Eliot Strange and the Prince of the Resistance

55) My Evil Mother

I think about crying. My mother comes over and puts her arms around me. "I'm sorry, Eliot. It is obvious you care about him. I'm sorry for what he said about you. Sounds like the prince has been lying to you all along."

I hug my mama back, though I don't want too. "I really did love him," I say in spurts.

She hugs me tighter. This is probably the last time I will ever hug her again and that makes me sad. The sadness helps me convince my mom that I am just a jilted, starry-eyed, naive teenager whose heart is broken.

"What about saving him? You said that," I ask.

"Well, I was hoping he could be saved." She sighs and shakes her head. " I was hoping you could convince him to do what Kerry says. Kerry doesn't want to hurt him, he never wants to hurt people, but sometimes people are just so stubborn. And so stupid they don't know what is best for them."

Are these words coming out of my mama's mouth? She is as insane as the professor. They deserve each other. My mother is a traitor. She is a traitor who does not know her daughter at all. I can't help it, my lip is trembling. I am about to bust out screaming because it is either that or slap my mama and that won't help anything now.

"No need to cry over his kind," my mom says. "He might be a prince, but he is still a..."

"Dick." I say.

My mother laughs, and I fake laugh with her and tell her, "That is what Gus says. He says Torin and his cousin are both dicks. They have lied to a lot of girls."

"Now, that Gus, he's a nice guy. And Kerry likes him. He has been quite useful so far. He will advance quickly in this army."

"Yes, Gus is a nice guy and very cute." I play the part of a fickle teenager to perfection - on to the next guy.

"And I think he likes you too. He was sure staring at you tonight."

"Really?" I ask. I take my mom's hand off my shoulder and hold it in mine and look her dead in the eye with the determination of a girl who is ready to move on:

"Mama, like you said before - there's plenty of other fish in the sea."

"Oh yes there are. Plenty."

Turns out, I am quite the actress too.