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After all the commotion had died down they sat and began opening presents. "Serena, this one is for you, it's from Richard and I." Serena frowned in confusion. "What is it?" "Open it and see." Serena held the box on her lap and ripped open the paper, and then she ripped open the box and had to dig through packing peanuts before she got to the present. She put her hand to her mouth and began to cry. "What is it Mom?" Sammy asked. "It's a college course schedule." "We paid for the first years tuition. That's all we can afford." Serena hugged them. "Thank you so much. Don't worry I can handle the rest of it." "Mom." Sammy was tugging on her sleeve. "What is it baby?" "What's tuition?" "It's when you pay to go to school and learn important stuff." Sammy made a face and ran off to play with his cousins.
"He doesn't get the concept that someone would actually want to go to school." Babs laughed. "I don't know how I can thank you for this-" Serena started to say, but she got cut off. "Your twenty five, you have a ten year old son, I don't like to think of you working in a strip club to pay for things for him. Yes I do know that you work as a stripper. Don't ask how I found out. This is for you and Sammy both. You deserve this. Now, help me eat this chocolate cake." Serena smiled, somewhat perturbed that her mother knew that she danced, and dug into her slice of cake. ***
By the time they got home Sammy was fast asleep. Serena carried him into his room and tucked him in, taking off his shoes and tucking his favorite teddy bear, that he swore he never slept with, in next to him. She smiled tenderly as she tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "I love you, baby," she whispered before heading into her own room to go to bed. The next morning she was up earlier than usual to make Sammy a special breakfast. She was busy grilling pancakes and sausages and hash browns when the phone rang. She frowned and wiped her hands on her apron before going to answer. "This is Serena." "Ms. Seymour?" "Who is it?" "It's Mr. Shields, Sammy's teacher." Yes, hello." "I was wondering if you would be free later to discuss Sammy's schoolwork." "Actually I will.and, I want to apologize for the way I've been acting. I haven't been a very good example for Sammy and I apologize profusely."
There was silence. "Yes, well. Anyway is any particular time good for you?" Serena glanced at the calendar hanging from the fridge. "Well, I actually have to work from twelve to eight, so is eight thirtyish to late for you?" "No, that's ok. I'll see you then." "Wait, do you know where we live?" "It would be in Sammy's file. I'll check there and see you later." When Serena turned around Sammy was leaning against the doorframe smiling. "What?" "Nothing, nothing." She grinned and threw a towel at him. "Go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready. By the way, happy birthday." His grin grew and he ran to the bathroom to wash his hands and he was back sooner than Serena had expected. "Wow, that was fast!" "I'm hungry." Serena made a face at him and dished them both heaping plates. "Mom, I don't know how you stay so skinny when you eat all of this crap." Serena frowned at him. "Have you been talking to Uncle Andy AGAIN?!?" Sammy nodded sheepishly and Serena rolled her eyes, she couldn't refuse him anything when he made the face. There was a phone call and Serena was saved from a potentially embarrassing situation. "Hello," she said with a big smile on her face. No one answered. "Hello." Again there was no answer. Serena frowned and hung up. "Who was it?" Sammy asked. She turned. "Wrong number," she said and sat down to enjoy breakfast. *** Across the city, in a musty payphone a man stared at the wall unblinking. He had seen her one-day at the Arcade she worked in and had followed her to her second job, and then he had followed her home. He was in love with her and he was going to have her. He smiled and left the payphone before heading back to work. *** Serena kissed Sammy and playfully shoved him out of the car. "Go, you're late. Aunt Amy is picking you up." Sammy made a face and opened his mouth to argue, but she gave him a look that only a mother could and he closed his mouth and walked into the school. Serena watched him go with a smile before turning over the engine and peeling out of the parking lot and heading to the Foxy Lady. When she got there Mina was waiting for her in the lobby. "Hi, I was wondering if you would do me a favor." Serena nodded. "Sure." "Would you watch my son while I'm at work?" "Mina, we have the same shift." "No, my second job. I'm sending my son to a private school and the bills are killer, even with what I make here." Serena nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm sending my son to a private school too. My parents tell me they want to help with the tuition, but I want to do this my self," she replied. Mina grinned and hugged her. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me." "I think I do. Anyway, I get off at eight and I have to pick up Sammy from the babysitter, you could drop him off at eight fifteen." "That would be great. Usually I feel so guilty leaving him with one of my friends, because none of them have children, but.thank you." Mina smiled and hugged her again. "Hey, you girls are late, get in here," Buchi shouted. They looked at each other and laughed before running into the changing room to see what costumes were salvageable.
At Eight o'clock, Serena made her way up three flights of stairs to her good friends apartment. By the time she got there she was completely winded; she knocked on the door and was not surprised to find it opened almost immediately. "Mom, you're here, let's get going." Serena was shocked when he grabbed her hand and began pulling her down the hall. "Bye Sammy," Amy shouted before slamming her door. "Sammy," she began in an ominous tone, "What did you do?" "Nothing, I swear." She stopped and no matter how much he pulled, he couldn't budge her. "Mom, let's go," he whined. Serena raised an eyebrow, but gave in when he gave her the puppy dog look. "Fine, but I will get to the bottom of this." They got to their apartment just as Mina was pulling in. They parked and got out. "Sammy, this is Artemis, Artemis, this is my son Sammy." They stepped out from behind their mothers and began circling each other while Serena and Mina looked at each other in shock. Suddenly they began racing toward the apartment complex. "I'll see you later, Mina," Serena shouted over her shoulder as she followed them. Mina only shook her head in pity and got into her car.
AN: Sorry it's short, but it's all I can do in my limited free time. But, hey it's better than nothing, right?
