Before I climbed out, I tried to say sorry again to Miss Porter, but the look of disappointment still hadn’t gone. “Thanks for the ride home,”.

“Your welcome Tina,”

“See you at school on Monday,” at that statement her distress seemed to worsen, a look of pain clearly in her eyes. “Yes, Tina, see you at school.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My parents were oddly calm when I arrived home last night, my father thanked Kit for making sure I got home safe, and mom just hovered in the background. I’m not naïve enough to think that would be the end of it but it was certainly better than I expected.

Rolling over, I checked the clock, At 08:30 am the house seemed too quiet for a Saturday morning, but I knew I couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer. I grabbed my stuff and headed to the shower hoping to wash away the remnants of my hangover before heading down to face my parents.

“Hello,” I called out “anybody in?” the house seemed deserted. Wandering through to the kitchen I was startled to find my mom just sitting motionless at the table.

“Morning mom,” I said, “where is everyone?”

She didn’t move, she just stared off into the garden.

“Mom?”

Finally, she sighed and stood up, taking her cup and plate to the sink. At this point, I didn’t know whether she was purposefully ignoring me or genuinely had no clue I was there. I tried again.

“Mom,”

“What Christina?”

“Where is everyone?”

“Your father has taken Drew fishing”

“Oh, ok?” the level of disappointment in her voice when she was talking to me was off the scale, I was prepared for her to scream and shout, this though, it was like all the fight in her had left.

“Give me your phone, Christina,”

“Pardon?”

“Your phone hand it over, do you have any assignments for school due?”

“A couple,” I replied while handing over my cell.

“Good, you’ll have plenty to do then, your father and I discussed it and we agreed that you will have no phone until we see fit. You are also grounded until further notice and the only times you will leave this house are for school or to accompany either one of us. Is that understood?”