"You've got to be kidding me," I mumbled, checking my watch for the second time since I had sat down on this sidewalk. I wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling my duffel bag closer to my legs incase someone decided to steal from me in that second. Not that me as a college student had anything worthy of stealing but $9,000 a year wasn't money to just be throwing around. Especially when my mother was constantly calling me every morning, requesting an update on my academic status.
I shivered, feeling my butt starting to get numb on the sidewalk. It was quite sad really. To see one of the top students, sitting outside the university on this cold winter morning, waiting for his family to drag their butts away from whatever soap opera they were currently watching. My family wasn't very reliable when it came to picking me up, taking me places, noticing I'm there but when it came to my academics, suddenly I became the only Perez that could walk out of that household and actually have a future.
Now if that isn't pressure, I don't know what is.
I stood up from the frozen ground, dusting off the remaining snow on my legs. The lifeless halls of my university caused an uneasy feeling to wash down my spine, the same one I had once I reached this place for the first time. I glanced up at the top right corner of the building, staring at my empty dorm room with a longing desire. I didn't want to go home and spend time with my parents, lounge around with the neighbours whilst my parents flaunt me around all day. It was tiring. I would sit around, watch my mother laugh around with her fake friends just because she wanted their approval and the one person who she didn't need to give it to, she begged it from.
Chresanto's mother was the devil. The woman that I believed pushed her son to his ends and yet, she walked around playing the role of the widow, crying fake tears whenever someone came to her door with food, flowers and much, much more. It was almost as if I could see her pushing him off the hill, sending her son down into the sea of rocks so that she would relish in people's caring eyes or their caring words.
The only thing is, I couldn't prove it. There was no diary, no secret tunnel underneath her house that was filled with her deepest, darkest plans. There was nothing. She was clean, sparkling clean and to say that was normal was an understatement. Nobody was perfect or even close to being sparkling clean. In our town, everyone was fucked up. Sometimes I even wanted to leave but without money, my only option was to follow Chresanto and kill myself.
Screeching tires pulled up beside me immediately, my brother with his head sticking out the window like the idiot he always was. I sighed, picking up my bag from the wet ground, ignoring the melted water that trickled down my leg, causing a shiver to fall down my spine. "Hey dipshit," My brother, Ray, called as he walked up to me, a proud smile on his face. I smiled softly, nodding my head in acknowledgement. "Are you ready for your first day at home?" He asked, helping me shove my bag into the boot.
"I suppose." I replied, getting into the passenger seat. Putting on my seat belt, I glanced back at the back seat, staring at all the bags that were packed. "Who's moving?" I asked, gesturing to the bags once Ray got back into the car.
He glanced back, staring up the car. "Mom's making us move into the country house for the weekend." He replied, pulling out of his parking spot. "She wanted to make this vacation of yours special so she asked us to act nice and take care of you," Ray shook his head in disbelief at my mother's demands. I laughed quietly, retrieving my phone from my pocket once it started to vibrate. My brother took this as a time to ignore me as he turned up the music slightly, nodding his head to the beat.
"Hello." I said, pressing the phone to my ear.
Shuffling came from the other end of the phone before the call quickly ended, sending me into a state a worry. I pulled the phone away from my ear, confusion clear on my face.
"Goodbye?" I whispered, ignoring Ray's looks of worry. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, taking in my closed off atmosphere.
"What's wrong?" He asked, staring at me with this concerned look on his face.
I turned to face him, shoving my phone back into my pocket. "Nothing, probably just a prank call. I'm good."
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A/N:
Hello everyone! So, I know that the dates of the chapters are a bit confusing and as you can tell, this chapter shows that this is 4 months after Chresanto's death so of course, Jacob is still sceptical about his mother and even so, I am not even sure about her.
But, as a reminder, watch the names of the chapters because if I have someone asking me why suddenly, Chresanto and Jacob have become young, I will rage.
Vote and comment!
Thank you so much!