After all the commotion had died down they sat and began opening presents. "Serena, this one is for you, it's from Richard and I." Serena frowned in confusion. "What is it?" "Open it and see." Serena held the box on her lap and ripped open the paper, and then she ripped open the box and had to dig through packing peanuts before she got to the present. She put her hand to her mouth and began to cry. "What is it Mom?" Sammy asked. "It's a college course schedule." "We paid for the first years tuition. That's all we can afford." Serena hugged them. "Thank you so much. Don't worry I can handle the rest of it." "Mom." Sammy was tugging on her sleeve. "What is it baby?" "What's tuition?" "It's when you pay to go to school and learn important stuff." Sammy made a face and ran off to play with his cousins.
"He doesn't get the concept that someone would actually want to go to school." Babs laughed. "I don't know how I can thank you for this-" Serena started to say, but she got cut off. "Your twenty five, you have a ten year old son, I don't like to think of you working in a strip club to pay for things for him. Yes I do know that you work as a stripper. Don't ask how I found out. This is for you and Sammy both. You deserve this. Now, help me eat this chocolate cake." Serena smiled, somewhat perturbed that her mother knew that she danced, and dug into her slice of cake. ***
By the time they got home Sammy was fast asleep. Serena carried him into his room and tucked him in, taking off his shoes and tucking his favorite teddy bear, that he swore he never slept with, in next to him. She smiled tenderly as she tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "I love you, baby," she whispered before heading into her own room to go to bed. The next morning she was up earlier than usual to make Sammy a special breakfast. She was busy grilling pancakes and sausages and hash browns when the phone rang. She frowned and wiped her hands on her apron before going to answer. "This is Serena." "Ms. Seymour?" "Who is it?" "It's Mr. Shields, Sammy's teacher." Yes, hello." "I was wondering if you would be free later to discuss Sammy's schoolwork." "Actually I will.and, I want to apologize for the way I've been acting. I haven't been a very good example for Sammy and I apologize profusely."
There was silence. "Yes, well. Anyway is any particular time good for you?" Serena glanced at the calendar hanging from the fridge. "Well, I actually have to work from twelve to eight, so is eight thirtyish to late for you?" "No, that's ok. I'll see you then." "Wait, do you know where we live?" "It would be in Sammy's file. I'll check there and see you later." When Serena turned around Sammy was leaning against the doorframe smiling. "What?" "Nothing, nothing." She grinned and threw a towel at him. "Go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready. By the way, happy birthday." His grin grew and he ran to the bathroom to wash his hands and he was back sooner than Serena had expected. "Wow, that was fast!" "I'm hungry." Serena made a face at him and dished them both heaping plates. "Mom, I don't know how you stay so skinny when you eat all of this crap." Serena frowned at him. "Have you been talking to Uncle Andy AGAIN?!?" Sammy nodded sheepishly and Serena rolled her eyes, she couldn't refuse him anything when he made the face. There was a phone call and Serena was saved from a potentially embarrassing situation. "Hello," she said with a big smile on her face. No one answered. "Hello." Again there was no answer. Serena frowned and hung up. "Who was it?" Sammy asked. She turned. "Wrong number," she said and sat down to enjoy breakfast. *** Across the city, in a musty payphone a man stared at the wall unblinking. He had seen her one-day at the Arcade she worked in and had followed her to her second job, and then he had followed her home. He was in love with her and he was going to have her. He smiled and left the payphone before heading back to work. *** Serena kissed Sammy and playfully shoved him out of the car. "Go, you're late. Aunt Amy is picking you up." Sammy made a face and opened his mouth to argue, but she gave him a look that only a mother could and he closed his mouth and walked into the school. Serena watched him go with a smile before turning over the engine and peeling out of the parking lot and heading to the Foxy Lady. When she got there Mina was waiting for her in the lobby. "Hi, I was wondering if you would do me a favor." Serena nodded. "Sure." "Would you watch my son while I'm at work?" "Mina, we have the same shift." "No, my second job. I'm sending my son to a private school and the bills are killer, even with what I make here." Serena nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm sending my son to a private school too. My parents tell me they want to help with the tuition, but I want to do this my self," she replied. Mina grinned and hugged her. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me." "I think I do. Anyway, I get off at eight and I have to pick up Sammy from the babysitter, you could drop him off at eight fifteen." "That would be great. Usually I feel so guilty leaving him with one of my friends, because none of them have children, but.thank you." Mina smiled and hugged her again. "Hey, you girls are late, get in here," Buchi shouted. They looked at each other and laughed before running into the changing room to see what costumes were salvageable.
At Eight o'clock, Serena made her way up three flights of stairs to her good friends apartment. By the time she got there she was completely winded; she knocked on the door and was not surprised to find it opened almost immediately. "Mom, you're here, let's get going." Serena was shocked when he grabbed her hand and began pulling her down the hall. "Bye Sammy," Amy shouted before slamming her door. "Sammy," she began in an ominous tone, "What did you do?" "Nothing, I swear." She stopped and no matter how much he pulled, he couldn't budge her. "Mom, let's go," he whined. Serena raised an eyebrow, but gave in when he gave her the puppy dog look. "Fine, but I will get to the bottom of this." They got to their apartment just as Mina was pulling in. They parked and got out. "Sammy, this is Artemis, Artemis, this is my son Sammy." They stepped out from behind their mothers and began circling each other while Serena and Mina looked at each other in shock. Suddenly they began racing toward the apartment complex. "I'll see you later, Mina," Serena shouted over her shoulder as she followed them. Mina only shook her head in pity and got into her car.
AN: Sorry it's short, but it's all I can do in my limited free time. But, hey it's better than nothing, right?