Gangster Cinderella

Chapter Thirty Seven: Feeling Small

My mother, she stares at me with a strange look, one I cannot decipher. She sighs before saying, "Chieko, I don't plan on going against what Akira- your father wanted. He wanted you to have those bikes for a reason, and the least I can do for him now is protect it. Can you trust that?"

For some reason this woman makes me want to believe, but trust should be earned. "Ok, I'll trust you...for now."

There's a bitter sweetness to the smile she gives me, "Good enough for me. For now, let's go back inside and discuss what we're gonna do about your step mom."

We walk back inside to find Hoang and Mikey chatting over fries. "So your back tattoo took seven sessions to finish?"

"Yep, they weren't bad though except for how ticklish it was." Hoang complains.

"Yeah two of my friends have the same tattoo on the side of their head." Mikey recalls to Hoang. "They said it was worst pain ever."

I sit down next to Mikey, "Two? I thought only Draken had a head tattoo."

"Nope, Mitsuya also has it but it's hidden by his hair."

"Did they plan it?" Hoang asks as he scoots over to make room for his sister.

"Nope, not at all. It was all pure coincidence and the reason they became friends."

My mother takes out a thick manila folder, "Let's get down to business, if you all don't mind."

"Yeah go ahead." I aqueous.

She puts on a pair of reading glasses and looks over the documents, "I think that the best course of action for us is to settle out of court. But before we do that we need to prepare for the worst if your step mother refuses to step down. If we go to court I will need to prove that I have competent guardianship over you, which will be difficult but not impossible."

"But how're we going to do that? I just met you today, no offense." I point out to her.

"I have files on your step mother and her misconduct. Most of it is public indecency or domestic violence against her child. What we need to really cinch this case are two things: we need eyewitness testimonies and..." she hesitates.

"And?"

"And you might need to move in with me."

I nearly spit my water out, "What?! Why?! I barely know you."

"I know...but we need to cohabitate for some time in order to prove my ability as a guardian over you and your cut of the will. It will just be until the case is over, if you want to move out and never speak to me again afterwards I won't stop you. But if you decide that you like living with me you are more than welcome to stay." She reaches over the table and gently holds my hand. "I know asking for your trust is a lot but I really do want to set things right. I got to go live out my dream at the cost of you not having a mother, it's only fair that I protect your dream right now."

I slowly take my hand back, "I can't give you an answer right now. I need to discuss this with the people I'm living with first."

"I understand, but don't wait too long. Time right now is of the essence, we have to do everything right in order to win this case."

"I understand." Despite understanding, I find myself clutching onto Mikey's hand under the table as panic washes over me. 

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Mikey is driving us back to his house after that very intense lunch. Resting my head against his back as I think on what needs to be done. I might actually have to basically live with a stranger in order to protect my father's motorcycles. On top of that I'm going to have to ask people to go on the stand as eyewitnesses and I don't think I could ask that of Shikha. Shikha deals with enough and doesn't need to be reliving her trauma in front of a court room. And what the hell am I-