Just a bit longer

Just a bit longer… (Alex)

Alex was looking at the screen while her fingers pressed nimbly the buttons of the controller. Her phone was in between her shoulder and the ear, and her mom was hanging on the other side. Did she make a question?

– Alex! ­– called her mom angrily. – Did you listen to me?

– Yes – she replied automatically.

Shoot. The Ice Ancient had hit her and slowed her down, now her character's life was really low. She had tried to beat that boss all over the afternoon, but it had become a harder task then study for Algebra Linear. At least, the calculus would always end up in a logical result, but the hit box of the damn creature made no sense.

– Yeah. What did I say? – questioned her mother.

She barely dodged another attack. – About food… – she mumbled. – And, argh. Eh, I mean, being late.

She heard her mother's sigh from the other side of the phone. – I'm just worried about you, sweetie. You're probably not eating very well. And you should get better sleep too, people your age need to have a good night's rest.

– I know. – she tried calming her mother. – And I won't, I mean, I'm eating properly and also sleeping fine.

– You sure? – her mother said, and Alex could hear the worry in her voice. – Is the pillow comfortable? We could buy a better bed too. I can come and cook you something.

Alex laughed calmingly. – I'm alright, mom. Don't worry.

– You always say that! – exclaimed her mother. And Alex could see her hands on her waist with her eyebrow frowned. – You and your dad must love that word. But let me tell you, I still worry whether you guys say that or not. Especially because you two don't know when to not overwork yourselves.

– I promise you mom. I'm fine.

– Did you eat already? – asked her mother ignoring her.

Alex looked at the empty chip package on her lap. – I was about to…

– Alex! It's already past midnight! Go eat. Why did you take so long?

– I'm sorry. – she apologized. – But you kinda held me up on the call…

Her mother sighed again. – Alex Moor, sometimes I really don't know who did you take it from. Fine, I'll hang up. But go eat.

– Will do.

Silence came from the other side of the line, as if her mother was carefully thinking about her words. But Alex knew the subsequent lines: – When are you gonna visit home? It's been so long. I miss you… and your dad too.

– I know. I miss you guys too.

– Then, when are you coming? – asked her mother. If there was one thing Alex knew for sure was: when Ella Moor wanted something, she always had it.

– Uhmm… It could be on this weekend.

– Great! I'll be waiting then. I'll prepare something really nice for my baby girl. I just wish your brother showed up more often too. Since you guys graduated you never come home anymore.

– It's not true. – she contested. – We just have a lot to do. Adrian has to go on his business trips mom, and I have to study and work part-time. You know how it is.

– I know – ceded Ella. – But still, it's hard to see my two kids leaving home. I just love you guys so much.

– I love you too mom. You know that. – she took a pause. – Tell dad that I love him too.

– Okay. Bye, sweetie. See you this weekend.

– Sure. Bye, mom.

Alex hung up the phone, finally. Although she had missed talking to her mom, their conversations always took a long while and always ended with her mom asking her to visit them. Not that she didn't like to see her parents, or had any hate against them, but going back to her city was too troublesome. When she graduated from high school, moving out was her first priority and the feeling of coming back there wasn't something she was looking forward to.

The cutscene of the game finally ended after she had defeated the boss, it took her almost one day to finally beat the boss and she wasn't half way in the game. But again, playing the fourth sequence of God of War had been worth it.

She took the empty chip package, dropping the crumbles in her mouth. But there was barely anything left; her stomach grumbled in response. Guess this won't be enough. She stretched herself, raising up her arms, and looked at the screen of her cellphone that marked 01:00 a.m. She really needed to eat something. With that, Alex gathered the strength to get up and take her motorcycle key in the desk. Maybe there was still a 24 hours convenience store working.