TOXIC; Captivating You

"Mum....mum" I rushed to the store feeling excited, I could not wait to tell her the good news

"Calm down Charlotte" mum giggled, she took the tray from the customer's table and carried it to the kitchen.

My family runs a restaurant, it was not too big and not too small either it was just..... portable, business was bad as usual, only three costumers was around.

The business was not always like that, a new restaurant opened beside us last year and people prefer it to ours, though I must confess the food there is heavenly, just tasting it ones would want you to go for another fill, I know I am not meant to be thinking like this cause they are our rival but still their food is just over the top.

The only costumers we get are the loyal ones or the ones who come after all the sit-in that restaurant has been taken, though it stings there is nothing we could do, the restaurant was far more powerful than ours.

"So what made you so happy" mum said bringing me out of my thoughts.

"...go on" mum urged me to continue

"Well...do you remember the scholarship exam I told you about...the one I wrote last month" I said not able to contain my happiness

"I got accepted" I grinned while twirling about

"Is it that big school?" mum said looking surprised

"Yeah" I sat down suddenly feeling dizzy

"Wow, that's my girl" mum squealed then started crying, mum is the type of person who gets emotional easily.

"I am so proud of you, I am going to make your favourite dish tomorrow"

"Why not today," I said jokingly, mum just smiled.

"So when are you going to resume" mum said as she sat down, she heaved a sigh of relief

"Briarwood high has already resumed, but I am to fill a form and do some things here and there before I could resume...." I paused

"But..am to pay a thousand dollars for uniform and some other things" I said with a thin voice while playing with my hair. The money was too much for my mum.

My mum's eyes widen then slowly soften, I was not expecting that.

"Okay" mum smiled

"I...I" I was speechless, I thought she would turn me down

"Thank you so much" I said happily

"This is the least I could do, you have done so much already" she stood up from her seat to hug me, I hugged her back.

****

"We are going to be in the same school" Olivia my best friend did not seem to like the idea, she looked annoyed for some reason

"Yeah" I picked up the apple from the fruit bowl and washed it

"Why...I mean how" she forced a smile which made me look rather uncomfortable, Olivia was acting strange. She dropped her iPhone 12 pro she was holding and turned her focus on me

"I don't know, I just saw the email they sent me...why....don't you want me there" I took a bite out of the apple and gosh it was sweet

"No..that's not it, I was just surprised it's hard for someone to pass their exam, I know you did not cheat I mean you don't even have the money bride anyone" she said her eyes not meeting mine as she played with her long dark straight hair.

I was not able to swallow the apple I had in my mouth, why was she so mean

"Did I do something wrong"

"No...did I say something wrong, I am just not in a good mood" she forced a smile at me

"Oh.....I thought you had a problem with me" I sighed in relief

"So what made you this upset, it's unlike you to be down" Olivia was the fun going and carefree type.

"Nothing" she sipped the juice she took from the table

"If you want to talk about it, you know where to meet me" I hate forcing people to tell me stuff if you don't want to tell me fine if you want to tell me then fine again

The room was silent and I felt awkward

"It's getting late, I should get going" I stood up from the soft sofa ready to leave

"Yeah" Olivia said

"Are you not going to escort me out?" I said jokingly

"Do I look like your servant and besides I did not ask you to come"

Ouch okay....

"Well am sorry for coming to tell my BEST FRIEND about my success, I don't know what's wrong with you" I mumbled the last part storming out angrily

What's gotten into Oli.

****

"She did that" Amelia frowned

"I never like her from the start she was always snobby and looked down on us, just because she is rich" she ate her corn dog aggressively...poor corn dog

"That was harsh"

"No that's the truth, I still don't know what you see in her, you always follow her like a lost puppy who just found his master, it's so annoying, one would think it's because of her money" she scoffed not even looking remorseful

"Am back" mum said

********

"Dad you're back" Olivia hugged her dad, she carried his suitcase and followed him to the living him

"When did you get back" she said trying to start a conversation with her dad

"I heard Charlotte passed her exams" he said with a hint of admiration, Olivia's face fell

"She is just too much, I wonder how she does it, she helps her mum and still excels academically.....whereas you..." He sighed in disappointment.

"I wish I had a daughter like that, I won't have any problem worrying about the heir to the company, am so sure she is going to kick those rich kids butt, I am so sure she would come first this section"

"Dad..." Olivia said almost in tears

"Why can't you be like Olivia, you are always first from the back, I don't know what you use your brain for, I gave you everything but still you never make me a proud father" He said raising his voice

Olivia broke down in tears

"Dad, that was just too much" Olivia ran to her room wiping the tears that were desperately trying to fall.

