The Lost and Found

Mr. Lip

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: Finn Parker

"Geez, Mom, I told you not to overwork yourself too much." I grumbled as I laid down a glass of organic orange juice that I had trouble making five in the morning. "And how could you not know that showering right away after a long, tiring day isn't healthy?" My sick mother lazily grinned at me. "This isn't funny, Mom. I have school, you know."

She rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Since when do you even care about school?"

I tossed her some headache relievers. "Since the day I've been announced to be put on second-string soccer. Drink that now."

"Yeah, yeah, Mother." she mumbled and downed the pills. I rearranged the pillows under her head and handed her the glass of juice.

Once she got the fluid all down, she stared at me accusingly. "How could you not tell me this? All this soccer thing?" she wailed her hands in front of my face, her eyes narrowed.

I shrugged. It slipped out my mind. "I didn't think it was really important."

"Yeah, slipped out. Really reasonable, Finn."

I huffed and place a damp cloth on her forehead. "Yeah. And it's not like I did it on purpose. You're barely even here."

My words caused a flash of hurt to cross her scrunched up face. "Finn..."

"No, I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean that." I scratched the back of my neck. "It just... slipped out of my... tongue."

She chuckled then leaned forward to kiss my forehead. "I'm sorry you had that idea in your mind. But you know I love you. And you know I work for you, right? Well, mostly. I still need those Forever 21 jackets. I heard they were on sale." she winked.

I never really cared about stupid, expensive, floral-printed jackets from the stupid store but I went along anyway. For my Mom.

"Yeah? Till when?"

She giggled like a teenager. "I think it's up until December something or whatever. But Darcy - some lady lived next door back in Manhattan - owns like, a bunch of them and I've seen them and God, Finn, they were jackets to die for!"

"Jeez, Mom, you care more for jackets than mac and cheese? I think your food comes first. I have a bit of savings so I could probably manage my dinner for a few nights. Save up for the damn collection, Mom."

"I don't like mac and cheese." she waved me off. "Now, I need you to make a stop at the pharmacy to buy these." she handed me a pink sticky note. "Oh and I prefer vanilla ice cream, okay? And lemon cough drops. Not those disgusting plain, doctor ones. Money's on the counter. Go."

I didn't even a have a say in it.

"What about school?" Well, this soccer must have affected my point of view for school. And not for the good.

"You can skip stupid school for now. I need my ice cream. Now go before I turn purple with hunger."

I groaned. She's such a wonderful mother.

Add annoying on the list.

• • • • •

"Just be thankful I love you, Mom." I muttered as the twentieth person on the line took her turn.

I shifted the basket placed between my legs and checked the list once more.

vanilla ice cream, check.

lemon cough drops, check.

those popping lollipop candy things, check.

a fashion magazine, nope, I'll just say they ran out.