The Shy Billionaire

I'm going to Disneyland

Chapter Five

"So what are you going to do?"

"Do you know what you are going to do?"

"Hey, Chance, what are you going to do with it?"

Ah, jeez. Can't I get asked a different question? Seriously, what do they expect? That I would have it all figured out the moment I found out I won? I don't know what I'm gonna do with it, for Pete's sake. Maybe I'll just smile and say something like 'I'm going to Disneyland' and then they can applaud and go about their business. I'm only eighteen, how would I know what to do with billions of dollars? These things do not happen every day.

Not to me anyway, I thought with a sigh. This was amazing, sure, but I didn't like the attention I got. Growing up trying to master a status of invisibility, the sudden interest on my life through my equilibrium out of whack. Not that anyone noticed.

"Hey, Chance!" Ava yelled. I grinned at her. She was the only person that treated me fairly. Of course, she demanded a percentage of the money for being the inspiration for the purchase, but she just laughed and waved me off when I tried to give her some of the money. She didn't want it, for some reason I couldn't fathom. "Your mom wants to talk to you. She told me to send you home."

"All right," I chuckled nervously. I have yet to talk to my mom about the winnings. She'd been away on a spontaneous business trip while I stayed here, getting stinking rich. I wasn't sure of her reaction, but I hoped it would be a positive one. "Wish me luck."

"Of course," she replied cheerfully. Giving me a hug and a wave, she took off, promising to call me later. I smiled, happy for her. A guy had finally captured her interest and now she had a date with him. It was amazing, seeing as how she had been sure that no one could compete with her crush on Channing Tatum. I had to admit, that would be pretty hard to do. He was absolutely gorgeous. Big sigh.

I headed home, dragging my feet. As soon as I opened the door, I saw my mom sitting on the couch sipping hot chocolate and watching Jersey Shore. I had no idea why she would be interested in that show, but hey, it seemed to be popular. At the sound of the door opening, Mom looked up at me, unsmiling. Uh-oh.

"Hi," I said weakly. She pointed to the seat next to her and I kept my face neutral, despite my rising panic. I had to fight the grimace taking over my expression as I sat down, daring another glance at her. She was really pissed.

"So," she started, setting down her drink. Not a good sign. "I leave for a few days, working hard to provide for my daughter, who in return, ignores my phone calls and, oh yes, forgets to mention that she won the lottery."

"I'm sorry," I said, shifting in my seat uncomfortably. "I changed phones once I got the money. Nothing crazy, of course. I just needed one that wasn't broken. I lost a couple of numbers. It's my fault, I didn't write them down-"

"That's not the point," she snapped. She looked hurt. "Why in the world would I care if you changed phones? I'm talking about your blatant disregard for your mother. I was at a conference, in the middle of a presentation that I had been working tirelessly over, and suddenly I get congratulated by the man I was pitching to, and let me tell you, it wasn't about the merger I was proposing. I looked like an idiot in front of everyone! My boss!"

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I didn't mean to-"

"I know." She cleared her throat, sighing. "It just sucked, you know? I would have liked to be the first person you talked to about it. I'm your mom, after all. I thought that-"

"I know," I interrupted, smiling slightly. This was the mom that I had missed. "It's just a shock, you know?"

"I bet," she said and then chuckled. She looked visibly more relaxed. "So what are you doing with it? Besides the phone?" I shrugged.

"I've no idea," I admitted. My mother pursed her lips.

"Do you want my advice?" she wanted to know. I nodded eagerly. "Invest in something. Something that will do well. You'll make money off of that, so you keep what you have, and you can helps someone's business."

"That sounds like a great idea!" I gushed. Helping someone's business? That is exactly what I wanted to do.

"I can help, if you'd like," she offered. I smiled at her, feeling gratitude warm my insides.

"Of course I want your help!" I told her. "Thank you."

"I just can't believe you actually bought a ticket," she announced, shaking her head in disbelief. I laughed.

"Ava," I said as a way of explaining. Mom grinned knowingly. "I was going to give her some of the money, since she's the reason I won anyway, but she said no."

"Of course she did," Mom scoffed. "She is your best friend. She isn't sticking around because you suddenly got rich. She loves you."

"I know." I sighed. "I really don't know what to do with the money."

"Well," Mom said slowly. "What have you always wanted to be?"

I grinned. My dream was to be a songwriter and Mom knew it. I wanted to go to California and present my songs to a record label, hoping that maybe one day they would choose one as the next hit. I know it seems strange. I was a girl that never stood out and made herself known. I didn't do anything special and I was completely ordinary. However, I did not want to be a famous singer on stage with a thousand adoring fans. I wanted to be the reason why people had a good day or a bad one. I wanted them to hear my song on the radio and be moved. I wanted them to be happy or sad because my lyrics coerced them to. I wanted go be a part of their day.

Mom nodded, as if she knew what I was thinking. "You graduate soon, baby girl. You can afford to go to California now and have your dream come true. What do you think?"

Go to California? Live there and achieve my lifelong dream? Could I really do that? It would mean leaving my mom and Ava. I would no longer live in Greensboro, Kansas, my hometown. I would be with the celebrities, rock stars, surrounded by fame and wealth. Could I adjust to the change? Would I be able to handle it?

"I thought so," my mother said smugly.

I got up and hugged her. "Thank you, Mom, thank you."

With this decision made, my life truly began.