"Good morning," Diana looked up as Theara entered the kitchen, evaluating her black dress skeptically. "Sleep well?"
"Sure," she smiled and yanked the milk carton out of the fridge.
"So... what's with the dark clothes these days?" she asked carefully, peering over her coffee cup.
"It's slimming," she stirred her cereal listlessly.
"I thought you didn't care about, you know, looks?"
"Things change."
Diana stared long and hard at her, unable to avoid the feeling that somehow she was failing miserably at noticing something glaringly obvious. "What changed now?"
"I always felt like part of my identity was lost. Now, I'm starting to find it."
"What do you mean a part was lost?"
"I felt incomplete."
"Oh. Uh, are you wearing makeup too? The hair looks, nice too. Extensions and dye?" she squinted at her, trying to make small talk.
Theara stopped stirring and stared at her mom despondently. "Mom, this is my natural hair. No makeup, except the eye shadow. Sometimes it's like you confuse me for someone else completely," she picked up her bowl and got up from the counter.
"Sorry honey," she pleaded. "I just want to talk," she nodded sadly.
Something in her voice made Theara come back. "Okay then."
"So, what happened with Owen?"
"I broke up with him when he woke up. He forgot that I did that before his accident."
"Wow. That must have been hard."
"For who?" she laughed bitterly, acknowledging her mom's frown. "I mean, it probably was worse for him. I already had time to get used to the idea."
"Right," she ran her finger over the rim of her cup. "Well, we better get you to school."
"Actually, I'll just walk. It's a nice morning," she flung her backpack from the floor over her shoulder and blew a kiss. "Bye Mom."
"Bye sweetheart," she smiled gingerly.
She returned the smile and headed out the door. The fresh morning air and singsong of the birds revitalised her mind. Mom looked so sad. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in her mind. She bottles up so much.
When she was one street down, she realised she forgot her math homework. "Shoot," she checked her watch and jogged back. She entered the house again, but heard her mom talking on the phone. She trotted upstairs, got her book and started down again.
"I know you're gonna ace it. I've received tons of emails for scholarships already. They'd be suiting themselves if they let you slip through their fingers," Diana came through the lounge, reading through her notebook while talking.
Theara stopped at the stairs and backed against the wall and listened. Who the heck is she talking to? A friend's kid probably. Then why am hiding here?
"Holiday plans? I haven't thought that far yet sweetie. No, you are definitely not going to see him. I told you already, he lost his chance to have us in his lives a long time ago. Whatever he is telling you, it-"
A step groaned beneath Theara, and her mom's head snapped up. "I uh, forgot my book," she voiced softly.
Diana slowly lowered the phone. "I'll call you later," she hung up and kept her eyes on Theara, who was watching her with equal anticipation and discomfort.
YOU ARE READING
Heart of Hysteria
Non-Fiction"They are so... dead," Theara look up from her bloodied hands and grabbed a fistfull of her hair as she shuddered. "I killed them?" she angled her head as she observed her classmates' corpses with fascination. "I know this looks bad Levi, but I had...
