Once in a blue moon

Chapter 1: The Calm before the Storm

The sun shone brightly into my room, waking me up, grumpy and bleary eyed.
I was never a morning person, and today was no different as I settled back into my bed that seemed softer than ever.
Ughh. It was just too bright, so I gave up and groaning, I got up.
The clock showed 8 o'clock.
A bit earlier than usual, but I didn't mind all that much for, this was the first day of the summer holidays!

I was excited since I and my friends had planned to hang out together at the park, by 12'o clock. Clara was the one who had decided it all, she had been so pumped up about the holidays, planning every single moment and being a bit too obsessive that we all had to roll our eyes and shake our head behind her back at some point of time.

I smiled fondly, as I dressed up and got my plain black hair into a ponytail, that I hope wasn't too messy, as I walked out to the kitchen, my stomach rumbling, to a burning smell in the kitchen, I curse, turning down the heat.

'Mom!! You burnt the pancakes.. Again,' I said, resigned.

'Oh dear, did I? I swear I just left it for a minute.' she said rather sheepishly, appearing at the hallway, a reading glass on her head, kissing me on my forehead befire continuing with her newspaper.

I took out my own pancakes, drowning them with syrup and sat down at the table, a bit worried, my mom was usually very focused, not like this. But for then, I just left it there. You see, my mom is the best person I know, kind and beautiful, so much that people sometimes wonder how we are even related.
What with her blond hair and sky blue eyes, that could charm even the surliest of people.
Me? Not so much.
I was the opposite of her, I had unmanageable black hair that never managed to stay in my ponytail and green eyes, not the normal ones either, mine were forest green.

People called them striking, but I always knew from their expression that it was strange, was what they meant, but I didn't care.
My mom worked at this food packaging industry, as a sales executive but what she really loved to do was write about wildlife and study wildlife but we needed the money so she just continued to work in the industry.

My mom looks at me from her newspaper, 'So, are you guys planning to do something this holidays?', she asks.

' Yeah, Clara has it all planned,' I say.
'And today, we actually planned to meet at the park this afternoon, I meant to tell you'.

'Kayla! You should tell me these things earlier' she scolded, exasperated.' I am the one who has to pick you up after all'.

'Oh I forgot.', I say, trying to look ashamed. 'Oh, and I told Mia, we would pick her up too'.

She sighs, then nods. 'But I will have to pick you up by three today. We have some visitors today'.
I didn't bother asking who they were, it would probably be one of my mom's colleagues, I just groaned and sulked in silence for I wouldn't be getting my license for 5 more months.

*********

I was sitting in my mom's old Volvo, in the back seat, as she drove me to the park.
It was a bit demeaning to have to be drove around by my mom, I was almost sixteen after all. I looked out of the clean window, onto the street, up at the quaint houses and familiar tree groves as my mom glanced at me .

'So do you want any money, for eating out?', she asked.

I frowned, confused. She had seen me take some money from my savings for this.
'No, that okay, I have all I need'.

She looked at me again.

'An extra 10 bucks won't hurt'. She passed me a crisp note.

'You know, just in case'.