The Price Of Wishing

The Note

Where were you?

I waited for as long as I could before starting dinner. No, I didn't go shopping because I was waiting for you so you didn't yell at me for getting 'the wrong stuff' again. I tried to ring you but you're phone was off. Again. Would you ever get yourself organised? I've got to go get ready now, I'm going out with James. I could have used you're help with that as well, you know! I have no idea what to wear. I'm going to be horribly late now. I've borrowed your necklace-the one with the funky red beads.

I figured you would already have eaten with your new mystery man anyway. You really have to stop hiding him and bring him up to meet me sometime. Not that you could be bothered to text me and tell me where you went. There's stuff in the fridge if you haven't eaten yet. Although, if he has you out all hours won't even buy you dinner, you might want to find another guy.

I mean honestly, with what happened to Kate Winslow I thought you might be more considerate. Next time you disappear on me like that I'm calling the cops and reporting you as missing.

Don't wait up

Love you! Mum.

Miriam took a deep breath and put effort into not ripping the note up. She opened the drawer and grabbed out a pen. If her mother wanted to communicate by notes, that was just fine. Miriam could do that.

30 minutes.

She flipped over the note, and started to write.

Where was I? Where were you? I told you I told you I was staying in school late today to finish up my history project. You said that you would get me! You told me not to waste money on the bus or a taxi. Remember that? It only happened this morning!

Get myself organised? Says the woman who stole my phone charger last week and lost it? The same woman who can't go one month without cracking her phone screen?

Also, stop taking my things without asking! You always break them or loose them. Nana gave me those beads and if you come back having left them in a bar somewhere I swear I'm going to live with Dad and Linda or something. I don't even care how much of a bitch she is. It has to be better than being stuck here with you.

How many times do I have to tell you I'm not seeing anyone? I told you at least three times yesterday. Guess what, mum? I'm not you. I don't need to jump onto another man to get over the last one. Oh, and the stuff in the fridge is sour milk and gone-off strawberries. That's all that's there because someone didn't go shopping. AGAIN.

I cannot believe you are using that poor girl's disappearance to try and guilt me. Her poor parents have been miserable for months. Then you think to yourself-hey maybe I can use this to try and manipulate my daughter. You know what, next time you might have to call them because I might just have had enough of your shit and actually run off somewhere.

Miriam slammed down the pen when she was done. She felt smug knowing that what she wrote was going to hurt her mother for an entire five seconds. Then the guilt started to seep in.

"Damn," she said as she crunched the paper into a ball and threw it into the bin.

She dumped the empty yogurt pot in over it and headed upstairs, feeling way more tired than she did when she got home.

She couldn't blame her mother for thinking she had been out with some guy. Not really. Cry and then move on, that was her mother's way. She couldn't handle being alone for all that long. She was terrified of it. Miriam had to wonder how much of that was down to her father running off the second he heard she was pregnant.