Ghost Town - afi

20

-Ashton-

I counted the money three times exactly. The envelope I had been saving all my cash in held exactly $1,500. I knew what that meant, another night at Kathy's. But this one would be the last one. I'd never have to hear those awful screeching sounds she made. She insisted that no one would be able to hear us. But she was so loud, it was a miracle the neighbors hadn't called the cops already. She sounded like she was being maimed.

Luckily Lauren was feeling better already. She still needed a bit of help here and there, but she had gained back a lot of her mobility and independence. I was glad because she seemed like herself again and also because I didn't need to call Grayson to babysit again. I really appreciated her help, but I felt guilty asking her for favors. Harry on the other hand, begged for me to bring Grayson back. He seemed to really take a liking to her.

It made sense. Grayson had all the qualities a caretaker needed. She was kind, smart, protective, caring, responsible, comforting, and she was sweeter than I thought was humanly possible. She was pretty much the exact opposite of the woman standing in the living room glaring at me with her charcoal lined eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Unfortunately of all the times she could've possibly decided to stop in, my mother chose when Lauren had just had surgery.

I glared at the woman in front of me. "It's not like you'd have done anything."

Her hair was in a tight French twist and blood red lipstick stained her mouth. She wore a jeweled ring on each of her fingers. One of which was probably worth enough to pay all of Lauren's hospital bills and then some.

"You're right," She mused. "But I'd still like to know. She is my daughter after all."

"Hardly." I spat.

She frowned bitterly, setting her designer purse down on the coffee table. "Since you're so clever all of a sudden, tell me, how are you paying the bills?"

Admitting that I was earning dirty money was the last thing I wanted to do.

"I sold all of my furniture and most of my belongings." I gritted my teeth.

"Ha!" She laughed sourly. "As if the trash you had in that pitiful little room of yours would be enough to pay for a surgical procedure."

She neared me and I stood my ground. "I know what you're doing," She hissed in a snake like manner.

She ran one of her talon sized nails across my cheek. "You know what they say." She leaned in and whispered, "Like mother, like son."

-Grayson-

"Mom?" I called.

"Yes, sweetie?" She answered from the kitchen.

"Do you know where daddy is?" I asked. I wanted to see if he was cooking tonight. He was a really good chef and some of my favorite memories of us together were in the kitchen. He used to make mystery desserts and I would try to guess what was inside them.

"He went to the hardware store to get some supplies for a project he's working on." She told me. "Why?"

"Never mind." I brushed it off. I had wanted to invite Ashton over for dinner if he was cooking. I knew Ashton wouldn't accept money for groceries from me, but he might agree to come over if I asked really nicely.

I went back upstairs and flopped over on my bed like a whale. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Peter.

Peter: Are you busy tonight?