Pangaia: Agendas (Year One: Fall)

Chapter Four - Cheyenne

 By the time the next morning rolled around, the previous evening had become a blur. The most Cheyenne could remember was coming home and promptly crawling into her bed. She soon fell into a deep and dreamless sleep with the covers thrown over her head. Waking up again at eleven in the morning, she felt just as tired then as she did when she had first gone to sleep.

"Chey, you awake yet?" her mother called from the other side of the bedroom door. She knocked on it gently and waited for a response.

Cheyenne had been blessed with a mother who respected her privacy and knew better than to barge into the room. There were a lot of things her mother respected about her and it made their relationship a bit unconventional. She was more like her best friend or big sister, which was something Cheyenne absolutely loved.

"I'm awake, I'm just..." She paused when there was a dull and stinging throb radiating from a spot on her neck. "That really happened?" she whispered and quickly drew the covers around her tighter, all of a sudden feeling cold as a deep shiver ran through her body. Louder she said, "I'll be out in a little bit."

There was no way to explain how she had been assaulted by a possibly rabid teenage boy. Even more difficult would be finding a way to explain how much she had wanted him to do it, and why she hadn't called the police.

In retrospect, all she could think about was how good it felt. The dull throb of pain in her neck slowly faded into a strange and inviting kind of warmth before producing a tingling sensation affecting both her neck and her stomach. After a few seconds, it returned to the pain.

Apparently her mother still wanted to talk more, because instead of taking the hint to leave, she stayed to ask more questions.

"How was the party? Did you have fun? I didn't hear you come back in last night. Were you out late?"

"Very late."

Immediately she felt guilty for lying. It had barely been nine in the evening when she snuck into the house. While that may have been late for a normal night, it seemed far too early to return from a night out with friends, not when the other girls most likely didn't leave until close to curfew. Her mom didn't know of course. She had been asleep on the couch in the living room while watching a movie when Cheyenne came in.

She vaguely remembered going to the bathroom and washing herself of all the blood before bandaging her wound. She also remembered trying to decide if maybe she should have listened to the cab driver when he suggested she go to the hospital instead of home.

"I had fun. Lots and lots of fun," Cheyenne added.

She grabbed a white turtleneck and hoped it was a cold day where she could wear it without suspicion. Normally, she didn't like turtlenecks and would rather be caught dead in one, but how else was she supposed to cover it up?

Next, she ran a brush through her hair and then opened the door hoping she was presentable.

"Sorry, did you need me for something?" she asked.

Her mother stared at her, more specifically at her turtleneck. "No, I only wanted to hear how your night went. I'm glad you had fun." She put a hand to her mouth to hold back a laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm glad you got out and had a good time, like I said. You can tell me about all the details of who you met later." She winked and headed for her own bedroom. "And don't be embarrassed, Chey. Your first hickey is a huge deal, but everyone goes through it. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Cheyenne's cheeks flushed with heat and she closed her door again, not bothering to respond. She stood in front of the full-length mirror hanging on the door and pulled aside the neckline of her shirt.