The Best Cliché Yet

Chapter 12

I watched as my mom stood over her bag, worry etched deep into the wrinkles on her forehead. Shirt, after shirt, after pants were packed into the small suitcase spread opened before her.

"Only bring what you can carry," I remember my mother saying all those years ago. She was afraid too much stuff would hold us back. She wasn't just talking about clothes, I realized.

I continued to watch her. It was silent, the only noise coming from her footsteps walking back and forth from the drawer to the bag and back.

"What's happening?" I asked, breaking the silence.

My mother just stared at me. She placed her last piece of clothing in the bag before walking towards me.

"We're not safe here anymore," she sighed, taking my hands in hers.

I was going to say something, but Tarah came in looking flustered.

"I can't reach her," she said, referring to my younger sister.

Tatiana was currently M.I.A, and to be honest, I was scared. I didn't show it though. I couldn't.

"Keep trying," my mom said.

"Okay, but-"

My sister was interrupted by a sudden noise from downstairs. It sounded like something hit the window.

I run out of the room on high alert and cautiously lead the way down the stairs.

"Maybe it was the wind," Tarah offered.

"It wasn't the wind," my mom replied calmly.

It was moments like these where my respect for my mother grew tenfold. She has been through so much, yet she could still keep a collected demeanour - for us.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs my fear quickly turned to anger.

"Tati!" I yelled.

My younger sister jumped. She was in the middle of taking off her jacket.

"What?" she yelled back.

"You scared us half to death!" my older sister answered.

My mother said nothing, just walked up to her and enveloped Tatiana in a hug.

"What's going on?" Tati asked. She was getting worried, I could see it.

"Why didn't you answer you're phone?" my mother interrogated, ignoring her question.

"I'm sorry, mom. My phone died," she explained.

"How was the party?" my mother asked.

Did she forget there was a crazy ex-rogue pack after us?

"Fine, I guess. It's supposed to end in an hour but I couldn't stand being stared at for the rest of it."

"What?"

"Well, there may or may not be a rumour going around about me and..." she trails, looking at my mom sheepishly. "Anyway, now everyone thinks ill of me and won't stop staring at me. Even people who weren't in my school were staring."

"Oh the perils of being 16," Tarah teased.

Tati looked at Tarah with confusion displayed across her face. She turned to me for an explanation.

I put my hands up in a 'I have no clue' way. I'll never understand any of my sisters.

"Tati..." my mom said, distracted. She was staring out the window Tatiana hit on her way in.