Poster Girl ✔

23) NEW YORK?

"Mom I'm going to New York" the ladle she's holding clatters on the kitchen counter. She looks at me with slightly wide eyes which soon turns into annoyed slits. "What are you talking about?" she asks as she wipes her hands down on the kitchen towel. I smile uneasily. The relationship with my mother has always been a strained one where we don't interact much for if we do there is bound to be a conflagration.

"I'll be just going for a couple of days to meet up with Marc and Trini" I say twisting my fingers. "When?" she says as she looks at me tiredly. I look at the weather beaten face of my mother. She is beautiful no doubt but due to all the stress she looks more older than she really is.

"Um....the day after tomorrow."

"Fine."

"Really?"

She sighs as she eyes me tiredly. "You're an adult now Heidi. It's your choice. Do you need money?" she asks making me stare at her in bewilderment. She quirks up an eyebrow and rolls her eyes waiting for my reply.

"Oh no mom that's fine. I still have some money saved up." I used to work with Mr. Summers. He would rather have me model but I refused so he let me work at his shop and man the cash register sometimes. Trinity and Marcus used to model for his new collections and they appeared on TV quite a couple of times and hence they had a nice resume. They didn't take up full time modelling though because they still wanted to finish high school first.

"I'll give you some money just in case" I can't help but drop my jaw as I stare at her. She rolls her eyes again and goes back to stirring the chilli. I shuffle about setting down cutlery and plates. I look over to my mother who is busy helping me set the table.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks" I say softly. She looks at me, her green eyes softening. She gives me a nod and we eat in comfortable silence.

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"You better have good reason for avoiding me all week and now trying to talk to me" I have the urge to roll my eyes but stop myself as I give her a sarcastic smile. "I was not ignoring you" I mutter as I follow her to the cafeteria. "Oh yes you were" she replies glaring at me. "Fine....maybe I was but I'm not doing it right now right?" she pauses and looks at me. She sighs dramatically "I forgive you". I roll my eyes this time.

"Thanks, now listen I have something to tell you"

"Why are you avoiding Nico like the plague though?" she asks completely ignoring my earlier statement. I glare at her as we sit opposite each other. "He was being a jerk" I simply say. She looks at me with suspicion as she munches on a carrot stick. "I have something important to tell you and if you could just kindly listen" I grind out. She motions with her hand for me to go on while I glare at her murderously.

"I'm going to New York."

Crimson stares at me shocked. She opens her mouth when a deep voice which is most definitely not Crimson asks - "You're going to New York?"

I turn around to look into green eyes looking down at me. "It's none of your damn business" I say heatedly. I get up and push past him. "Heids" he says but I don't stop as I walk away from him.

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I hear a knock resound as I just start to get out the now hot bowl of Mac n Cheese. I wonder who it could be. It couldn't be mom because she has a night shift today. I place the bowl down and hurry to the foyer when another knock resounds. I open the door with slight apprehension but my heart stutters at the sight of Nicolas standing outside the door. His shoulders are hunched into his grey coat. His cheeks and tips of his ears are red due to the cold.

"What do you want?" I sigh ready to close the door in his face.

"We need to talk Heidi" he simply says making me sigh deeply.

"Yeah what do you want to talk about?" he shuffles from one foot to the other uneasily. "Just come in" I say giving up already.

I lead him to the living room. He sits on one of the armchairs and I sit opposite him on the couch. "I should start by saying I'm sorry" I scoff. "I'm really sorry though Heids" he says "Look I got carried away and I didn't want to hurt your feelings" I stare at him as anger seeps through my veins. "I was bitter Heidi and I think I might have a thing for you" he says making me freeze.

"What?"

"What I mean is I like you Heidi and maybe I'm a bit jealous that you would go through any lengths to get Marcus back. I'm really sorry" I keep on staring at him as I try to process what he just said.

"You don't have to say anything and I'll still help you but please let's go back to how we were" he pleads.

Does he think things can go back to the way it was after dropping this bomb on me. It might but I still feel a smidgen of anxiety. It's going to be fine now right?

"Okay fine I forgive you but if you pull off another stunt like that I'll kill you."

"I won't I promise."

There is an awkward silence as we look at each other and I wonder how an almost perfect guy like Nicolas can even like me when I'm like this. No one deserves to put up with the likes of me. I'm just a ball of negative energy, the kind that pulls you down.

"So you're going to New York?" I nod.

"Can I ask what for?" I tell him all about my conversation with Marcus to which he frowns. "Are you sure about this?" he asks and I tell him I'm positive. Besides I did need to clear the mess that I'm pretty sure I created. Nico runs his hand through his hair. "We have a lot of work to do" he says "but before that I'll let you know that I'm going to New York with you."

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