Chapter 4: NOTHING EVER CHANGES

AMBER POV THE NEXT DAY Maybe sitting in a car in front of your old school wasn't the wisest thing I had to do today especially when I am being reminded although unintentionally that my life is a weeping mess. And that damned reunion is just a way to let all my classmates know that I suck, that all my dreams and aspirations were down the drain. But that wasn't going to stop me from coming back here each day to do what I do best. In exactly two minutes now, they would be out and I will put on my fake smile and take them home and deal with their challenges for today as well. I glanced in my side mirror and saw that I was nothing like the woman I envisioned myself to be. I sometimes asked myself where did I go wrong? What did I do? Why wasn't anything going for me the way that I planned but I never did get an answer. I knew the answer but I wasn't going to admit it. If someone had told me when I was 17 that I would be this in the future, I would have laughed my ass off it. But I guess the picture perfect reality I always dreamed of myself was nothing more than that-a dream. 'Mum, why are you spacing out?" I heard my kid Maddie say shaking my arm as I shook from my reverie. Shit they were already in the car and I had no idea. 'Mum, are you alright? You look way off today." I heard my son Danny say as I glanced at the back to see Frankie playing with his video game and not acknowledging me at all. 'Mum, why aren't you answering? You are looking at us as if we are in the wrong car or something?" Maddie continued shaking me as Frankie looked up and just muttered weirdo under his breath. Yup, my son didn't like me very well. I guess this is the part where I say I actually have triplets….but I am pretty sure you had it figured out before now. 'Mum, can we like….leave? I am embarrassed enough that you have to pick us up in this old junk-pile." Frankie said as Danny shoved him as a rebuke but I brightened up and said, 'Sorry kids, I was just tired. I just realized that I had a lot of things doing that I had forgotten myself a little bit. How was school, kids?" I said as I gave Danny a warm smile and Maddie a pat on her head. I knew better than to touch Frankie. I was going to get it from him. He hates me and I don't even know why. And thankfully since they were so identical, it was their behaviour that made me distinguish who from who….unless I had mixed up their names at birth. I switched on the ignition as my kids mixed answers came floating back to me as I nodded my head in response and slowly backed away from the school. I took one cursory look outside and saw kids who were stepping down the stairs smiling and laughing. I smiled as I remembered a long time ago, I was one of them, happy and carefree. 'Mum, so have you figured out what you are going to do about fitting in that cheer leading clothes? It is just two days to the reunion, you know." Maddie said eagerly reminding me of the one thing that I was determined to forget. 'You can't seriously be considering going to the reunion. That is the worst thing you can think of doing just to ruin me and my future of turning out better than you." Frankie said. I am pretty sure this was the longest sentence he had said to me all week. 'The only person who is going to have his future ruined whether he likes it or not, is you if you keep on being a bitch towards mum." Danny said as Frankie stuck out his tongue at him and said, 'Mummy boy as usual. Gee I wonder how much she bribed you just to take her side." Frankie said as my hands tightened on my wheels. 'Will you two just quiet it." Maddie said snapping at her brothers as she turned to glare at Frankie. Did I need to clarify that they were 10 years old again? The one who hates me with passion is the first, followed by Danny who seemed to protect me and the last one among them is the most matured one and the first one to lose her temper-Maddie. 'I think we are all tired and exhausted from school work today, but you kids seriously need to let how to stop fighting, talk things out and compromise." I said as I continued driving. I was supposed to be taking this advice up with Frankie but I had decided to overturn the tables, inadvertently blaming the kids. 'Sorry mum." Danny said as Frankie went back to the game he was playing as Maddie sighed and fell back on her seat, playing with her hair. Silence seemed to reign for some minutes when Maddie quickly sat up as if she was stung by a bee and screamed, 'Mum!" To say that I was terrified was an understatement. I was very insecure and not confident and my kids were the exact opposite of me. 'Yes dear!" I managed to say amidst my racing heart. 'Do you know who is Jay Harley?" She asked as my heart almost dropped in fear. Why was my past coming to hunt me? Why did everyone try to hunt me with a ghost of man who was dead to me all this years. 'No--not really, should I?" I said keeping the trembling from my voice. I didn't even know why I was behaving like a train wreck. 'Jay Harley? The multi billionaire and Oxford Oaks pride a decade ago? That Jay Harley?" Frankie said obviously interested in this as Maddie nodded her head and turned back to face me. 'Funny, Aunt Meg said….." She stalled and shook her head as I swore that I was going to butcher her and make her kids homeless, the next time I saw her. 'Jay Harley is rumored to be coming back today to town for the reunion. People are going to host a little parade for him this evening? Can we go now please?" She said as my brain failed to register what she had said. Jay Harley, the school's bully was coming back….the multi billionaire bully? This has got to be karma shitting on my face. I looked at my blue eyed triplets who were staring at me earnestly. Heck even Frankie was giving me the puppy eyes. I couldn't say no to this. 'Yes you guys can go." I said and their loud cheer was what greeted us home.