When Water Burns by Lani Wendt Young

Author:Lani Wendt Young [Young, Lani Wendt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Telesa Series, Book Two
Publisher: Lani Wendt Young
Published: 2012-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

“Teuila, are you okay?”

Teuila was zoned out. She only shook her head when I tried to prompt her for more. So I tried a different approach. “You know I’m happy to give you a lift to the hospital to visit your mum.”

Her reply was vicious. “No. I told you I don’t want to visit her.”

I persisted. Because I’m stubborn (and dumb) like that. “But your mother has been in the intensive care unit for nearly two months now. And Mrs. Amani says you haven’t gone to see her once. Whatever bad stuff has gone down between you two in the past, don’t you think you should put it aside for now? I’m sure she would love to see you.”

And that’s when Teuila lost it. She pushed her chair away from the table, hard. It fell to the ground with a crash. “I said no! I hate her. You can’t make me go see her. I hope she dies in there.” Her voice rose to a shriek as she swept her plate off the table, glass breaking on the concrete. “Do you hear me? I hope she dies!”

People were looking at us. I jumped to my feet, “You can’t mean that …” I started to say, but Teuila wouldn’t let me finish.

“Yes I do. You don’t know anything, about me or my mother. Just leave me alone.” She turned and ran from the courtyard

I tried to go after her, “Wait, Teuila come back.”

But Keahi beat me to it. He was up and walking after her. “You stay here. Let me go talk to her.”

I didn’t argue. I was happy to let him. I had no clue how to deal with an angry teenage girl who wished her mother was dead. Or didn’t I? I watched as Keahi caught up with an angry Teuila in the parking lot. At first, her reaction to him was heated. She looked as mad at him as she had been at me. But after a few quiet words from Keahi, she calmed down and they both sat on a garden bench, deep in conversation. I cleaned up broken glass and fought my irritation. Teuila frustrated me. Couldn’t she see that people were only trying to help her? Every time I felt like I was making progress with her, something like this would happen and blow my expectations out of the water. I sneaked another furtive glance in her and Keahi’s direction. Maybe she was going to blast at Keahi now. And punch him in the face? That possibility immediately made me feel less depressed.

But nobody was punching anybody out there. Instead, they were both laughing and walking back towards me. Teuila surprised me and spoke first, “I’m sorry for blasting you like that.”

I hid my shock with an apology of my own. “I’m sorry for bugging you about your mother. I’ll get off your case about that from now on. I promise.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you guys tomorrow in class.” She went back inside the center, heading in the direction of the dorms.

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