Flower boy

Learning stories (Karma's side)

Karma's p.o.v.
I couldn't help but smile as I put the baby cherry blossom in my hair. It made me blush and think back to Gakushuu who was just dragged off. I hope I get to see him again someday, he seemed really nice and sweet. But of course those people don't usually stick around... Or aren't really sweet as they appear. I huffed and bit my lip before checking the time, it was 3:00, shoot! I was supposed to be home 10 minutes ago!! I quickly started to push the cart out of the park and through the busy streets trying to go faster. Please don't be too late, please! I ran even faster and almost ran past the shop with how fast I was going. I stopped and took in a breath before slowly and quietly opened the door to the dark store. 2 men sat on the counter talking and cracking jokes, 1 was guarding the back door and shutting all windows. They weren't the scary part though, the scary part was that my mom was on the floor being held at gun point. A man was behind her holding a M1911 pistol to the back of her head while his leader sat there talking to her with a smile. I then felt cold metal on my back, right behind my heart "Move" a voice ordered. I felt myself start to tremble, but tried to calm my breathing as I slowly pushed the cart towards the others in the room. Hearing the heavy footsteps of the man behind me everyone looked up, my mom was in tears. "Ahh, Karma, glad you could make it" Clayton teased walking over to my mom and putting a hand on her shoulder. I bit my lip, let go of the cart, and raised my hands in a surrender motion "C-Clayton.... Let her go, please?" I asked. I was terrified I couldn't handle these guys, especially when they can shoot my mom at anytime. Clayton laughed, he laughed so hard he knocked over one of my mom's good new grown ferns. "I'll go alright, and I'll let her go, after.. I get my money, or little mommy here goes bye bye" he stated as he lifted her chin. I could see she was terrified but she still managed to shake her head no. "Karma, baby listen to me not them, don't do it, you earned that money and they didn't, you keep it and run, I'll be fine" she said, tears running down her face. Clayton looked pissed as he snapped his fingers, the guy behind her slapped her across the face with the gun. "No! I got the money!! Just stop please" I yelled close to tears myself, I ran around the side of the cart where I keep the money. I pulled it out, but had a hard time keeping it in my hands as I was shaking too much. Clayton grunted and snatched the money out of my hands starting to count it. The whole place was silent for an entire 2 minutes until Clayton growled "You're a hundred short! Kill the bitch". My mother stayed silent the entire time while I cried out for them to stop. I didn't know what to do, I was panicking, I was, I was hyperventilating, I couldn't breath. Suddenly I got an idea, I ran and shoved past Clayton to my tiny tree that I was growing. It's been growing for a year now and was getting bigger and prettier, but my mom was more important. I picked up the little shrub and smashed it to the ground, the pot pieces going everywhere. I scrambled through it hissing whenever I cut myself, which was a lot. Everyone had stopped once more to look at me, curious as to what I was doing, even mom. I sighed in relief when I finally found it, my life's savings, but in this case it was mom's life savings as this will save her. I picked up the small wad of cash and quickly put it into Clayton's open, expecting hands. "There it is, $100 exact, all out of money I scrounged for or earned in tips, take it and leave" I said trembling as he eyed me over. He took in a breath and chuckled "Fine, we'll leave, you were saved again by a miracle huh? Karma really is in your favor, get it? But next time don't expect to get so lucky, you pay us to protect you, got it!? Next time if the money isn't paid in full when it's due, we'll take your pretty little asses and drop you off right in front of that psychopath and let him have his way" Clayton said snapping his fingers. His goon that was holding my mom dropped her making me run to her side as she pulled me into her arms. "So yeah, we'll leave, later... Akabane" Clayton hissed and his goons left making me sigh in relief and making me feel a whole lot safer. I grabbed my mom and slowly and gently led her into the back room before setting her in her chair letting her rest. I noticed she was shaking more than me and was gasping for air, she couldn't move, she was only twitching. I went upstairs into our small apartment and into her room's bathroom, quickly grabbed her pills, and jumped down the staris before sliding back into the room she was in. She looked even worse now, I popped a pill into her mouth and she swallowed it before the color started to return to her face. That's a thing about my mother she's never told me about, she says she's deathly sick but has never told me what she has, only that the pills make her feel better. "Mom!" I cried into her chest as she held me, I was tired, I was tired of living like this, but I always kept a positive attitude for her. She hated to see me cry but I was just too scared, they've never gone this far, whenever we don't have the money they'd just shoot near us and give us more time. Something was different today, something caused me to almost loose my mom. "Karma, baby, listen to me, I need you to go the front, open up the cash register and lift up the middle pad, there should be something there, once you find it bring it back here, okay?" She explained to which I nodded. I slowly let her go and went out into the store, now the lights were on so I could see Clayton and his men ripped and tore apart half of the place. I ignored it, this was usual for them, I focused on my mother's words and went to the cash register. I opened it and saw it was empty, another normal thing accustomed with Clayton's visits. I lifted up the middle pad like mom asked and found an envelope, although I was curious mom said to bring it back. As I walked through the door to the back room with the envelope mom's face lit up in glee. She quickly took the letter and opened it revealing 500 million yen (4,418,132 american dollars). I was shocked, but also confused, why would she hide this from me. "Karma, we're going to use this money to send you to school" she said with a gentle smile. I was still to shocked to talk properly "i-i... Wh-how! ... Wh-what!? No! Mom, why would we do that when we could use that money to help you fix whatever sickness you have or we could pay off all of our debts with Clayton. Better yet! We can leave the country and get away!" I yell at her. I've never raised my voice this high and it hurt, but I needed to know why she would spend this money on something so stupid as sending me to school. "Karma, I just want you to know that I have my reasons, and I need you to trust me, if any other time this one counts the most, please?" She said handing me the money. I eyed it for a moment before looking at her, she looked so determined, I sighed and nodded while taking the money. She smiled and pulled me into her arms again while kissing all over my face. "Mom!" I whine in protest as she laughs, "Okay, come on dear time for bed!" She exclaims standing up and lifting me into her arms as if I weighed nothing. She laid down on our couch we had back here and held me close to her, like I would have blown away in the wind if she let go. Even though we do have our own separate rooms upstairs, we like it down here snuggling on the couch together. Even if we couldn't afford a place to stay, we couldn't afford to eat big and full meals, we couldn't even afford to have as many clothes as the normal person. We have each other and our flowers, my mother loves flowers and I've grown up with them, they have so many meanings and have never steered us wrong before. I felt my eyes start to close as I scanned the room for a final time, on the table in the center of the room was a vase of daisies: Innocence. Ha, I'm often compared to a daisy, but I've never believed it. I'm just someone trying to get by, just like the rest of the world.

Wow, that got dark fast, but yes, our poor strawberry is having financial issues like the rest of the real world. You all will see the after math in the next chapter.