Inside the Shadow

Chapter Two: Dancing Shadows -POV: Erin

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"Bye, Erin." Mairi whispered under her breath as she passed me by. Zach didn't seem so happy, and I am more worried about Mairi than I am about myself. "Later, Min." I whispered back instinctively. I assumed she didn't want Zach to hear us. As they began to leave, I thought about the way Min looked at me when I was caught staring at her. The light in her dark brown eyes. A light that seemed to hide like a shadow on the night whenever Zach was around us. I get his jealousy though, because if I were honest, I would show more of my envy. I understand that Min probably would never want to look at me the way I get caught admiring her. I notice how she gets around conflict. She shuts down the same as me. I looked back to Zach's car and saw them already clearly arguing on their way out of the park.

Well, what a day. I unfolded my scooter and rolled it over to the road. I guess it would be time for me to start heading home. My mom can't give me rides to and from school because of her job, and I live too close to Clover Valley High to be on a bus route. It sounds crazy, and it sort of is. 2 miles as a drive only takes a few minutes, on foot, more like 45 minutes. Now, with this new scooter, it's closer to 15 minutes.

I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my mom letting her know I would be heading home. Even though she won't be there, she still likes it when I keep her updated at work. My mom was always working, especially with how expensive everything is. Now she must afford more food because I'm out of school for the summer. I only turned 16 recently, but I don't know how my mom would react to me getting a job to help support her. It's not that she wouldn't appreciate the extra income, it's the fact that I feel she would think that all her hard work was just not enough.

I shook my head attempting to forget our troubles for a few minutes. I began to wonder what life would be like if my dad chose to stay, to be a real father. He told her that he couldn't handle the commitment of being a parent. He said he just wasn't ready. He was older than my mom, almost 30, and he wasn't ready to handle something he helped do. "Enough!" I said out loud as if my mind running a mile a minute was some annoying friend.

'Maybe I should find something to make for dinner when I get home.' I thought. if there was anything. Mom always being at work all day, when she comes home, she's too exhausted to cook. 'Maybe I should start going to the store for her now that I can get place to place quicker.' I thought to myself. Being alone a lot, I tended to talk to myself as well. I see how I may sound insane, but long silences drive me crazy.

Before I realized it, I was already gliding back further down the hill at a great speed. "What a day." I said to myself once more. As I looked up at the cloudless summer sky, I took a deep breath. "Let's not worry anymore today." I whispered into the rushing wind as I picked up speed. This scooter gives me more of a sense of freedom, in a way. I could feel the air within my brown curls, even with all the sweat I collected from the summer heat. Looking up at the passing cars, I turned left, and headed towards the block where my house sat behind.

Our home is in a kind of tricky spot, normally fooling with deliveries that we may order. You must park on the regular street because the only route to the front door was a bothersome field. I'm not sure why a road was never reestablished once the brick one eroded. My grandparents being the ones who lived there before, and the town having no use for a road that only led to the one home left on the lot, I could see them not being able to afford a new one.

(Meow)

I looked to my right and saw a kitten greeting me at the corner. "Well, hello there, pretty one." I said, bending down to pet the Gray furball. It immediately started purring. "So cute." I whispered to myself as I continued towards the field. It was about the size of a football field all around I would say. As I began my walk through the field, I noticed how overgrown it was becoming. I was glad that the scooter I received recently could fold up and be stored in my backpack. Or else I would be dragging it through the grass and that would be a major pain. Looking around the field, I noticed a few patches that had different types of wildflowers. I made my way over to be able to pick some. I always notice how hard my mom works, and she deserves a lot more than some flowers I found in a field, but I knew how much she would love them. I put together a small bouquet consisting of yellow Cressleaf, blue chicory, and little blue forget-me-nots. All common weeds in Ohio, but most wildflowers are often considered weeds. I looked down at the masterpiece that I created and decided it was ready to be placed in a vase to wait for my mom's arrival.