Penumbra

Chapter 2

I sit with my legs propped up on the leg of the sofa and my eyes closed. Ed Sheeran is playing through my earphones:

This is how it ends, I feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream. Fading out again, I feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream, so tell me when it kicks in....

The song plays loudly in my ears, so I don't hear Mary calling my name.

"JACQUELINE!" Mary shouts at me.

I jump in my seat and rip my earphones out of my ears. When I see it's only her, I put my hand to my chest dramatically and take a deep breath.

"You scared the shit out of me!" I laugh.

A smile pulls at her lips and she shrugs her shoulders at me.

"We're out of strawberries. Can we go buy some?"

"Yeah, sure. Get my keys from the kitchen and let me grab my phone. We'll go now."

"Okay." She smiles, going to retrieve my keys.

I hurry to my room and grab my phone from my bed.

"Ready?" I call.

"Yeah, I have your keys right here." She returns, tossing them lightly to me.

"Alright, let's go."

Once we're inside my car, I start driving towards the supermarket. The streets of our community are quiet tonight, and we arrive quickly.

"Pick the best batch." I remind her.

"Can we buy two packs? We always finish them so fast."

Realizing that she's right, I pick out a second box and walk to the register.

"Just these two things." I tell the cashier.

Without responding, he rings up the strawberries. After paying we return home and break open the first box immediately. Mary smiles devilishly at me as she takes the biggest one. I roll my eyes at her and take a strawberry as well. As I bite into it, the delicious flavor overwhelms my senses and I can't help but smile to myself.

"Yum." Mary says, mirroring my thoughts.

"Yeah, you picked a good batch. Didn't let me down, kid."

Now it's her turn to roll her eyes.

"Do I ever?" She returns.

"Well... There was this one time..."

"Oh shut up, now you're making stuff up."

I laugh in response, popping another strawberry into my mouth. Again, the flavor is rich and satisfying.

Once we've both had our fill of strawberries for the afternoon, Mary volunteers to go get the mail.

"No, that's okay, Mary. I'll get it."

"No offense, Jacqueline, but you never let me go anywhere by myself and it's getting annoying. I'm 17 years old for heaven's sake."

I'm taken aback by her comment, and my eyebrows furrow in hurt and confusion. Suddenly, I snap, and my mood changes drastically from only seconds before.

"Mary, I'm just worried about you! Our mother is dead, our father abandoned us, our aunt and uncle were a sorry excuse for foster parents, and you think this world is a safe place?! Guess what, news flash, Mary. It's not!" I shout at her.

"Do you even realize what you're saying?" She yells back at me, "I volunteered to get the mail, not go move out on my own or go to a club! You can't seem to wrap your head around the fact that I can take care of myself!"