Forever Crimson

Chapter 21

PULLING UP IN FRONT of her house brought Scarlet the biggest sense of dread. The porch light illuminated her as she got out of her car, slamming the door shut before getting her school bag. She had texted her mother before her drive home, but there wasn't a reply.

She pushed open the door, half-expecting to come face to face with terror. But when she walked into the living room, she was met with her mother laughing at the TV screen with a bowl of popcorn on her lap.

"Really?" Scarlet threw out into the room. Her mother jumped, spilling a few kernels onto the couch.

"Scarlet, you're back!" Her mother reached over for the remote and hurriedly paused the movie. "So... how did it go?"

Her cheeks turned crimson, so she faced away to keep from embarrassing herself. The shared evening with Jake had given her an uneasiness she didn't know how to label. The nachos, the conversations, and the weightless feeling of it all didn't go unnoticed.

It was hard to come to terms with the fact that she liked spending time with Jake. Pure existence without the outside reality tarnishing their bubble brought her a sense of peace. Those blue eyes took her away out to sea, and she said yes without much question, as if sailing was her passion and her birthright.

What was happening to her?

Her mother was stuck in the house with an illness and she was out with boys. What if something had happened?

Nothing did.

Her mother sat on the couch with an expectant smile. Brown eyes bore into hers with a bright glimmer she hadn't seen in a long time.

"It was okay," she managed.

Her mother's shoulders hunched forward. "What happened? Was he not what you expected?"

Scarlet twiddled with her thumbs. "No, Jake was great. He was... I just. I don't know." The words didn't make sense in her head. The hollowness in her chest came back, and she couldn't shake it away no matter how hard she tried.

Instead of replying, her mother patted the space beside her on the couch. Scarlet didn't need to be told twice as she plopped down, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder. When she wrapped an arm around Scarlet, the air shifted into molten sweetener.

"He was really nice," Scarlet confessed. "He's a great guy. I'm not really sure why he's even paying any attention to me."

Her mother chuckled, running her fingers over her auburn hair. "You're a great girl. Of course he's going to pay attention to you."

Scarlet smiled, looking down at her hands.

"What's the matter? You look like the date was a bust."

"It wasn't a date, Mom. But...it wasn't a bust at all," she explained. She shifted away from her mother's body, holding her gaze. "I had a great time." Owning up to it knotted up her stomach and threatened to clog her throat.

"Then what's with the face?" her mother asked. "You look like he turned out to be some monster."

Staring into her mother's eyes, she realized that her feelings were crazy. Her little escapade with Jake turned out amazing, and there she was acting like she was hosting a funeral. No one had died, but she might as well put on more black to go with her mood.

"I feel bad," Scarlet said. "I always rush home to be with you, and breaking from that freaks me out."

Her mother sighed, her eyes softening. "Sweetheart, you don't need to feel bad about going on with your life. I'll be fine here. I have everything I need. You need to go out more, experience life. You're just seventeen, life is barely beginning and you want to stay locked up with me."