The Red Planet

Chapter 5

My mom rushed towards me and wrapped me in a warm embrace. For a good moment we just stood there hugging and crying in each other's arms. The warmth of her embrace and the smell of her perfume that I hadn't smell in years brought back so many memories. I slowly pulled away, wiping away my tears. After pulling away, I was speechless.

"How...why...we...we thought you..."

She didn't allow me to finish and took my face in her hands. My mom kissed my forehead and looked into my eyes, hers still brimming with tears.

"But I'm not. I'm here Quinn. I'm here."

We both smiled and then she walked over to Andrew. She put her hand on his shoulder and quietly said, "Thank you."

My eyebrows furrowed as I looked between my mom and Andrew.

"Thank you for what?" I asked.

My mom looked at me with a gentle look in her eyes and sat down at the nearest chair.

"You remember how the night that I disappeared you and Andrew were having a sleepover?"

I nodded and I sat down in the chair next to her.

"When I was getting ready to leave the house, Andrew caught me as I was leaving. I made him promise not to tell you or your dad because I assumed I would be back soon. I didn't anticipate that I would be gone this long. Quinn, they needed me. I'm sorry."

My confusion increased and I began to feel upset.

"They needed you? Who's they? I needed you. Dad needed you. Do you not understand how devastated we were in those four years you were gone?" I said.

Is that selfish of me to say?

I turned to Andrew. "And you. You knew and you never told me. I'm your best friend. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Quinn..." He said.

I shook my head and stormed out of the classroom. I walked out of the school but I didn't know how to get home from the school. Instead of trying to walk home, I sat on one of the benches near the entrance of the school. I put my face in my hands and stayed like that for a while. I felt awfully conflicted. I was relieved that my mom was alive, and the fact that I got to see her, but at the same time I felt betrayed.

All this time, all this time, Andrew knew and he didn't tell me.

I sat there a long while going over it a thousand times in my head, even though every time I thought about it, it hurt. I didn't know what to do. I thought about all the what-ifs but it only made me feel worse. I still had my head in my hands when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up and saw Xena who said, "Can I sit with you?"

I shrugged my shoulders and sat upright. We didn't say anything for a while. Then she broke the silence.

"I'm sorry Quinn. I wasn't expecting that to happen."

I sighed and shook my head.

"It's not your fault. I wasn't expecting it to happen either but it happened." I said. "Right now I just wanna go back home."

"Do you want me to walk you back?

"No. As much as I don't want to be around Andrew right now, I don't wanna leave him here."

"Okay, I'll let him know you're ready to leave."

She went back into the school and a few minutes later, returned with Andrew by her side. We walked in silence as she led us back to Miss Prudy's. By the time we reached home, it was dinnertime, and Prudy was setting the table.