Rayne's POV

Ring ring ring

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Rayne," I say into the phone.

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Umm, okay. So, Em. I'm going to need you to meet me at a place. And it is really important," I say nervously, hoping he'll say yes.

"Yeah, what is it?" Emerson has been one of my best friends since tenth grade. Him and Taya are pretty much my only friends. Well, and Alec. He was in eleventh when I meet him, so I didn't have any classes with him, but I still hung out with him just as much as with Taya.

"So I need you to meet me at the bar." Crossing my fingers, I pray that he'll say yes so my mom won't be in there for much longer.

"Why?" he drags out.

"Well you see, my mom is in there. And I need her out and you're my only friend who's old enough to legally go in. Please," I explain, and then beg.

"Well, fine. I'm driving in that direction anyways." Yes!

"Okay, thank you sooo much, Em! I owe my life to you," I squeal.

"Yeah, well. I'll remember that next time I need a favour."

"Okay, well I'll see you then. Bye!"

"Bye," he says monotonously. I hang up the phone and turn to Taya wrapping my arms around her and just waiting until Emerson gets here. After about five minutes, I see his car pull into the parking lot and towards us. When he parks, he gets out of the car and gives us both a hug. I feel like I haven't seen him in forever and I'm just now realizing how much I missed him. A lot.

"Thanks again for coming. I really appreciate it," I say as we hug.

"Hey, I'd do anything for you guys. Now, should I just go in now?"

"Yeah, I don't know where she is though. Just that she's in there somewhere," I reply.

"Okay. Maybe you guys should wait in the other parking lot. I don't want you guys over here. Okay?" he tells us.

"Sure." Taya and I walk over to her car as Em walk towards the bar and into the ugly, smelly bar. Full of drunk, lazy people. I love my mother and there are some qualities in her that I hope I have, but I really hope I don't have this quality in her.

✨✨

Emerson's POV

Before I walk through the doors, I turn around to make sure Rayne and Taya are going into the other parking lot. I see Tay's van pull into a parking spot across the small street, so I turn back around and immerge into the foul smelling bar. I look all around me, trying to spot Rayne's mom. Even though I haven't seen her in awhile, I still remember her face. And exact replica of Rayne's. Or, I guess it's the other way around. 

Spotting a woman sitting on a bar stool with light blonde hair, I walk over to her to see if it's Ms. Thompson or not. When I get close enough to see the side of her face, I find out that it's definitely not her. Instead, it's a man.

"Can I help you with something?" the man asks gruffly, clearly annoyed.

"N-no. I'm sorry, I just thought you were someone else," I rush.

"Well stop looking for the wrong person and get lost."

"Whatever," I mutter quietly under my breath as I walk away. Searching frantically for her, as I was getting desperate to get me and Rayne's mom out of here quickly, I see pretty much millions of blondes. But non of them are Ms. Thompson's. 

"Emerson? What are you doing here?" someone asks from beside me. Turning towards them, I see her face and my face lights up.

"Ms. Thompson! Thank goodness! Your, uh. your daughter wanted to... t-tell you something. She wanted to tell you something. And since she can't come in here, she asked me to go in to find you. So come on, I know where she is," I say cheerfully, hoping she doesn't detect that I'm lying. Technically, I'm not. Rayne probably did want to talk to her. To ask her why she was there most likely.

Grabbinng lightly onto her arm, I start to walk towards the exit. But she doesn't follow and shakes her arm from my hold.

"I'm not leaving. You can tell her to text me, I have my pho-," she says but stops when she pulls out her phone and finds that it's dead.

"Come on. She really wants to see you and she can't contact you right now. Please," I practically beg, hoping she'll give in and come out to her daughter.

"W-why does she want to see me? I've lost my job and can't even provide for her. Look at me, I'm at a bar, wasting my life and savings away. W-why?" she breaks down to the floor and starts crying. I bend down and envelop her into my arms, letting her sob into my freshly cleaned shirt.

"Come on, let's get out of here," I say as I pull her up into a standing position. Walking towards the exit, Ms. Thompson slowly and clumsily drags her feet towards her waiting daughter.

✨✨

Rayne's POV

As I'm pacing the parking lot carefully, I rant to her about all the things going on in my life that are pulling me down. Every time I stop talking for a little, Taya talks me out of thinking things I should never think about. And it slowly works, until I start talking again. I hear quiet footsteps coming towards us and someone talking, so I turn around to see who it is. And there stands Em and my mom. Jogging over to them, I see that my mom is crying and once I get to her, she reaches out her arms to me. I pull her into a hug as she continues to cry.

"I'm sorry," my mom says through sobs. "I shouldn't have done this to you. I'm so sorry."

"I forgive you. Just please," I beg my mom as I put her face in my hands. "Please don't do it again."

"I won't, I won't. I promise. But I'll need your help, Rayne. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. And I plan on helping you. Through this, and finding a job. Because, Mom, you can't just sit around and expect a job to come to you. You have to go out and search for one. Okay?" I explain to her.

"O-okay," she mutters. After we both hug each other for what feels like an hour, we say goodbye to Emerson and walk towards Taya's van. Helping my mom into the front seat and then climbing into the seat behind her, Taya drives us to our house. 

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Hey guys! So here's Chapter 12! I have been writing this before I posted my last update, but I haven't really been feeling it. I may end up going back later and rewriting this chapter and the next later (as it's part 2) or I might not. Who knows? 

I would love it if you guys would tell me in the comments if you actually liked this chapter or not because if you guys do then I might keep it. 

Tune in to the next chapter when I post it to continue chapter 12. Don't forget to vote if you like this chapter or want to and to leave any comments you have. And I'm very thankful for all the votes you all give this book. It motivates me to keep writing, even if I don't feel like it.

Love you guys!