Chapter 2
"I know Dad, but still.."
"Look Rikki, there is no way out of this. You're going to your Mums for the weekend and that's the end of it." I sigh as I look at him, "But that's not fair, I have plans.."
"You haven't seen her in ages."
"And who's fault is that?" I mutter, as I start walking out of the door "Where do you think you're going?"
"To tell Emma and Cleo that I am being sent away for the whole weekend." I slam the door behind me as I carry on walking, ignoring his calls from behind me. It wasn't fair, she goes traveling for a whole year, and as soon as she comes back she thinks she can walk into my life again. I hate her so much sometimes, she walked out on me when she divorced my Dad ten years ago. I would have been fine just leaving it at that, but then she had to get contact with us after four years, and then just when I was getting close to her, she decided to go off with her new boyfriend traveling for a whole year. And now she wants me back, I sigh loudly as I carry on walking to Emma's house. We were going to have another sleepover, we had everything planned but now I am stuck spending a whole three days with someone I don't even get on with.
"Hey."
"What you doing here so early?"
"I can't come tonight." I look at Emma and sigh,
"Why not?"
"Dad wants me to spend time with my Mum. I am stuck there for the whole weekend." I jump up on the kitchen counter as Emma starts making us a drink. I sigh as she hands it to me,
"I don't even get on with her Emma, he knows that, I don't see why he is so intent on me spending time with her."
"Maybe he wants you to have a mother in your life."
"I guess, I know he didn't when he was my age, I can see why he would want me to. But still.." I wrinkle my nose in disgust,
"She left us, she didn't care about me for ages after she left and then out of nowhere she suddenly wanted to see me again." I sigh as Emma looks at me strangely,
"What?"
"You never talk about your Mum."
"I know, it's not an easy thing to talk about sometimes. I always used to blame myself for her leaving when I was younger, she never phoned or anything for four whole years, my Dad would cry all the time. She ruined everything, we were happy until the left, it seemed like we were never good enough for her. You know?" Emma nods and then puts her arms around me, I gratefully accept the sudden act of comfort, as I put my own arms around her.
"I don't know if I should hate her, or love her..."
"Just make an effort this weekend, try and get on, and see how it goes." I smile at Emma, she always gives the best advice, even if the answer seems so simple.
"I should get going." I jump off the counter quickly,
"She is picking me up in about an hour. Wish me luck."
"Good luck, will miss you tonight."
"Yeah, yeah." I grin at her as I quickly run out of the house, feeling a lot better about the visit now. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I think it will, maybe she has changed, and maybe I have grown up a little so there won't be that many arguments. I smile to myself as I walk down the road, Dad would be happy about it all. He seemed concerned lately, I didn't have anyone motherly to look up to, I don't really think I need someone but everyone else seems to think that everyone needs one. I guess, sometimes people can be right about certain things.
"Dad?"
"Rikki?"
"Who else would it be?" I smile at him and kiss him gently on the cheek before walking to my bedroom to pack a suitcase.
"You're in a better mood."
"I know, I had a discussion about everything with Emma, she helped a lot."
"That's good, so you're okay with going now?"
"Yeah I guess, it can't be that bad. Can it?" I wrinkle my nose, thinking of the worst for a moment, but then I shake my head, it will be okay, we have both had a long time to grow up a little more than the last time I was there.
"No, if course not. She seems a lot happier now when I spoke to her on the phone last night."
"That's good." I carry on packing clothes as Dad walks up behind me,
"How long do you think you're going for?" He laughs at me as he picks up a black and red T-shirt from my open suitcase.
"I don't know where she is going to take me or anything do I? I need clothes for every possible occasion." I grin at him, as he kissed me on the cheek
"Whatever you say love." I nod and then carry on packing, I turn around to look at him when I am done and he just shakes his head.
"Finally." He rolls his eyes as he walks out of my room, I laugh at him as I walk out behind him, no problem telling who I got my sarcasm from.
"Your Mother will be here soon."
"Cool." I sit down on the settee as he starts making her usual coffee,
"Do you still love her Dad?"
"I don't think I do," He sets down the mug in front of him and looks like he is thinking for a moment,
"I used to love her more than anything, but I guess as time goes on I started to realize just how unhappy we both were together."
"It wouldn't have worked out then? No matter what you did?"
"I don't think so, it just would have got a lot worse." I pause for a moment, trying to think of more questions, I have always had so many, just never had a good enough reason to ask them.
"Why did you get custody Dad?" I look behind me, to see his face, I had never really asked it before, I had always wondered why him and not Mum. I mean, they usually get the children from what I have heard.
"She wanted to do stuff... that didn't include children.."
"Like?"
"Traveling for one, she wanted to work a lot. Social Services didn't think she would be capable of looking after you full time because she was out a lot, drinking and bringing new men home all the time. She has changed now though, a lot, she has that new boyfriend, and she seems to be settling down a lot."
