Page 17 of One Night
Chapter ten
Skylah
“Skylah, hun. Can you come down here, please?” Mom shouts from the bottom of the stairs.
“Coming!” I shout as I roll off my bed and make it out of my room.
I grip the wooden banister as I walk down the steps.
I wonder what she wants now; it better not be another boyfriend.
I swear she switches men faster than she stays clean.
The last one lasted less than twenty-four hours before he tried to sneak into my room.
Luckily, I was already prepared for that, thanks to the many people she's dated before.
Each night, I place my dresser in front of the door, followed by my bed.
It creates a tiny gap that if my door is even tried to be opened, it moves the dresser into my bed and prevents even the tiniest of openings.
It makes sure that no one can get in at all.
My bedroom is also on the third floor, and most of the men she brings home are too drunk and have huge alcohol bellies, so they wouldn’t even think about climbing up here.
During the day, I sneak out for school, followed by work, then by the time I arrive back home, they are partying, so they don’t even notice I’m home.
I make it to the bottom of the steps and walk into the living room.
My mom is sitting on the couch, holding hands with another guy.
This one doesn’t look like the others; he has salt and pepper hair, piercing emerald eyes, and is wearing a suit.
This can’t be good, because we’re the fuck did she even find him?
He looks like he is someone’s lawyer, more than a guy who could be her boyfriend of the week.
“Yeah, mom,” I say as I stand here waiting for her response.
“Sky, come sit down. There’s something I need to tell you.” She looks up at me, and I can see that she’s been crying, and I instantly go on alert.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I say, walking over to the worn, beer-stained couch taking a seat. I’ll need to shower and burn my clothes once I’m off this thing. It probably has more cum stains and piss than it has cushion.
She looks over at me and starts crying hysterically before throwing herself at the man.
Oh, she’s putting on a show, and I immediately frown.
I look up at the man and notice that he is frowning as well, with a look of disgust, as he tries to peel my mom off him.
That makes me laugh, but I cover it with a cough as the man looks over at me and mouths “help”.
“Mom, what is it?” I ask, already feeling the annoyance building.
“Oh, hun,” she says, as she wipes her eyes with a tissue. “It’s your grandmother. Sh-she’s-dead.”
She starts wailing again with her fake tears, as I just sit here and soak in the words.
My grandmother, the one who never visited, called, wrote, or even made an effort to get to know me.
Fuck her, why should I care? I didn’t even know her.
As I go to get off the couch, my mom’s head turns so quickly as she gives me the look.
The one that says sit the fuck down and put on a show or get fucked up.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mom,” I say, rolling my eyes as the man watches me.
“Yes, and it seems she had a will, and this man is here to read it to us.” She says as she straightens up.
“Yes, as I was telling your mother, my name is Collin. I was your grandmother’s attorney.” He says.
I don’t say anything as I watch him open his briefcase on his lap and shuffle through before pulling out a manila folder. Once he has it, he closes his case back up and opens the folder.
“Is that it?” My mom asks, with excitement in her tone.
Of course, she only cares about the will.
She’s probably hoping my grandmother left money so she can buy booze and drugs with it.
She’s as selfish as they come, and I guess she learned from her mother.
The apple doesn’t fall from the, well, you know the saying.
I look over at her, and she is seriously sitting there like a kid in a candy store, just bright-eyed and excited. Ugh, I can’t wait to be rid of her ass.
“Yes.” He answers her before he flips through some pieces of paper.
“Okay, this is the last will and testament of Glorcia Lucille Bergasyn.” He starts reading through what I assume is the spell about everything. “I leave to my daughter, Marieneen Claryette, a sum of ten thousand dollars.”
“Fuck yeah! When do I get it?” Mom asks, as Collin quickly glances my way before turning back towards my mother.
“Are you sure you don’t-” he starts to speak, but she cuts him off.
“No, I don't. You can tell her.” She nods my way. “So, back to my question.”
He pulls out an envelope, and Mom snatches it, rips it open, revealing some cash, and stands up.
“Nice to meet you, George. Skylah, I’m going out, I’ll be back later.” She says before rushing out of the room and the door.
Collin turns back my way, giving me a sympathetic look before he flips through some more papers.
“Is she serious? Is she always like this?” He asks.
I probably shouldn't tell him shit, but he just gave her the only money that could have bought us groceries or helped with bills. So now she has the money to binge for a few days. I guess I can just grab something to eat at work so I can save up for the bills. I realize he is still waiting for my answer, so I look up and answer as truthfully as I can. Fuck it, I’m eighteen, so they can’t do shit to me anyway.
“Yes, she is, and seeing how you just gave her the only cash we would have, she won’t be back for a few days, maybe sooner depending on how quickly she can go through the cash.”
He looks at me with a slight nod of his head before saying, “Do you want me to finish reading the will?”
“There’s more?” I ask, confused as to what else she could have left.
“Oh yes, there's a lot more.” He smiles, and that makes me curious before I realize there’s something that could help me after all, making me smile back.