The Beginning | Experiment S #1

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

       Mom wanted me to go with her to the grocery store today. She said it was because she felt like we hadn't really spent time as mother and daughter recently since the others came to live with us. I honestly didn't want to come because she and Dad had been lying to me my whole life, but I thought it was best not to act like anything was wrong.

       I could always bring up the adoption papers, but I would rather not. I wanted to see how long they were going to go before they told me I was adopted.

       Right now, I was scanning the shelves for a package of noodles while Mom was looking at the list to see what else we needed.

       "I've noticed you and Cam are getting close," Mom said.

       "I thought that was what you wanted," I said. "Me to get along with them."

       "I don't see you talking much to the others," she said. "Just Cam."

       "He's my friend," I said. And at least he didn't keep any huge secrets from me.

       Well, there was the whole werewolf thing, but that didn't count since it didn't really concern me personally. 

       "I assume he hasn't told you about his past then," Mom said.

       I stopped looking for the noodles and looked over at her. "As in....what happened at his old schools?" I asked. Mom nodded. "Yes, he has." And probably a lot more than she knew.

       "Oh, okay," Mom said.

       "You sound disappointed," I said.

       "I'm just worried for your safety," she said. "He could be quite violent."

       "Yeah, when people piss him off," I said. "I'm actually able to calm him down at school when he gets mad. And if you were 'worried about my safety', then why would you choose to let him stay with us?"

       "Because he really needed a place to stay," Mom said.

       "I know," I said. "And he isn't what everyone makes him out to be. He's probably one of few people I could trust, if not the only one."

       Mom sighed. "I'm just trying to look out for you. He can be a bad influence."

       "Really? How?"

       "Like getting you to skip school," Mom said, and I didn't reply. "Yeah, after Cam's past school record, I got the school to call me if anything happened, and one of the teachers called saying both you and Cam didn't show up to class after lunch."

       "That was my idea," I lied. "Someone was bothering him, he was getting angry, so I suggested we cut class so he could calm down and not get into any trouble. I don't see what the big deal is. Most teenagers skip once in their lifetime."

       "Yes, but I would like it if they didn't get into any trouble, especially Cam," Mom said. "So you really need to be careful around him."

       I didn't reply as I looked back at the shelves and grabbed a box of noodles before placing them in the cart. "Are we done yet?"

      "I fell like you're mad at me," she said.

      "Nope, just tired," I said. "I don't know why we had to come to the grocery store so late."

      "Because I've been so busy during the day, and I'd rather do it when your father is home so we're not leaving the others home alone," Mom said.