Book Guide ✓

Chapter 8

My head is a huge mess, so tangled that even a jungle is less intricate. Mom knows me better than anyone else. She's the first person I've relied on since birth, especially after Dad's tragic loss. Someone believes that his absence didn't have much impact on my life; I, however, don't know if this is true.

Fortunately, she snaps me out of my thoughts, allowing me to open up. "Well, Mom, we haven't talked a lot lately, so I hope you won't be too shocked by what I'm telling you." She just blinks, much to my confusion. Maybe it's not going to be all bad.

"First of all, I'm worried about Jenna. It's not like we're distancing ourselves—we still text each other a lot, but I feel like she's caught in a huge mess. Do you know Cato Walter and Harry Hale?" She doesn't, of course. "Well, they both seem into her. Jenna is working on the History project with Cato and is getting close to him, but Harry is also into her and–"

"Maybe you should ask her directly how she feels. Don't judge her for her choices, just support her." Mom has a point. This is the same thing Ashleigh would tell me, to be fair. I need to reassure Jenna and accept her decisions as they are.

Mom, realizing that I've mentioned the project, asks, "What about you? Is everything okay?"

"Well, I'm doing my part, and I'm sure Bree is doing hers... Still, things between the two of us are awkward, to say the least. We had a huge fight and the Principal made us write a letter–"

"You had a what? Please tell me that was just it!" Mom's face turns beet red. She doesn't like fights, and much less the fact that I somehow get involved in one. I let my instinct get the best of me and I'm lucky that it went the way it did. I could've been suspended or even expelled if I went further.

"No, Mom, we didn't hit each other. The Principal, anyway, felt the letter would be for the best. Detention wouldn't help." Mom raises an eyebrow, which means she is still suspicious, but this doesn't mean that she's fully questioning me.

I go on. "I'm relieved to have written it. For the first time, I let go of my resentment and set my pride aside for a good cause. I didn't feel I treated Bree with respect. I only saw her with an eye filled with prejudice," I point out. "However, if it weren't for a person in particular, I'd have a much harder time realizing that my approach so far has been wrong."

Curiosity gets the best of my mother as she asks, "By chance, who is it? Do I know them?"

"It's a girl I met for the first time at the bookstore. She came in to buy some books, and then we started getting to know each other better. Her name is Ashleigh." Mom mumbles as I pronounce that name. Why am I under the impression that she has already heard it? Hopefully, it won't be too painful or embarrassing.

"Mom? Is everything okay?"

"You said Ashleigh, right?"

"Yes. Ashleigh Slade," I precise.

"I've already heard of her." Uh-oh. Bad news incoming. Maybe I should really distance myself from her. A mother's instinct hardly ever fails.

Mom shows off a smile that dissipates my doubt. "Why are you so serious? You seem happy with that girl. It's not like I have anything bad to say about her. It's that I casually met her at the animal shelter a few days ago," she explains.

Ashleigh has never mentioned going there at all, but I know that place because Mom used to go there as a volunteer for a few months since most of them were on leave. Why was she back there just a few days ago? I thought she stopped going there...

"If you're asking why I went there, I'm sorry to disappoint but I can't tell you. It's a surprise." As much as I like surprises, I don't know how appropriate is of Mom's to put one together, especially in a period when all I need is to keep my mind as clear as possible.

Okay, that's a half lie. I know for a fact that my mind is a huge mess.

"Anyway, Cathy, I want you to know that, whatever decision you make about that girl, I'll support you," she states. Then, she jokingly calls me out. "That is, unless you make a very stupid decision. Then, I need to stop you on your tracks." We both burst into laughter. Tension is slowly dying down, much to my pleasure.

I'm glad to have opened up to Mom about my issues. Still, there's a couple more things she wants to tell me.

"Cathy, when going back from the grocery shop, I crossed paths with Mrs. Vane. She wonders why her daughter and you are in such bad terms." I thought it'd be obvious; however, it's not really my place to judge them.

Mom reprises talking after noticing I'm distracted, also showing me a small pink envelope. "She gave me this and told me not to open it, because it's for you." If this is what I think it is, I really have to reevaluate my opinion of Marietta.

As I gently take the envelope from my mother's hands and delicately open it, I'm not surprised to find an invitation to the party. This can mean that either Marietta wants to bury the hatchet and put an end to this alleged feud, or that she's never disliked me and my hatred of hers was one-sided.

I guess I also have to tell Jenna about the party, provided that she has been invited as well. I don't feel like going if she isn't with me, and the same goes the other way round. Knowing her, however, I believe she'd sneak in if she were excluded from the invitation list.

"Oh, Cathy, one last thing." I've almost forgotten that my conversation with Mom isn't over yet. "Your aunt is coming back to town."

That's the most unexpected thing I've heard tonight. Aunt Lesley is Dad's long lost sister. The last time I saw her was during my eighth birthday, and things looked awful back then, to the point that she stormed away without a reason and cut ties with the rest of the family. She had showed up years after Dad's death only to disappear again. I don't know if she has changed her ways; what I hope is that she and Mom won't engage in another feud.

As the conversation is over, Mom heads to the toilet. I, at first, consider reading some poetry to gather some inspiration; however, I don't feel like reading, so I decide to go straight to bed instead.

***

I find myself awake at 5am. What Mom told me last night still resonates in my mind; her points, other than being valid, make me wonder whether I'm finally ready to face my issues around Jenna, Marietta and Bree. I'm confident that I'll finally get rid of the burden that has weighed on my shoulders for too long.

I'm ready to go to school in high spirits. But now it's too early; since I can't sleep anymore, I think I could use my time and read something.