The Thing That Happened

Chapter Four

"School is cancelled, due to the blizzard," my mom says as I'm getting a bowl of cereal. I look out the small kitchen window. It was still dark outside, but I could see white snow covering the ground.

"Drive safely," I mumble, bitting my lip.

"You look troubled, Ade."

"Mom, I'm fine," I snap, almost too sharply. When I turn towards her I see her hand going to her side, meaning she was going to put it on my shoulder and decided not to. I take a deep breath. "It's just Vivian and I got in a fight," I bend the truth, because we did get in a fight, but it wasn't Vivian that was bothering me.

"About what?" My mom tilts her head, worried.

"It's nothing, mom. It'll pass over, soon. It's just taking longer than normal." I close my eyes and lean against the counter. "Go to work, it's time for you to leave, anyway." It's actually not. It's still early, but I'm pretending that I don't notice. But she should leave early due to the weather.

"Adelaide, you are scaring me... what's wrong?" She says grabbing my arm. Worry takes over her expression and I suddenly feel guilty.

I almost to tell her. But then the thought of trying to tell to my mom about some boy was a no no since dad. "I don't want you to be late, mom. Go to work."

She sighs, looking defeated and let's go of my arm. "Okay, well, I will be home around five."

---

Once my mom leaves, I grab my phone off the charger and text Vivian, You awake?

She replied almost immediately, Duh. What's up?

Is there any way I could go to your house for a few hours?

What about your mom?

She went to work.

I'll come get you.

I set my phone back down and got dressed in just a t-shirt and sweatpants. It's how I always dressed to go to Vivian's house, since it was nothing special and considering the fact that it was cold outside.

It only takes Vivian about 10 minutes to drive to my house. When she gets here I grab my phone and run out the door with my coat on. I get into her bright green car, and buckle my seatbelt. Vivian had her drivers license and could drive, and I would be able to get mine, since I've had my permit, but I didn't want my mom to have to pay insurance on me or have her think that she needed to get me a car.

"What's up?" She says, as if we haven't seen each other in a long time.

"I just didn't want to be in that small house by myself all day... actually I didn't want to be in that small house filled with guilt all day," I sigh, staring at my small house.

"Guilt?" She looks sideways at me.

"I can't tell my mom, Viv. Not after what happened to her."

"What can't you tell her? I'm so confused."

"About Torrance, obviously."

"Why not? It's not like you- do you like him?" She gets all excited.

"No! But he's still a person that's not going to just go away. And I tell my mom everything."

"So you have decided to become a real  fucking teenager and keep a secret?" She asks, pulling away from my house.

"It's different with my mom. I didn't even tell her I was going to your house just now. It's getting bad."

"Ooh, someone is becoming a bad girl," she teases.