LOUIS
Most of November comes and goes. Louis and Harry finally finish their psychology project, turning it in ahead of the deadline.
Thanksgiving Break is hard on Louis, not that he'd admit it. Harry is gone for the entire week, visiting family up north. The Malik's do their best, but Thanksgiving was the one time of year his parents weren't evil. Thanksgiving always gave him hope for the future.
So naturally, that's the day his mom comes.
Louis would be lying if he said he didn't expect it. He just- didn't expect it to go like this.
"I'm here to tell you Happy Thanksgiving. I know it's your favorite holiday. I'd like it if you came to eat lunch with us. What do you say?"
Even this, Louis expected. What he hadn't expected was his reply.
"I'd rather stay here," lie. I'd rather die and not deal with today.
His mother sighs, "I figured you'd say that, can you come outside? I need to speak with you."
Louis follows her out the front door. The front porch of the Malik's house has several chairs and one of those outdoor couches. His mother takes a seat at one end of the couch, Louis at the other.
"We need to talk about your college money," his mother tells him.
This is the unexpected part.
"As you know, we've set up an accout for your college tuition, as with your sisters. There's some- stipulations... Some clauses that you've broken. Your stepfather would like to- withhold the money from you. I disagree. I've convinced him to... overlook your actions. He agreed- under one condition."
His mother pauses, and Louis isn't really sure if she'll continue, so he breaks the silence.
"Which is?"
She sighs once again, "You can no longer be in contact with us."
And that is the really unexpected part.
It hits Louis like a fucking brick wall. His mother is standing in front of him, on Thanksgiving, asking him to never speak to her again. No, paying him to never speak to his entire family ever again.
"What?"
There's tears in her eyes, and for the first time in his life, Louis feels the need to close the gap between them, "I don't like it. I don't like it at all, but it's the only way he'll agree to give you the money. He's a very closeminded man, your stepfather, but I want you to have a life. I want you to go to college- to make something for yourself, and not let this- situation- you've put yourself in stop that."
Louis nods, he pretends that he understands, when in reality, he's compltely clueless.
"Why are you telling me today?"
She looks up, blotting her eyes with a tissue, "You're turning 18 soon- in less than a month. On that day, you'll be able to sign the paperwork and the money will be yours, and you'll be out of our legal consent. We needed you to be up to date by then, and, I'll admit, I wanted to see you on Thanksgiving."
Louis smiles sadly, and she continues, "I feel horrible about how I've treated you, Louis. I feel like the worst mother in the world. I'm so sorry I've let you down, and this- the money- is my last effort. I know it's awful, to try and buy you, and I hate that when you sign those papers then we won't be allowed to be in contact anymore, but for once I'm doing things with you in mind. It's a lot of money, Lou. We've been saving and investing for a long, long time. When I married your stepfather, he put a good deal of money towards it as well.
