“I'm out back!” Mum calls as I walk in the door.
“Got it!” I reply and make a beeline for the fridge, pulling out the beginnings of a sandwich in an attempt to ease my hunger. Mum walks in the back door, her hands caked in soil and grime.
“Malory! I didn't expect you home so early! What happened?”
I shrug and explain the whole cafeteria incident. She nods pensively.
“I see. So there was nobody near the window? Inside or out?”
I shake my head “Nope. Not the one.”
“That is odd.” She walks over to the sink and washes the dirt off of her hands, her face pinched in thought. After drying her hands, she turns to me again. “I was just on my way out to the nursery actually. We're out of soil. Any specific plants you want added to the garden?”
I think. “Did that shipment of tiger-lilies come in yet?”
“They called today. It'll be in tuesday.”
“Then poppies if there are any and one tiger-lily when it comes in.”
“Done. I'll be back in a few hours.” Mum walks to the front door, grabbing her keys and bag.
Before she steps out, I call out to her “D'you mind if I have Reanne and Tony over while you're gone?”
She waves absent-mindedly, signalling that it was fine and steps into her car, disappearing down the road. As soon as she slips out of sight, I bolt to the phone and call Reanne.
“I'll be over in five with the Tone-meister.” Reanne says the second she picks up the phone. She always knows what I want.
“Perfect. See you soon.” I hang up and grab a huge bowl from the cupboard and popping three bags of popcorn, swirling in MnM's just as I hear Reanne's car pull up. I dash over to the door and open it just as they're walking up the steps. “Hurry! Mum's only gone for a bit.”
“Where?” Tony asks, pushing up his glasses with his index finger.
“Nursery. We've got four hours minimum.”
“Once in a lifetime chance.” Reanne says, grinning. “We could always do you know what...”
I roll my eyes at her. She is always trying to get me to throw a party. “Not gonna happen.”
“Aww. C'mon Mal. Why not? Nobody's home. We'd help you clean up the mess.”
“You say it like there would guaranteed be one.”
“Well what do you think! We're teenagers! The slobs of society! Look at anybody's room for gods-sake!”
“I for one,” Tony says with a glare directed at Reanne and her dare-devilish ways “Am no slob. My room's pretty decent.”
“That's cause you're a neat-freak.” Reanne retorts.
Tony huffs indignantly.
“Oh just get in here you two. Reanne, no party. Tony, you're a neat-freak whether you like it or not. There's a bowl of popcorn and MnM's feeling neglected inside and I need you two to help pick a movie!”
Both Tony and Reanne's heads whip towards me.
“Did you just say—“
“—Popcorn and MnM's?”
I nod slowly.
They both rush up the steep stairs of my porch and nearly run me over, leaping over the couch and grabbing handfuls of popcorn out of the bowl I had set on the coffee table.
YOU ARE READING
Masqueraded
Ficção AdolescenteMalory has lived with her parents in rainy Apter, Connecticut as long as she can remember. But the day of her sixteenth birthday has her questioning who—or what—her parents are. A mysterious letter addressed to her reveals frightening information a...
