Survive 2

Chapter Twenty Two

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

November 19, 2022.

Madison Stone's Point Of View.

I go into my mother's room to tell her I'm already going to the game and I get surprised to see her all dressed up and putting on makeup.

"Going where, Mom?"

"I'm going out with Christopher," and I smile.

"Good friends you are, huh?" I mock her and she narrows her eyes at me smiling.

"You and Andrey are pretty good friends too, huh? You even went to his house," she returns in the same tone.

"It's different. I went to his house as his friend," I say the truth.

Nothing happened between us that day, we just talked for a while and then he dropped me off in front of my house, where I showed my mother the present he had given me, the same one she made sure to see to make sure we hadn't lied.

"If you're saying so..." she leaves it up in the air and I laugh.

"Now with you getting all dressed up to go out with the deputy it's hard for me to believe it's just a friend date."

"I'm starting to think you want me to be with him and it hasn't even been a week since you met," she says as she applies a little concealer to her eyes.

"Is it that obvious?" I joke and she laughs, but then seems to remember something.

"I was thinking about moving us," she speaks, taking me by surprise.

The day I returned home, she told me that she had thought about it a few weeks ago, but I thought she had already put that out of her mind.

"Why? I like living here."

"Don't you think that this house doesn't have too many bad memories and that it would be better for us to start over somewhere else?" She stops putting on her makeup and stares at me, waiting for me to give my opinion.

I kind of agree with her, but... and what about Anthony's house? If we leave here, we will move on, but Anthony will not. He will be left behind and I will really be leaving him in my past.

"What about Anthony's house and his things?" I ask and she takes a deep breath.

"So is that why you like living here?" She asks and I stay silent. "If that is the reason, then you don't like living here, you just feel that by staying here, you will be close to him somehow."

"It's the only thing I have left of him.."

"You won't be leaving him behind if we leave here, because he will always be in your heart."

Yeah.. she's right.

"You just want to move out because you don't want my father to come after you and because staying here reminds you of what you lived through, doesn't it?" And her delay in answering already says it all.

"I don't want him to know where we live. He has moved on and so have I, so I see no need for me to stay in a place where our history, which is already over, happened."

"Look, I understand you, so if you want to move, I will go with you, but I don't want you to sell this house, because I don't want to say goodbye to it," I speak and she agrees.

"Thank you for understanding me, my love," she gives me a smile.

"Uhm.. I'm going to the game at school now."

"Oh, okay. You can go. I don't want to slow you down," and I agree.

"Can I borrow your car? Because I haven't asked anyone for a ride." I ask and she smiles.

"I have a present for you," and when she says that and gets up, going to the nightstand beside her bed, a big smile opens in my mouth.

She takes a small box out of the drawer and comes over to me, handing it to me. I open it and am happy to see that what I was thinking was right.

"Thank you! Really, thank you so much," I give her a hug and she returns it.

"You didn't even get a chance to drive much with your old car, so I wanted to give you another one," she speaks and I smile.

"How did you buy a car and I didn't find out?" I ask indignantly surprised at myself and she laughs.

"Maybe it's because you don't step in the garage of our house."

"Yeah.. that makes sense," I speak and we hear the doorbell ring.

"I think he arrived. Take advantage of the fact that you're already heading downstairs and tell Christopher I will be right down."

"Okay. I will go down to let him know and check out my new car," I say smiling.

"Go, my love. Anything at all, call me, okay?" She says preucupated and I agree. "Take care, I love you." She moves closer and gives me a kiss on the top of my head.

"I love you too."

"I hope you like the car. I just won't go down with you to see your reaction, because I still have to finish my makeup and I will end up slowing you down."

"Fine. I'm going down now, because I'm curious," I say and she agrees, so I leave the room.

I go downstairs excited to see my new car, the same one that by his key I see is an Audi, and I see, as expected, Christopher sitting on the sofa with a bouquet of roses in his hands.

Friends..

"You look catty," I compliment him as I approach and he laughs.

"Do you think? Thank you."

"Did you bring flowers for her? You will earn some points huh?" I say and he gives a small laugh.

"I hope.." he looks at me. "You're dressed too, are you going somewhere?" and I agree.

"To the school game."

"Oh yeah.. speaking of which, after the lecture, other Justice students went to the police station to denounce the teacher and complain about the lack of  consideration the school principal had for their situation."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"We have sent the cases to the courts and probably in the next few days we will have an answer on what to do."

I think about asking about what Alexander and Williams said in their statements, but I don't ask, because I know he has to keep it secret.

"And what answer do you think you will get?"

"There are chances that the judge will order a remand for Alexander and the removal of the school principal until they go to trial."

"Got it.."

"Remembering that you can sue the school for moral damages."

"Yes, I know that.."

As much as they deserve a lawsuit, I just want this all to end soon, I just want to finish and close this chapter of my life. If they go to jail and lose their jobs to pay for what they've done, that's good enough for me.

"Uhm.. I have to go now or else by the time I get there, the game will have already started."

"Oh okay, good game to you," he stands up and we hug.

"And good date to you and my mom. She should be down in a few minutes," I say and he agrees smiling, so I pull away and head for the garage, getting impressed to see the beautiful white vehicle that I got from my mother.

I love you, Mom.

I approach the car and see from the rear that it is a Audi A3 Sedan. I get in the car, the one with the beige seats, and start it, leaving the garage seconds later and starting to make my way to school.