Twisted Strings [MONSTER EDITING - Read at your own risk]

Coincidence? I think not

I opened the drawer and saw a few notebooks sitting there. It was probably better to leave my stuff in my bag, I wasn't planning on staying a week after all. I was about to close to drawer when curiosity got better of me.

Obviously, this guy had been Mom's boyfriend at some point. It wouldn't hurt to know which hooligan was she seeing this time. I opened the first notebook but it was completely blank, even when I went through it again, all I saw were blank pages staring up at me.

The second one had only a few pages scribbled on, random phone numbers and addresses but nothing about the owner itself. I turned a few more pages and then spotted a photograph. For a moment, I just stared at it blankly and then my eyes widened.

It was the guy who lived next door, he had his arm around Mom and next to him stood Oliver, looking uncomfortable and annoyed as he stared at the camera. Or at me. I couldn't tell.

**

The lunch at The Barrow was mostly about Mom pretending that she wasn't enjoying the attention she was receiving, Elliot eating his duck and pretending that he was enjoying it and me trying to come up with a best way to ask Mom about Oliver and his Dad.

I hadn't been able to breath properly ever since we left the condo, there were questions haunting my thoughts. Things between me and Oliver had been rocky since the first time we met, I wanted to avoid him but somehow, we always ended up in awkward situations. I wasn't sure what connection we shared, or what we felt for each other, but Oliver had a way to crawl up in my thoughts.

''So, how's your Father doing? Is the café going well?'' Mom asked, sipping her coconut milkshake. Was she even allowed to drink one of those. She had always been obsessed with her weight, even though she was thinner than a matchstick.

I played with my pasta, ''Dad is okay. Café is okay too.'' She was trying to make conversation, because Dad and his business were the last things she cared about.

''And you? I heard you are participating in some competition...'' Her tone was suddenly tight, condescending. She had probably 'heard' from Dad.

''Yeah, it's nothing big.'' I replied dryly, not wanting to dwell into details. The details involved music and Rhodes, two things she didn't approved of. I needed her to be in a good mood to inquire about Oliver's family and his relationship with her

''Oh honey, I wish you would just come and stay here. The Fitzgerald school is open for enrollment. Do you know about their Ivy League programs? They prepare you-'' There we go again...Mom and her Ivy League obsession that she assumed that everyone shared.

''Mom,'' I said pointedly, ''I suck at studying, I probably won't even get in Fitgered-''

''Fitzgerald'' she corrected me,

''Same difference.''

''No honey, it's not! I even emailed your Father the brochure. Do you remember Henry Crawford? He was the director of the shampoo ad I did two years ago. His brother runs the school and I told him about you. ''

''I don't want to change schools at this point. And you know I can't live away from Dad.''

''Your Dad can survive on his own. He's clever enough to do that.'' Her distaste was apparent.

''I'm sure Elliot will love to go to Fitzgerald, he's good at Math.''

''I'm sure he is.'' Mom smiled widely, patting Elliot's hand. My brother on the other hand seemed to realize that the duck wasn't so good after all. 

''How's your work going?'' I asked, realizing a little too late that it was a mistake.

Mom threw her head back dramatically, ''Oh! Where should I start with work? There is a new series in work and the company approached me about it. They sent me the script but it's a little sappy for my taste. I did mention to Harold that I don't do dying lovers and evil exes.''

I had no idea who Harold was. But since she did she not like dying lovers and evil exes. Every movie she had acted on had at least one person dying and evil exes out to spike your drink.

''Um Mom? Can I ask you something?'' Mom probably thought I was going to ask about Fritz, she lightened up immediately and clapped her hands together.

''Sure! What is it? If you have questions about the school, I can ask Henry-''

I was nervous when I said, ''Do you know our neighbors? Um the ones who live next door.''

Her smile disappeared right after and her eyes narrowed. The way she pressed her lips in a thin line and stared at her nails confirmed that whatever history she had with them was just that. History.

''What about the neighbors?'' She demanded.

''The boy...Oliver? I kinda know him-''

''He's a brat that one!'' Mom snapped before I could even complete my sentence. She pushed away her milkshake and cleared her throat.

''I don't like him either,'' I started to say before the conversation could spiral out of control, and it wasn't a complete lie. Like I said, the best to way to get Mom talking was to make sure she was satisfied.

''He's in the competition too, playing opposite us. And he's been rude to me. He mentioned you once-''

''He did?'' Elliot who had been listening to the conversation with interest asked,

''Yes, he did,'' I bit out, throwing daggers at him. ''He said that – that I'm just like Mom-''

''I dated his uncle for a while. He's an owner of a production company. Richard was tolerable while it lasted,'' Mom huffed, ''But that relative of his was an absolute leech. He tried his best to ruin our relationship, from petty tricks to that snobby attitude. Hmph! He succeeded obviously.''

I stopped listening after that and leaned back in my chair, taking a deep breath. Oliver knew me, way before we met for the first time. And he had hated me before meeting me. Could this situation get any worse?