All Of Me

Chapter 17

Yesterday, I woke up to a disconnected phone. With everything I had going on, I forgot that my mother had been paying my phone bill the past couple months since I'd been gone. I spent yesterday getting my own phone turned on, and giving my number out to the people I wanted to have it.

I sent a group text to Paige, my mother, Tripp, Cynthia, Carol, Carly, and Josh, just in case I couldn't get in touch with Tripp some time.

I couldn't really blame her for cutting the phone off, but she could've at least gave me warning first since I do live alone. Not like it surprised me, she was giving immature a definition as of lately.

I was getting my books for college ordered online when my phone rang and I answered to the sound of my very tense mother.

She asked if I could meet her for dinner tonight. I didn't ask why, I just agreed and she told me where and what time. I told her I looked forward to seeing her, but before I could finish the sentence the line clicked off.

So that's how this was going to go.

I sighed and texted Tripp, and he said he needed to come by so we could talk. He said he would be by before I had to leave at 6:30 to be there by 7:00, and I agreed.

I spent the day getting ready for college and trying to ease my nerves about meeting my mother for dinner.

College at UGA would start next month, and grants, plus my scholarship, would take care of everything.

Gracetown Cafe would be 24 hours as of next month, and I would still have a steady job, plus two more co-workers for night shift.

I would go to my college classes from 8am to 3pm, and work from 6pm to midnight. Not too bad.

Carol said she would still pay me the same.

I started getting ready for dinner around 6, in a long grey skirt, and black tank top.

Maxi skirts seemed to do better at hiding my bump, and I didn't want to instigate any arguments out of my mother than I was sure there would already be from the way her voice sounded on the phone. I was sure Brian ran straight to tell her all about my "attitude" the other day. Douche.

I opened the door to Tripp, as I put in my last ear ring, "You didn't check to see who it was first." He sounded concerned. "You told me you were coming." I smile.

"It doesn't matter. Always look." He scolds me and I dismiss him with a shake of my head. "I'm a big girl. Now what is it you need to talk about? I've got to leave soon." I glace at my cute sunflower-shaped clock on the wall and it's already 6:15.

"A few weeks ago, when I went to get some more stuff from your house, I found something.." His sentence trails off and he pulls his lip between his teeth.

I nod, egging him on.

"I found a baggie of cocaine. It was outside Leeane's door." My breath hitches as soon as he speaks the words.

My mother wouldn't do drugs. She wouldn't.

I started thinking back to how strange my mother had been acting the past couple months. Throwing me out, the way her hands shook most of the time. Sweating. She seemed more on edge. The way she would talk faster than usual. But I thought maybe she was just under a lot of stress with her publishers.

Cocaine? My mother on crack? Where would she even get it? And why?

I sit down on the edge of my small white couch and Tripp steps closer, I must look faint. I can't do anything but try to make sense of everything going in my head.

She must've dropped it going out of her bedroom. How long had she been doing it? I didn't even know she drank aside from a little champagne at one of Brian's many gatherings for work.

I shook my head. "I have to go." Tripp squeezes my shoulders and makes me look at him. "Let me come with you." He offers, and I so badly want to accept. To hide behind Tripp and let him handle it. But I can't let Tripp fight all my battles all my life.

I shook my head, and swallowed the bile in my throat at the thought of my mother hitting a crack pipe. It's disgusting and sad.

"Call me immediately if you need me. I'll come and get you." He pushes my hair back, and pulls me in for a hug. I hadn't even thought about how he almost kissed me at the cookout. And I still didn't have time to process it, because my mother was on cocaine.

I stay in Tripp's arms, needing the familiar comfort for as long as he'd let me have it, but refusing to cry.

He finally released me and we both walked out, locking my apartment up behind us.

It was a twenty minute drive to the dimly lit seafood returaunt she chose. The only thing I liked here was the busicuits.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this dinner, but when I walked in and saw Brian sitting at the table with my mother, that wasn't it.

They did this on purpose. So before they could see me, I quickly exited the building and dialed Tripp. Two could play at that game.