The Boy That Broke America

0.7

0.7

THE NEXT MORNING Lane entered the kitchen ready for battle, primed and prepped. In polarity to the previous morning, Lane was dressed and put together to convince her mother; her hair was brushed, her clothes were un-creased, and her lips were slashed with blood-red lipstick.

The sound of her heeled boots and the scent of her perfume entered the kitchen before Lane did, and so when she entered, she did so to the expectant expressions of her mother and Ivor.

Lane sent a quick good morning to Ivor's bemused expression and turned her attention towards her mother as she sat down, back straight, legs crossed at the ankles.

Cautiously, Flora set a cup of coffee in front of Lane, her manner bleeding wariness. The last time Lane wore red lipstick to talk to her mother, it ended in three people temporarily flying to Paris and only one permanently coming back.

Lane inhaled, tucked her hair behind her ears, exhaled, rolled her shoulders back, inhaled, and spoke.

"So, Rhys Conner is getting married. I don't know anything about the girl other than that her name is Jessica, but I'm sure she's great if he chose to marry her. I've been invited to the wedding, and here's the invitation," she handed over the thick white card, "He's getting married in California, on the 16th of January. I'm hoping to go --" she held up a hand as Flora opened her mouth to speak, which earned her a scolding glare from the latter, though at least some silence to allow her little spiel to continue.

"I'm hoping to go," she carried on, "if I can figure out arrangements. All I need is a car, as Ivor has very kindly offered to drive. On our way to California, we'll stop off in San Francisco for a few days and I'll see Dad and go to all his boring business parties and parade around in uncomfortable shoes and dresses, etcetera, etcetera. I figured we can catch a Greyhound to Pittsburgh, stay with grandma for a day or two and then I figured we could borrow her car to drive to San Francisco, where we can stay for a few days with Dad and then catch another Greyhound to LA. I guess we'll be able to catch a flight out from LA after that, 'cos it won't be as busy and we'll probably stay in LA for at least a week anyway. So, if I can organise all of that, can I go?" Lane finished, fixing an unwavering gaze on her mother.

Flora narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, and Lane could practically see the mechanics in her head working overtime as her gaze shifted from Lane to Ivor and back again.

"Ivor, honey, are you sure you're okay with driving?" She finally said.

Ivor nodded quickly, "Yeah, it's all good by me. I think it would be kinda cool to see the country that way."

Flora nodded slowly and turned back to Lane.

"So...," Lane said slowly.

"You can go," Flora finally said, earning an exhalation of relief from Lane, "On one condition; you have to make all arrangements by yourself. You want to organise something with your father? You organise it. I'm not doing it for you."

Lane's blood-red lips parted in a smile, and she reached across the kitchen counter to envelop her mother in a hug. Flora let out a singular 'hah' of laughter at the sudden change in her daughter's behaviour.

"You're welcome, honey. Now, you have class at the normal time today, right?"

Lane nodded as she sat back, reaching for her cup of coffee and cradling it in her hands, "Yeah, class is as normal today."

Flora nodded as she handed Lane her normal bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar, "Okay good, what're your other plans for the day? I have a Skype consultancy with a client at 10, and then I'm heading over to Brooklyn to visit a couple of our warehouses, so I'll be over there for a couple of hours I imagine. I also have a few chores to do this afternoon and I'm going out with Iesha and Edith tonight, so I won't really be at home all day."