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~ Day Dreams ~
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~ Chapter Thirty Two ~
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~ Painted Memories ~
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~ Nineteen-Years-Old ~
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~ Jake's POV ~
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I pace outside of the Chancellor's office as I ponder what on earth I should say. If this was my idea, which it was not, I would not be spending my last day before Summer break at the college office speaking to the very last person I want to talk to, which so happens to be my mother.

I stop mid-track and notice through the office windows that Chanel walks out of my mother's office and shuts the door behind her, leaving the scene. Chanel must have gone through the back entrance. But why? Why all the secrecy? What was she doing? What was she up to?

Ash stands like a soldier ready for battle behind me, reminding me that I cannot flee the scene. Anxiety consumes me, as I begin to sweat like there is a heatwave cascading around me. What do I say to my mother? Will she hate me forever? Why am I okay with that? Stop overthinking, Jake! But what do I say? I cannot say—

—Hi Mom, so I have disagreed with you on many things throughout my whole life and you have forced me into so many situations that have not served their purpose. I appreciate you encouraging me with competitive swimming, and lifeguarding but the rest of it, I cannot deal with it anymore. I do not love Chanel, I never have. But you had to stick your nose into where it does not belong because you cannot control yourself.

That sounds easy enough...

My legs kick into gear and halt at the doorway, with 'Office' carved into the wooden plaque on the door, further reminding myself of what I have gotten myself into. Hands shake as I knock twice on the hard surface as I wait for what feels like decades. Footsteps approach from the other side of the door as it opens, revealing an assistant with a tired appearance.

I glance towards Ash and he gives me the thumbs-up and nods his head towards the office. I nod, gazing towards my shaking hands, closing my eyes shut and taking deep breaths before I head into battle.

Do not be scared, Jake. You have been through a lot worse than this. Like losing a best friend when you were eleven years old. If only I fought my mother harder and chased after the girl I loved and she would not have ended up dead and it was all my fault. Pain strikes within my chest as the thought of Hazel enters my brain. I force the thoughts of my dead best friend to the back of my mind, as it hurts too much and causes me to lose my breath.

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~ Eight-Years-Ago ~

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Without glancing backward at Hazel who was standing like a statue at the broken window of her house, my sluggish body opened the car door and I shut it with a thud. Lightening had struck a couple of miles away from the north end of Seaside.

I did, however, steal one more glance at Hazel, as her carrot hair glowed in the moonlight of monstrous thunderstorms. A silent tear fell down my cheek as I wiped it away before my mother noticed. I did not want to be seen as a weak eleven-year-old kid who loved his best friend and who will never see her again.

"Mom, why are we really going away? Why can't we bring Hazel with us? She'll be sad and lonely," I said glancing out the pitch-black window as thunder rumbled and lightning struck the skies.

"Jake, I don't have the strength to argue with you," my mother sighed, "Just know that this is in both of our best interests. And that friend of yours... You will be better off without her. She will only hold you back, Jake."

"I don't care what you think of her, mom. I still love her and I always will," I said with my chin high and arms across my chest. "I want to know the truth! Why are we leaving?"

My mother scoffed, "Alright, fine. Hazel's parents didn't steal money from us. Your father is back in town and we're moving so he can't hurt us, again. I don't want to put you at risk again when it comes to your father or that filthy, so-called friend of yours!" my mother's eyes twitched with rage and disappointment as her eyes narrowed towards me through the review mirror.

"And Hazel's parents are dangerous, Jake. And like I said before, I don't want Hazel to ruin what we've worked so hard to achieve with your swimming career. She will only drag you down."

"Whatever," I mumbled underneath my breath and watched the time pass me by.

As soon as we arrived at our new home I flung the car door open and ran into the already lit-up house. The housemaids must have arrived before us and brought our belongings. I rushed around the house to find a working telephone and to my relief, I found one and dialed the police.

"What is your emergency?" A voice said on the other side of the phone.

"I know an aged-ten little girl getting abused and neglected and she needs your help. Please, hurry and help Hazel Anne Summers. She lives on the north side of Seaside Florida." I said in a shaken and rushed voice as I heard my mother's footsteps approaching and hung up the telephone. I should had told them Hazel's address but to be honest, I had no clue what it was.

* * *

After one day of living in a new and bigger house with my mother, who enrolled me into a new school (a private school at that), as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. It had felt like it had been decades since I last saw Hazel. I hope she is okay since I called the police last night.

I got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast and my mother sat at the dining table with a big newspaper planted in her manicured hands. As soon as she noticed my presents she glanced over the paper and appeared sympathetic.

"I don't know how to tell you this, Jake—" my mother paused lowering the paper in front of her and breathed a heavy sigh. "Hazel Summers has died from a gunshot with an incident that happened last night."

The fireplace crackled with blazes of fire as classical music waltzed in the background on the radio. I struggled to breathe at what had I just heard. "W-what... let me see," I said as my voice trampled with fear, reaching for the newspaper as my mother moves it from my reach. I furrowed my brows toward my mother's strange behavior.

My mother scrunched up the newspaper and threw it into the pit of the lit fireplace. "That would be a bad idea with that rubbish rampaging through your brain. Just think, that could have been you if we hadn't moved when we did. I want you to forget about her, Jake. Because you will never see her again."

How could I forget about her when all I could think about was her! It was all my fault! How could I leave her like that? It was all my fault! How could I kill my best friend? The police failed to save her last night. No not save her, leave her for dead.

