STARGAZING (ENG)

Chapter 1 - Sudden Change

Katya slammed the door behind her and went straight upstairs to her bedroom, without even saying 'hi' to her mother. Her eyes were overflowing with tears of anger, all she could do was lock her bedroom door and throw herself in the messy sheets of her bed. It was the last day of school and she had just been dumped by her boyfriend, who started dating a ''less problematic girl'', as he said to her.

''Kat, open the door.'' – she heard a voice that was, undistinguishably, her mother's.
''I don't wanna talk.''

Katya has been avoiding this conversation for days. The principal of her school caught her drinking alcohol with her friends at the back of the chapel (it was a catholic school), and that lead to an investigation of each student's locker. And Katya's was the only one who had several joints inside it, some of which weren't even hers. Her mother was a prestigious name in the pedagogical area, so that meant she could get her child out of any sorts of trouble. Unfortunately, those 'troubles' happened more often then she would like to admit. After several failed attempts of confronting her daughter for what happened on her last week of school, she decided it was time to put an end to it.

''Yekaterina, open the door, I am not asking, I am demanding!''
''Go away! You're the one who chose to believe those fucking liars instead of your own daughter.''
''They found the joints in your locker, Katya! You're lucky I have my connections in that school and I was able to convince them not to expel you! Now, open the damn door so we can talk, please!''

Katya sighed, wiping off the tears off her face and walking angrily towards the door. Her mother looked mad, but unbothered at the same time, like she couldn't wait to get this conversation over with.

''I get it. You're almost 18, you want to be cool in front of your friends. But smoking pot and going to class drunk is only making you look stupid and problematic.''
''Are you trying to make me feel awful about myself? Because it's working.'' – the teenager said, sitting roughly on her bed.
''I spoke to your father...''

Katya's father was hardly ever home. He was a business man, a CEO, and that meant he was constantly traveling, busy with work. She didn't care much about her father since she barely saw him, but the thought of him hearing about her troublemaker behavior gave Katya chills, for some reason.

''He and I agreed that you need to be taught a very serious lesson about what's right and what's wrong''
''So what, you're gonna take my phone? My computer?''
''Yes, both of those things. And we're sending you off to one of our farms in the Midwest for the whole summer.''

Katya froze. She could feel every vein in her head pulsating, her hands shaking and her mouth went dry. Not only had she just been dumped, but now she was also being sent away by her own parents. She's heard about her family's farm before, but never got to visit. It could be the worst place ever to be. She loathed the fact that her birthday wasn't until a month and a half from now, so she couldn't use the 'I'm 18, I'm an adult' excuse just yet. 

''Mom...what are you saying? Have you and dad lost your minds? What the hell do you think I'm going to do in a fucking farm miles away from here? You think I'll just watch over some pigs and goats and suddenly I'll be the perfect daughter?''
''Watch your language! Katya, it's decided, you're leaving tomorrow morning. Oliver will drive you to the airport, your plane ticket's in your father's office. We're not discussing this. You've done a lot of bad things, but this was the last drop. You're lucky you didn't fail at your finals.''
''God.'' – she swallowed her tears. ''You're a really shitty mother, you know that?''
''You can call me whatever you want. We're doing this for your own good. Now go take a shower, you smell like alcohol and the Henderson's will come by this evening, I don't want them thinking my daughter is some alcoholic.'' – the mother said, leaving the room.
Katya slammed the door and screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't believe what was happening to her. What her parents were doing to her. She wasn't a golden child, but she didn't think she was that bad that she had to be sent away. And who would be at that farm? Would she be alone? There were so many questions going through her head, that she finally took her mother's advice and took a long, full of crying, shower.

xxx

After knocking for about 15 minutes, Katya's mother finally was able to wake her up. Katya tripped over her bags that she made the night before (and by made, she means she actually threw all of the clothes she could fit in the bag until it was barely closing) and unlocked the door, with her eyes barely open.

''Go get ready, your flight is in 3 hours, you're gonna be late! Oliver is already waiting for you downstairs.''

Katya's mother never woke her up for anything before. She never appeared to care if Katya was late for school, or any other activity. Except for today, since the event in question was getting rid of her daughter.

The teenager did her lazy morning routine and was not interested at all in the breakfast standing before her. Her mother was rushing her whilst she was looking nauseously to the omelet getting cold before her eyes. Katya took a bite and a half and abandoned the meal to meet her undesirable fate.

