Moments With You (One Direction)

Chapter 50

“Have you paid for Stella’s tuition for the term at university?” Kol asked her mother, Claire, through the webcam, as they were on Skype. They were speaking in their language and in English at intervals, sort of mixing in the words without really thinking.

“She just did last week. Why do you ask?”

“I’ll put the money into your bank account to pay you guys back,” Kol replied, tying her hair back into a ponytail.

“That’s not necessary, Kol. You send over gifts and money enough already.”

“Mom. It’s okay. It’s the least I can do. I hardly see you guys except for our Skype talks once a week. You and dad should save up for retirement and let me pay for Stella’s education.”

“You realize that you’ll just end up paying for anything we need when me and your dad get old, right? I just know that you’ll insist.” Her mother smiled fondly at her, looking very proud that Kol managed to pay not only her bills, but theirs as well.

Her parents always denied getting money from her. They were faring well on their own, but Kol liked to spend on them. It was her way of compensating for not living in the same country as them anymore. Her culture was so family-oriented. Most of her extended family was still back home, so her parents didn’t want to move away and live with Kol in London.

Kol’s visits were sporadic in nature. She was very spontaneous about her trips there. When she got terribly homesick, she would squeeze in whatever free time she had, just to go for a visit, no matter how short it was. Jetlag would kill her, since it was a continent away, but she didn’t care.

“Is she doing well? Is she at university now?” Kol said, very interested. Contrary to what people thought, she was still interested in anything happening to anyone’s lives. People would say, ‘You won’t be interested in what we’re up to, with everything you’ve done’, thinking that she wouldn’t find what happened to them exciting or remarkable. Even the boys and their friends thought that way too, but they all really were genuinely intrigued with what was going on with other people’s lives. It was completely different from how they lived theirs, and they had more freedom than they did.

“I’m the only one home,” Claire said, “since your dad’s still at work and Stella has some org work at school and a class until 9PM.”

“What’s happening with everyone? Update me!”

“Well, Billy seems to be dating someone new now. Your cousins kept on teasing him about it, which was how we all found out. Your auntie Karen doesn’t seem to like her because she’s foreign. She’s a foreign exchange student. I think that’s why Billy likes her in the first place.”

“Because Niall’s not foreign, is he?” Kol said, amused. Niall had actually been an issue to her extended family. They were conflicted because he was obviously famous and rich, but at the same time, they were scared that it was all he was, and that he wouldn’t have the same values or that he might have superiority complex. So far, he had proven them wrong and got on well with everyone when they visited together. “Billy’s always been like that though, ever since I was still there.”