Ainsley peered out of her bedroom window. It was still raining. The sky was barely visible through all of the dark grey clouds.
Groaning inwardly, Ainsley turned back to her homework. She had been working on it for an hour, and was developing a headache. She closed the book, walked over to her bed and collapsed onto it. She reached for the comic book that was sitting on her bedside table. She absentmindedly flipped through the pages, pausing occasionally to yawn widely.
Ainsley had always loved science fiction. She was particularly fond of the idea of time travel. Wouldn't it be amazing if she could go back in time to meet George Washington, or Elvis Presley?
Of course, it was impossible, but a girl can dream, can't she?
Ainsley continued to skim through her book, until she could no longer keep her eyes open. She closed her heavy eyelids and let her book slip out of her hands and onto the floor.
Ainsley woke up to a light knocking on her bedroom door. "Come in," she called weakly. Her mother poked her head in.
"How's your homework coming?"
"I'm halfway done. I'm just taking a quick break."
"I'm making dinner downstairs. Care to join me?"
"Sure."
Ainsley got out of bed and followed her mother downstairs. She settled herself on the couch and turned on the TV. She flipped through the channels, keeping an eye out for anything interesting. She flipped past a news program. "Wait, go back, go back," her mother called from the kitchen. Ainsley switched back to the news.
The reporter was giving details about three disappearances that had happened in the past two weeks. The three victims had been abducted on the side of a road. One was a tall man with dark eyes and a thick mustache named Gerald Schwartz. The second was a pretty woman with big brown eyes and short brown hair named Clara Oswald. The third was a small boy with a crooked smile named Sam Dean. "That's awful," her mother commented with pity. "Their families must be so worried."
"Boo hoo. Sucks to be them."
"You know, you could do with a little more sympathy."
"I'll be sympathetic when I want to be."
"Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Go wash up."
Ainsley went to the bathroom and washed her hands. When she got back to the kitchen, steaming plates of spaghetti and meatballs had been set on the table. She sat down across from her mother. "Spaghetti? Again?"
"It's leftover night. If you want something gourmet, cook it yourself."
"Sorry."
"You seem a little tense. Everything going okay in school?"
Ainsley lowered her head. "It's going great."
Her mother looked concerned. "You know, you can talk to me."
"It's fine, Mom."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm good."
"Okay."
They ate in silence for another few minutes. "So, Mom, is your job interview tomorrow?"
"Mm hmm. If I get it, we can send you to that new private school."
"The one wear you have to wear the fancy costumes?"
"Uniforms. It's dignified."
"Dignified my ass."
