Chapter 1
“Tori, are you almost ready?” my Mama yelled down the hall to me. I give myself one last look in my full body-size mirror and holler back, “just one more minute.” I can practically hear her dramatically signing to her bedroom. I shrug off my mother’s dramatic southern attitude and take the flat iron to my hair one last time. My hair had a natural wave to it and today I wanted a less eye-catching appearance.
I am from Georgia. The wealthy part of Georgia as my ma would say. My family comes from great southern money. I honestly can’t remember my mama working a day in her life. I have never had to work for anything either and I suppose that is why she thinks I am “un-appreciative” of her new boyfriend who spoils hers left and right. Her having a “new” boyfriend is nothing new. She is always going through a midlife crisis and is always going after men who are just a couple of years older than I am. Yesterday was my 18th birthday and my ma and her boyfriend Chad called a “family” meeting.
“Honey, Chad and I both agreed that we are going to pay for your college!” “Really Mama!? Thank you so much! … Wait, what’s the catch?” I gave them a wary look. They both take a deep breath and give each other a glance. “Spit it out already!” I shout! I am a very direct person ya know? No beating around the bush or anything just saying what you have to say and move on. My Ma turns to me and grabs my hand and says “Chad thinks you should go to Valhalla University..” I look at Chad and he gives me a look that would have my ma’s panties soaking but all it does to me is gross me out. I roll my eyes and turn back to my mama. “I thought we agreed on Havord Mother? All my grades and test scores are so beyond perfect that I could score a full ride after I took their entrance exam.” I sternly explain to her again! Harvard is my dream school and she knows it! I have been working towards that goal my whole life! My mother gives me a salty look for calling her “Mother” and says “ I know we did but, Chad was telling me how amazing Valhalla University is and I think it would be great for you!” I roll my eyes again, and ask “Great for me or great for you?” I am beyond annoyed now. She stands up and towers over me and yells “Young lady! How dare you speak to me this way in front of Chad! You should just be grateful we are even paying for your whole schooling! Chad even went out of his way and already got you enrolled! NOW! You leave tomorrow at 6 AM! You and I have a very long car ride ahead of us so you better get your ass upstairs and start packing!” You’re not even going to tell me about the school or anything?!” I shout! “It would be nice to know what I am walking into before I walk into it!” I feel a warm hand on my bare knee and look over at whose hand it is. Chad has a cheeky grin on his face as he tells me “I already left a pamphlet on your desk in your room sweetie.” “If you wanna talk or anything else before you go, your mom leaves for yoga at 6 tonight. I would be happy to answer any of your questions.” He says this while licking his lips. I scoff and storm off to my room.
As I slam my bedroom door I spot the pamphlet on my desk. I plop down in my chair and sigh as I stare down at the big bold letters on the front reading Valhalla University. I flip open the pamphlet to the first page and my jaw instantly drops!
“MOM!” I scream as she comes flying into my bedroom “What?! What happened honey!?” she shrieks. “Have you even looked through this?!” I say as I toss the pamphlet at her. She shakes her head and says yes as her eyes look down at the floor. “And you’re just okay with sending me to this school?!” She sighs and sits on my bed and pats the spot next to her encouraging me to sit down next to her. I take my seat beside her and wait for her to explain herself. “Honey, I am not going to be around forever to take care of you and your father clearly, has decided a long time ago that he didn’t want any part in raising you. I want you to be able to find someone who you can at least satisfy and who wants to take care of you. I don’t want you to ever have to worry about anything ever.” So you think sending me to some “sex” school is going to ensure that?! I freak out. “Dear, I may not be the smartest woman on this god-forsaken earth but I do know you’re still a virgin and are going to need some help in that department.” “MOM!” “I’m sorry honey but it’s the truth. Chad speaks very highly of this school…. That is actually where I found him... He is a scout of some sort for them.” “Mom, you know I have no problem making my own money and I certainly don’t need a man to support me to live my life the way I want to live it.” “Now stop it, Tori! You know the rules to receiving my family fortune as well as I do. You have to be married and under no circumstances should a woman of the Banks family estate be a single working woman. I sigh in defeat, as my Ma rapes her arms around me. “Oh, honey it will be okay.” I lean into her warmth as I feel this may be the last time I will get a moment like this with her for a very long time. “Alright, tell me about this school,” I say with a little bit of optimism. “Oh, honey thank you!” She says as she wraps me in a tight hug once again. “I plan to tell you all about it tomorrow since we have such a long drive in the morning!”
“TORI!” my mother yelling wakes me from my flashback from the day before. “I’m coming!” I yell as I grab my last bag and speed walk out into the living room. “Oh honey, why did you flat iron it today? They all would have loved your beautiful curls!” My mom says as she runs her hand through my hair. “I just don’t want too much attention on my first day Ma,” I say as I start heading towards the front door. She nods and asks “ do you have everything you need?” I nod and we both walk out the front door to her car.
The engine is already running and I can hear the faint sound of country music as I open the truck and toss my last bag in. I take one last look at the very house I grew up in as I shut the passenger side door and click my seatbelt. I let out a breath as my Ma starts backing the car out of the driveway and out onto the open road.
