once // calum hood

1

And I'm back!! This is a sequel to Talk Fast, and although it's not 100% necessary for you to read that one it does give you some background. Thanks for reading! Also, I'm not going to put Teagans POV at the top of every chapter anymore, just know it's hers unless otherwise stated. For now, updates will be once a week on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

AUGUST

"I'm sorry Mrs. Tidwell. With school starting in four days it's far too late to switch all of Teagans classes to online courses. Some of them aren't even offered as online classes." Mr. Brown folds his hands together and places them on the desk in front of us.

I look over to my mother who is clearly frustrated with his response, but we both knew this was likely to happen.

"What about coming to campus to turn in her work once a week? There has to be something you can do to help us. It's in Teagans best interest that we find some way for her to do her school work from home." She sighs, her hair slightly falling in her face but she quickly moves it.

Shes dressed in work attire, and her makeup is done. This was a look no one had seen from her since before she got pregnant with Asher. I look at the president of the community college I'm set to attend, wondering if he believes what my mother has just said to him. It's not one hundred percent truthful, it benefits her more than it does me.

My mom got a call about a week before we left California for a job offer. It's similar to my father's job but not as well paid, and since she's been a house mom for almost a year now I think she is ready to get back to work. We are completely capable of paying for Asher to go to daycare, but none of them will take him under the age of one. Their solution was for me to switch to online classes and I would keep Asher during the day.

I don't mind, mainly cause it helps them out and I love my parents. It's just that a full load of online classes takes a lot of motivation, and I don't have much of that recently.

"I understand that your daughter was involved in an internet video that went viral recently. While I can see how it's affected your family, I can guarantee Teagan will be treated like every other student, and I think she'll fit in well here. It's inconvenient to move around her schedule this late in the game, I'm sorry."

So the president of my new college has seen the video of my very public break up, and thinks that I think I'm too good to come here. Great. This month couldn't get any worse, honestly.

"First of all, assuming that video is the reason we want to switch to online courses is overstepping and not your place. Second of all, just because it is inconvenient doesn't mean it can't be done. Here is a list of her classes, as well as the online classes you will switch them to. You can do it, or you won't get any of our money, and she won't be attending here in the spring as we had planned." My mother shoves some papers onto his desk and stands up abruptly, walking out before anyone can say anything.

I scramble to my feet, grabbing my keys that were resting on the edge of his desk. "Thanks for meeting with us."

He nods like he knows my small smile was meant as an apology, so I follow my mother and leave the room. She is already at the end of the hallway, and I have to quicken my pace to catch up with her. "Mom, you could've been a little nicer to him."

"He wasn't cooperative, I needed him to give me what I wanted." She shrugs, and we step outside into the seventy-degree weather.

"I'm going to get dinner and then I'll meet you at home?" We stand at the fork in the sidewalk, and I nod at her.

"Yeah, see you at home." I wave at her and head towards my car.

When I sit down, I take a deep breath. My mother has become a completely different person since she announced she's going back to work. I guess she's just going back to how she was before she had Asher, but I was definitely getting used to the friendly laid back mom I knew this summer.