A Year Being the Cheerleader

25.

"Oh my gush! You are hard to deal with," my mother says with an exasperated sigh dropping her keys, coat and jacket on the couch. "Imagine I make the sacrifice to carry you shopping today and you can't even be nice to show your appreciation."

"Of course I showed my appreciation," I defend myself. "I put on the clothes."

"Impossible," she rolls her eyes as she takes a bottle of wine out of the fridge and takes out a glass out of the cabinet. "I swear, I feel sorry for that consultant."

"I wouldn't be if I were you," I tell her taking the orange juice out the refrigerator and pour myself some in a glass. "The amount you gave her in tips was sure to pay her rent for the week."

My mother glares at me as I gulp down the glass of orange juice. She scrunches her nose at me with disgust when I empty out the glass and put it on the counter. I know her motherly act was just that-an act, but I kind of like her better when she was acting. Now she is just her regular self. Not that she is bad mother, it is just that...okay, I give up. I ain't dad, so I guess I am entitled to say that my mother is the worse. I didn't marry her or have her apart of my life by choice.

"Can you be any less disgusting?" She tells me with that same disgusted look. "Maybe you really aren't one who can be tamed and pampered."

"I am not an animal mom," I snap and she glares at me. "I can't be tamed because I am not wild and I never asked to be pampered."

"Ungrateful bitc-" she didn't get to finish her sentence or phrase as dad came down the stairs with my smile.

"Dad, mom was about to call me a female dog," I want to tell him, but I was never a snitch and I don't see the sense in telling him. It will get my mother angrier at me and I will be in deep trouble. Instead, I just smile pouring another glass of orange juice before finally putting the jug into the refrigerator.

"Hey girls," my father kisses both my and mom's cheeks. I hates it when he does that. I shouldn't be complaining though. Nate did kiss me twice. On the lips. I then remember that I haven't heard from him since Saturday night. "How was your girl date out shopping?"

"I have to go dad," I smile at him. "I need to get the things out of the car and bring them up my room."

I then immediately run out to the Land Rover and start carrying the shopping bags inside. There are alot of bags so it takes me like five trips up and down the stairs. Although I don't know for sure as I wasn't counting.

"It seems she is very happy," I hear my father say to my mother as I make my last trip up the stairs. "You really did good today, hun."

"She sure didn't act happy at the mall. Her face was sullen the entire time," she responds quite loudly, probably making sure I hear. "But I am glad you think so though."

I heave a sigh of relief as I close my bedroom door behind me and block out all conversations along with it. The bags are at my feet as I fall back on my bed with my feet hanging off the end of the bed. I groan as I shut my eyes. Even though I made so many trips up those dreaded stairs, but because of soccer and being active, I am not tired from it yet my eyes are closing on me. I shake off the sleep as I take my phone out of my pocket. Today at school I didn't see Nate and I am determined to call him before I forget or fall asleep. It might be late, but I don't think I can sleep comfortably without taking a bath first.

I pull up his number from my contacts and call him. His phone rings and rings, but he doesn't pick up. It goes straight to voicemail, but I don't leave a message. I try three more times before giving up. I stroll down my contacts and call his mother instead. It's very unlikely that she will be home, but it is worth a try. She is a nice lady after all that cooks for a living at her popular five class restaurant and usually treats me sweetly. I guess she is the reason why I have a favorite spot for Italian people even though she is also half French. Such a weird combination though. She picks up on the second ring.

"Amber! How are you?" She answers brightly.

"Could be better, but I just wanted to ask how is Nate actually," I say trying to sound a little bright as well. "I can't get him on his cellphone."

"Oh," I can hear the frown in her voice. "He didn't tell you?"

"What has he not told me Miss Francis?" I say a little confused.

"He flew out to France since yesterday to visit his grandmother in the hospital with his father," she tells me.

"Oh." I simply say not really expecting that.

"I'm sorry darling, I thought he told you," she apologises.

"It's okay," I say as I hear someone call her. "I'll leave you to your work. My best wishes to his grandmother to get well."

"Thank you, sweetie," she tells me and I know she is concerned, but I don't know for what exactly. "He's coming back tomorrow though. Bye Amber."

The call ends and I frown up at the ceiling. Nate never hid anything from me before, especially things like that. He knew how much his grandmother adored me and I adore her. Is there something I really am not seeing here?

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