Smoke

2: Clouds

"Please just do this for me." Mother said later that week, when she had started pulling together papers and emails to get me transferred to the other school.
We have had this conversation hundreds of times. Me refusing to switch, her pushing for the other school, but she has never actually gone through with it until now.

I was silent as I watched her fill out the forms, type on her computer, print out more forms.
"But it's the middle of the year." I repeated.
She paused and waited for me to look at her. I didn't, and instead just fiddled my fingers.
"Cecil." She said my name sternly, and I looked up at her expression. She was so tired.

I stopped fiddling my fingers, my stomach continuing to roll, and met her eyes. She had another pause, and she closed her eyes, switching her thoughts to something else.
"You haven't ever asked me my power." She said quietly.
I was silent, downcast. Her expression was clouded over and I couldn't tell if she was upset by this.

"Have you ever seen me using my power?" She asked me, her voice steady and quiet.
I shook my head no. I have never seen her use her power, that I can remember. I didn't even know what it was.

"That's because I learned how to control it school. Low Oak High, it's not something to be afraid of. If anything, it's better than the school you're going to now." She said. I frowned, doubting what she was saying. She was about to turn away, to go back to working on getting me transferred, but I looked at her again and stopped her.

"Mom, what's your power?" I asked quietly.
She exhaled a sigh.
"Alright." She said. "Watch." She nodded at me. I looked at her. She exhaled another breath.
It came out of her in a puff, smoke rising out of her mouth. It exited her body smoothly, naturally, unlike what happened with me. The curling smoke rose and shifted and joined into a cloud. It was small and hovered over our heads like a fog. I breathed in, out, my heart beating faster.

"Will I be able to do that?" I asked nervously, my hands going to my mouth, covering it.
"Maybe." She shrugged, blowing out the last bit of vapor from her lungs. "Now, What elective do you want?" She asked, going back to figuring out what to do with me.

"Drama." I said quietly.