Shadow

Dove Body Wash

I turned out the lights and forced myself to sleep; otherwise I would make so many braids I'd have dreadlocks.

That night, I fell into a fitful sleep filled with not only heart-pounding nightmares, but also memories that made my blood turn to ice in my veins.

It had been a horrifying day, filled with so many Super attacks that the others and I could hardly keep up. Blaze especially gave me a run for my money. I'd only been known by Cryptic City for about two months, and already they'd given me my nemesis. And I hated him, as I should have.

The only thing that could've made that day worse was my parents coming home.

And imagine that? I come home to their limo parked out front. My shoulders sunk, as did my spirits. I ported into my room and into some clothes that I'd laid out for myself, then back outside. I pulled a key out of my pocket, one that I didn't think I would ever use again, and unlocked the front door.

When I opened it, I found exactly what I'd been expecting. No warm welcome, no one jumping and running to hug me, no one telling me how much they missed me. I could just see the door opened to my dad's office and hear my mother's voice chirping away in their room upstairs. I decided to get the worst of it over with first and went upstairs to see my mom.

She was on the phone and unpacking some of her bags from their last trip, though, I didn't know why. They would probably just be leaving again in a few days anyway.

"You went to Dubai?" my mother whined into the phone. "That's so not fair, Sarah!"

Yeah, I thought. You've only been to Europe eight times, Australia three, Asia six, and South America four. Oh, and don't forget the countless Caribbean islands or the number of African temples you left me for. I scowled at my mother's back. "Hi, Mom."

She didn't hear me. If she did, then she ignored me.

"Mom."

Nothing.

"Mother!"

She turned and had the nerve to look surprised to see me. "Kiera! My goodness, you've gotten tall."

Of course, you wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't been gone so often. "When did you get back?"

"Oh, about three or four hours ago. That jet took awfully long to get here. And they didn't even have any chocolate covered strawberries left!" She pouted.

"And you didn't think to tell me you'd be coming home?"

She frowned, her lipstick covered lips twisting in confusion. "Oh. I thought I told you." She paused for a moment. "Oh, Sarah, you're right! I told you, not Kiera!" She laughed into the phone and I clenched my jaw. She hung up on her friend, then turned to me with an accusing glare. "Kiera, dear, what are you wearing?"

"Clothes."

Mother frowned. "Young ladies should be wearing dresses, not ratty jeans and T-shirts."

"It's a free country, Mom. I'm pretty sure that was established in the Declaration of Independence, which is a pretty self-explanatory title."

A sharp slap resounded through the room and my cheek stung. I gaped up at my mother. "You will not speak to your mother like that, am I clear?"

I gritted my teeth and stomped out of her room. I was shaking with rage and I just wanted to punch her straight to Mars. I'd leave her there with a smile on my face.