Shallow Valley

4.Anger

4.

Alarms will sound
But it's too late for holy water now
Sooner or later the fire dies down
I'll open my eyes again
(Sleeping At Last-Anger)

If April is the cruelest month of the year, Monday is for sure the cruelest day of the week. At least, this was what Madi was thinking in that moment. She had set her alarm in order to wake up at seven, but for some reasons unknown to her it didn't work.

"Madi! Madi, wake up! It's so late!" Lexa shouted. The girl rolled her eyes and snorted. She definitely didn't want to go to school.

"Madi!" Lexa insisted.

"Yeah, give me one moment." the girl said, yawning. She got up and went to the bathroom. Then, she went downstairs and opened the fridge, in order to have breakfast.

"Madi, go dress yourself! We're late!" Lexa ordered, closing the fridge.

"But..."

"Please! I can't be late on my first day. And you neither.". Madi snorted and ran upstairs. When Lexa saw her again, she realized that her kids needed some winter clothes. The girl wore some jeans and a really light hoodie and she had a pair of Converse on her feet, definitely something not suitable for winters in Shallow Valley.

"You will freeze. This weekend we're going shopping. You need some jumpers and new shoes." Lexa told her, taking Aden's hand and walking him outside. The trio got in the car and Lexa started driving to school.

"Aden's kindergarten is next to your school. Your classes end up at half past two, please remember to go fetch your brother at three. Then, you'll walk to the store. Is everything clear?". Madi nodded, bored. She shook her head.

"What was that?" Lexa asked. The girl turned to the woman, looking at her with an indecipherable gaze.

"I can't believe that you're gonna work in a music store selling metal CDs. Maybe it's the proof karma exists." she said, almost laughing. Lexa rolled her eyes.

"I won't be that bad. I just have to sell things, it won't be difficult." she replied.

"I'll ask you some really basic questions. Are you ready, idiot?". Lexa nodded, not understanding well what Madi wanted to do.

"Okay, first question: who is Ozzy Osbourne?". Lexa opened her mouth, but she didn't know the answer. She felt so stupid.

"He is the founder of Black Sabbath, you ignorant.". Lexa felt humiliated. "Second chance: what band wrote Enter Sandman?"

"Iron Maiden?" the woman tried. Madi couldn't believe her ears.

"You're the most ignorant person on the face of Earth, don't you know? Metallica wrote that song!". Lexa bowed her head. She knew music was sacred for the fifteen years old and that knowing a bit about it would had meant being able to get in touch with her. She sighed. Madi's mother was the metalhead, while Lexa had never had time for hobbies. A solitary tear wet her cheek and the woman immediately wiped it.

"Here we are. See you later." she said, helping Aden to get out of the car. Madi thought that maybe she had exaggerated too much.

"Lexa, I..." she tried to say, but the woman stopped her.

"I'm fine. Please, walk Aden to school, I have to go. See you later, kids!". The girl watched the car vanishing on the horizon, almost hypnotized. A tiny voice called her, waking her.

"Why do you always treat mama so bad?" Aden asked, sad. Madi grabbed his hand and started walking.

"She deserves it. And she's not our parent, at all.". The child looked at her with an angry face.