"Thank you, Mrs. Elderson." I smile, my tight cheeks stretching, sending small sparks of pain down my head. I try not to wince, thinking of my crying session last night. Hiding it as well as I can down a wall of guilt, I stretch my smile wider. She doesn't suspect a thing. The old lady just smiles back, her wrinkles straightening out. "You're most welcome dear," she says back, patting my hand as she hands me the bag of sweets. "Make sure you don't eat too much," she calls to me in her raspy voice as my flats click along the sidewalk. Nervous jitters crawl along my spine. My mother has always been tough on me not to waste my time, so if she finds me with the candy...I shudder. I walk around the brick corner, thinking of how or where I could I hide it, and what I would tell my mom. My flats hitting the ground is the only noise I can focus on; the steady metronome calming me. I'm so hypnotized by it I don't even notice the person behind me until a man's arms pin me to the wall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lilac has always been a good girl-or at least tried to. Her mother, though not too harsh, strictly makes sure she studies hard and well, making sure sports or extra curricular activities get in the way. Lilac has always excepted this, letting her mother control her life, but she soon finds out a different route, knowing her mother would never approve of it. Will she choose to follow her mother's will, and take a path controlled by someone else? Or go along the path...and suffer the consequence?