Now I Panic

Dreaded Phone Call

The phone rings and I jump up to get it before it can disturb the boys.

"Hello?"

"Darling!"

I drop the phone in my shock, then instantly scramble to pick it up.

"M-mom?!"

"Yes darling hello. How are you doing? Is Mark alright too? Tell him I said hello."

Now I'm freaked out. "What happened? Who died this time?"

Mom actually laughs. "You are so funny dear. You get that from your father." She continues to laugh as if it's the funniest thing she ever heard.

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Can't a mother call her own daughter to see how she's doing?"

My voice goes cold. "A normal mother can; you can't. Whenever you bother to call, either someone's died, or you have some very bad news to tell me. So please stop with the stupid head games and just tell me what's going on."

She sighs, not even bothering to scold me for the way I said it. "Well..."

Mark comes up beside me. "Who's on the phone?"

I swat at him, trying to get him to leave. Mom is silent on the other end; whatever she has to tell me must be really bad.

"Mom," I practically bark at her. Mark chokes on the gum he's chewing and I slap him on the back.

"Mom?! Why is she calling?! Who died this time?" He looks ready to run.

See, neither Mark, nor I have had a very good life with our parents; which is why when Mark moved out(as soon as he hit 18) I begged and begged for him to take him with me. He did, but he had to sneak me out. Only after we'd moved into his new house, did we call mom and dad to tell them. By then, we were clear across the country, so there was nothing that they could do, but let me stay.

Mom's voice interrupts my thoughts. "Honey, your father and I need to see you in person to tell you this. When would be a good time for us to come?"

My mind goes blank, then I panic. "Here?! Why would you come here? What in the world could be so important that you'd need to come to New York to tell me. You're all the way in California! Can't we have a video conference instead?"

Mark hears this, and runs to tell the guys. They all leap up as if their minds are connected and run out of the room. They're all terrified of my mom, after that one time they met her and she spent a good two hours barking at them about education and how they've wasted their lives with music. It was kindof funny to watch actually.

Mark runs back and practically rips the phone out of my hand.

"Mom? Yeah hi... Uh, you and dad can't come here. Because you'll probably do something to make all the guys quit. Yes... You remember how close you came to it last time-"

I tune them out and go to the fridge, getting some water, not sure what to do.

Mark brings the phone to me. I try to resist, but he grabs my wrist and puts the phone in it.

"Good luck Kort," he says, then leaves.

I raise it to my ear, honestly and truly scared. "Mom?"

"Yes. Well, your brother and I decided that you would come here instead. He seems to think that his band hates me and will quit on the spot if I show up there."

That's true...

"What? No, please. Mom..."

"It's settled, Kortney. We've already bought you plane tickets. You leave on Monday morning, and should get here by Tuesday afternoon. Can't wait to see you."

"Wait!" I scream into the phone. "Will I be coming back?"

There's a long silence on her end, and I start to think she's hung up. But then,

"We'll try to do everything to make sure you get to go back, sweetie. We..." She sounds hesitant. "We know that you really like it there, and Mark and the boys make you happy... so we will definitely try okay?"

This is the first time that mom has ever said that she approves of me living here. "What do you mean you'll try? What would be holding you back?"

She sighs. "I can't tell you that right now, honey. I'll see you when you get here. Your father seems to be truly excited about this." She hangs up, and I don't move for a minute. Then I hang up, and instantly let out a ear- splitting scream.

Mark and the guys run into the room looking ready to attack someone. I would laugh if I weren't so furious.

"What in the world is wrong Kort?!" Mark screams, then remembers his head and winces.

I grab his collar and pull him towards me. "What's wrong? I'm going to freaking' California, and I might not be coming back! Why'd you have to tell her that?!"

Liam grabs me into a hug, and I don't have the strength to fight him, so I just sag against him.

"If I have to move back home, I'll kill myself. I promise you. That heartless woman and her husband will take away everything I love."

Mark makes me look at him. "Listen to me, Kort. We will not let you move back in with them. We will do everything we can-heck, I'll do everything I can just to make sure that you don't have to move back in with them. We'll kidnap you again if we have to."

I laugh a little bit at that. "Yeah. That was fun, huh?"

Liam lets me go and I sit down on the floor at his feet, not feeling like moving at all anymore.

Mark kneels in front of me. "You wanna go get something to eat? You leave tomorrow, so we should do something special."

"You guys still have headaches. Why don't we just watch a movie?"

"Are you sure?"

I smile as much as I can. "Yeah. I'll just hang out with you guys for as long as I can. Who knows when, and if, I'll be coming back."

They all get up, and we go to watch our last movie together; who knows how long it'll be before we can do this again.