Love Me, Love Me Not by SM Koz

Author:SM Koz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

CHAPTER 18

Two weeks later, I’M at DSS in a room with kids’ toys and my mom. This is the first time I’ve seen her or even talked to her in almost two months. She’s sitting on the sofa when I enter.

Looking at her is no longer like looking in a mirror. We have the same coloring and are the same height, but my once dull and brittle hair is thick and shiny, my cheeks have filled out, and my tiny legs and chest are fuller. She seems to look even worse than I remember, with more wrinkles and dark bags under her eyes. She looks fifty but is only thirty-three. It’s a side effect of the drugs and alcohol. They really should show before and after pictures during health education. That would definitely persuade most of the girls to stay away.

“Hailey, honey, I’ve missed you so much,” she says all singsongy. She never talks like that, so I immediately know she’s putting on a show for Sherry. She jumps to her feet and wraps me in a hug, but I let my arms hang by my side. I haven’t missed her one bit. I don’t even want to see her now.

“I’ll be back in thirty minutes,” Sherry says, leaving the room.

As soon as the door closes, my mom crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me. “Where’d you get the fancy clothes?” she asks in her usual nasty way.

I look down at what I’m wearing. Jeans and a pink T-shirt. Far from fancy, but much nicer than anything in her closet. “I got a clothing stipend from DSS.”

“Must be nice having someone handing money to you.”

“It’s not for long. I’ll be on my own in March.”

She sits back down and pats the cushion next to her. “I wanted to see you weeks ago.”

I stay standing. “I know, but I wasn’t ready.”

“Weren’t ready to see your dear old mom?”

“No.”

“You’ve gained weight.”

“Why did you want to see me?” I ask.

“I talked to Chase.”

My stomach drops at her words. Nothing they talk about could lead to anything good for me. When I don’t say anything, she continues, “He said you’re living in some billionaire’s place now.”

“They’re not billionaires.”

I actually don’t know how much money the Campbells have, but they aren’t billionaires.

“He saw all the paintings they have hanging up.”

Crap. How did Chase see the artwork? He was in the basement but never made it up to the gallery. I guess the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room might give a view to that area if he was in the backyard.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lie, studying the bookshelf filled with brightly colored toys.

“Don’t play dumb with me. Chase talked to his cousin, and he said we might could get a hundred grand for a few of those! We’d be set for the rest of our lives, Hay-Hay,” she says, switching her tone from angry to sickly sweet. She only calls me Hay-Hay when she wants something from me, and I know exactly what she wants from me right now.

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