In the middle

Chapter 13

I was picking mum up from the airport. Julian and Taylor has stopped calling after Hannah gave them a piece of her mind.
I had skipped Monday of school and I was skipping today cause of mum.
I locked the house up and walked over to my car.
'ZOIE!' I looked beside me. Julian! 'Just let me explain.'
'I don't wanna talk.'
'Please!'
'NO! Look I'm picking my mum up from the airport, when I get back you better not be here. Otherwise I'm calling the police or FBI or whoever isn't taking your money.' He looked like he was going to speak but stopped himself.

I got in the car and slammed the door. I hope I run over his foot!

By the time I got there mum was at the baggage claim. MUM!' I yelled. 'BABY, ZOIE!' She screamed back. She embraced me in a tight warm hug. I hoped she never lets go. Tears poured from my eyes.
I could feel her soaking my shirt. 'Oh my god I've missed you so much!' She cried.
'Look at you! Ahhhh you're beautiful.' She kissed every inch of my face.
Mum didn't really look like me, instead of my brown hair she had dark blonde and her face was a little more narrow than mine. But we shared the same gleaming eyes.
'Come on!' She said, holding my hand. 'I'm starving, get me some food.'

We were sitting at a small cafe close to home. 'So how is Matteo? And Matthew? How's Hannah?'
I smiled. I missed this so much. 'Matteo sold the gym, to some real douche bag apparently. Matthew is great, Talia had a baby.' Talia was Matthews wife. 'Awwwww name?'
'Danielle.'
'Adorable.' Mum dipped a fry in her thickshake.
'Hannah is great, she's been going on on dates with a guy called Caleb. Though she's not serious about it yet.'
'You said you had a new friend? Tay...?'
Taylor, we aren't talking at the moment.'
'Why not? Boy troubles?'
'It's a little more complicated than that.' Mum just shook her head shoving fries in her mouth.
'Whatever it is! If this Taylor girl is worth being friends with, despite whatever is going on, don't lose that. We get the friends we're meant to have.' Mum spoke.

I helped mum unpack her things. She had sweaters from around the world. She brought me home a blanket from Fiji where she had stayed for two days.
Mum was on international flight center. She found going from one state in America to the next was boring. She wanted to see the world! And she deserved to do it too. Plus getting nice things from around the world was a benefit as well.
We were at the dinning table playing a board game. I liked to spend time with her like this, she said she was staying for a while but I knew if she stayed too long she'd get stir crazy.

'So what was Paris like?'
'It's beautiful, I saw the Eiffel Tower! Can you hurry up and graduate so I can take you with me!'

I smiled. Mum and me knew I wouldn't go. I hated the constant traveling, I hated packing and unpacking and I'd miss my home. I wasn't like her that way.
'I ate frog legs with a French busker. Then I danced for him, it was so fun. I only stayed three days and then I was off again. Return flight home. Then I got a flight to Madrid which is beautiful this time of year!' She told.
I envied that. How she could just pack up and leave and take her heart with her. I knew she missed me though. I missed her consistently too.

'What about Dubai?'
'It's really busy, like here in LA. But the beach is nice. Only stayed a couple hours.' I loved hearing her stories. 'How is Miss Tracy?'
'Yeah she's good. She calls every Wednesday and Friday.'
'Why doesn't she just come over?'
'Mum she's old!' Mum shrugs. 'Are you okay?' It's the first time she's proper asked me since she got back. Now I shrug, 'I don't know, I feel like I should be doing something but I don't know.'
'Honey! You don't have to do anything.' She got up and hugged my shoulders. 'I love you sooooo much!'
'I love you too.'
'How about I take you to school tomorrow?'
I smiled. 'Sure, why not!'

Mum and me just chatted in the car, about work and Hannah and school. I didn't tell mum about Julian, that would never happen. I'd also never tell her about Bason Chuck either.
She pulled into a spot by the front doors and before I jumped out Mr. Wisener appeared at the window.
'Uh! Miss. Carter, I've finally caught you. I saw you were away the last two days.'
'She's not been feeling well.' Mum covered for me.
'I see you're back Mrs. Carter. Nice to see you.'
Mum gave a fake smile. She hated speaking to my teachers, something we had in common.