buzzcut season

19.

I walk downstairs to where my mom is sitting at the long dining table with her breakfast.

I groan, sadly I'm painfully sober. That's what sucks about being nineteen in L.A, you can't drink.

Not that, that would stop me but it's definitely slowed me down a bit.

"Morning," she says looking up from her iPad.

I don't reply.

Despite our little heart to heart moment last time I saw her, I still ignore her. Even though she may be dying, even though she's expressed her regret.

"Where's dad?" I ask.

I want to walk into the kitchen to get cereal like I would at home but it's buzzing with staff preparing for today's lunch.

It's a Sunday so my mom has friends over for lunch and my dad goes golfing, typically. Quite cliche but where else did cliches come from.

"Business things," she mumbles. "I never bother to keep up with him." She sips her tea as she reads on her iPad.

I nod my head. She's too busy scrolling through news on her iPad to look up.

I've been here a week and a half now. Christmas is in a couple days I really am not excited. I thought my parents would quite literally drag my ass out here but, I made my own way here, two weeks early as well.

I don't know for how long either.

I go out to the backyard and sit with my feet in the pool for a bit. I don't mind the rich life. I do miss the little things.

My phone starts buzzing again and I look down to the display name Mal.

I ignore it but then she texts me.

I contemplate just dropping it in the pool and walking upstairs yelling "I need a new phone, mom" just casually in the process like I would've done years ago.

Except me now would never drop something like that in water. When you have no money you start to realize how valuable things are.

Mal: when are you going to come back?
Mal: where are you? Are you safe?
Mal: Fucking answer

Leaving her wondering amuses me.

I lean back on the concrete with my feet still in the water as my phones notifications go off.

I close my eyes for a while till I hear heels click on the ground. Myah.

I open my eyes to see a boy standing and looking down at me.

"Don't mind that imbecile," I hear my sisters voice and I snap up.

"What are you doing here?" I ask raising an eyebrow.

"I hope you know I live in this city and I often visit dad," she says as she walks over to me. She moves her sunglasses onto her head. "You're enjoying the rich life again I see."

"I'm enjoying the warmth," I say.

My phone goes off again and I can tell Myah catches a glimpse of it.

"Oh someone's popular," she says.

"Yeah whatever," I says snagging my phone and looking through all the texts Mal sent me. "Who's this kid."

I don't look up from my phone, probably looking like an obnoxious douche. Oh god how I miss it.

"A business partner for something," Myah says.

She says something else but I don't pay attention because I notice Luka texted.

Just a simple.

Hey.