Untouchable [ on going ]

[13 | Death by Flattery ]

U n t o u c h a b l e

[13 | Death by Flattery ]

Two rings and, "Hadley."

"Mother," I greeted in the same icy tone she answered the phone with. There was a distinct sound of sighing on the other side, followed by a groan. "Is this a bad time?"

Please, say yes.

"Yes. Please hold," she answered sternly, and the beeping sound of a flat b greeted me.

"Rude. She put me on hold," I stated, frowning. Gavin, who was busy getting dressed chuckled, shaking his head, mumbling something along the lines of me being impatient. Then, with a promise of coffee, he left the bedroom, giving me privacy while I waited for my mother to answer the phone again.

"Sorry about that, I had a client," came her hasty excuse a minute later. She didn't sound sorry at all. "I wasn't expecting you to call so early. How's school treating you there?"

I rolled my eyes. She probably wasn't expecting me to call at all. If she wanted to communicate with me, she would have done more than just tell Dad to call her. "What do you want, mother?" I asked bitterly, skipping the pleasantries. The less I talk to her, the longer I have time to spend with Gavin.

"I was wondering if you want to come by during Christmas."

I frowned at her words. I haven't spent a holiday with her since Lily's death. What made Christmas so special to every other holiday out there? She wasn't particularly religious-or at all-so I doubted that she wanted to bond with me during the holiday. "Why?"

"I only want to spend time-" she began her BS, but I knew she was lying so I cut her off with: "Cut the crap, Mom. What do you want?"

She grumbled something along the lines of me being ungrateful but it was hard to hear. "I have a new client I need entertained."

Excuse me?

"I am not selling myself."

Which, I realized is completely hypocritical of me to say because that was technically how I got Gavin to cooperate in the first place. But she didn't know that and she didn't have to know that.

She chuckled. "Not that kind of entertainment," she assured me with a light chuckle. As if I could laugh about this. It wasn't even funny. "I've been invited to this silly party and need my daughter to come with me."

"Mother, no." I remember Lily telling me about these grande parties Mom would always bring her. Even before their divorce, it was always Lily she brought with her, never me. Of course, I was a little bitter. But at the same time, I didn't want to go because it was hers and Lily's thing. Never mine.

She sighed. "Listen, Penelope," she said in a strict manner, "I am your mother and you are coming to this event."

"Would you like fries with that?" That was when Gavin decided to enter the room, a half smile on his lips and a cup of coffee in his hand. I really wanted to conversation to be over.

"Please, dear," she said in a softer tone. I didn't want to, but who was I to say no to my mother? Even as crappy as a mother as her, I've always seek for her approval and went beyond my ways to please her back then. She was only asking me because Lily was gone, she wouldn't have bothered with me if Lily was still here. At the same time, that little girl inside of me that always wanted her mother to give her a glance was a little gleeful, if not excited by this. But I was too bitter to actually feel the bit of excited-ness from her invitation.

"Mother, I don't-"

"Lope, please," she tried again, using the old name she used to call me.

"Fine, whatever," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. She wasn't going to stop pleasing and I rather not waste my time arguing with her. "Email me the details. Goodbye." And I hung up.