The Test

Chapter Four

Shit.

"Uh, yeah?" I answer.

"What are you doing?!" It's my mother. She looks behind her quickly, then rushes down the stairs. "You were trying to sneak out, weren't you?!" She hisses at me.

"What, no, I-" 

"Don't you dare lie to me!"

"I'm not! I was just checking the mail." That sounded even more stupid out loud than it did in my head.

"Right, the mail? At two-thirty in the morning?" Although I'm not short, I sure feel like it right now. It's how I always feel when she yells at me. It seems like she's towering over top of me, though she's only a few inches taller and slightly bent forward. Her brown hair is tied in a tight bun and it only makes her face look more aggressive by bringing out the vein in her forehead and bulging her menacing eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid or something, Brenda?"

"No, I was literally checking the mail," I say, revealing my envelope from inside my blanket. Of course, she takes it from me, again.

"Why? How did you know there would be mail? It's not even supposed to come."

"That's what I thought."

"Who told you... Were you on your phone?!"

"Uh, no?" I didn't mean for that to come out as a question.

"You were! Don't lie to me!" My mother has a weird way of yelling and whispering at the same time. "Was it Genevieve?"

I don't answer, debating on if I should lie or not. But, like most times, I can't decide fast enough, making it obvious that the answer's yes.

"I knew it! Give me your phone right now." 

"I don't have it."

"You were just texting her! You're a liar!"

"No, it's upstairs. But I really do need it, mom."

"For what, so you can talk to that whore?" She sneers.

"Would you stop that? I just need to make sure that tomorrow works out for Genevieve, okay? She's a good person, I don't see why you hate her so much."

"Yeah I'm sure she'll raise a lovely baby in a month or two."

"Oh my gosh mom, you don't even know her."

"I know enough." She says, crossing her arms.

"No, you don't."

"Well, I will know after I see what you two are talking about."

"What are you..." I stop when I see her open the envelope. Or at least, try, because again she can't open it.

"What is with you two and fake envelopes?"

"They aren't from Genevieve, mom."

"Whatever. I can't believe you woke me up for this," she say, rolling her eyes.

"I didn't try."

"Well, apologize."

"Sorry," I mumble.

"You're so ungrateful, I should have never... Whatever. Get your ass to bed, I don't want to deal with cranky Brenda when I get back from the retreat tomorrow."

I snatch the envelope from her hands and run quietly but swiftly up the stairs. At the top, I turn to go down the hall, but before I do I rip the envelope's corner, and it tears no problem. Why can't my mother do this?

I slowly start to slide the letter out of the envelope. I must be taking my time because ten seconds later my mother appears at the other end of the stairs, this time with a glass of water in hand. I run down the hall before she has a chance to hiss my name, though I'm sure she does anyway.