Traffic

Ch 2: Masks

"Can you call Trace and ask him when they'll be home?"

Kelly nodded, running over to the phone to dial the number.

"Hello?"

"Trace! Where are you guys? Mom and I are keeping dinner warm for you."

"Yeah, we'll be home soon, kiddo."

"Okay!"

She hung up and ran to tell her mother what he's said. They arrived home soon and walked in slowly and quietly.

"Trace! Fred!" Kelly said, smiling as she ran up and hugged them both.

"Hey, kiddo, where's momma?"

"Kitchen. Why do you look upset?"

"I'm just tired is all. Fred, can you...?"

"Yeah. Hey, Kel-Kel, how about we to get in our PJ's and braid our hair before the movie?"

"Okay!"

Fred walked off with Kelly and Trace went quietly to the kitchen, kissing his mom's cheek, "Hey, momma. Can we talk?"

"That's never a good sign. What's up, kiddo?"

"Fred says she saw dad today...Said he came into the store, asking for her. Luckily, she had just clocked out, so her co-workers thought she was gone already , but she saw him. She was so scared, momma. What are we gonna do?"

She sighed, rubbing her eyes gently, her hands beginning to shake, "I don't know, Trace...I just--Why was he released? WHY couldn't be have been convicted?"

"Momma, calm down, it'll be okay. We'll figure something out. For now, we just have to keep a close eye on Kelly."

"I know. After last time, I just...I just know he's planning something awful."

"Don't worry too much, momma, I'll protect her with my life."

"Thank you, sweetheart. I only hope it doesn't have to go that far..."

Meanwhile, Kelly and Francine were getting in their pajamas, then came downstairs for dinner. The family masked their fear fairly well and were able to have a good evening, but Kelly knew something was up.

Dear Diary,

Mom bought me a new pair of shoes today. They're converse brand sneakers! They were super expensive, but momma said nothin was too good for her little angel. She spoils me something awful, but I don't mind much. It takes my mind off of the real problems.

Like today, while we were out, momma was so jumpy and nervous! She hardly paid attention to me at all. She was always looking around and grabbing me close when someone walked too close to us or something. I don't know what's wrong with her, but she's been jumpy like this for a long while.

Trace and Fred were totally hiding something from me when they got home, too. Trace was upset, but he hid it pretty well. I guess it's a good AND bad thing that my family doesn't know how much I know about them. They have tells. Meaning signs that show me they're hiding something or lying. Being homeschooled and being around them more made me able to find them out and get real good at spotting them. I hate homeschooling, but I guess it has it's perks.

Anyhow, I wish I could go to school so I could have a boyfriend before Fred. She's always talking about celebrities and all, and I want to have a guy before her because I'd love to rub it in her face! I guess I also want some girl friends, and a best friend. I had one before we moved, but none since. It's so frustrating how mom keeps me locked up in this house! It's a good thing she doesn't know I sneak out some nights, because she would KILL me! But how else am I gonna make friends if I don't go to a party once in a while?

There's this super cool "gang" who let me know when and where. I get a text on a trac-phone and that's how I know where to go. That reminds me, I have a party to be at tomorrow night, and I'm stoked! It's on the beach too, so it'll be great! Boy am I glad I met Paul when we first moved here. Back when mom would actually let me out alone! ugh!  I love my family, but they can be frustrating.

After finishing her journal entry, Kelly lay awake in bed, day dreaming about what the party might be like. She thought of how lucky she was to have met Paul. He was considerably older than her, but treated her like an equal, which was something she craved. He sometimes scared her a bit, but most of the time he was a good man to her.

Her family didn't know about Paul, and she was too scared to tell them anything about him.

She barely slept that night out of excitement. She got up early the next morning, rushing to get her homework done.

"Slow down, Kelly, you're going to make a load of mistakes, then we'll have to do it all over again."

"Sorry, I just want to get it done so I can play outside."

"Uhm...I don't think we'll be playing outside today..."

"Mom, you don't HAVE to come! I just want to play outside. I'll be right there in the from yard, I'll be fine."

Her mother was hesitant, but nodded, "Okay, but you're coming with me when I go to clean, okay?"

"Fine."

By lunch time, Kelly was done with her homework. She made a peanut butter sandwich and ran outside excitedly.  She grabbed her bike and started wheeling it towards the road.

Her mother came out and called out, "Kelly! Where do you think you're going?!"

"On a bike ride?"

"Nuh-uh, you're staying in the yard."

"But momma, I--"

"No buts. Yard."

She groaned and put her bike away, going around back and sitting on the fence. She was angry and wondered why her mother wanted to keep her shut up from the world, but obeyed none the less.

While outside, she found a stick and was playing around with it, drawing in the sand. She wrote the word she'd been thinking about for the past several months. She wondered why her mother was so protective, why she wasn't aloud to go back to school, why she wasn't aloud to play outside besides in her backyard, and why she wasn't aloud to do ANYTHING without her mother being right there.

"WHY?"