The Snowy-haired Genius

Chapter seventeen

Winter ended up releasing the video to the public, despite my protests. I wanted to punch him when I found out, but instead ended up listening to him rant about the video ending up on the news. "You're famous, Jacey!"

"I was before I got here," I grumbled in response.

A few days later, he slammed open the door looking more excited than usual. "Jacey!" He shouted, making me jump and drop my book to the floor. "I have to show you something! I do believe you'll enjoy it very much!"

He grabbed my hand, his fingers entwining with mine, and pulled me upstairs to the very top floor, opening the dark brown door for me. I looked around. It must have been his bedroom. There was a large, double bed against the wall, with furs for blankets. On one side, there was an attached bathroom, and a walk-in wardrobe, and on the other room a sliding door to the balcony. On the roof, there was even a skylight. He had a fluffy white carpet, and a TV hanging on the wall in front of his bed.

There, on the TV, was my mother.

"I don't know..." She was saying, shaking her head. She had changed since the last time I had seen her; her cheekbones had become more visible, her eyes red. Her usually conditioned hair was flat and stringy, and I could even see the natural dark roots beginning to show. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "I want him back... Why can't they just give him back?"

"Why is she crying?" I asked, tears filling my own eyes. "Don't cry Mum..." I pulled my hand out of Winter's and stepped closer to the TV, pressing my hand against the screen. "Mum?"

"What was your reaction when Jason didn't come home that night?" Somebody behind the camera asked her. She visibly swallowed. 

"I thought he had run away. He had an argument with Daniel, you see. I guess... I guess I thought he just didn't want to be my son anymore," She burst into tears. "Why can't they just give Jason back?"

Me. They were talking about me? She actually missed me? It was so shocking to me. Mum had always paid much more attention to my brothers, who were better than me at everything. Funnier, smarter, good looking. They didn't spend days on end just lying in bed in the dark, shouting at people to get out of my room. They were always doing something. I was a struggle to take care of, and I knew it. But maybe it didn't really occur to me that my Mum loved me, too.

I found myself furious at the public for exploiting her like this. If she really was missing me so much, then they shouldn't have been shoving cameras in her face and asking her questions that made her cry. They should have been looking for me!

My mother crying. She was crying because of me.

The interview turned to my brother, Jacob (I could tell it was him because of the way he brushed his long, golden locks back). "What happened in the restaurant that made him angry enough to walk out?" The interviewer asked.

"Oh, we're still talking about Jason," Jacob sighed, leaning on the back of the chair. "Well, he got his phone taken away from him because he kept being rude. He got angry, stormed out of the restaurant, and... well, I guess that was it. We haven't seen him since."

Next up was my Dad. He was just gazing directly at the camera, a blank stare on his face. I didn't even listen to what he had to say. Instead, I turned and looked at Winter, tears running down my cheeks. "Why didn't you just choose Jacob? Look at him. He's perfect."

Winter closed the door behind us, and stepped forward. "Do you really want to know why I chose you over one of your brothers?" He asked softly.

"Because I was weaker?"