"Oh... that's something then." I smile at him as I turn back towards the door, she wasn't capable of looking after me, that's why she left, because I was just a burden. I was the one thing holding her back, along with Dad, and she gave us both up within a second. I sigh as I hold back the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. I wouldn't let her make me cry again, I gave up on her ages ago. I wasn't about to start letting her make me feel like this again.
It wasn't long until she picked me up, thankfully she was on her own, I hadn't even met her boyfriend but I wasn't sure about him yet. He seemed like a decent enough guy, but still. She told me how she had moved house, into his house. She talked non stop about her traveling and everything she did. She showed me photographs when we finally got to her house, I was glad for the conversation, I didn't really have much to tell on my part. She seemed a lot happier than the last time I saw her, she looked better as well. I smile and nod when it seems appropriate, and laugh when she does. All the while looking around at the new life she has made for herself, the life I want when I am older. Only, I want to be earning all the money and not depending on some man. I smile to myself, she couldn't have managed any of this without the help of a rich man she has found. She has completed all her dreams, maybe now she can focus on being a proper Mum. I have to be on her list of things to do somewhere.
That evening we all sit around the table, Mum, Michael (Her 'wonderful' boyfriend.) and his daughter, Cassie. "So Rikki, how do you like school?"
"It's okay, it's a lot easier than I ever thought it would be. I am on an average C at the moment. My best friend, Emma wants to get it up to a B though."
"You're having help?" Mum looks at me as she gulps down her food, I gently nod,
"Not majorly, just having study sessions at Emma and Cleo's house. And sometimes Zane's. Lewis enjoys helping sometimes, but he is too geeky for me so I try to ignore his Science lectures."
I smile at her as I look down at the food in front of me, not something I would get at home, I wouldn't be sitting at the table either. "Who is Zane? And Lewis?" Cassie speaks up, I look at her and then back down at my food.
"Lewis is one of my best friends I guess, he also goes out with Cleo. And Zane is my boyfriend..." Mum looks shocked when I say this, I frown at her suprise, I don't look that bad do I?
"How long have you been dating?" Cassie carries on, distracting me from my Mum for a second.
"Just over a year, he is amazing." I smile widely as I think about him. The best thing that's ever happened to me, he gets on with my Dad, he kind of gets on with my friends and he is just amazing in general.
"Wow. Long time then. Do you have a photograph?" Mum finally says, I nod at her as I dig into my jeans pocket, pulling out a small photograph of the both of us at the beach.
"Nice." She smiles and nods in approval as she shows Michael. I grin at her,
"His Dad's a Doctor."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, and he is a big buisness man as well. Zane loves all stuff like that, he is really good in school. He goes to a different school than me now though, he goes to a small private one." I wrinkle my nose at the thought, it wasn't fair that he had be taken away from me during school time. I missed him a lot then, but I always had Emma and Cleo.
"He sounds like a really nice person."
"Yeah, he is really cool. He rides motorbikes and he has his own boat called the Zodiac. He is quite a good swimmer as well." I smile at my own bragging, but I have to let her know I am doing fine with Dad. I have to make sure she knows how happy I am there.
"Do you swim?" Michael suddenly changes the conversation, catching me off guard for a second, I nod my head
"Yeah, Emma, Cleo and I love swimming. We go a lot." I grin and nod my head at him,
"Maybe you can swim in our pool out back then?" I shake my head,
"I only like the sea to be honest, we like the freedom it gives us I guess." I shrug as though it's no big deal. I didn't really want to go into the whole, 'Guess what Mum? I am a mermaid!' I don't really think she will appreciate it, and she would probably stick me in some mental unit.
"Look I am really sorry about this but we have to go." I look up at them both for a moment, was it something I said?
"Why?"
"We have a prior engagement we couldn't get out of to get to, I am really sorry but it's important." I nod at them as they both get up to leave,
"Sure. I will clean all this up."
"Thank you so much Darling. We will only be a few hours. Love you." I watch as she runs after Michael and sigh loudly,
"I am going for a swim," Cassie gets up off the table, I nod at her
"Sure you don't wanna come?" I smile
"Yeah, I will just do the dishes and then probably go to bed."
"Oh okay then, see you later."
I am almost fed up of this be nice routine already, it's not really my thing. I sigh as I pick up the plates, walking over to the kitchen. I look around quickly, noticing the bottle of wine on the counter. Setting the plates down, I take one more look around. Who would notice anyway?
I pick up the bottle and smile to myself, it's just a little something, just to take away my pain and loneliness. It can't do any harm, can it?
I gulp down the warm liquid, it burns the back of my throat after the first taste, but then it feels fine. It's just like any other drink I have tasted, I smile to myself as I drink some more. It's exactly what everyone says it is; Takes away all feelings. Exactly what I want.