Virtual Attraction [COMPLETE]

26| Home Alone

Hey guys! This was one of my favourite chapters to write, I love scenes with friendship drama ;) Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to vote & comment below if you do <3

Even though I'd eaten at Victoria's house, by the time arrived back in my apartment, I was parched again.

The worst part of being hungover was the hunger pains the next day. I felt like I was going to combust, if I didn't eat. And quickly.

The only problem was the kitchen looked like it had been ransacked by robbers. After rummaging through the fridge, all I found was some cranberry juice and a few moldy pickles. The pantry was also empty. Mom had forgotten to do the grocery shopping. Again.

That was another thing about my mother. For her, grocery shopping was optional. I'd been the one doing most of the grocery shopping since I was eleven and this past week, I'd been busy.

Thankfully, Riverside complex was just a few blocks down from Carl's Grocery Store. And I still had some leftover Fable money to buy enough ingredients for a casserole.

Rain had begun to pour down throughout the city, so Carl's Grocery Store wasn't busy. That was one of the things I loved about New York City when it rained, the mist collected in the air like a fog and walking into it felt like stepping into a cloud. The sight of the moist air collecting on skyscrapers was breathtaking.

I grabbed the ingredients I needed, making sure they were all on sale first, then I went to the cash out register.

The woman in front of me was placing her groceries on the conveyer belt, while talking one of her children out of stealing candy from the magazine stand.

"Those aren't for you, Jeremy," she said, pulling the stuffed chocolate eggs out of his hand.

A little girl and boy were tugging at her arms and legs, one of them was wiping tears from her eyes. They looked like twins.

The woman's hair was misshapen, while her shoulders slumped down wearily. She seemed exhausted.

Then, she turned around.

What were the odds?

Standing before me was Mrs. Philipps, the perky wife of Mr. Philipps. I knew because I'd seen her on the news with Mr. Philipps discussing the academic promise of MDP's "confederation of the sexes" or becoming a co-ed school. On the day the school had opened, she'd stood behind him while he'd cut the ribbons.

When the little girl that was tugging on her shirt burst into another round of tears, Mrs. Philipps looked around her helplessly, embarrassed.

As she glanced around the room to see how many people had caught her child's outburst, her eyes snagged on me.

She furrowed her eyebrows, studying me. "Where do I know you from?"

I glanced behind me, at first. Was she talking about me?

When I realized she was, I waited while she stuffed some candy into her child's arms, before replying, "I...um...I go to MDP."

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed. "You're Amelie's daughter – Blaze Allen! I've heard so much about you. I'm glad to finally be able put a face to the name."

I blinked. My mother was friends with the wife of the man she was having an affair with? Just thinking about it made my head hurt.

This was all such a mess.

"Um," I stuttered. "How do you know my mother?"

"She's our cleaning lady. Ron hired her."

Mom had a job.