Dear Estella,

23. now don't get flustered, estella

a/n: double update! make sure to read the last chapter before this one :)

One week.

She was gone for exactly one week, and now she's back.

I remember when I was younger, I would try to find the pattern. I would sit on my bed late at night, and write everything down in my planner. The dates of her business trips, the dates she returned from them, how long she would stay home. Thirteen-year-old me didn't do a very good job considering I could hardly remember every time she left or came back. That's when I realized there is no pattern; she comes and goes as she pleases.

"I got a call from your school this morning," she says to me without looking up from her home magazine in front of her.

I freeze, my arms still holding onto my hair that I was in the middle of tying up. "What about?" I ask in ignorance although I know exactly what the school called about.

"They informed me that we have to attend a conference to meet with your teachers. The secretary also told me that they gave you the sheet of paper that you were supposed to give me so I could schedule a time that works for us."

I nod along slowly as I grab a protein bar from the pantry. "Right. I completely forgot about the conferences."

She narrows her eyes at me as she takes a sip of her black coffee. "Hm," she mumbles in suspicion. "Well I scheduled ours for not next week but the week after. Monday at 3:30."

I try to hide my disappointment. A small part of me was hoping she wouldn't want to attend the conference. It's hard to understand and divide her two different personalities: the mom who doesn't care enough about her child and the one who cares too much.

I nod, taking a deep breath. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like she has more to say to me. I grab my backpack from the bottom of the staircase and feel my back pocket to check for my cell phone.

As I'm about to head back up the stairs to grab my phone, the doorbell rings. 

"Who's ringing the damn doorbell this early in the morning?" My mom asks as she stands up from the stool by the island.

My eyes widen once I realize who's on the other side of the door.

"I'll get it!" I say, trotting over to the door before my mom gets the chance to do it herself.

I open it slightly, meeting eyes with a confused-looking Asher. He gives me a small smile.

"Hi," I say.

"Hey," he drawls. "I texted you a bunch of times telling you I was here. Just wanted to make sure everything is alright... do you still need a ride or—"

"Who is it, Estella?" My mom calls out from the kitchen.

I hold up a finger at Asher before turning around. "It was no one. I'm going to school now. Bye!"

I step outside and quickly shut the door behind me. Any second, my mom will run out here and insist on driving me herself. But I grab Asher's forearm and we make our way to his car as fast as we can.

"What the hell?" He asks as he starts the car and pulls out of the parking spot. "You wanna tell me what that was about?"

I sigh, looking out the window to avoid his curious gaze and also to make sure my mom isn't opening the front door. "Not really."

"Estella."

"My mom is just a little... strict," I say, which isn't the complete truth but also not a lie. "I was talking to her and I left my phone in my room so I didn't see any of your messages. My bad."