Tyler and the Valaholics: The Beginning

Chapter 2

Song of the chapter - 'Stressed Out' by Twenty One Pilots

'I was told when I get older all my fears would shrink,
But now I'm insecure and I care what people think.'

I'm fairly lost in the world of 'Gone with the Wind', which I've only read two times in its entirety before today. Determined to make this the third time, I race through the pages, completely engrossed in the story. At one point, I nearly roll my eyes at Scarlett's antics and begin to ask Mom why she suggests this book to so many when I realize she isn't home yet. A vague feeling of unease settles in the bottom of my stomach as I tilt my head upwards to look at the clock.

It's nearing 7:30 and Mom still hasn't reached home. Sometimes, she gets up to an hour late due to the heavy LA traffic, but she still calls nevertheless...

In a moment of pure panic, I stand up but then sit back down. I decide to wait until 7:45 before I take any rash decisions.

"Van, if Mom calls, pick up the phone," I tell Van, who nods in response, before I attempt to return back to the book.

However, I keep getting far too distracted so I decide to take a quick shower and return to the living room to attempt to continue my reading session. My mind keeps straying back to thoughts of Mom even though thoughts of Scarlett and Ashley are swimming in my head.

I keep glancing at the clock obsessively every minute, just hoping that she arrives or calls. The second the minute hand hits 9, alarm bells peal repetitively in my head and I run to the telephone, about to call Mom when it rings.

I look into the number id panel and realise it's Mom. Relief washing over me, I pick up the call only to fall back into anxiety.

It's not Mom's voice.

"Hello? Is this Val, daughter of Lamona Tyler?" the foreign voice asks.

"Yes, this is she. May I ask who's speaking?" my voice sounds shakily.

"I'm calling from Princeton Hospital."

The voice sounds cool and collected, just as one would expect hospital employees handling calls to be but there's also a trace of finality in the voice that I dread to my core. I hope nothing- wait, they've called from Mom's number, haven't they?!

What?

"Val, we're sorry to tell you this but your mother was in an accident. There wasn't anything that could be done to save her. The last thing she said was, 'My girl Val...'", the voice barely registers as there is widespread havoc in my thought centres at this piece of information.

My head feels like it's spinning non-stop and my knees turn to water as I slide down to the floor, the phone clenched tightly in my hand. I've understood what I've been told but I can barely react, shock overwhelming my senses.

"Hello?" the voice repeats but I can't answer as a lump forms in my throat and I try to fight it back, albeit unsuccessfully.

Someone takes the phone from me and talks into it. I look up to see that it's Van.

"Yes, we'll come," she says and cuts the call.

She sits on the edge of the couch and stares wordlessly at me, her face blank. It seems hardly right that Mom is gone. She was, no is, wait, was(?) our last living blood relative save for a frail grandma living off her late husband's pension savings from his time serving amongst military personnel. None of us are technically adults so if she leaves, will we all be placed in orphanages? No, what if we're separated?!

Violet seems to notice the tension in the room as she walks to me and offers me a cream bun. Vanessa might be annoyed by her right now but she's sure to miss her sorely if we're separated. No, I can't let that happen! No matter what, no one is going to take us away from each other and I don't care that I'm twelve, they're my sisters.

At this thought, I wipe away my tears and ask Van to visit our neighbour, a Miss Stacie Cramer, and inform her of our situation. Van nods and walks down the hall to the Cramers'.

I go to the wash basin and wash my face, clear to make sure Violet doesn't realize what's going on. Bundling her up in a coat, I pick up a coat for Van and lock up the house behind me. Violet has never been too close to Mom since she turned two so maybe she won't miss her too much but Van and I are sure to. I have to stay strong, for Van, for Violet and for myself because I don't think I'll be able bear anything happening to the lights of my life. However, the sight of our neighbour putting a coat on her daughter pulls me short.

Miss Cramer is already outside our house and tells me, "Sorry."

"Nothing we can do about it now," I say, harsher than I intended to, the look in her eyes showing that she understands.

She's bought along her daughter Tracie, who's only a bit older than Vi. Tracie resembles Violet so much that the memory of her and her mother reminds me more and more of Violet and Mom. I attempt to black out my saddening and upsetting thoughts of Mom as we all settle into Cramer's car as she drives to Princeton.

We reach the hospital in what seems like a period of time that is far too long but also far too short. I don't feel like I'm ready to see for myself whether she's really gone but I also want to see. With forced big breaths, I enter the hospital behind the four of them, still in a bit of a daze. At the lobby, we're given the room number and, when we reach there, Cramer stops us outside the room.

"Maybe you should stay here," she says to Vi and Van.

"Why don't you look after Vi and Tracie?" I tell Van, who nods in understanding.

Cramer and I enter the room, my body tensing with every moment and every movement as we approach the white-sheet-covered lump. I begin to hyperventilate as Cramer lifts the blanket covered over the body, confirming my worst suspicion. Yes, that's Mom, and she's really gone. The revelation overtaking my senses, I can't help the tears that spring to my eyes and flow down my cheeks.

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Hola!

What do you think she's going to do now?

Sorry for killing someone off this early in the story, but it's necessary here for how the plot's going to unfold...

Adios!

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