Scream Me a Dream

Soya stared at her phone sitting innocently on the table, while she felt like it was a bomb waiting to go off. She clutched her leg to her chest tightly and rested her chin on top of her knee, staring at the blue device.

She had to call, she thought still staring, before giving a small whimper and hiding her face in her knee. She hated confrontation in general, actually calling her mother and accusing her of taking money from her savings, was one confrontation she didn’t know if she could handle.

Before she could rethink her decision, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number that belonged to the house she’d spent sixteen years in. She heard it ring and chewed her lip nervously, before she straightened when her little sister answered.

“Hei?”

“Aida?” Soya asked.

“Hi!” Aida said excitedly.

“Aida, is mamma home?”

“Uh-huh.”

Soya couldn’t help but smile, Aida knew that Soya tried avoiding talking to their mother when she called the house; it was a large reason why Aida called Soya on Saturdays instead of Soya calling Aida.

“I need to talk to mamma, kultaseni.”

“Are you sure?” Aida whispered.

“I’m positive.” Soya chuckled, grasping the humor in the situation before it was taken away when she started talking to her mother.

“Ookay.” Aida said slowly, before calling for their mother.

“Aida! Don’t yell in the house, who is it?” Soya head her mother reprimand, she felt her heart speed up and her breathing quicken and knew she was on the verge of a panic attack, running a hand through her hair, she gave a wince, but felt her breathing calm a bit when she pulled on a knot.

“Soya?” Elizabeth’s voice came on the other end.

“Hello, mamma.”

“Why are you calling?”

Soya bit her lip. “I...I uh…”

“Don’t stutter girl! I don’t have time for this!” Elizabeth snapped.

“I called the bank today.” Soya rushed out.

“And?”

Soya bit her lip. “I called the bank in Helsinki mamma.”

“Why would you call our bank?”

“I was going to make a deposit.” Soya lied.

“You haven’t been paid yet.”

Soya blinked. “How do you know when I get paid mamma? I’ve never told you.”

“You make deposits like clockwork Soya, both from the company and the studio, usually at the beginning of the month. So why would you make a deposit now?”

“It doesn’t matter why I was making the deposit Mamma, what matters is when I talked to the woman at the bank; she told me nearly two million dollars were taken out.”

“Well, why was it taken out?” Elizabeth asked, Soya could already see the perfectly manicured eyebrow rising in question.

Soya gritted her teeth. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me, since you’re the one that took it out in the first place?”

“Excuse me?”

“Mamma, the woman at the bank said that you took out half on the 12th of May, two days after I made my deposit, and the other half on the 20th. I just want to know why you took out my money.”

“Your money, Soya? Yours?”

Soya frowned. “Yes mine. It’s the money I made from dancing, I made from my studio.”

“And money your father has deposited since you were ten.”

Soya blinked. “That still doesn’t give you the right to take the money out; it’s not your money. Also the amount of money Papa has put into that account doesn’t even begin to measure to the amount I have put in there since I started dancing professionally! I put nearly two thousand dollars into that account every week, Papa puts two hundred in a month, that money is mine.”

“Since when did you care about money so much, Soya?” Elizabeth asked exasperated. “It’s not as if you plan to use it, you’re still wearing clothing from high school!”

“I don’t care about the money itself Mamma! It’s the fact that you moved nearly two million dollars without telling me!”

“Whoa.”

Soya turned and saw Josef, Regan and Emmy standing near the door. She stood quickly and made her way to the bathroom, closing the door and locking it, knowing that if she didn’t, Josef would come after her. Sure enough once the lock was in place, Josef was rattling the door.

“It doesn’t matter what’s done with money, at the end of the day, that money is rightfully ours.”

Soya stared at her reflection in shock, before turning her back on the mirror and stared at the shower door. “How the hell is that money rightfully yours?!”

“Soya!”

“No!” Soya said, stomping her foot. “No, I never fight you. In anything! In this I will. How in the word is that money yours? Are you in the one in twelve hour rehearsals six days a week? Are you the one on stage four nights a week dancing your bloody heart out! Are you the one teaching five different classes a day! I don’t see how you sitting in a large house half way across the world, makes any of that money yours!”

“Who put you in those dance classes Soya?”

Soya gave a quiet laugh. “Who signed me up for them? Or who paid for them mamma? Because neither were you.”

“Excuse me?” Elizabeth nearly screeched.

“The nanny signed me up for dance classes mamma, and papa paid for them. Papa was the one that got me the position in Juilliard, papa was the one that paid for my prep school, and Julliard itself; everything I needed papa paid for. If anything, he has the right to do what he wants with that money, not you. Now why did you take my money out?”

“What are you doing making offers on dance studios in Helsinki?”

