Digital Mutation (Book Five)

Chapter 18: The Things He Never Said

After the Mexican food is eaten and the designs get their finishing touches, it takes another full school week before Annalise can return to the lair. In that time, she texts Michelangelo and keeps uploading videos, all while doing her schoolwork and helping her mom with chores.

For a little while, Annalise's life goes back to its normal.

Then, Friday after school comes and Annalise sits on her bed, waiting for Michelangelo to come and get her. She can find her way to the lair fine now, but having Michelangelo with her makes her feel better.

There's a soft knock at her door. "Annalise?"

"Yeah, mom?"

Leanne Hughes enters the room, Pepper trotting in at her heels and quickly finding a spot to curl up on. Annalise smiles, setting her comic book aside and hooking her arms around her knees.

"So...you're going over to Michelle's again?" Mrs. Hughes asks, starting to massage at her fingers.

Annalise nods. "Yup. I'll call if she wants me to stay over, though."

Mrs. Hughes nods, gaze becoming distant as she looks at some photos Annalise has on her wall. Annalise nibbles her bottom lip and hugs herself a little tighter. Michelle...well, Michelle is actually Michelangelo. When her mom started asking her about the new friend she was always hanging out with, Annalise couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.

So, instead, she photoshopped a picture of Michelangelo and her, changing the skin tone and such until the turtle looked more like a ginger teenaged girl with freckles and blue eyes, then introduced her as Michelle. Leanne believed Annalise, thank God, and now Annalise just has to hold out until her mom starts asking about meeting "Michelle's" parents.

"Mom?" Annalise asks.

Mrs. Hughes blinks, shaking her head a few times before forcing a wobbly, tired smile. She's only thirty-seven, but grief and the hard work of being a widowed mother have creased the corners of her mouth and eyes prematurely.

She moves to her daughter and reaches over to try and adjust the wobbly part of her hair. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I've been very spacey lately," she murmurs. Annalise tries to squirm away from the hair fixing, but Leanne is steadfast. "I...just wanted to see how you're doing."

Annalise arches an eyebrow, a hesitant smile quirking her lips. "I'm fine, mom," she says. "Why?"

"I've, well...I've just noticed that you've been a little happier lately," Mrs. Hughes admits as she sits down on the bed. She starts adjusting Annalise's hair again and this time, she doesn't squirm. "For a while, you seemed really down and I was scared. Depression does run in the family..."

The teen blinks a few times. "What...I..." She takes a breath. "I wasn't depressed."

"And I'm glad." A soft smile. "I thought it was YouTube getting you down, all that screen time—" Annalise frowns at her and she waves her hand apologetically. "I know, I know, I'm not going to pester you about that."

"Mom," Annalise repeats with a small laugh. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Mrs. Hughes looks away and tugs at her fingers. "I'm not assuming anything," she starts, darting a gaze at her before again looking away. "But...okay, the way you've been acting is similar to how I acted when I first started dating your father." Her voice breaks a little and she swallows hard. Annalise's eyes widen. "I don't know if you've met a boy or something—"

"Mom..."

"Annalise, I get it, you're young, you want to start dating," Leanne continues. Her eyes are almost teary. "Just, please be careful."