND?"

My mother was tomato red. Her pale skin contrasting my light brown face. I was her mixed child looking into her blue eyes to tell her that, "Us not talking is the second best thing that's happened to me today." The first being the most hilarious voicemail I've ever received.

Going back to the hotel was the miracle of silence. Listening to the video, playing his voicemail, and cackling like a little girl, my mother looked over to me as if she was concerned. Which I can understand. My laugh is concerning.

I didn't feel as if the voicemail was important unless I could use it for my personal enjoyment, including making fun of it and bringing this up in future arguments.

I could always tell him to shove that voicemail up his as-