Stay

Phone Calls

***RACHEL'S POV***

I didn't return to the apartment until around six o'clock. I only had three classes, but I spent a lot of time at the library. Scott had ordered a pizza, and approximately three slices were saved for me. I put two on a plate and knocked on Scott's door.
"Yeah?" he called, and I opened it.
"Hey," I said quietly, sitting on the edge of his bed.
Scott had been watching TV. His room was still mostly an array of boxes, but I didn't expect him to be organized as quickly as Veronica and I were.
"What's up, kiddo?" he asked.
"You know what's up," I mumbled. "You get any calls today?"
"Yeah," Scott admitted. "I didn't pick up, though. I didn't expect her to get our number so quickly."
"I'm sick of having to change it," I sighed, taking a few bites of pizza. "Do you think we should just talk to her?"
Scott looked at me like I was crazy. He muted the TV and turned to fully face me. "What the hell is that gonna do?" he asked. "You really think calling and talking to her is going to get her to leave us alone? Listen, Rachel, you don't know Mom as well as I know her. She doesn't want to patch up her relationship with us. She wants money. She knows I got some and she wants it."
"But what if she doesn't," I whispered. "What if she does want to talk to us? Wouldn't it be good to at least say the things we've always wanted to say to her?"
"No," Scott argued. "Seeing her is just going to make you more angry. I told you, I've already dealt with these feelings, but for years you've just-"
"Whatever," I snapped, looking away from him.
"Rach," he said quietly, putting his hand on mine. "You're never going to be able to move on and grow if you keep these things in."
"I'm not keeping anything in!" I shouted. "Jesus... Can't you just leave it?! You know how I feel about Mom and you know I don't want a relationship with her just as much as you don't!"
"Then why do you want to see her?" Scott asked.
"You wouldn't get it," I mumbled angrily.
"I guess I wouldn't," Scott sighed. "Listen," he began, "if you ever decide you want to meet up and talk to her, don't bring her here, okay? I don't want her knowing where we live."
I nodded slowly and stood up. "I'm gonna go take a shower," I said slowly. "You want to finish this?" I handed him the plate of pizza and he shook his head.
"You eat it," he told me. "I doubt you've eaten much all day."
I left his room and did as he told me to. After finishing my pizza, I ran myself a bath instead of taking a shower. I needed time to think. I needed time to plan.

***VERONICA'S POV***

I heard Rachel go into Scott's room after she got home. I was doing homework, but could hear some of the conversation they were having. I, for one, agreed with Scott. It was not a good idea for Rachel to see her mother. It wasn't going to do anything good for her. The fact that her mother had been trying to contact the two of them since early May didn't help either. They just wanted it all to be over with, but Rachel wanted something more than that.
After an hour or so, she entered our bedroom wrapped in a towel.
"Have a nice bath?" I asked, and she nodded.
"I forgot to grab underwear, though," she said, going through her drawers to get what she needed.
"I heard you and Scott talking," I admitted quietly.
"I figured," she replied, finding what she was looking for. "It's nothing you don't know."
"I know," I sighed. "But why do you want to talk to her anyway? I mean, after all she put you and Scott though."
"Why does it matter?!" Rachel asked defensively. "Am I not allowed to have my own feelings towards her?!"
"Rachel, you know that's not what I meant," I tried to reason with her.
"Whatever," she snapped, and she left the room to put her pajamas on.