That Intellectual Badass (On Hold)

Chapter 2

To say that I was tired would be an understatement. All I wanted to do was go home, cuddle into my covers and be high on ice cream and Netflix. An unhealthy obsession, I know.

But my life isn't that simple and easy. When I come back from school, I find my mom talking to herself while baking cookies, a way of coping up when she's confused/pissed/upset all together, a trait fortunately/unfortunately passed onto me.

"-I mean the least she could've done was maybe telling me-".

"Uh, mom?" I enter the kitchen and look at the mess she made of the kitchen. She takes a tray of cookies out of the oven and keeps it one the counter. Smells friggin delicious.

"-She's contacting me after three months? We were so close, but after my marriage we drifted apart I get it but don't you think-" Mom keeps pacing around, mumbling to herself, still not noticing that I'm in the kitchen.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I take a seat near the kitchen counter as she paces around, still oblivious to my presence.

"-She didn't even tell me that she got married for Christ's sake, let alone tell me she had a baby! What kind of a best friend is she? And now she-"

"Mom!" I snap my fingers when she's in front of me.

She jumps and looks at me, clutching her heart. "Oh my God, Lily! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me! When did you come back?"

"Hello to you too, mom. And I didn't 'sneak' up on you. I have been sitting here for a few minutes while you kept mumbling to yourself. Now, what's wrong?" I pat the other stool to tell her to sit. She waves her hand dismissively.

"My high school best friend has moved to this town." She takes out her apron and puts it on the counter.

"Well, isn't that a great news? Why are you upset?" I furrow my eyebrows confused.

"Yes, it's great. But she's been in the town for three months and she decided to tell me now. Who does that?" Mom frowns.

"At least it's better than bumping into her on a random day at Wal-Mart. And maybe she forgot you live here?" I reason out.

"That's what I thought. Anyway, I'm glad she's here. It gets lonely when all of you are away and I don't have anything to do." She smiles and gets up. "I was going to the basement to open a few old boxes of mine. Wanna join?"

Even though I was worn out, I couldn't say no to her. She looked happy.

After a few minutes of search, my mom takes out a box with 'Emily – High School' written on it.

She blows away the dust off the box in the direction exactly where I was.

"Mom!" I cough, trying to clear away the dust around me.

"Sorry hun." Mom chuckles at me.

We sit on the ground while mom opens the box, revealing loads of books, albums and clothes, and some random stuff, all squeezed into it. A time jewellery box on top catches my eye. I take it out, opening to find a necklace with a locket in the shape of an oyster shell. I open it to find a picture of my parents in their teenage years, my dad kissing my mom's cheek.

I gawk at it, speechless and clueless what it's doing here in a box in the basement. It's simple yet so beautiful.

I glance at mom, to see her already looking at the necklace with a distant look in her eyes with a small smile.

"Who gave you this to you, mom?" I ask her.

She glances at me and her smile widens. "This, dear, was given by your hopelessly romantic father. He gave it to me at our two year anniversary of our relationship in high school. Oh, what a wonderful night it was." Mom takes the necklace out of the box and looks at it. I shift closer, looking at her expectantly. She laughs at me, but keeps the necklace inside the box and starts telling me.