''Look, Katya, your father told me that his colleague Dennis will be at the airport in Wisconsin to pick you up and drive you to the farm, so don't worry about that. You'll be staying with the Mattel's, they're a lovely couple who have been working for us for many years now, so respect them, it's their house, not yours. And, um...'' – Katya's mother checked the notes on her phone to see if there was something else she should tell her daughter – ''Oh, and they also happen to have a granddaughter your age! So it's not going to be that terrible as you think, you'll have a new friend!''
''I don't want a new friend. I want my house, my town, my friends!''
''Katya, stop being a brat. The Mattel's will give us weekly feedback on your behavior, so don't try anything stupid, or we'll hear about it! Anyway, have a nice trip, sweetie.''
''Okay, bye'' - The mother leaned in to give her kid a kiss on the cheek, which Katya ungracefully refused, picking her bags up and walking out the front door towards the car waiting for her outside.
The hours passed more slowly for Katya this day than on any other regular day. Luckily, she managed to steal back her phone, and listened to all of her favorite songs on her way to the airport. As her plane departed, she thought about everything she had left behind: her friends, her ex-boyfriend, her best friend Brooke, the fact that she wouldn't even attend her own graduation. It was a lot to process. She loved her life in Boston, even with the ups and downs she had with her mother. And now, she was about to spend her whole summer vacation in a farm in the middle of nowhere, with a couple of old people and their presumably annoying granddaughter. Katya couldn't help but cry softly as she watched Boston slowly disappearing before her eyes, and eventually she fell asleep.

xxx

The road trip from the airport to the farm was the worst part. Katya had already been traveling for hours, and the reality was just now hitting her, as well as her anxiety to meet her new summer home.

''Are we close, Dennis?''
''Miss, you asked me that 10 minutes ago. We'll be arriving in half an hour.''

Half an hour. It seemed like forever. It was a hot day in the country area of Wisconsin, and even though the air conditioning of the car was on, Katya was sweating like never before. Something was telling her this was going to be an experience unlike any other, and she couldn't tell if this was a good or a bad thing. The eternal minutes eventually passed as the girl wondered what those three months would be like, and they arrived at the farm. There was a lady who looked like she was in her late 60's, smiling and waving in the front porch stairs. The woman was wearing a middle-length floral skirt, a white buttoned shirt and what Katya would describe as 'the most hideous cowboy boots she has ever seen.' She looked really nice, though.
Dennis, the driver, opened the car door for Katya, who smiled as a 'thank you'. The old lady, who was quick to identify herself as Donna, went straight for a hug with Katya, who was caught by surprise.

''Nice to meet you, sweetheart! George is finishing up with the horses and my granddaughter is making us dinner, so you'll have the chance to meet them in just a few moments, okay? How was your trip, are you rested?''

She was a lot to take in, Katya thought to herself. Donna was nice...maybe too nice for her taste.

''I'm fine, just a little tired and...sweaty. I'm Katya, by the way.''
''Oh, I know darling! Your father wouldn't shut up about you when you were born, I remember like it was yesterday! He always told George and I that he wanted a girl.''
''Well, he got one!''
''And a very pretty one! Come inside, let's get you more acquainted, shall we? Thank you, Dennis!''

Katya picked up her bags that Dennis had previously removed from the trunk and followed Donna inside. The wooden floors gave her a cozy feeling. The entire house smelled like the most delicious meal in the world, and suddenly, Katya started to get excited for dinner. It was a good start. Katya kept looking at every detail of the house, and she immediately knew the house was as old as history. It was well maintained, though. Meanwhile, Donna was explaining which room was which to Katya, who couldn't be bothered to listen. Eventually, they got to the kitchen, where a tall, curvy blonde girl with low pigtails and jeans overalls was cooking the food Katya craved since she walked into the house. She had earphones on and was swaying and singing along to some song Katya couldn't tell which was.

''Trixie!'' – Donna shouted, uselessly.
The blonde girl, who Katya now knew was called Trixie, lifted up a bowl with some sort of sauce in it and continued dancing and singing, without noticing Katya and Donna in the room. Donna laughed and grabbed Katya, so she could tap Trixie's shoulder for her to wake up from her musical daydream. Suddenly, Trixie (who still hadn't notice the two women) turned around and spilled the entire bowl of sauce in Katya's favorite leather jacket.

''What the fuck is wrong with you?'' – Katya yelled at the girl, who was quick to take off her earphones.
''Oh my God, I am so sorry. I didn't see you...''
''Well, clearly!''
''It's okay, it's just a little sauce, we can wash it off...'' – Donna said, still shocked by Katya's behavior.
''No, it's ruined. This was really expensive, you know?'' – Katya couldn't take her blue eyes off the other blonde girl, who looked terrified.
''I'm really, really sorry about it...''
''Whatever.'' – Katya said, taking the jacket off, her eyes still piercing trough Trixie's brown, scared puppy eyes.

''I'll clean it myself! It's not a big stain, it's coming off, I promise!'' – Trixie said, hesitantly placing her hand on Katya's jacket.

Katya didn't notice how hard she was holding the clothing until she felt Trixie slightly pulling it, and then she let it go so the other blonde could go wash it, as she promised.

''Katya, darling, let's get you to your bedroom so you can unpack and take a shower, shall we? We don't want any tomato sauce on those beautiful blonde waves, right?'' Donna said, in an attempt of damage control.

Katya just walked away, looking firmly at Trixie until she couldn't spot her anymore. She barely met the girl and already had enough reason to despise her. She wished she could tell her mother she was far away from making a new friend.