Then she blurted out of nowhere, “I have no money Vicki. I’m not going to lie. I sold the house, so I could travel and try and further my career. Besides I was in a bad way when Dad died and not feeling great after Mom’s death.”
I wanted to point out that she only came to the funeral for Gran. Mom packed up and so did I to spend some time with her, Aunt Rose didn’t even bother.
"I thought that I at least had money in Graham's trust fund account, but that’s gone and I need to pay for a funeral. This is just killing us. At least if Graham signs his contract and gets an advance, then we can figure out how to pay for the funeral and then take things from there.”
Again, I nodded waiting for her to catch her breath and tell me my fate.
“And it seems that your mom made plans in case something happened, you know, something like this. So, with at least sorting out the funeral, you don’t have to worry about going to school. You can go to Hawk Academy in the next couple of weeks.”
Again, I nodded not knowing where the hell this academy was or what else she had to tell me.
“I’m supposed to be in my final year. Going to college, and now…”
She turned to face me for the first time since she picked me up. I thought that she was feeling bad about the fact that I ran out of Ned’s office, but now I could tell that there was something else on her mind.
“I travel a lot. I can’t leave you alone or move you all the way to New York. It makes no sense. You belong here, but I don’t think that’s possible.”
I remembered the words of Teresa’s dad, he offered for me to stay with them. Just to finish the final year.
“I could stay with Teresa and her parents. Yes, you are my legal guardian, right? So, we could talk to her parents and then you could send some money or something…”
She shook her head, “No. I couldn’t give them money for your keep. That just wouldn’t be right. And it seems that your mom made plans for you to go to Hawk Academy. It would just be easier for everyone.”
Her blue eyes started to fill with tears and then I knew that that this was just as difficult for her as it was for me. Even if I was having doubts about her motives. She seemed to be sad, but sure the hell didn’t act like it. If I really thought about it, I remembered mom calling and telling her about Gran. She said that she would arrive soon and always found an excuse not to come. Until the day of the funeral. Apparently, she dropped everything to come then, and as soon as it was all over, she was gone again.
Did Mom really call her?
I mean they were twins, but they were so different in not only looks but the way they acted too. Mom would help anyone in need, whereas Aunt Rose would think twice about it.
“I don’t want to do this,” she said as she held my hand, “But, it’s in the will. If anything should happen to her, then you should go there.”
“Why? Mom didn't have enough money to send me to a private school, when she was alive. Why would she send me to one when she was dead?”
She shrugged as she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. She pulled me in closer and started to sob. I wanted to see her face, to figure out if they were real tears or just crocodile ones.
“If it all goes bad. Sour and you’re not happy then I’ll find a way. But can you give it a try. It would be better for all of us in the long run.”
I nodded my head, I didn’t want to, but things were hard enough as it was at the moment and I didn’t want to make it even more difficult. I didn’t have a choice. I had a chance to finish school and by the sound of things, I’d have to find a way to get help to go on to a university. Maybe get financial aid, or scholarships, but I had to figure that out in the coming months, not right now.
There was light at the end of the tunnel and I should have been happy, but it just made me feel even worse. I was leaving Utah again, but not for a little while this time. This time it was for good.
Chapter Eight
The last few weeks had been a whirlwind, Aunt Rose left for New York, Graham left to get his name in lights and my mom was laid to rest. I didn’t feel the hatred that I’d done a couple of week ago. I’d found peace even though Stuart was still out there. The police came to the hotel and I thought that it was with good news, but it was the same old story.
If we could think of anything to help them with their investigation. If they thought that a journalist and a teenager could do better than the law and enforcement, then I struggled to find their purpose in life. My life anyway.
I took a deep breath as I packed what little I had in a small suitcase, getting ready for a car to take me to the airport and on a flight to Boston. It was as if every little detail had been thought about and it made me even more nervous. But I said that I would give it a chance and that’s exactly what I intended to do.
I hated the idea of not saying bye to Abe. He asked when I was leaving, and I told him that I would be here when he came back from visiting his dad. I knew that I wouldn’t be, but I’d said bye so many times lately that I was a coward and chickened out of doing it once again. Totally selfish, but I didn’t know where I was going or what I was going to do next.
Sure, I could get to this academy and everything would work out. Or I could end up going to New York. One thing that was for sure, I was never coming back here. Abe and I were over before we even began and the heartache of missing my neighborhood and my two best friends were bad enough without having to add potential boyfriend to the list.
“You sure, you don’t want to call him?” Ava asked me one more time as I stood at the door like a lost lamb.
Was I really doing this?
Just going to Boston, a place that I’d never been to before and never thought about going to? Fuck, everything about this felt wrong and then right at the same time.
I was leaving my friends, and memories of my mom. Someone who would have comforted me in the past and now all I had to feel near to her was a headstone. I’d buried two women that I loved more in the world in the last few weeks and it just felt too much.
I had to get the hell away from here. But I didn’t want to be away from them.
“Ava, I don’t know what I’m going to do without you guys being there.”
She cried, “I know, and we hate you going there.”
Teresa squeezed me, “I wish that you would just stay here. I hate the idea of you going so far, girl. Alone. We love you. You know, that right? We do love you.”
I nodded my head or tried to as my two best friends in the whole world squeezed me. The idea of not seeing them again started to dawn on me. Sure, we could chat on Whatsapp, Video at times but as for the smell and hug that we were doing right now? I had no idea when or if we would ever do that again.
Holidays.
What was going to happen then?
Would I stay in the academy?
I’d be the only girl that didn’t have parents to stay with.
Fuck! I was an orphan. Something that I’d read about in Oliver Twist and someone that I’d never met. I’d never met someone that was an orphan and yet I was one right now.
My heart started to beat out of control as I hugged them even tighter.
I confessed, “I don’t want to go.”
I shook my head, as I repeated it over and over again.