Tornado

Part 8

As soon as they pulled into the driveway of their home, the front door flew open. Ms. Jenson stood there, a relieved look on her face. The girls descended the car. Cara was the first one at the door. As her mother embraced her, Kailee slipped past them into the house and headed for the staircase. The embrace ended and Ms. Jenson hurried after Kailee, as Cara closed and secured the front door. "Kailee. Where are you going?" Cara joined her mother at the front of the staircase.

Kailee was standing on the first step, half her back facing them. "I'm going upstairs."

"No Kailee," Ms. Jenson said, in the strictest tone Cara had ever heard her use. "One, you're gonna turn around and face me. Two, you're gonna come sit in the living room with me. And three, we're gonna talk about this." There was a moment of complete silence before Ms. Jenson marched into the living room. Kailee slowly followed her mother's orders. Cara followed them into the living room, sitting in a lone chair farther away from the two couches that were occupied by her mother and sister. Kailee silently inspected her nails. The acrylic on her right ring finger was missing. Ms. Jenson wasted no time and her anger was apparent. "What was that?"

Kailee barely glanced up. "What?" Her voice was innocent and scarcely audible.

"You know what I'm talking about Kailee. You disappearing tonight."

"I didn't disappear tonight." Kailee said it like her mother was overexaggerating.

"Oh. So, me not knowing where you are isn't disappearing?" Ms. Jenson asked sarcastically.

"Cara knew where I was and found me."

"Yeah, and thank God for that." Silence. "Why would you do that Kailee?" Ms. Jenson couldn't hide the disbelief in her voice. "Why would you sneak out?"

"I really wanted to go to that party," Kailee said quietly, knowing how ridiculous her excuse sounded.

"For Christ's sakes Kailee! You're only fourteen!" Ms. Jenson shook her head. "What's going on with you? This isn't 'normal Kailee behaviour'."

"People change."

"So, the past few weeks you just completely changed out of the random?" Ms. Jenson didn't buy it.

"Ask Cara. She's the one who notices stuff."

Ms. Jenson narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Cara pays attention to stuff. She notices details and hints so easily." Cara stayed quiet in her seat. Her goal was to be as excluded from the argument as possible. She only planned on intervening if things got too out of hand.

"Well maybe it's not so easy when you have a full-time job and thirty other responsibilities to juggle," Ms. Jenson said.

Kailee looked unfazed. "Right. So it's perfectly okay if your kid gets a two-day suspension and you know nothing about it."

Ms. Jenson's facial expression changed. "You got suspended?" She looked at her eldest daughter. "Cara, you knew?" Cara nodded guiltily. She wouldn't have guessed that her sister would bring this up. Ms. Jenson rubbed her face with both her hands. "Gosh Kailee. What do you want me to do? I'm taking care of everything by myself. I wouldn't expect you to act out in school!"

"Maybe I had to because a certain girl at school kept trying me," Kailee shot back. "And maybe you wouldn't have to do everything by yourself if Dad was in the picture!"

There was a brief moment of silence as Ms. Jenson's eyes slowly enlarged, as though she were gradually coming to a realization. "Is that what this is about? Your father?" Cara studied Kailee closely – trying to read any emotion she could get from her sister's demeanor.