“What does that have to do with you taking my money?”

“You speak as if I’ve stolen in Soya, I haven’t done anything with it, I’ve just moved it.”

“Not to any other account.” Soya pointed out.

“We don’t have only one bank Soya.”

Soya sighed. “Mamma, all I want to know is where my money is.”

“And I want to know why you’re making offers on dance studios here, when we told you, you weren’t to come home.”

“I don’t have to be home to own another studio.” Soya pointed out. “I’ve just been talking to Mr. Jolien, I haven’t made any offers.”

“I moved the money for your own good,” Her mother relented. “I didn’t want the temptation there.”

“Temptation of what?” Soya asked in disbelief.

“Of coming here Soya!”

Soya rubbed her face tiredly. “Why in the world would having money, that I’ve had for the last eighteen years tempt me now!”

“I did what I thought was right.”

“It’s my money!” Soya yelled. “It wasn’t yours to move, it wasn’t yours to touch!!”

“What is all the yelling about?”

Soya paused as he heard her father’s voice lightly come through the speakers.

“It’s nothing Jonah, I’m just talking to Soya.” Elizabeth said dismissively. “Go rest.”

“I’m tired of resting, let me talk to her.”

Before her mother had any say her father was on the line, greeting her happily. “Pikku tanssija! How are you?”

“I’m fine papa.” Soya said quietly.

“By the annoyed look on your mothers face, I would say that’s a lie.” Jonah said. “Talk to me, what’s wrong.”

“Nothings, wrong, papa, I was just trying to figure out why mamma moved the money in my savings.”

“She did…you what!” Jonah asked angrily.

“I’m assuming you didn’t know.” Soya asked.

“I had no idea. How much did she move?”

Soya bit her lip, but stayed silent.

“Soya Eeva, how much?” Jonah demanded.

“All of it.” Soya whispered.

“All of…you moved all of her money!”

“It’s our money!”

“It’s hers! To do with it as she pleases!” Jonah yelled, before his voice lowered and softened as he turned his attention back to Soya. “I’ll go to the bank now and get this taken care of Soya.”

“Thank you.” Soya whispered.

“I’m very sorry about this.”

“No, it’s fine.” Soya said automatically.

“We both know it’s not.” Jonah told her.

“Uh…papa.” Soya said. “Do you think you could call me later, I need to talk to you about…what we talked about a couple of months ago?”

“What we…oh!” Jonah said in surprise. “All right, I’ll give you a call a bit later, once everything is handled.”

“Thank you.” Soya said quietly, before hanging up the phone and sitting on the tiled floor. Even with the assurance from her father that everything would be taken care of, her hands were still shaking over the argument she had had with her mother.

“Soya!”

“I’m fine.” Soya said, wanting to assure Josef. “Just give me a minute.”

“Forget it! Open the door.”

Soya sighed, standing up and unlocking the door, poking her head out. “I’m fine; I’m just going to take a shower.”

Josef ignored her, pushing the door open and grabbing her hands, only to frown. “Jesus, miláček, you’re shaking.”

“I’m fine, I just need a shower.”

“I think you should give Ville a call.” Josef told her, rubbing her hands, trying to get them to stop shaking. He hoped that if Soya just heard Ville’s voice, it would calm her down, much faster than he was able to.

Soya pulled her hands out of Josef’s and shook her head. “No, it’s fine.”

“Soya, I think you should talk to him.”

“And I think I need a shower.” Soya argued, “And don’t you dare call him!”

Josef watched as the bathroom door slammed and the water start running. Shaking his head at Soya’s stubbornness, he took his phone out of his pocket; Soya had told him not to call Ville, fine, she had said nothing about texting.

Call Soya, I think she needs you right now.

A response came seconds later, causing Josef to look down at his phone.

Out to lunch with a friend, we’re paying now. I’ll call the minute I’m home.

Perfect, Josef thought taking a seat, by the time Soya was out of the shower; Ville should be making the call. Josef tapped his foot on the floor, all the while casting glances at the bathroom door. Fifteen minutes later, the phone in his hand rang, just as the water was turned off.

Josef knocked on the door. “Soya, your phone is ringing.”

“Tell whoever it is I’ll call back later.” Soya said through the other side.

Josef rubbed his face tiredly, before answering the phone.

“Soya?” Ville asked.

“No, it’s Josef, sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry, I would have called at the restaurant, but I didn’t want anyone listening in.”

“It’s fine Ville.” Josef sighed.

“What’s going on?”

“I think Soya got into an argument with her mother. It was a bad one.”

“I didn’t know Soya even argued with her mother.” Ville admitted quietly.

