Ulterior Motives

1| Practice

"Sang, I'm missing my violet blouse, where did you put it?" Sang's mother, Celeste, called from her bedroom.

Sang lifted her head from the French homework she was working on. She was only halfway through her translations, but the assignment wasn't due for another two days. Her brows knitted at the question. Her mother's blouse had been with the clothes Sang had hung in her parents' closet that morning. Placing her pen delicately on the page Sang rose from her desk, abandoning her homework to find the blouse. She knew better than to call back, it was one of the highest signs of disrespect according to her parents. Though they didn't seem to mind yelling across the house in the first place.

Her footsteps were light, the only noise the soft padding of her mary janes on marble as she moved down the long hallway. She passed numerous guest bedrooms as well as Marie's room - not having to look to know that Marie wasn't in it, or that her bed had not been slept in the previous night. She rarely stayed as the girls' parents thought she did. Wherever Marie was, Sang hoped she was safe.

When she arrived at her parents' bedroom it looked as though a bomb had gone off. Clothes had been strewn haphazardly over the unmade bed and all across the floor, makeup and hair products from her mother's vanity were spilling everywhere. Orange medicine bottles lined both the floor and the bedside tables. Her mother stood in the middle of it all, a silk robe tied tightly around her middle and her brunette hair - recently coloured with honey highlights - still wrapped in a towel. Her fists were planted on her hips and her eyes narrowed as soon as she caught sight of Sang in the doorway.

"Why can I never find my clothes when you're in charge of them?" She scoffed, moving towards the enormous walk-in closet. Sang knew better than to suggest her mother stop firing the maids in charge of the laundry if she hated Sang's system so much. A retort like that would earn her a punishment she didn't have time to recover from before performing tonight.

Dresses, skirts, and an assortment of blouses flew still attached to their hangers from inside the closet as her mother continued. "Honestly, I don't think I'm asking for much here, Sang. Just wash the clothes and put them away. And you can't even do that right. My blouse should be right here."

"It's behind your scarlet gown, on the right." Sang's voice was soft as she entered. Her voice was still not back to 100% after her last encounter with the vinegar and lemon juice several nights ago.

One of Marie's old friends, Danielle, had brought her brother, Derek, to the house that morning. The girls' mother hated them. Too low in society to parade around in her house, she always said. Derek had asked Sang if she was going out with them all. Though she had declined as quickly as possible, her mother had heard the question and believed Sang was sneaking out. The concoction had been forced down her throat as soon as they'd all left. "Girls are going missing left and right you stupid girl, do you not watch the news? They'll do worse than this to you when they get ahold of you!"

Sang knew that her mother only punished her because she wanted her to be safe. It was out of love, in a way. She was ill and Sang tried to be understanding, but the punishments were beginning to scare her. They'd begun escalating in severity not long after Sang's seventeenth birthday and she didn't know why. She also didn't know why her mother didn't seem to care that Marie went out and made friends when Sang wasn't allowed to. Celeste needed to approve all of Sang's acquaintances and she only approved those from other wealthy, high profile families.

She began to straighten up the room, placing the mousse, mascara, and makeup brushes back on her mother's vanity and moving onto the clothes on the floor. She knew that her mother had heard her as she'd quieted.

Celeste stepped from the closet, fixing a hard gaze on Sang. In her hand was the violet blouse. "Why aren't you practicing?"

Sang had been expecting the question. It was a performance day. Usually, she was allowed to do nothing but practice on performance days - often without breaking for even food, only to use the bathroom.