Her dad loosened the tie around his neck, taking the suitcase Olivia dropped on the sofa to his room.

*******

"Mum how many times have I told you not to beg on the street it has not gotten to that level" a pouch looking girl said

She was average in height and very skinny one would think she haven't been fed well not knowing she is meeting up with the beauty standard of the country, she had fair rich skin one could tell that she takes good care of her skin, she had a blonde straight hair which she left loose.

Her oval face compliment her pointed nose, she was a beauty.

She had designer clothes on no-one would know that the lady begging for alms was her biological mother

"My beauty, what are you doing here you would get cold" the unkempt lady which had rags as clothes stood up to hug her daughter but was stopped with a hard push which made her fall to the ground

"How many times have I told you not to hug me in public are you deaf or do you have anaemia" the girl said angrily

"I'm sorry....I forgot " her mum dusted her clothes

"Have you eaten" her mum smiled warmly at her, she could never get angry at her daughter she was just too cute and her only family

"No, I need money" she said coldly

"What about the money I gave you last week"

"You mean the thousand dollars that finished that same day, it was not even enough to start with, it only bought me two gowns, when my friends bought different bags and designer clothes, I hate my life so much, my friends have rich and famous mothers while am stuck with an ugly broke one, who did I offend I just hate you" her mum bit her lips to stop the tears from dropping

"Emily don't you think that is a bit too harsh"

"No it's not you deserve more than that, I wish I had a mother or you just die, you are like a parasite who won't just go away"

"I can't stand the sight of you, just give me the money am leaving" her mum wiped her tears with the back of her palm

"Eww, who knew a begger could cry and stop it you are making me look like a bad person" she said looking irritated

Her mum brought out some money from her worn-out purse and passed it to her, she took it harshly from her mother

"Only five hundred dollars " she scoffed

"When I thought you had hit the bottom there just seem to be a new one, you always amaze me"

"Thanks for nothing"

"When are you coming back home" her mum shouted.

She walked away not looking back at her mum

*******

"Take this to the restaurant" mum passed me the ingredients she bought from the superstore

"The key" I collected the key from her pocket.

The restaurant was not far from the superstore.

"Let me help you with that" Amelia carried the basket which was on top of the one I was holding.

"Thanks"

"The uniform is to die for, it fits me perfectly, I wish I was the one going" Amelia pouted

"You would, maybe next year if you pass the scholarship exam"

"The quality of the cloth is top-notch, you could tell without touching it, it's so worth the money" Amelia said

"Move out of the way" someone shouted, I looked up to see a power bike charging towards us.

I screamed dropping the crate of egg I was holding, my eyes widened at the realisation

I dropped the remaining things I was holding and ran after the bike, he has to pay me for the damage he caused.

I pursued the power bike shouting for him to stop but he didn't listen instead he increased his pace.

I immediately brought out my phone and snapped the plate number.

******

" Did you catch him? " Amelia asked immediately she caught up with me

" No but I have his plate number " I grinned.

"So what are we going to do about the crate of egg" Amelia said

Just thinking about it soiled my mood,

"I don't know, and we need it to make the main dish" I frowned

"We can just make another one and explain what happened to mum when she gets back" Amelia said trying to console me.

"Finally we have reached our destination" Amelia said as she pushed the back door

I was surprised to see mum, I was not expecting her by this time

"Mum you are back, I thought...oh Mr Jordan you are here, didn't see you there" I was surprised to see Olivia's father, I was not expecting him to be around, he travelled to London for business

He smiled warmly at me

"I heard you were given a scholarship into Briarwoods high"

"Congratulations, so how are we going to celebrate this wonderful news"

Mr Jordan was a very nice and caring man, I wish I had a father like him, he always had my back and assisted me he was like a father figure to me, Oli is lucky to have him as her dad

"Thank you" I grinned

"I brought this for you" my eyes widened as Mr Jordan handed me a channel box, I opened to box to see a channel sneakers the one they had just released.

"Oh....my" I squealed hugging Mr Jordan tightly

"Phew, I thought you would not like it" he smiled looking pleased

Who wouldn't like a channel sneaker, come one we are talking about CHANNEL here of course I would love it

"Thank you so much" I said while kissing the shoe, I am going to guard this shoe with my life Amelia must not wear it before me, she loves wearing my dress before I try it on, it sometimes annoys me but I later got used to it but am going to be the first person.

"How is Olivia by the way" the last time I saw her was when we had a heated discussion, ever since then we haven't spoken to each other

"She is fine, she went to her friend's place early in the morning"

"So where should I take everyone to, we need to celebrate this wonderful occasion"