How Can We

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Artemis came home with her mother, the atmosphere tense after the tournament. Both were silent the entire way home, Artemis not knowing what to say and her mother unable to find the words.

Roy just disappeared the second she turned her back. A look around the gym confirmed her worst suspicions, he was gone, and along with him the chances to find Jade. Artemis had to admit that it hurt knowing Roy had never told her, she's known him for almost her entire high school life.

They got off to a rough start, as she often did with new people she met but they were amicable. Close enough for him to mention this little detail, even if they were strangers he should have told her. She actually trusted him, and he betrayed that trust.

Why couldn't he tell her? She tried putting herself in his shoes but it was hard to look past the hurt feeling.

And then she came to Jade, her sister who left her and probably knew about her if she was dating one of her archery teacher! She was more angry with Jade, she should have expected this. Artemis was done being hurt by Jade, and the only emotion she felt left was anger.

"Why did you never tell me?" Artemis' mom finally spoke. The sat on opposite ends of the living room facing each other. Artemis looked down.

"I thought it was obvious when I asked you where she was."

"Regardless, I am your mother and you should at least give me the courtesy of telling me you are searching for Jade. She is my daughter too and I have a right to know regardless of how you implied it. So why haven't you told me you were looking for her?"

"I thought my subtle hints were enough and I didn't want to get our hopes up if I didn't manage to find her which is looking more and more like the foreseeable future." She said. Her mother was giving off an unreadable expression, almost impossible to decipher.

"I found her boyfriend, concrete proof that she is in the city and closeby." The blonde added on hoping to get some sort of reaction from her mother who stayed silent.

"I was going to tell you mom when I found her. I was just overwhelmed by everything, I didn't know if I could handle everything." Artemis tried to explain herself.

"If you felt any extra pressure, you brought it upon yourself Artemis. You can't find her alone." Artemis wanted to tell her she wasn't alone, and Wally was helping her until recently.

"I am your mother, she is my daughter, you should have come to me."

"It was hard to."Artemis tried to defend herself.

"No it's not Artemis, all you needed to do was say a few words to me."

"Well at least I came closer to finding her than you ever did." Artemis sat out bitterly. She was frustrated by her mother's rightful anger towards her. Her mom looked like she was about to retaliate when there was a knock on the door. The mother daughter pair looked at each other surprised, they got almost no visitors. Each of them secretly hoped it would be Jade although highly unlikely.

Artemis got up and opened the door shocked to find Wally standing in the hallway of her apartment building. He was holding a box in his hands, flowers and some balloons.

"Can we talk?" She took in his disheveled appearance and deep breathing. He probably ran all the way here.

For some reason Artemis agreed. "Give me a minute." She closes the door and walks into her room to grab a light coat. "I'm going out for a bit, we'll talk later."

"Artemis!' Her mother called out as she closed the door behind her. It was not the way she wanted things to end between them, but they could finish that conversation later.