[kaylor] mirrored;

puppet strings;

"Mom, I'm alright," Taylor repeats, putting more strength behind her words. "I just didn't sleep much last night because I was last-minute studying and then I didn't eat anything for breakfast today either. It was stupid of me." 

"Yes, it was." Andrea says without pause. Taylor bites on her bottom lip, familiar with the feeling of being scolded by her mother. "And you missed one of your most important exams."

"Martha talked to Professor Sandrez for me already, she's going to let me take the exam when I'm feeling up to it." Taylor sighs as she explains a situation that has already been settled and repaired. Her mother never quite was on the same page as her, always worrying that there was something else to be handled, something new that could go wrong. Taylor's stomach twists at her father's typical submissive attitude. In the corner of her eyes, she can see him staring at the white tiles of the hospital room with a distant expression. "You really don't need to worry," Taylor adds.

"I worry when you don't at all," retorts Andrea, pushing the strap on her purse higher on her shoulder. "This is all besides the point. Once the doctors get back, you're free to get back to your dorm. They just wanted to keep you for some tests. To be safe. I think that's one of them right now," Andrea says, attention elsewhere in a snap. She leaves the room again, Scott following with a sheepish smile towards Taylor. Once they are alone again, Martha exhales.

"Man, she's just as overbearing as the first time I met her." Taylor nods with a groan.

"I'm used to it, but it's always embarrassing when she hovers over me like that with friends around. I never had people over my house because of it. The times I did, she practically stayed in the room with us."

"Well, at least you've got a calm head on your shoulders. Let me get your things together and let's get you back home. I'll pay for the taxi."

"Was I expected to?" Taylor teases, shifting up in the bed, reaching for the street clothes that Martha had handed her.

"Just because your knocked your own lights out doesn't mean you're absolved of taxi fares." 

On the drive through city traffic, Taylor has time to think. Martha's on her phone, texting her new flavor of the month, smirking and blushing. Taylor thinks she sees pictures being sent her way, which cause Martha to quickly angle the phone away from her. She shakes her head, knowing this one won't last long, just like the others.

She's shocked that she felt no guilt lying to her best friend and parents like that. Martha wouldn't know if she was telling the truth or lying anyway, considering she spent the night out previously and probably came home in the morning. 

Taylor had actually slept more than usual the night before, and having woken up extremely early due to this, she treated herself to breakfast at a diner around the corner. 

Four months, two weeks, and five days had passed since her twenty-first birthday. Finding that she was going against their system, the universe was trying to kick her out the door, Taylor thinks.

That first time in the quad isn't the last. Most of her fits go unnoticed, passing out for a few minutes at a time in the dorm while doing homework, or just finding herself very woozy in public, so she goes on with her life as usual without question. 

She knows she shouldn't ignore the first time she coughs up blood soon after, but she does, because there's nothing that can be done. 

Then, just as quickly as she had begun to fade, she's back to health. Taylor doesn't hit that brink of unconsciousness anymore, blood doesn't surprise her in her coughs. She gets back into the swing of running and working out. It doesn't dawn on her what has occurred until she's watching the news, which was reporting on another bizarrely distant in age soul pairing.