Thank you to amalimrock for helping me redraft this chapter. This one will be in 3rd peep, BTW!
There are a few things you should know about Rachel Sanderson. Firstly, she only fell in love with one man, her husband, Carl Sanderson. Kristopher Davies was just a one night stand from a club when she was twenty. Secondly, her only daughter is the most important person to her, even though it didn't show that much.. Lastly, she flashed cash when she was upset.
Rachel Sanderson was sitting on her sofa, her head spinning with thoughts about her daughter. Everything from the dreaded stare she received from her at the funeral right to the part where Megan claimed that she would sue her. Rachel gulped. She looked down to the leaf of envelopes in her hand. Carl was out. It was just her and the bills.
Rachel jumped when she heard the slam from the closing door. Rachel jumped to her feet and rushed into the hall, accidently rushing into someone and banging heads and letting the bills fly everywhere. Rachel lost her footing, grabbed the person's jackets then fell onto the wooden floor with a harsh bump. Rachel then fell onto her back, dragging the person onto her side and elbowing the person in the face. After the two people stopped falling, the other person got onto her hands and knees awkwardly then rubbed her cheek.
"First you slap me then elbow my other cheek! You're a danger zone!" the person cried. Rachel froze. She shot up into a sitting position then grabbed her daughter's shoulder. Rachel stared into those brown eyes then threw her arms around her before Megan could pull away.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean it, Megan! I'm truly sorry!" Rachel blabbered. Megan's jaw dropped slightly at her mother's reaction.
"What? No name calling? No blaming it on me?" Megan gasped sarcastically. Rachel drew back then sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry that I slapped you. I was on edge that day. I'm sorry." Rachel apologised. Megan raised an eyebrow.
"You slapped me leaving pus-bursting scratches and you blame it on being on edge? Sad, mom. Sad." Megan grimed. Rachel sighed then slowly, and awkwardly got to her feet. She held out her hand to help her daughter up. Megan stared at it and reluctantly took it and pulled herself up. "Thanks." Megan mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Rachel. Her wandering gaze froze upon the scattered letters, each and every stamped with urgent stamped on in block capitals and red ink.
Megan's gaze zapped back to her mother and she frowned. "What are those?" Megan asked, her voice nearly breaking, afraid of the truth. Rachel looked down at the bills then back to Megan panicking a bit. Rachel's cheeks flushed red and her eyes turned blood shot. A large lump formed in the back of her throat and a single tear leaked from the corner of her eye. To Megan's surprise, Rachel flung her arms around Megan once more and rested her head on her shoulder, breaking down in heavy sobs and ragged breath.
"I'm sorry. I can't help it." Rachel cried.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Megan said, though she didn't pull away. Still crying, Rachel sat up, still clutching her daughter's shoulders, and took a deep breath.
"I'm in debt." she told. Megan's jaw dropped and her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.
"W-what?" Megan asked, her eyes wide.
"Remember when me and Carl had that big fight and we went on that holiday to Pelsinar? And that new dress with matching shoes I bought? Plus that solar surfing trip I paid for you to go on? All came out on my credit card. I tried to pay for a new hat yesterday but my credit card didn't work and I used a cheque but it bounced. I'm dead." Rachel cried, tears started to leek from her eyes. Megan sighed.
She pulled a pale green handkerchief from her trouser pocket and handed it to her mother. "Here." Megan mumbled. Rachel daintily took it from her daughter's hand and nodded her head in thanks. Megan smiled a little then her sight drifted back to the envelopes.
She didn't have to pay for me to go on that trip. Megan thought. It would have been cheaper if I stayed behind from the holiday. Megan looked back at her mother who was looking at the envelopes with a worried expression on her pale face, nibbling her lip.
"You know why I was smiling at your father's funeral? Because I thought that he'd have enough forgiveness in his heart to give me at least a bit of money to help me out with the bills. I shouldn't be that mad at him because he didn't know but I just hoped that..that.." Rachel explained. but the final words got caught in her throat. "I didn't hate your father, Meg. But I didn't love him either. " Rachel noted. "Plus, when you said that you we're going to sue me, I just don't have the money!" Rachel shrieked.
