Havoc by M. L. Williams

Author:M. L. Williams [Williams, M. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: M. L. Williams
Published: 2023-08-11T04:00:00+00:00

“Hey, Mom?” I ask.

“Hey, Ri?”

I chuckle and place my phone on the side of the door. “You are why I’m this nerd, ya know.”

“The coolest nerd I know,” she grins. “What’s up?”

I try to hide my grin. In the right context, I kinda enjoy being called a nerd. “I was thinking…what do you say we play Bug Slug’s for old times sake?” I hold my breath to prepare for disappointment. Mom has gotten older, so maybe she thinks that game is for younger parents now. She could have outgrown it. “Nevermind I asked,” I interrupt the half second of silence. “It was stupid to ask.”

Mom veers the car over to the right lane and then runs off the road. “What the heck is going on!” I gasp. “Ah!”

The car comes to a jolting stop, and Mom spins her head toward me. “Why in the hell are you screaming, Riley Jones?”

I smirk, shrugging my shoulders. “I dunno, I felt like it was appropriate for the scene at hand.”

For a brief second, I could see the glow of happiness in Mom’s face. I haven’t seen Mom smile much lately. I assume that has a lot to do with her job. They’ve been asking a lot of her lately ever since they’ve had a few people quit. I’ve even been trying to perfect my tacos so Mom doesn’t have to come home and cook. If I’m being completely honest, I’d give every penny of my winnings to Mom if that meant she could enjoy her life again. Maybe she could invest in her children’s book she’s wanted to create for as long as I can remember. I know I’d find a way to achieve my dreams still, especially with sponsors flocking my way.

Mom is still staring at me, and I’m unsure if I should smile or frown. “Uh, Mom?” I ask.

“I’m so proud of you, Ri,” she begins, and I immediately feel my tear ducts activating. “Through all of the unkind words said to you for as long as you can remember, here you are. I didn’t know what this day would actually look like but back-roading in—”

“Wait, back-roading?” I interrupt.

“Oh yeah, made the wrong turn miles ago. You think I’d tell you that?

My eyes widen, and I begin looking at our surroundings. The “road” we are on appears as if it’s made of sand; actually, I think it is made of sand. Help! I look back at Mom giving her a “what the heck” look, and she’s cracking herself up. I think I even see those tumbleweed things flying around!

“We’re fine. Ziri says were about five miles from the main road. Anyway, Ri, I’m proud of you and you better kick everyone’s ass. Money or not.” She grabs my neck and kisses my forehead. Her lack of concern for our current location is alarming.

“Okay, Mom. Thank you. I proud of you too.”

“Yeah, yeah… and the money will be going into your college fund.”

A thin layer of silence sweeps through the car. We stare at each other and burst into laughter.

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