Worlds Collide (Alimentria, #1) [ON HOLD]

Chapter Thirteen: Calm After the Storm

"Well, wish me luck," Brianna mumbled as Marilee and herself hit the breaks on their bikes in front of her house.

"Wish YOU luck?" Marilee asked with a laugh. "No no, no no no missy. You wish ME luck. My mom doesn't like it when I come back from a 'sleepover' after 10:00am. You owe me so much chocolaaaaate—"

"Yada yada yada," Brianna said with a teasing smirk, to which Marilee promptly slapped her arm playfully.

They both fell silent for a moment, then Marilee leaned in to hug her goodbye, saying quietly into her ear, "But seriously, good luck. I know how much it means to you to be able to see your family. I don't want that blown for you."

They pulled apart, and as Marilee begun to ride away, Brianna called after her with a smile and a wave, "Say hi to Fizzy for me!"

Marilee let out a snorting laugh and called back with a wave of her own, "Will do!"

Brianna watched her friend ride away until she was out of sight. Then she took a deep breath to clear her head, turned toward the house, and walked up to the front door. When she got there, she found herself stopping, hand on the knob. It took her a second to remember she needed to turn it and go in and face whatever Mrs. Michaels was going to throw at her for being home late from her little 'sleepover.'

And, as she finally opened the door after a long second, she also remembered she'd have to face stupid Marty and Wendy at school on Monday.

Well, at least it's Saturday. I have a day and a half to plan how I can avoid them.

There was the sound of running water coming from the kitchen, which shut off when Brianna shut the door behind her. "Brianna, you home sweetie?"

Footsteps sounded against hardwood floor, growing closer, until Mrs. Michaels came into view, her lovely smile blooming across her face as her eyes set on Brianna.

"Hiiii," Brianna said with a crooked smile as she walked up and gave her guardian a hug.

For those few seconds, Brianna once again drank in the rather small but pretty entry hall. To the left of the reddish-brown front door with the oval glass window cut into facets that reflected rainbows on the hardwood, the doorway to the kitchen. To the right, the doorway to the cozy living room. And straight ahead, the tan-carpeted stairs to the bedrooms. It always felt good to soak up the familiar scene whenever she could. After all, it was home.

"So," Mrs. Michaels started as she drew back from the hug to get a look at her, "how was the sleepover? Did you have fun?"

The smile still hadn't left her guardian's face, which relaxed Brianna significantly. "Oh yeah! We had a great time."

She paused a second to think up a good story that actually went with what really happened, then told her, "Marilee did get just a tad hurt, though."

"Oh? How'd that happen?" Mrs. Michaels asked, her smile fading into concern.

"Some plant. Kinda like poison ivy, I guess."

"Ooh, poison ivy's never fun," her guardian commented sympathetically. "Let her know I hope it fades fast."

"I will," Brianna promised.

"Oh! Where're your bags?"

The question had Brianna reeling for a moment, trying to figure out an answer, before she said, "I um... went in these clothes? It was kinda spontaneous. I forgot to bring anything, and when I got there, it was too dark to go back and get anything. But, y'know, they had extra blankets and things."