"Congradulations, mom!" I yelled, throwing my arms around her neck.
"Aw, thank you, honey," she said.
"You did so great," Kyle complimented.
"Thanks, Ky," she said, letting go of me. "Are you guys hungry? I'm gonna make some lunch."
She walked past the three of us and put her bag down.
"Oh, Riannan?" she called from the kitchen.
"Yeah?"
"I think it's time to start looking at apartments," she said.
"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting on the stool.
"I mean, that damned door is gonna kill someone. And this apartment is broken," she said.
"We don't have the money," I said.
"We will," she said. "I'm getting my first paycheck on friday, and it'll go to the funeral. But the weeks after that we can start saving up for a new place."
I didn't know what to say.
"Mom, how much money are you getting a week?" I asked.
She told me and my eyes bulged.
"Is that even possible?" I asked.
"Well, news anchors make real money," she said. "When you think about it, it's only a little over average."
I grabbed a cup and got water.
"Sorry, I'm just used to a minimum wage income," I said.
"I know you're not used to having extra money, Riannan, and I'm sorry for that," she said. "I should have been around."
An awkward silence was cast over the entire room. My mom set grilled cheese in front of the three of us.
"What about you?" I asked.
"Oh, I'm going out with a few people from the crew for lunch," she said.
"Okay," I said. I was used to her being out of the apartment, and it was strange adjusting.
"Speaking of which, I should probably be going," she said. "Sorry, honey. I'll be home later."
"That's okay," I said. "See you later."
She kissed the top of my head and walked out the door, pulling it sharply behind her.
YOU ARE READING
Losing Control
Teen FictionRiannan's life was spent watching her five year old brother since her mother was too busy passing out at bars and hooking up with twenty-year olds to do it herself. Living in a run down apartment and working two jobs to stay there was hard work for...
