Hot Potato

I storm into her room, angry with her sudden disappearance for the last couple of days.

"Gee Jackie, why so angry?" She questions with amusement.

"Why? Seriously? You haven't been at school for five damn days and you have the audacity to ask me why?! You haven't answered any of my calls or texts and didn't even bother calling back!" She laughs at my anger.

"I'm sorry Jackie. I was visiting my parents and they had taken my phone" Lottie tells me.

"Still no excuse" I pout at her and fall face-first on her bed.

Charlotte (Lottie) Louise was my best friend and has been since we were one. Our parents were very good friends before her parents moved two years ago. In an ordinary world you would think that Lottie move with them but not wanting to switch schools, her parents had let her stay here in Rootsville with her Aunt Lisa Louise. Our families were quite close, to the point that I call Lottie's Aunt, Auntie (after hearing Lottie call her that numerous amounts of times)

"So how are your parents?" I ask her. Mama and Papa (Mr. and Mrs. Louise) were very nice people. With my dad working hard to get back up on his feet after my mom passed away, I had spent a lot of time at Lottie's place and her parents had become my second parents, I literally call them mama and papa. In fact, her whole family had become my second family.

"They're good. They were asking about you you know" She gets up from her desk, putting down the book she read, and makes her way to her bed, plopping down beside me. "I told them you missed them a lot and want to see them again. You should visit them."

Of course, I missed them. They practically raised me. My dad was a busy guy but he always made sure to make time for me, no matter what his schedule may be, but because of his busy schedule and my dad's trust in Louise's, I had similar morals as my best friend.

"I will" I smile at her.

"So what's been going on with you?" She asks as she opens her side drawer and takes out a stash of food.

"Oh, you know just the usual. Became a mom to a three-year-old kid and Blake happens to be the Dad. Just an everyday thing, nothing out of the ordinary" I reply while popping some candy in my mouth, making way to her closet and started to look for something nice, leaving her to debate with herself about whether I was lying or telling the truth.

"What are you talking bout?" I take out a black blazer, checking it out. When I don't give her a response, she snatches the blazer from my hand and pries to tell her the details. I go back to her bed to grab cookies, her in tow. "Jackie!"

"Ok, ok listen. When I went to school on Tuesday after my doctor's appointment" I told her every little bit and piece.

"So did the police find anything?"

"No, not yet. They say they're doing their best but it's hard to find anything when they don't even know his parents' name. And there are no reports of a missing kid from anyone."

"I hope they find them." I nod in agreement.

"So, since we're not doing anything today and since Chris probably misses you. How bout we go see him. I want to meet him" Lottie suggests and I immediately text Blake, asking him if it was ok if we came over. I had gotten his number earlier in the week considering we would have to stay in contact to update about Chris.

When Blake replied we immediately got into Lottie's car and drove to his house.

I had been over to Blake's house twice before in the week and it was nice. It made you feel welcome and comfortable upon entering. His mom had done a beautiful job with the interior designing of the house where the sofas complimented and room colours and every little tiny bit of detail in every room was placed to perfection but still make you feel at home.

When we got to his house, Lottie would not stop expressing how excited she is, adding a little squeal now and then as we wait for Blake to open the door.

"Mommy! I missed you!" Chris opens the door and hugs my legs with Blake standing behind him. I offer Blake a small smile as I pick Chris up.

Blake lets us in after exchanging greetings with Lottie. We make our way to the living room as Chris told me about his day.

"Chris, I wanted you to meet someone," I tell him. "This is Lottie, she's my best friend" He smiles at her and introduces himself which made Lottie let out a long "awe"

Once Chris started showing Lottie all his toys in his toy room, which was beside the living room, I sat down on the coffee-coloured couch as Blake sat beside me

"So any new information?" I ask him. He shakes his head. I couldn't help but notice the frustration on his face. "You ok?" With that said, he went off.

"You're a girl right?" I gave him a questioning look. "My bad. Stupid question. But why are you girls so complicated?"

"Excuse me?" I really had no idea where this was heading.

"One minute you'll be loving the kid that came into your life. Next thing you know, you hate him and want him gone" he rants on.

"If you're talking about Chris, I don't hate him. I don't think I could. Where would you even get an idea like that?" He runs a hand through his hair, ready to pull it out.

"I know you love him, but it's Alexa. I really don't know what she wants."

"Trouble in love town?" He gives a small laugh

"Far from love town but yeah. I think she wants me to get rid of Chris. I don't think he likes her very much either."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know maybe the fact that he calls her a witch?" I put a hand over my mouth in an attempt to hold in my laugh. "It's not funny"

"It kinda is" admitting to the humour, he lets out a small chuckle. "See"

"Ok ok, but she's constantly telling me to get rid of him. 'Chris doesn't like me', 'why won't he call me mommy?', 'when is he going to leave?' I'm just so frustrated with her right now and I don't even know why she's being so annoying, I can't just get rid of Chris. My family feels complete with him"

I laugh at his exaggeration of Alexa's voice. "I think I see what this is about. But just let her know, I'm not interested in you. I only come here for Chris. I hang out with you because of Chris. I mean I know what it's like to lose a parent, losing them both would be awful. And if this helps Chris, then I'm willing to play this little family game" I get up from my spot and start making my way towards Lottie and Chris but Blake gets up and grabs my arm.

"What are you talking about?" He furrows his eyebrows together.

"I mean I guess anyone would get jealous if their boyfriend or girlfriend was playing house with someone else, ya know? Think about it like this. Put yourself in her position. Say this happened to Alexa and some other guy and they were playing house. Wouldn't you be hurt if the kid wouldn't let you in, called you a witch? Wouldn't you be concerned how much of it is play between her and the guy and how much is real?" He lowers his head as he takes everything in.

"Sometimes we act a certain way to fool one person, and we end up fooling the one's around us and sometimes even ourselves" I quote the words my dad had said to me when my mom passed away. We tried to fool each other, showing the other that we were happy like nothing happened and we ended up fooling everyone.

"I think I need to have a little talk with Alexa I guess, thank you." He smiles at me which I return and make my way over to Chris.

"Mommy, auntie Lottie showed me this cool game!"Chris tells me as he sits on my lap.

"Auntie Lottie?" I wonder

"Yeah, because she said that you and her are sisters so that makes her my auntie" Chris explains while Lottie sits there with an innocent grin on her face

"I had to get something out of this family" she winks at me and I shake my head in disbelief while I let out small laughs.

"What's going on here?" Blake joins us and Chris starts explaining hot potato to us which we soon started playing.

Although he did not live with me, my family felt like a family with him in my life now. I just hope I don't fool myself and it won't be too hard to let go.