Ninth chapter. As always I dont own CR. And thanks to surburbs, she's only the bestest beta I ever had. :)
playlist - Love Story - Taylor Swift.
Tess looked at the unknown number flashing on the screen in annoyance. Seriously, was there no phone etiquette anymore? Besides, she refused to pick up anonymous calls that late at night.
She picked up her phone and rejected the call. Turning over to her side, she pulled her blanket securely over her body and prepared to fall asleep when the phone buzzed again. She thought ignoring it might be her best option but the phone kept buzzing until Tess was exasperated and grumpy enough to pick it up.
She flipped it open and snapped a hello into the phone.
"Tess, what is this I've been hearing?" a curt female voice asked.
Tess blinked in surprise. Why exactly was a stranger calling her in the middle of the night to ask her about rumors?
"Excuse me. And who may I ask are you?" Tess asked with much icy politeness as her sleepy self could manage.
"You don't know me?" the voice asked in faint surprise.
"Well if I did, we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we?" Tess said dryly. She just couldn't believe that she was having a pointless conversation with a stranger at eleven thirty in the night when she had better things to do - like being asleep.
"Well Tess, this is your mom TJ Tyler, since you seem to have forgotten" the voice said.
"Mom???" Tess shrieked into the phone before clapping her mouth shut. She hadn't meant to wake up Jason but now he was awake anyways. He got up and sleepily rubbed his eyes, looking at her in surprise because she was sitting on the bed, hunched over with the phone in her hand as if she were having a secret conversation.
"I mean – wait how did you get my number?" Tess asked as she threw off the blankets and got out of bed. She motioned to Jason to go back to sleep and slipped on her slippers before making her way to the kitchen.
"I'm TJ Tyler" her mother said simply. And Tess rolled her eyes. At one point of time, she had thought that she was the most ego-centric person ever to walk the planet; however her mother won that prize hands-down.
"Well is there any reason you're calling so late?" Tess asked a little irritably. She and her mother didn't exactly have the best relationship. Tess blamed her mother for some of the things that had happened in her life. TJ had wanted Tess to be exactly like her, and that was the one thing Tess had never been able to achieve. Tess nursed a strong independent streak within her which refused to be suppressed even when an iron-will like TJ's was trying to break it. In a way TJ was also responsible for Tess's eating disorder. And Tess had never forgiven her for that.
After that she had consciously made the decision to stay away from her mother. The idea of becoming a train-wreck of a singer was not very appealing to her, even though her mother assured her that everybody loved a good train-wreck. Please, did her mother not see the news anymore? Train-wrecks had gone out of fashion a long time ago.
"Yes, I am. I wanted to ask what all of this pregnancy nonsense is?" her mother asked in a clipped tone which indicated that she was not very happy about the news.
Tess bit her lip guiltily. Had she been right to announce the news without even telling her mother about it? Well, she knew that it hadn't been exactly right but Tess had done it for a reason. She knew the moment she told her mother the news her mother would disapprove of it because it would come in the way of Tess' career. Plus, she wasn't sure her mom would take kindly to being seen as a grandmother by her "adoring" public. Also a small part of Tess knew that she had pulled the plug on their connection as a mother and a daughter a long time ago. Simply put, Tess felt no accountability to anyone except Jason and her father, who had been ecstatic upon hearing the news.
"It's not nonsense. I'm pregnant, that's all" Tess said quietly.
"And you thought it wasn't necessary to tell me about this small development in your life because…?" her mother asked her in polite tones which were actually laced with anger.
"Because you would have told me to get rid of it" Tess said into the phone.
"No I wouldn't" her mom said in surprise.
"Yes mom. Think about it. I know you would have. So I didn't want to tell you. No offense but you pretty much screwed up my life as a teenager. I'm not sure I want to go down that road again as an adult." Tess said in a matter of fact voice. She had never been one to mince words, especially with her mother.
"I know Tess. But I thought maybe we had worked through things" her mother said.
And all of a sudden, Tess heard a weariness in her mother's voice that had never been there before.
"Whatever, Mom. I have to go. Good night" Tess said abruptly, cutting off the call. She walked back to the bedroom and clambered into the bed beside Jason. He lifted an arm and soon she was snuggled beside him. But sleep seemed far away.
She stared up the ceiling with had painted notes on it. Ugh…she would have to tell Jason that there was no way that would be happening in their new house. Musical notes didn't exactly help in the ruminating process. They were distracting and annoying.
She turned over to her side and fell asleep in a few moments. But a small doubt still niggled in her head.
Had she done the right thing by not telling her mother?
Sorry for the length of the chapter but I have had one crazy week and no time for anything. Also I would like to say that I'm taking a break for three weeks because finals are happening and the need to ace them is really strong. If I can get the chapters done before finals start , then I'll post them otherwise I'll post them later. Sorry for the delay but studies have to come first.
And that ends my note. Also please review. :)