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The assistant at the front desk clears her throat, which causes me to stop drifting into outer space. She notices me straight away and leads me further into my mother's office. Strong carpet cleaner remains stuck in my nostrils and mouth and distracts me from what I have gotten myself into. My head spins with so many scenarios for what could possibly go wrong.

The assistant halts at my mother's closed door with the sign reading, 'Mrs. Chancellor Rivers'. I stand behind the assistant, almost hiding as she opens the door and steps aside, revealing a busy woman who does not like being disturbed.

"For God sakes, I told you I didn't want to be disrupted," my mother finishes typing on her open laptop sitting on her glass desk. She glances at her assistant with a scowl on her face, then she notices her son — me as her face drops from a glare to a smile. "Jake, I'm so happy to see you."

"We need to talk, mom," I said in a serious tone.

"Of course, Jake," my mother said, getting up from her chair and shooing the assistant away. "What do you want to talk about?" The assistant walks out of the office and shuts the door as my mother begins to hug me but I step away from her.

Do not let her manipulate you. Say whatever comes to your mind.

"What on earth is going on, Jake?" my mother said with her hands on the hips of her business dress. "Why did you push me away just now?"

"I need to focus, and you always make such a big deal out of everything, and now it is my turn to say what I have been needing to say for a long time," I begin to pace the room and breathe heavy breaths.

"Jake, what is going on? I'm busy and I need to be at a meeting by—"

"You're busy, you're tired, you're not in the mood and repeat and repeat. This cycle never ends, mom. I am sick of playing your little games of manipulation. It's not a fair game you're playing at. You said you would try to be there for me and put your own child before work but nothing has changed," I said, breathing in a deep breath.

"What are you talking about, Jake? I gave you everything you wanted did I not?" my mother said her voice deep and low with a scowl on her face.

"You never allowed me to have Hazel did you not?" I said my hands beginning to shake as I mock my mother.

My mother scoffs, "How dare you question your mother. Hazel never deserved you! She was trash and she would've made you trash too," my said with a razor sharp voice.

"She wasn't trash!" I yell as tears form in the corners of my eyes. "Your ruined everything and my life and taking I'm taking it back!"

"You're starting to sound like your father. He hurt me and now you're hurting me too," my mother said in a child-like voice.

"There you go again, it's all about you. No wonder you like Chanel so much because she is you," I said, my voice loud and echoing throughout the office. "Is that why you're forcing me to marry her or you will cut our deal?"

"I have no idea where this is coming from but Chanel is a sensible young lady. You will marry her and continue with the family legacy," my mother sneers, her voice full of annoyance, "And the deal was if you wanted to study sports you would have to marry Chanel when you graduate college."

"Only because Chanel has money and you want more earnings for yourself because you're selfish and manipulating and can't help but control my life and stick your nose in where it doesn't belong," I said, glancing away from my mother for a moment then returning eye contact with her as I add with an firm manner, "But no longer will you control my life, the deal's off."

"How dare you speak to your mother in that disrespectful tone. You will do no such thing, you're talking foolishness. If you think the deal's off then I can expel you from college in the blink of an eye and cut your funding just like that," my mother snaps, clicking her fingers to make her point across.

"If you expel me then it'll look bad that the Chancellor's son was expelled and we can't have that. It will ruin your image and reputation as a leader. Go ahead, cut my funds. I don't care anymore. I saved up enough earnings with lifeguarding so nothing is holding me back," I said smiling, feeling proud of myself and I hope Hazel would be proud too.

"Jake, you can't cut me out of your life. I need you. Please, I'll be sad and lonely. Your father left me and now you're leaving me too. How could you do this to me," my mother pleas with her dark blue, cold eyes.

"You left Hazel when I told you she would be sad and lonely," I pause thinking of Hazel. This is all for you, Hazel. "Stop manipulating me. I'm done. I'm sure you have plenty friends and money to replace me with. As of right now, you're no longer controlling my life. By the way, I'm breaking up with Chanel because I like someone else."

My mother scoffs again, "Who do you claim to like? Not that Summer girl I hope?" my mother said with a frown and crossing her arms across her chest.

How did my mother know about Summer? Chanel must have told my mother about her before I could. I knew Chanel was jealous of her. "So what, if it's her. Why are you never happy for me?" I said my voice box breaking.

"Well, let's just say you still have a bad taste for trash," my mother said darkly, "This Summer girl you claim to like isn't who you think they are... they're a liar, Jake. Talking about lying, there is something I need to tell you—"

"Not this again, I don't want to hear it. I'm sick of your games. I'm cutting you off and I will see if dad wants to care about me because you probably lied about him too," I said and spin on my shoes and rush out of the office and slam the door shut. I am sick of all the lies and Summer is not a liar like my mother. Summer's real.

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~ Cheers ~
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Please, tell me in the comments what you thought about Chapter Thirty Two? 🙈 I'll be greatly appreciated, thank you, you very kind soul!
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~ Chapter Thirty Two ~
~ Dedications ~
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HeliiBoh
DebMorey
PeterPetruzzella
CaitlinWoodward9
DaniJones_14
ChloeMayerhofer
savvvy1998
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You guys should totally check out PeterPetruzzella short story! Lighthouse. It's amazing!
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You guys should totally check out ChloeMayerhofer story! Fallen! It's awesome!
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C.Morey 🥕 xoxo
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