My Covert Bodyguard

31: Family Matters

A week later, and there was still no news from the Shadow Legion. Kyle and I both felt anxious of the waiting, so we distracted ourselves by making out whenever we were alone and had even a moment to think. So basically, we made out a lot. It may not have been healthy, but it felt right.

Kyle was on top of me one day, we were making out pretty heavily when Brook barged in.

"Ooookay, you guys really need to cut this out." She said sarcastically. It was the third time she had walked in on us this week. To be honest I had gotten kind of used to it.

"And you need to learn how to knock." Kyle grumbled, picking up his shirt that had come off at one point.

Brook eyed us judgmentally. She knew what we were doing, this avoiding thinking and keeping each other from facing our problems, but she didn't understand. When I did think of my problems, I only got overly stressed, but nothing really happened. When I was making out with Kyle, it was a nice way to expel stress and plus: I was kissing Kyle. I mean, why not?

"Theo was calling for you two." Brook told us, and then added, "but you guys should do something with how you look, because you two look like you've been at it for pretty long."

I shrugged, rolling off of Kyle's couch to comb out my hair in the bathroom. Perhaps I was being careless, and a few months ago I wouldn't be able to believe I was doing something like this, so casually. But I wasn't the same me anymore. I didn't think, dress, or act the same way.

After I discarded my ruffled shirt and slipped on a new sweater, I walked out of the bathroom and headed outside the Residential Quarters into the main building with Kyle and Brook. When we got to Theo's office, he looked at us with relief.

"I was wondering where you guys were." He said, shuffling files and papers around. Brook refrained from telling him what we were doing, and for that I silently thanked her.

"I have to show you two something. I found something interesting." He said, and turned his computer around to show us his screen. There was a picture of my mom, I recognized her light brown hair and that wide shape of her dark green eyes, young, maybe a little older than my age, next to another girl who looked really similar to her. They were both laughing, sitting outside in a garden on a bright, sunlit day, the two of them wearing flowy sundresses and holding a glass of lemonade in their hands.

"Is that Roselle?" I asked, and Theo nodded.

"I'm sure of it. Unless your mother had another sibling. But that's doubtful."

I nodded thoughtfully, staring at the beautiful girls in the picture. Roselle had darker hair than me and my mom, but the same green eyes and the same delicate curve to her lips and the oval-shaped face. Roselle was prettier than me, and from the picture I could tell she had basically a perfect body, with just the right curve at every inch of her body.

"Cass, I have a favor to ask you." Theo told me, and I nodded, telling him to go on.

"I know that your mother has been brainwashed, and I would like to know to what extent. If it's not too much for you, I would like you to ask her about her childhood."

That was easy. I wondered why we hadn't done that earlier. "Of course."

"And," Theo said, sliding a printed copy of the picture to me, "I would like you to show her this picture and ask where it's from."

I agreed to do it, but bit my lip hesitantly. I didn't know what the outcome could be of this.

* * * * *

Henry dropped me off after school at my house, and I went to my room to change quickly, and then clambered down the stairs to approach my mom. The picture of her and Roselle was in my pocket, and it felt heavy like I was carrying rocks instead of a piece of paper.