Livid Shift {ON HOLD}

Chapter 3: Meet the Brady Bunch

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Chapter 3: Meet the Brady Bunch

I wake in a dimly lit room. Straining my eyes, I look to see my mom in a chair next to me, head cocked back, snoring. She's only here because I almost died, but I can't complain, at least she tries. I pause at the object on her neck, the pearl and diamond necklace I gave her when I was 10. Robert, my father, thought it was her taste. She is gilts and glam personified.

I inhale and feel the restriction of a tight bandage around my waist. Other than that, I am completely numb. I try to sit up.

"Ohh bad idea," I breathe. The stab of a thousand deaths culminate in my side.

My mom literally jumps out of her sleep, her alarmed blue eyes checking me. "Hey baby, you're awake. Do you hurt? Do you need anything?" Her fluffy, red hair brushes against my face as she frantically touches my forehead, shoulders, and arms. The reassuring smell of cherry suckers fills my nose.

I need to stop her before she starts changing my bandages. "Mom." I flick my tongue out to stop her hair from entering my mouth. "Mom, stop." She backs up. "I'm fine. How long was I out?" I ask. She kisses my cheeks and I relax when she sits back down.

"Just a day," she says, reaching up to brush the hair out of my eyes. "Your dad is so proud of you. His flight will be touching down in an hour."

"What did you tell him for? I'm fine." I say, defiant.

She smiles and continues grooming me.

When the corners of her mouth turn up, you can see the similarities between us. We have the same lips, except hers are a little thinner; she's 43. Same clear, blue eyes and high cheek bones. The only variation is her red hair- which is a perpetual reminder of Kye. The rest of my traits come from Robert. Black hair and a strong jaw line are prominent features of the Danforth line. But then, how should I know? He was adopted.

Her smile fades as I see the wheels start to churn in her head. "Simon, what in the hell were you doing down there? You know only bad things happen on that side of town."

"Getting a lead, I told you about Principal Sal and the drugs and stuff. He is a part of it all." She never listens.

Her voice drops to a murmur. "I hope this is not another Kye thing." She searches my eyes. Mine dart to the door. "Simon, she moved, I thought you got over-."

"No. This was just something I wanted to look into. I got a chance and I took it."

She exhales. "Fine. But no one asked you to go snooping around and getting shot. You should have told the police. They are fully capable of making an arrest."

"The police are his friends mom. And he lets his students do all the sticky business anyways. Besides, he's 'the best principal North Central ever had,'" I say, mocking every parent whose kid has been shackled to that school for the past 4 years.

"Okay, Simon." She rises from her seat, a brilliant smile eradicating her early worry. " You want me to go get you Jell-O from the cafeteria? They have blue."

"Sure. And can you go home and get my laptop. Oh and I need my camera and tape recorder, it's in my car."

My car, shit, there's no coming back from that.

"Your laptop, for what? You are not about to watch anything," she looks around then whispers, "dirty, in here that is so inappro-pro, Simon."

"What? No Mom, I just need to type up my story on..." Suddenly, everything clicks into place. The guns, the shattered glass, and Sal all flash before my eyes. "Shit, mom we need to go. Now!"