Sixteen Moons [on hold]

[6] Let It Out

"What do you mean; you have more important things to attend to?"

As Amara said that, I couldn't withhold a chuckle. However, my mom's warning expression silenced me at once. I didn't want to get in a fight with her about how ridiculous it was that Amara felt like she was the center of the universe and that my mom went along with that assumption, that's why I rolled my eyes and focused on slicing tomatoes.

By the time I finished the last tomato, Mom entered the kitchen again. She eyed me wearily.

"What's wrong?" I asked. She made me feel as if I had done something wrong, but I knew for a fact, that this couldn't be true; I hadn't left the kitchen while she was gone.

"Layna..." she began but seemed to think better of what she wanted to say. She ran her fingers through her hair and sat down at the table. "Take a seat," she said and motioned for me to sit down next to her.

I had no idea what she wanted. I wrecked my brain trying to come up with reasons for her sudden change of mood. "Oh, no!" I gasped in a whisper. "It isn't Gran, is it? I mean, nothing happened to -"

Surprise flickered over my mom's face. "What? No, of course not. Grandma is alright. There's nothing wrong with her."

I sighed in relief and slumped down on the chair. A moment later, I looked up at her concerned face. "Then…" I trailed. "What's wrong? Is it something I did?"

"I have to ask you something," she spoke matter-of-factly, ignoring my questions. "And I need you to be straight with me. I need you to tell me the truth."

"The truth about what?" I shifted uneasily in my seat. What had Amara told my Mom when she was in the living room? Why hadn't I paid more attention to their conversation? Eavesdropping might be frowned upon, but it sure as hell could come in handy at times! Mom didn't speak up right away, so I repeated myself. "The truth about what exactly?"

Mom inhaled a deep breath, as if doing so would help her find the strength to ask whatever it was she wanted to ask. "I really don't like asking this but I can't not ask. It's about Joshua."

Did she know? If so, did she suspect I knew something about it as well? Was she going to warn me to stay away from him? To try to convince Amara to break up with him? "What about him?"

"Well, it's really something Amara said."

Nothing that Amara said could be good. "What is it?"

My heart seemed to slow down; yet, it felt like it beat twice as hard. I could feel the blood pulse through my entire body. I had no idea what would come next, but I did not get the feeling it would be something good.

"Did he try something?"

"Try something?" I was confused. Of all things she could say or ask, I expected her to come clean about the abnormalities that involved Joshua, her question made no sense to me…at all.

"You know," she shifted uncomfortable in her seat. "Did he try something with you?" My mouth fell open. Shocked, I hadn't quite figured out yet whether I wanted to laugh, or felt offended."I mean, Amara said she got the feeling Joshua only talked about you anymore and then yesterday you acted so weird when he came into the kitchen. It was like you, I don't know, panicked really badly and started to hyperventilate…"

Slowly, little by little, the words that left my mom's lips started to come together and make sentences in my head. Joshua asked Amara about me? I shuddered at the thought. The staring I had noticed. It had raised some questions but I didn't think any more of it. Now it had gone past the staring. He wanted to know things about me. This newly found knowledge freaked me out.