it cast imagines

hotel-Jae

E D I T E D
I re-wrote this entire story. The plot and everything about this has changed, so if you have read this in previous times, I highly suggest to re-read if you want! :)

I walk from the cold air into the warm heat of our hotel with my mother trailing behind me. Her purse is at her side, bulging out as if it was to burst and explode faxes and tapped receipts everywhere. Her phone is glued to her face, typing rapidly as the receptionist, Mary, greets us. Mary is an odd old lady in her 60's with a voice that sounds as if she was Betty White. Something she does quite often is tell my mother and I stories of meeting famous people, and how she talks to them regularly. We, obviously, never believe her, but it's nice to listen to. This hotel is too moderate for famous people. Run-down with cobwebs in the corners of everything, even the pencil cases on the desk. She's just a sweet old lady who has the imagination of a young child.
"How are you today, kid?" Mary asks me. She clearly doesn't know my name even though I've told her plenty (and I mean plenty) of times. It's okay though, I don't mind.
"Fine. Just fine," I say as I reach into my bag and get out mine and my mothers shared key card. She nods while giving me an award winning, adorable, old lady smile. Not going to lie though, it reminds of me the creepy old lady smile from the movie IT 2, but more 'I just smile like this because I'm old and my teeth are very fake and I'm uncomfortable.'
"How's your cat, Mercedes?" I ask while sliding the key-card towards her. Mary pauses to take a few glances around the room whilst swiping my card. She's definitely looking for someone, but I'm not sure who.
"She's just fine, darlin." I smile and nod.
"Where's your mother?" I casually look around and see her no where in sight, until I see the women's bathroom door slowly creek to a close.
"She must have went to the bathroom." Mary nods and slides me back my key card to then say 'oh!' and mumble a few words under her breath excitedly, something she does quiet often.
"Oh well, let's see here! I just remembered something, and you know that I'm terrible at that." Mary turns to her left, sifting through her 'junk cupboard.'
"Ah, okay, here it is!" She takes out a post-it note, but the nock-off kind you get at the Dollar Tree that has weird printing on it.
"Here," She says giving me the paper. Her hand writing was neat, a perfect cursive in a straight line. Man, I wish I could write like that.
As I look down and read the note, she starts to explain the anonymous person written down.
"That's to the cafe down the street," She says whilst pointing at the note in my hands with a little pep in her voice. This must be so exciting for her. She probably hasn't had anything fun or drama inducing since the 80's or something. Ah yes, her primal years of being a 20-something year old.
"What's it for?" I pause and smile to myself. "Aw, Mary! Are you asking me on a date?" I start to wiggle my eyebrows and try to contain my oh-so sexy smolder (that actually looks like that one guy from Repunzle who, like, try's to seduce her with his smolder, but fails miserably.)
"No, sweet child, you wish! No, I'm kidding, but it's important," Mary says sweetly with a giggle. "If you go there at 3:00 pm, it'll make your day, I promise!" She points back at the paper, seeming giddy and excited like a child.
"Okay, Mary, okay, whatever you say." I giggle to myself over her behavior. I honestly don't believe it will 'make my day.' Who knows, though, I might meet some new people here. It would be nice to have some actual friends for once.
You know what, screw it. I need to live a little!

Mary and I talk for a few more minutes until I decide to go back to my reserved room. I tell Mary goodnight and almost make it to the stairs until I jump out of fear from someone yelling in the distance.
"Wait!" My mother calls as she practically jogs out of the bathroom with her phone in hand and toilet paper literally stuck to her shoe. She seems out of shape, but the stairs are pretty far away from the main desk so I guess I don't blame her. Yet, do want to relish in this moment to realize my mom has been in the bathroom for a good 10 minutes and is frantic and has toilet paper on her shoe. This is great.
"I just got a call from work again this week."
Oh, this is definitely not great.
My face has immediately dropped from a small smile to a sad concerned look.
"Do you have to leave again, tonight out of all times?" I ask questionably. My day went from really great to simply meh. She works so much, and for what? To just be used like an assistant and never get anywhere?
For context, she's a small writer and editor for a Magazine company that deserves to have a proper prompt and deserves pages written by her instead of just small little bits that are as long as my damn nail.
Oh, look at how cool Kim looks! Oh! Look at this person doing normal person things because they are a fucking human being!
"Well..." My mother says whilst trying to find the right words. I shake my head and shake my finger at her.
"You can't keep doing this to me! Hell, we live in a damn hotel for Christ sakes! Do you know how hard it is to do everything alone? Live off of hotel shampoo and shit?" I rage and I raged hard. I was so happy and now she just decided to ruin it.
"I have to go in, I'm sorry! I can spend some time with you, but I have to leave by 3:30! You know how bad Rush Hour gets! You can't be upset at me, I'm trying so hard to keep us stable but you're too selfish to appreciate what I've done for us and what I've been trying to do for fucks sake-"
"It's fine, Mom! Just go! I'm sick of this shit," I yell, gesturing towards the end of all the hall. My mom looks at me with a sad, disappointing look and shakes her head, grabbing her phone out of her pocket.
"I have to go, y/n," she says as she turns to walk towards the lobby down the hall.
"Fine, go. But just know I have plans tomorrow as 3:00 and I'm going alone. It's at the cafe." My mother turns around and tells the person on the phone to hold on in a sweet song voice.
"You can't go alone. I don't care if it's near by. You may be 16, but anything can happen. You're a child and are too short tempered." I begin to argue with her and snap my tone to it's highest of spice. We're red hot, baby! And there's no going back now!