I had barely gotten down the road when I heard my cell phone ringing. “Shit.” I muttered as I saw who it was. I did not want to talk to her right now. “Hi Mom.” I answered, faking a polite tone.
“Lulu,” she said and I heard the annoyance in her voice. “We are still getting all your mail; we need that last car payment from you…” I sighed as she continued. I knew this call would be nothing but complaining. I reached my building and parked the cart close to the door, realizing I would have to make more than one trip I grabbed as many bags as I could, squeezing my phone between my ear and shoulder and kicking the door open, my mom still complaining in my ear. I dropped the bags in front of my door and went down to grab the rest. I picked the bags out the cart and set them down by the door and waited for my mother to finish, placing my hand on my hip.
She was ridiculous. I managed to move two thousand miles away from her yet she still found ways to make my life miserable. Finally I heard her coming to an end, mentioning the car payment again.
“You know what, last time I fucking checked that is not my car anymore, you made that pretty clear the day I left so, no, I am not sending you any money, get your cute little boy toy to pay for it and stop calling me if all you’re going to do is complain. Shit, and you wonder why I fucking moved!” I yelled into the receiver, slamming the end button just as I heard her start talking again.
I almost threw my phone, catching myself and tucking it into the pocket. I grabbed the cart and shoved into a nearby bush, releasing a small scream in the process. I would return it on my way to work later. I picked up all my bags and tried opening the door which was rather hard as I pressed my ass against the glass, trying to squeeze my bags in the tight space. I was just about in when I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I looked up and my gaze fell on a black car across the street, I couldn’t see anything behind the tinted windows, but I was pretty sure they were watching me.
Fuck, I thought as I got the last bag inside, I would to. I had just put on quite a show they were probably laughing their asses off at my expense. I sighed and looked at the car one last time before letting the door close and I started up the stairs. My phone rang in my back pocket but I ignored. I finally made it to my door and pushed through the bags to get inside. I dragged the bags inside and starting putting my groceries away. I looked at the clock and groaned. I had two hours to get to work, so I decided to get take a shower now, knowing I would have to leave a little early to put that cart back.
~*~
“Damn it,” I muttered slamming the door behind me. How did I lose track of time? I ran down the stairs and breezed through the glass doors and suddenly remembered the cart. “Shit,” I groaned, I had forgotten all about it. I grabbed it and started jogging; I was going to be late to work. The hospital was only two blocks farther than the grocery store so I continued the pace when I suddenly had an idea. I smiled as I jumped on the back of the cart and glided along. I let out a little laugh as the wind blew my hair back. God, I missed this, missed when things were so easy, when I didn’t have all this grown up shit to worry about. I finally made it to the grocery store. I quickly slid the cart into the caddy with the others and checked my phone.
Running and riding the cart had given me enough time to walk the rest of the way. So I slowed my pace and tucked my hands into the pocket of my scrubs. I had become a CNA about a month ago. It still wasn’t my dream job but the money was good and it was a highly respected career and it beat working at the gas station. It has taken me six months to get my license and I got a job right after, thank God. Things had been going great and I was making bank until one day my manager pulled me into his office and told me how they were overstaffed and were going to have to let some people go.
I knew it was going to be me, I had only been there a couple of weeks, but he surprised me, asking if I would be interested in transferring to another branch. I had really needed the money so I was about to agree when he suddenly said that it was in California. I swear it was fucking fate, and I don’t think I could have said yes any faster. I had enough money saved already to cover at least firsts month rent and the hospital actually paid for my plane ticket so it couldn’t have worked any better. Breaking the news to my family was the hardest.
My dad took the news rather well; he knew I had wanted to go back to California as soon as I had come home from my vacation. He said as long as I was happy, he was happy. My mom was a whole other story though. She flipped shit, screaming about how she was going to need me and I couldn’t leave, who was going to watch my little brother when she went out and shit like that. All she cared about was how I was no longer going to be around to take care of my little siblings, and basically do what she should be doing instead of running around with Roger, her twenty-eight year old boy toy. She was still pissed the day I left, not letting me take my car, claiming I would have to buy it from her if I wanted it, though she hadn’t made any type of payment on it once I had started driving. But whatever, I didn’t need a car that bad, I was in Los Angeles, California, most places are in walking distance anyway, and there was always a taxi if I ever had to go far.
My little siblings probably took it the hardest. My nine year old brother, Luke cried and I had to promise him that I would call constantly and Skype all the time and he could call anytime. My sixteen year sister Mia was cool with it though I know she would hate it. She knew I had fallen in love with California when we had come here so she understood, plus it was for a job so that helped with the convincing. I had an older sister too, Jackie, but I hadn’t talked to her in almost three months, since she married that asshole so I didn’t even have to tell her, she would find out eventually.
I sighed as I got closer to the hospital. That was only a month ago, exactly a month today actually, now that I thought about it. I was just about to enter the sliding doors when I suddenly heard the screech of tires. I turned in just enough time to see a black car speed down the road.
The same car that had been sitting outside my house earlier.

Notes

Sorry these last few chapters went kind of slow but I needed to put a little background information. I promise the next chapter will be a lot more interesting and will even have Austin :) so stay tuned