Tick Talk by Renée Wehrle

Author:Renée Wehrle [Wehrle, Renée]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-25T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

I walk up my driveway and peek in the garage windows to see if my mother is home. Shit. She beat me here. I look at my watch. It’s eight thirty. My mother is rarely off on her timing. I take a deep breath and turn the door handle. The light in the kitchen is on and there sits my mother at the table. She hears my footsteps and turns around.

“Where have you been, young lady?” Her steely eyes meet mine and I shrink.

“I told you I stayed after school to hit some balls.” I take off my backpack and hug it to me.

She looks at the clock on the wall and back to me. “Until eight thirty at night?” She stands up and crosses her arms.

“I went to Madison’s after to study.” I can’t believe I’m lying again. Twice in one day.

“That’s funny because I ran into Madison at Greenie’s Grocery when I picked up a few groceries on my way home. She said she’d been working there since after school.” Mom uncrosses her arms and puts them on her hips.

I don’t know what to say to this, so I say nothing and start to walk to my room.

“Where do you think you’re going? I am speaking to you.” She pushes back her chair, the feet of the chair screeching.

This day has become unprecedented for me. I’ve lied twice to my mother and now I’m ignoring her. Until today, I would never have dreamed of doing anything like this. I’m not sure what has come over me, but what I do know is, I’m tired.

“Mia!” My mother follows me to my room.

I throw my backpack on the floor near my desk and spin around. “If you have to know, I was out with Ethan.” There, I said it. My skin pricks.

“You were what?! You lied to me?!” My mother’s face flares red.

Normally, I would be scared to death of her anger, but for some reason that fear drains from me, and I actually move closer to her.

“I had to lie to you, Mom, because you never listen to me. Ethan has been a good friend to me. He understands me.”

“What are you talking about? I listen to you. And you have plenty of friends. You’ve only known this boy for how long? And I thought we have already established he is not suitable to hang out with because he is trouble.” She furrows her brow at me.

“That’s what you would think, because you listen to everyone else but me. If you would get to know him, you would find out that he is a really nice and caring person. And all my so-called friends, they don’t listen to me either. Nobody cares how I feel or what I think about things.” I cross my arms, holding onto all the strength and gumption I can.

“Mia, I don’t know what you’re rambling on about. You need to focus on school and softball and not waste your hours on some boy. Obviously, he is a bad influence, because I have never seen you act this way.

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