Cursed

--> Ch. 12 <--

**Brandon on the side-->**

Chapter 12

Yawning, I stretched my arms above my head, slowly making my way down the stairs. I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake up faster. Today was going to be great. I was going to go shopping for paint and decorations for my room. I was really excited, even though I knew Sam wouldn't be able to share this fun with me.

Walking into the kitchen, I was surprised to see my Mom up so early sipping on her usual cup of coffee. It was almost ten, but my Mom usually slept in until that last minute possible on Sundays. She glanced up when she saw me, then back down at the magazine she was reading. “Morning, sweetie. Have any plans for the day?”

I went to the pantry and pulled out my favorite cereal, Frosted Flakes. “Yeah, actually. I'm planning on going shopping for wall paint and decorations. I just thought it was time for a change.” I shrugged.

Pouring the cereal and milk into my bowl, I joined my Mom at the table with a spoon in one hand and my meal in the other.

She put her magazine down. “Do you need money to buy everything?”

I stirred my milk and cereal together, trying to get every flake wet. “Well, I was planning on buying everything, but if you're insisting...” I glanced up at her and smiled.

She waved her hand at me and laughed. “Oh, please. I'll buy everything. It's the least I can do for my baby girl. And yes, I do insist.” She got up, leaving her steaming mug and magazine behind. She opened up her purse on the counter and pulled out her wallet. I ate my breakfast hastily, suddenly having a strong desire to get to the store as fast as I possibly could. When my Mom reapproached me, she placed a bunch of twenty dollar bills down in front of me. “Five-hundred should be enough, right?”

I almost choked on my food from trying to gasp. I looked at her in complete shock, but she remained utterly calm. I swallowed heavily. “Five-hundred dollars is more than enough, Mom. I don't need that much. I'm just getting some paint and maybe a comforter, that's it. And besides, it's not like I'm going to buy the most expensive things out there. Are you trying to make me spoiled? Oh my gosh. Mom, seventy-five should cover everything, I'm sure. But, five-hundred? Holy cra-”

“Honey! I insist,” my Mom interrupted. She pushed the heap of money towards me. “Buy yourself something really nice. Anything you want. I haven't bought you anything in awhile and I figure I might as well take this opportunity.” She nodded once. “Now don't loose that. It's well, hard-earned cash.”

I shook my head. “Mom...”

She held her hand up to stop my protests. “No. I insist. Take it. Have fun.” She leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I'm going to go run a few errands myself. Don't be afraid to spend all of it!” With that, she walked away, leaving me to have a stare down with the wad of money.

“Thanks...?” I uttered. I eyed the amount cautiously like it was going to disappear any second now. Did my Mom really just give me five-hundred dollars? Where did she even get it from? She doesn't even have a job! The money we get is from my Dad, who was apparently immensely rich. I guess my Mom just inherited all of his money. A memory popped into my of when I heard her talking over the phone conversing with a friend. I remembered this out of her statement:

“...and since I put it all in the bank, we don't even need to touch it anymore. We can live off the investment money! Crazy, isn't it?”

We must have millions of dollars in the bank! What the crap?! There are so many things I don't know about my family.

I shake my head and heave a sigh. I finish the last few bites of my cereal and then put my dishes in the sink. I turn around slowly, and find the big wad of cash still there. Just sitting on the table. Should I really take it? This was retarded. Why did my Mom give me all this to blow? I scrunched my eyebrows and sprawled the dollar-bills out with my index finger. They were all in twenties and when I counted how much was there, it came to a total of five-hundred, just like my Mom promised. I licked my lips and picked it all up carefully, almost grudgingly.