The Game Changer

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I woke up the next morning on my study table surrounded by heaps of paper and books. I had a killer headache and an empty stomach. I made my way downstairs and smelled waffles and coffee. I made my way to the kitchen and found Grandma was talking to Sunny and Grandpa reading the newspaper.

"Hey!" I ran toward my grandparents and gave them a hug.

"Hey, kiddo! Sit, sit and eat!" Grandma told me. I gave her a kiss on the forehead before taking my place at the table.

"So, how have you girls been?" Grandpa asked.

"Still alive but I'm barely breathing," Sunny said with a sigh.

"I drink to that," I replied before taking a sip of coffee. After breakfast, Sunny left for school and I helped with the dishes.

"So, how's the search?" Grandma asked.

"No progress, whatsoever," I replied.

"Sweetie, are you even trying to look for her?"

"No, I'm not. Why should I? I have, or had, such a great mom and dad. That woman left me," I replied. As much as I loved my grandmother, it pissed the hell out of me every time she brought it up. As of the moment, I had no intention of looking for my birthmother. She didn't have space for me on her plate and frankly, mine had more than enough.

"Because it's what Lily wants. You know how she upset she gets when she doesn't get what she wants," she reminded me. I found this amusing because mom could get pretty childish sometimes. "She wants what's best for you."

"Alright," I replied in defeat. Grandma gave me smile and said, "and give yourself a break, sweetie. You don't get enough rest. You know we can help you with your finances, you should be concentrating on your studies."

"Yes, I know that and I'm grateful," I said, taking her hands in mine. "But I'm almost 19 now, and I have to stand on my own two feet. You and grandpa have done so much for me already."

She smiled and kissed me on the cheek before retreating to the living room to take a nap. I headed upstairs thinking that I needed one too. I sunk into my bed and felt like I haven't been in bed for weeks. About 30 minutes into my nap, my phone started ringing.

"I can't catch a break," I said, my voice muffled by my pillows. "Hello?" It sounded more like "he-wow?"

The caller chuckled, and it was a chuckle I recognized. "Good morning, Ms. Montgomery! Were you in the middle of something?" he teased.

"Noah? Hi, what's up?" I said, suddenly feeling wide awake.

"Hey, you busy? I need to talk to you," he said casually. "I can drive over your place."

"Uhm, sure. Yeah. I'll text you the address," I said as I frantically tried to make my room look decent. I rushed downstairs to check the place and of course it was since grandma was here to make sure everything was in shape. I texted Noah the address and he replied instantly. "Be there in thirty. Pepperoni sound good?"

"Sure. Yup!" I replied to his text. I decided I probably needed to take a shower before he showed up. I took a quick shower and put on denim shorts and a white shirt. I heard someone pullover our house and ring the doorbell. I looked through my window and saw Noah holding a box of pizza. I opened the window and shouted , "hey! I'll be right down in a sec. Come in!" He flashed me a smile before heading inside. I made my way downstairs and I greeted him with a smile. He smiled back and waited for me to sit down on the couch before he did.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" I asked as he opened the box and grabbed a slice.

"I'm here to discuss your terms," he said.