Pride, Mates, and Past Mistakes

The Sixth Sense of All Mothers

*Sierra*

“Don’t they ask for, I don’t know, parental permission for someone to just hitch hike to the IPKA headquarters on a flight?” Casey asked, gaping at the letter.

“I told you, Casey, to apply for a chance for an intern; you have to fill out a form, which asks for a parental signature on it. I was going to ask my parents, but I forgot about it, till the day it was due, and I didn’t have any time to ask them, so I… um…I kinda forged it.” I said lamely to Casey, blushing in embarrassment.

“Sierra! This is the IPKA!! You don’t just forge documents for that!” she said, looking shrieked.

“I know, I know,” I said weakly, collapsing backwards onto my bed completely. “I didn’t think I would actually make it in though!”

Casey let out a low whistle. “W-o-w. I knew you were smart hun, but not this smart! You’ve been letting out on me!” she teased, lightly punching my arm.

I laughed, blushing slightly. “Not really. I really didn’t think I would make it in though, Casey,” I said seriously. “ Plus, they haven’t said anything about a parent’s acceptance for the flight.”

“That’s because people don’t expect an intern to run away to the IPKA headquarters!” Casey hissed, teasing mood forgotten.

I didn’t answer.

-

-

-

I stumbled into the kitchen, half asleep. Thank god it was Friday.

Only two more days…

 I really was going out of my way to avoid the pack at breakfast. Every day, I'd wake up a whole hour earlier and head down to the kitchen when it was completely empty to avoid public scrutiny. At first, Casey had gone along with my plans, but even she had eventually decided to put her foot downafter she'd fallen asleep while leaning on the open refrigerator door the other day. After that she’d usually just meet me in the car later and get a few extra minutes of sleep.

But I definitely was not going to see my pack today. Not after all that’d happened yesterday…

In fact, I wasn’t even going to school today at all.

 I was going to fake as my mom, calling in sick and go shopping with Casey (who’d been a little less than excited to do so at seven in the morning) but unfortunately my parents couldn’t know that I was ditching. We had to leave like we were going to school or they’d get suspicious.

Speaking of parents, I hadn’t—

“Honey, hi!”

I blinked with bleary eyes, trying to register the figure in front of me. “M-Mom?”

She laughed, putting her hand on my back and leading me to the table before I ended up somewhere else in my zombie state. “Good Morning to you, too. Sit down before you walk into the stove or something.”

After she’d gotten me seated, and I started getting some cereal that she’d graciously placed in front of me into my system, I started coming to terms with reality.

First the usual dull ache in my chest.

It was funny how you can get used to a pain but it still hurts all the same.

Then, the fact that my mom was in the kitchen at six in the morning.

“Mom?” I asked slowly, bringing the spoon that had risen halfway to my mouth back down. “Er…Why are you up so early?”