After a long trudge home after visiting Velma's, changing into my normal clothes and retrieving my phone, I found myself standing outside my apartment door carrying a plastic bag with my suit, shoes and mask in. I looked down at my phone and tried racking my brains for answers to the texts that were on the screen.
1:30PM MISSED CALL from Rach
1:31PM MISSED CALL from Rach
2:30PM MISSED CALL from Mom
2:40PM MISSED CALL from Mom
3:00PM MISSED CALL from Rach
3:30PM from Rach:
where in the world r u? ur mom is worried and so am i!!!!!!!!
3:31PM from Rach:
HELLOOOOOOOOOO
3:32PM from Rach:
i'm having to refrain your mom from phoning the police WHERE R U
I shoved my phone in my jeans' pocket, took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. In exactly 8 seconds, my mother had opened the door and I didn't even have time to resist before she started yelling.
"Where in the world have you been, Cascade Elizabeth Brown?!" I knew it was serious when she used my full name instead of my stupid nicknames. At this point in time, I preferred the nicknames. "I've been worried sick about you, along with Rachael! Have you not got any responsibility or thoughts about if you went missing without telling me? I was a few minutes away from calling the police, and after Rufus' absence I can't handle you going missing as well!" I looked up at my mother, who's crease marks on her forehead were strong.
"So, where have you been?!" She asked, doing a double-teapot and putting both hands on her hips. I thought this through. Sure, I could just go ahead and tell my mother that I had discovered I was a super, and that I had just visited a kinda crazy super suit maker, before rushing off to fight my father with a stalker boy I had met a few days ago. Or, I could make something up. The point was, my imagination was crap. No joke.
Yet, my safest bet was to keep my super identity secret from my mother and Rach, or else I know they would both go crazy.
"Well?!"
"I...I went to the arcade and my phone ran out of battery and I got distracted because they have a few new games in there. I'm sorry for being so irresponsible, Mom." I blurted, trying to look convincing. My mother stood staring at me in silence before backing away into the apartment, leaving space for me to come in.
"Seriously, Cascade. I thought you could be trusted." Mom continued, closing the door and facing me in the hallway. I snuck a quick peek into the living room and noticed Rach sat on the sofa, watching the news. "I'm afraid you're grounded for 2 weeks."
Uh oh.
Grounded in our house meant coming home straight after school (except from band practice days) and staying inside all weekend unless I was accompanied by Mom.
"Fine." I muttered, kicking off my red Converse and trudging into the living room with low spirits. I guess my superhero world would have to be put on hold...unless I escaped through my window when Mom was at work.
I decided to create a plan tomorrow.
Rachael looked up as I entered the room and glared at me.
"Cass, I've been texting you all day." She exclaimed, standing up and grabbing her phone.
"I know, I'm sorry...my phone ran out of charge." I replied, glancing over at the TV screen. The headline 'NEW SUPERHERO JOINS THE FIGHT' was at the bottom of the screen, with a blurry photo of none other than me running over Golden Gate Bridge, my glossy turquoise cape flailing behind me. I was famous, but secretly. And not allowed out of the house. What a weird 24 hours.
"Sometimes I don't know what to do with you Cass." Rachael muttered, walking past me and excusing herself before walking out the front door.
Great.
Now my best friend hated my guts.
Later that evening (10:30PM to be exact,) I laid in my bed, still in my jeans and t-shirt, surrounded by my Ice Woman bed sheets and seriously debating life. Rachael and I had fought before, and it normally blew over within a day. I hoped tomorrow would be better than today, and I could focus on more important things, such as Star Wars and printing 'HAVE YOU SEEN THIS DOG' posters for Mom to post around the neighborhood. My room felt cold and empty without Rufus snoring next to me, our woofing at the door to try and open it. I decided to get into my pajamas, which were discarded into the pile of clothes on the floor, and as I shuffled out of my jeans I cringed as I noticed the almighty bruises all down my left leg. One of them looked purple. Gross.
I just hoped tomorrow would be a better day.