Mom and Caralee

Mother/ daughter relationship

“Hey, mom, I’m going to go to Emma and Connor’s, okay?” I inform her as I enter the kitchen for the first time since I got home. 

She nods, clearly uninterested.

“Yeah, well, I’ll be home whenever.” 

“You may as well just go over there, especially when you don’t even bother asking if you can. Gah, I love it when you do that. It’s adorable, really. Also, I like when you don’t even say hello when you walk in the door. You should do that more often,” she sarcastically tells me with an icy glare. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. My backpack is exhausting to carry around,” I lie, “and besides, you’re just on the computer anyway… why does it matter if I came in here first? I might as well be productive.” 

“You will be home for dinner at six. Don’t be late like last week,” she demands, “You will not be home whenever. When have I ever let you be home whenever you’d like?” 

I don’t say anything while I gawk at her and pull up a swivel chair to the kitchen counter. 

“What do you do at Emma and Connor’s anyway?” she pries. 

“Hang out,” I answered with a shrug. 

“Just like you and Louise?” My mom goggles at me. 

For some reason, my mom always liked Louise. I mean, I liked her too, but my mom seemed to wish that Louise was her daughter instead of me. I would be lying to say I didn’t miss Louise… at the same time, I’m enjoying her absence. With her not living here, I have my life to myself. Still, daily sleepovers and constant texting was fun. I guess I could say that being popular was cool, too, even though it’s way out of reach here at Black Forest. My life in Texas with Louise and the ice cream parlor are now just a vague memory. 

“No. Not like me and Louise.” Even I am surprised with my answer. When I notice her narrowed eyes, I add,” Louise and I knew each other longer- we could talk about anything,” Praise Louise… praise Louise… “Louise and I were better friends.”

Mom would hate to hear anything bad about Louise, her second daughter. 

Mom probably cares more about Louise’s feelings than mine, her real daughter. 

“Since we are on the subject of Louise,” my mom looks up from her computer, “she called today.”

“Oh, when?” 

The last thing I wanted was to continue talking about Louise. 

    “Um, a half hour ago,” she shrugs.     

    “I was at school? She knows there is a different time zone, doesn’t she?” I groan, remembering how easily she forgot about the time differences between us. 

    “She just wanted to let you know that she didn’t need you to call her this week. I’m not sure why… she may have a surprise for you!” 

    “Yeah, I’m sure that’s it. Weird, I wouldn’t have called her anyway this week,” I confess to my mom. 

    “Why wouldn’t you?” Her face had transformed into a concerned mother. Unfortunately, she was most likely more worried about our secret broken friendship- not me. 

    “Oh, you know; this is a busy week for me.”    

    She nods in an understanding that I don’t perceive to be real, “I see. Well, she said something about-“

Author's Note

Can you tell that the mom and Caralee have an edgy relationship?
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