The Deal

Chapter 2

I got home, putting my mother to bed before going into my bedroom.

She had drunken just the right amount to be over the board tired, luckily she wasn't crazy drunk, that'd be another story.

I got into my room, slipping off my heels and putting down my hair, letting the natural red color fall at my shoulders.

I slipped off the dress that I'd never wear again and changed into a tank top and some sweats.

I opened my laptop, looking at the blank white page, the page that needed to be typed with words, but hadn't yet.

I had no clue on what to write, and I probably could've been working on this instead of attending an event I obviously didn't need to attend considering the fact I stayed at the bar the whole night, talking to the bartender, Ben.

He was cool, and cute.

And I made sure that before I left, I put my number in with the tip I left for him.

I mean he had made my night less boring, and for that I was thankful, not to mention that again, he was cute.

I hadn't had a boyfriend or even thought about having a boyfriend since my high school boyfriend, Josh.

He was great, cute, nice, and just sweet over all. He was my first boyfriend, up until I introduced him to my mom.

I warned him she'd be crazy, and he ended up being fine with that. It wasn't what happened when they meant, it's what happened afterwards.

My mom immediately told me to dump him because I had no time for boyfriends and if I wanted to get into a good college, I should solely be focusing on school.

I believed her, so I ended up sadly dumping him, unwilling. Now that I understand my moms heartless, soulless towards me and her best interests aren't me, I'm not so afraid to go off and date without her permission.

Although I do have to admit that I've been to scared to actually find myself a guy since, I secretly had a feeling she'd find a way to ruin any relationship that I had.

I don't trust my mother, no matter what.

I sigh, still looking at my blank computer screen.

I shut the laptop, getting up and deciding just to go to bed instead.

Maybe a night of sleep would help me work out what I'd eventually write.

~~~

I was rudely awaken by my mother bursting into my room, opening my curtains and letting in the early morning sunlight.

She hummed a song as she did so.

"Time to wake up Zaina." She says, pulling my blankets off me.

"Mom, it's Saturday..." I groan out.

"I know that, but I made breakfast and you'll accompany me." She says, walking out of my bedroom.

"Hurry up!" She yells.

I sigh, turning over and screaming into my pillow.

Nothing like a morning scream to get your day going.

Ugh.

I stand up, slipping on my slippers and walking downstairs to the smell of my moms homemade crepes and scones.

She watched in awe as she sat down the food on the table, which consisted of fresh fruit, orange juice, crepes, chocolate scones, and bacon that she usually cooked with maple.

I was all for being up this early to eat a breakfast like this. She rarely made breakfast like this.

In fact the last time she made me a huge breakfast and was actually acting like a mother towards me, was when she gave away my dog, when I was eight!

Something was up.

"Sit." My mom demanded as she took a seat herself.

I take a seat at the table, eyeing her.

"Is something wrong?" I ask as she served me a plate.

"No." She smiles, handing me the plate.

I bite my lip. "You're not dying, are you?" I ask, not sure if I would be okay with it or not.

Okay, I'm not heartless like my mother, I don't want her to die!

"Of course not, don't be silly!" She laughs. "Mom I'm not stupid. You only do things like this-" I motion towards the table of food. "when you have bad news to break." I point out.

"Well I will admit I have news, but it isn't bad news." She laughs.

I frown, thinking of all the things that she could say to me, that she'd consider good news and I'd consider bad news.

She can be enrolling me into more classes, although I wasn't sure that was possible. Or she can be setting me up with her ideal guy for me, that sounded horrible.

"What's the news?" I ask slowly. She smiles.

"Well, lately, as you've noticed, I haven't been myself. I've been worried about a few things." She shrugs, putting some chocolate spread on her crepe.

"I got a letter the other day saying that because I was didn't renew my green card this year, I'd be deported and wouldn't be able to try and renew it until the middle of next year." I frown.

"You're being deported?" I ask. She shakes her head. "No, because I'm getting married to a U.S citizen." She smiles.

I frown. "What?!?" I yell, taken back.

How completely out of the blue.

"H-How? Who?!" I shake my head, trying to process this.

"You'll meet him tonight at dinner. He's really nice but I will admit I've known him for only a short while. It's a temporary marriage. He's just helping me out well I help him out with something." She shrugs.

I look at her, dumbfounded. "Who is he? What does he want in return?" I ask, shocked.

"He has a bit of a background. He owns his own company, which is a computer programming company. One of the biggest known companies in the world. He's agreed to marry me if I keep up a wife status. Make him look better in media, stuff like that." She shrugs.

"We'll have a big wedding as well, one that'll be all over the media." She shrugs, smiling happily.

"Oh my God, this is a lot to take in." My appetite had completely disappeared, I was just so confused I couldn't focus on eating anything!

"I know, I know. But you'll meet him tonight and maybe you'll feel more at an understanding." She smiles. "Now eat up! Foods getting cold." She winks as I look at her like the most craziest person.

Not only was she getting married but she was getting married only to be able to remain in the country?!

She's literally crazy.