Love Searching

Chapter 3

3 | Keep That Boy

My Mom shakes me awake and I yawn, stretching my arms up in the air. "Where are we?"

I look out the window and see a huge yellow M.

"Why are we-- growl."

Mom gives me a knowing look as I grin sheepishly at her,"Right."

I didn't know I was hungry. Maybe reminiscing does this to people. It's sometimes unpleasant but it's something I learn and still healing from. She notices the look in my eyes and winks at me,"Come on, there might be cute boys there."

"Mom," I give her a pointed look.

"Daughter," She holds my hands in hers. "I will lead you to a better life."

"In McDonald's?" I laugh quietly. She doesn't reply.

She drops my hands and faces her car door. Mom breathes in deeply and with a shaky voice, she cries,"My baby's leaving me!"

"But Ma, I didn't even say—"

"My baby!" She yells, leaving the car.

I blink at her back as she sashays to the double doors. There's her charm. I see the keys in the ignition and grumble,"She's the one leaving me. Not the other way around."

I pull the key out and stick my foot past the door, taking one foot out at a time. Hopefully, I won't trip. I stand outside with a proud smile on my face. This is the first time I didn't have an incident while exiting the car. I squeal in delight and right there and then, I knew that I jinxed myself.

"This is amazing! I can't bel–"

I spoke too soon, I inwardly groan.

My hands and knees hit the concrete ground hard and I sigh in frustration. The pain spreads all over both areas and my cheeks turn red from embarrassment.

"Dammit," I hiss.

I dust myself off and lock the car as if nothing happened. I walk until I'm about ten feet away from the building when I see Mom from the other side of the glass, an evil glint glimmers in her eyes.

"What?" I mouthed.

She waves her phone at me and I shrug, not getting it. She grins at me and plays the video. My eyes go wide and I run to her before she shows it to a stranger.

A guy my age innocently strolls in front of my Mother when she says something that makes him stop. He smiles at her politely and I feel my heart land in my stomach and jump back to my chest. Holy shit. What's going on?

I push the right door open and a blast of cold air wraps itself around me, mostly on my burning cheeks. I stay there for a minute when I hear my Mom's voice.

"...my daughter is really clumsy and this is proof of it," she smirks, unlocking her phone.

I hug my Mother from the side and slyly take the phone off her hands,"Mom!" she gapes at me as I scold her,"You know with your sickness, you shouldn't be running off like that. I was worried!"

"But, but I'm not sick!"

I gently push  my Mother aside and smile at the cute stranger's nose apologetically,"I'm really sorry that you had to see her in this condition. Her Farliem's hasn't improved and it sometimes gets out of control."

I meet his eyes and my breath tangles up in my throat. His eyes are emerald with specks of brown in them. Even my eyes aren't that pretty. He takes in my expression and grins at me, knowing the secret behind what I said,"It's alright. I hope she gets well soon, a beautiful woman like her doesn't deserve to go through this."