Wolf-blood

Angst-Ridden Teens

"No, you didn't!" I yelled at Mikey, smiling.

"Oh, I did to!" Mikey joked back.

"You did not say that!"

"Oh, yeah I did!" Mikey pushed open the door to the dining room and strolled in, me right on his heels.

"You can't honestly tell me that you-" 

I was cut off by a pointed cough. I looked around at Mother and Father, sitting in their usual places for dinner. I gave them a questioning look. "What?"

"We're at dinner, Indigo," my mother pointed out.

"Aaaand?" I asked, not seeing her point.

"Why aren't you in your dress? Why aren't you using your manners? Why are your arms on the table?"

"Do I really have to do this on the first day I'm back?" I asked.

Mikey looked around at us questioningly. "What did I miss?"

I turned my attention to him. "Do you know how I never invite you over for dinner?"

"Yes?"

I gestured to my family. "This is how I'm supposed to eat, and good God, does it ever suck."

"Indigo!" Mother protested.

"My name is not Indigo." I sent her a look.

"At my dinner table, it is. Look, I know that it is your first day back, but really, we should try to get back to normal."

I barked out a laugh. "Normal? You call trying to forcibly make me into a lady a normal thing that mothers do across the nation? Because it's not. I haven't had a normal dinner my entire life, unless I'm at a friend's house!" 

"Young lady!" my mother chastised.

"Oh, so I'm 'Young Lady' now? When did I progress from 'Little' to 'Young'?" I was very upset by now. Did they not care about my feelings at all?

My father tried to run interception as Mikey stared avidly at the argument that had broken out. "Okay, okay, calm down. I think what your mother is trying to say is that we're trying to get your mind off of the rogue camp. And I think what Indie- sorry -Artio is saying is that she wishes that we didn't expect as much from her. Is that about right?"

Mother spoke first. "Yes, I just want to get your mind off of those awful rogues-"

*gasp* 

*growl* 

And this is the part where I come in. "What did you just say?" I asked quietly, seething inside.

"I just hate to think what those monsters could have done to you-"

I cut her off with a short laugh. "You're joking, right?"

"What?" she asked, take aback.

"You can't be serious." When I got no reaction from Mother, my smile melted. "You just called my family, the people who cared for me when I needed them, awful monsters."

"Cared for you? Indie, they took you!"

"You don't think I know that? That doesn't make them any less of a family! That doesn't mean that I cared for them any less!" I stood from the table and shook my head. "I can't do this." I turned towards the door.

"And where are you going?"

"Hunting!"

I stalked out of the room and to the basement.