From Heaven To Hell

Pastries and Puddles

I wake up to the smell of sweet syrup and pancake batter. Remembering that it's Saturday, I smile.

Quickly brushing out my hair and throwing on a sweatshirt, I head downstairs, finding my mother badly singing along to a Frank Sinatra song while simultaneously trying to flip pancakes. Giggling, I walk over to the island with heaps of dirty mixing bowls and utensils.

Noticing me, she wiggles her eyebrows. "Who's the best mother?"

I playfully roll my eyes. " I don't know. Haven't met her." Putting her hand to her chest, she acts offended. A tinge of suspicion irks me. "So...... What's with all this?" I say, motioning to the mess that I'll probably have to clean up later.

A knot forms between her eyebrows, making me even more worried. "Well... You see, my advanced drawing class has been itching to draw people. I've given them fruit in a bowl and even had them draw some grass, you know, the classics. But I really want them to try drawing someone." Peeking up at me beneath her eyelashes, she gauges my reaction.
Realization dawns on me. "No, mom."

Plating some fat pancakes, she waves them beneath my nose. "Oh come on. Do it for your mother? Please? With a cherry on top?" Using my technique against me, she does her best puppy eyes.

I sigh, "Why can't you just hire some people?" Setting down the pancakes, she hands me the syrup container.

"Of course I wanted to do that. But the college only gives me a small budget. And I've used nearly half of it for supplies and the rest I need to use for more. And even putting out a flyer, no one wants to model for free." Taking a bite of the pancakes, I pretend to be deep in thought. I can feel my mother's eyes on me as I chew and I nearly laugh at how worried she is.

"Why don't you just have one of the students do it?" I asked.

"Because I only want to spend one class on drawing someone, so the student that would be posing would miss the opportunity." I sighed, obviously defeated.
"Fine. I'll do it, but I want some pizza afterwards."

Doing a little jig, she kisses me on top of my head before turning up the jazz music; I relax. Enjoying the taste of my breakfast and watching my mother scoop up the rest of her pancakes and slide them onto her plate, I grin. She's so happy. Noticing me watching her, she widens her eyes.

"Do I still have batter on my face? I thought I got all of it off!" She wipes her face, but I stop her.

"No, you look fine. I was wondering what was happening with your hair." In a lopsided bun, her dirty blonde hair actually doesn't look that bad, but I chuckle anyway. Swatting me with a newspaper, I pretend to "surrender" and tell her I need to get ready.

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After a shower and getting some coffee in my system, I get in the car to go to town. Honestly, I haven't really explored the town that I live in. We got here a week ago, but with unpacking and getting ready for school, the small shops and places in the square located ten minutes from the house are a complete mystery.

Turning up the radio, I relax into the cold, leather seat and turn in the direction of the town. Based on the instructions Mom gave me, there weren't that many turns to get to the small town.

Only seconds after I turn the volume up on a song I had heard once or twice, static begins to fill the  car, snapping me out of my reverie. What the heck?

Great. No connection. I switch off the radio and let my mind wander, glancing at the thick forests on either side of the road. The pines are a radiant shade of green, made darker by the storm that seems to be a permanent part of the place. It's either starting to rain or the water is already coming down. Which is calming, but also a little depressing. Back where I moved from, it was reasonably bright nearly every day. There was even a beach nearby, not that I ever really went, the sandy shores were always filled with people.  I remember all the times my parents forced me to go with them and how we ended up having lots of fun. Thinking about it,the memory makes my stomach turn.