Megan's jaw once again dropped. So that's why she was happy at Dad's funeral. Oh gosh.
What can I do? Should I forgive her? I mean, sure, she's called me names, for a joke mostly, and ordered me around, but if she didn't I probably wouldn't know how to make beans on toast, plus she slapped me, but then I did say something completely horrible to her. But everyone has only one mom, right? Sure, some can't cope or don't care so they give them to someone else but really, their a mom, no matter what they do. If you raise a child, your a mom. If you've given birth, you're a mom. Even Jim has one, despite the fact no dad. If I'm not careful, I could lose her. She could kick me out and lose contact with me. And if I sue her, she could be gone for child abuse. Oh crap.
Megan gazed back at her mom.
Rachel, realising that she still held her daughter's shoulders, she let go before Megan would claw at her hands. Megan sighed then wrapped her arms around her mother, pressing her cool cheek against Rachel's tear-stained, crisom cheek. Rachel sat there, dumb founded for a second but then engulfed Megan with her own slender arms and embraced tightly. Wishing hardly that she could freeze the picture, Rachel sighed and planet a peck on her daughter's forehead. Megan's grip around her mother's shoulder's tightened and she pressed closer, hoping that she too could make this scene last a life time.
"I'm sorry I was a stuck up, stubborn brat, mom." Megan apologised.
"I'm sorry I was a selfish, mean old cow, Meg." Rachel apologised.
They hugged until the rattle of keys and the clicking of a lock then the creak of an opening door rang through the air. Megan and Rachel tore apart and looked back at the front door to see Carl come through the door. He gave the girls a smile but it faded at the sight of the bills, that remained scattered across the hall.
"Honey, what's that?" Carl asked, confused.
Rachel gulped.
"We're in dept? For how long?" Carl asked, his head in his hands. The bills sat in a pile on the oak coffee table while Megan sat, curled up in the soft arm chair. Rachel and Car sat on the large sofa.
"I've known for about a week. Sorry I didn't tell you, Carl. I thought I could handle it all out by myself." Rachel sighed.
"But we haven't got the money! Where are we going to find fifty thousand in two weeks before they kick us out? I only work twenty quid an hour, Rach?" Carl asked, panic tainting his voice.
"I have an idea!" Megan chirped up. Both of the adult's heads snapped back to Megan. "You know that vogue I wanted to go on with Amelia?" Megan started.
"Megan, please! Your father died sailing. I don't want to lose you to a band of pirates!" Rachel rasped.
"But if you let me go, I promise I'll pay the debt off." Megan said. Carl perked up while Rachel shook her head.
"No. I can't lose you, Meg! You're my daughter!" Rachel argued.
"But I'm a mistake!"
"Mistake or not! I gave birth to you and I'm not losing you until I'm dead. Not to a band of pirates, not to a black hole, not even to falling down the bloody stairs!" Rachel shrieked.
"Mom. You need the money. I want to get to know Amelia and go for an adventure. It'll take my mind off things. Besides, you guys get at least four months of just you two." Megan said gently.
Carl perked up some more. "For once, I agree with Megan. We need the money and if she wants to know her cousin more, let her go. I'm sure Amanda will keep good care of her." Carl defended.
"Thank you, Carl. And it's not Amanda, it's Amelia." Megan thanked then noted politely.
Rachel sighed. "I'm not going to win, am I?" she asked.
"Nope." said Carl and Megan in unison.
Again, Rachel sighed. "Fine but I have the right to kill you if you die in that vogue, along with Amelia. You give me the money tomorrow, and you may go on this vogue to..to..wherever!" Rachel cried. She held out her hand to Megan. "Deal?"
A large grin made its way across Megan's face.
"Deal!" and Megan shook her mother's hand then gave her a friendly hug. Megan then mouthed 'thank you' to Carl who gave Megan a little smile. He mouthed back:
'Me and your mom are going to need that time alone'
And for once, Megan didn't mind. Her sight drifted behind Carl and up into the dark night sky. Clearly, you could see the spaceport, shining bright in the sky.
Again, thanks to amaliock for helping me rewrite this chappie. Believe me, it is better than the last one. But probably still crap. REVIEW!