“Once in a blue moon, she’ll defend herself.” Josef said. “They tend to be pretty nasty, and they rile her up. I just…” Josef sighed. “It takes me days to get Soya back. I just thought if she talked to you, it would speed up the process.”

“What do you mean ‘days to get her back’?” Ville asked.

“I mean-” Josef was cut off the bathroom door opening and Soya staring at him in shock.

“You called him!” Soya stated, her voice holding an edge of anger.

“No!” Josef said. “I texted!”

“I told you not to!” Soya yelled, grabbing the phone and hanging up on Ville before tossing the phone on the bed.

Josef blinked at her. “Did you seriously just hang up on your pseudo-boyfriend?!”

“I told you not to call Josef! I don’t care if technically you didn’t. I told you not to.”

Josef glared at her, before grabbing her around the waist, as she turned back to the bathroom and tossing her on the bed, causing her to scream in surprise, before he straddled her and pinned her down.

“Let go of me!” Soya yelled.

“Not until you calm the fuck down!” Josef yelled back.

Soya twisted and turned trying to break Josef’s grasp, only for him to hold her arms tightly, while his legs pinned her knees down so she would avoid kicking him, as she had done countless times before.

“Hey Josef I…whoa… okay?”

Josef and Soya both paused in their struggling to turn towards the door where Regan stood staring at them in surprise.

“Go downstairs with the rest of the group Regan.” Josef ordered.

“I was just…”

“Go.” Josef repeated tightening his hold on Soya as he felt her wrists start to slip out of his grasp. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Are you sure you don’t need…”

“Go!”

“Fine.” Regan huffed, turning and leaving the room.

“Let go Josef.” Soya bit out. “I need to go get ready.”

“If you think I’m actually going to let you go down there like this, you’re fucking crazy.”

“Like what?!”

“Soya, do you even see yourself right now?” Josef asked her in disbelief. “You’re so upset about whatever argument you had with your mother, that I actually have to pin you down to talk to me. It’s those kids last day in LA, and they don’t need your shitty mood ruining it.”

“I’m not in a mood!”

“Soya, you just hung up on Ville.”

“I-”

“You hung up on Ville, because you didn’t want him to know about some argument and that’s just plain stupid.”

“It’s not….God, just let go of me.” Soya pleaded.

Josef swallowed and leaned down closer to Soya. “Last time I let you go after an argument with your mother, you got a tattoo.”

Soya closed her eyes. “I’m fine.”

“Obviously you’re not.” Josef said quietly. “I want this process to go quick, I want you calm and I want you normal. I don’t want you to be some shell like you usually are.”

“I’m fine.” Soya repeated.

“No, you’re not.” Josef said. “I want you to call Ville.”

“No.”

“I just want you to talk to the man; you don’t have to tell him about the argument.”

“Obviously, because you’ve already done it for me.” Soya said, glaring at him.

“Hey, I have no idea what that argument was about,” Josef defended. “It could be about our next recital for all I know. All I know is that the process we take, of me letting you mope around and sulk isn’t going to happen, and you’re not going downstairs with those kids until you’re back to normal, so,” Josef reached over and grabbed her phone, that had already rung twice, by Ville who was trying to get a hold of her. “You’re going to talk to Ville, calm down, get dressed, put on the pretty little smile of yours, and meet us downstairs ready to go to Universal Studios.”

“Or what?” Soya asked, her eyes still narrowed on him.

“Or, you’ll spend the rest of the day up here, grounded like the little girl you’re being.”

“You’re not my father.” Soya muttered. “You can’t ground me.”

“Watch me.” Josef smirked. “Call Ville.” He let go of her wrists, only for her hand to reach up and slap him hard against the cheek. Josef sighed and glared at her. “You get one free.”

“I know.” Soya muttered, looking away from him.

“I hope it made you feel better.” Josef said quietly, before getting off of her and leaving her alone in the room.

Soya covered her face with her hands, biting her lip hard to keep the tears in. She wasn’t even sure why she was upset anymore, her father was taking care of the problem and the money would be put back. She wasn’t upset about the money itself being moved, she was more upset about her mother moving it without telling her and the reasoning behind it. She hated that she was still treated like a child by her mother.

Soya rubbed her face; it was her fault. When she put everything together, every incident, every conversation...ever since she had been born, she’d never stood up for herself. She had only ever spoken her mind with her friends, and that was only because they would all get so frustrated with her quiet and accepting attitude that they had pushed until she yelled at them. Her parents had always been different.

Soya was brought out of her self-deprecating musings when her phone vibrated on her stomach where Josef had dropped it when he had left. Sighing, she grabbed it and brought up to her face to read the caller Id, only to bite her lip before she answered.

“Hei, Ville.”