HIDDEN

Chapter 26

Dinner was made and they had sat down to eat.

The dining was quiet. Mia looked lost in thought as she nibbled her  food, sparingly eating anything.

Halfway through dinner, Mrs. Sarah decided to ask.
"Mimi."

"Yes, mum", Mia answered quite alert, hoping her mum didn't notice her change in attitude.

"I've been thinking....", Mrs. Sarah began, "That boy in the car...."

"Is she talking about Dale?" Mia thought.

"Is there anything— going on between you two."

"Huh?", Mia knew exactly what she meant but wanted an elaboration.

"You know... What was his name again?.... That Nathan boy. He seemed really nice to you and wanted to get you out of trouble. So I was just wandering...."

"What?! No! Mum please. He's just a friend", Mia rapidly replied on impulse, trying to unimagine what her mum must have been thinking.

"Oh thank God", Mrs. Sarah heaved a sigh of relief, "Either way, you know how I feel about you getting into people's cars that I'm not familiar with... especially if it's a boy, two boys in particular. I only felt a little at ease because there was another girl in the car", she folded her arms.

"I know and I'm sorry.... I only asked them because I wanted to come back early since I missed the bus."

"It's alright. I understand.... They seem like good kids though. They all had good manners (excluding the fact they were all good-looking). With how kids are these days, it seems almost too good to be true."

Mia laughed awkwardly.
"Anyway mum, I'm going to my room. I'll tell you about school tomorrow."

"Already? But you've barely touched your food."

"I'm not really hungry."

"...So you want to waste the food I prepared for you?" Mrs. Sarah said in a stern voice.

"I mostly made everything", Mia thought with an awkward expression.

"No wonder you're growing so thin. Sit down and finish your food, then you can go."

"...Yes ma'am", Mia grudgingly replied as she reluctantly ate her food.

~■~
After dinner, Mia is seen sitting on the chair beside her table in her room, close to where she made her shield first appear.

She sat there and looked at her hands.
"I did it before, I can do it again right", were the words running through her head as she tried to make the shield appear once again; force it out, if you will, but to no avail.

"Why isn't this working?" she thought aloud, "The first time was a coincidence, the second and third time was when I was in danger, but the last one I did— what was going through my mind was to pull Amanda out of the way of the balls of acid.... I– actually wanted it to come out and it did, almost as if I summond it on my own accord."

She thought on this for a while while trying to summon the shield over and over again, but yet, nothing happened.

Scrtch, scrtch, scrtch.
She heard scratching noises on her door.

She opened the door only to see Princess meowing aloud as she gazed upon Mia.

"I thought you were mad at me?" Mia asked rhetorically as if the cat would answer.

Princess walked to Mia and rubbed her fur between Mia's legs while purring, as a sign of goodwill.

"So this is your plan, —guilt-tripping me", Mia said already giving in.

She sat down on the floor to pet Princess. Princess came to her and snuggled in close.

"You know, you can be really cute when you want to", Mia commented.

Her gaze was, once again, focused on the pendant on Princess' collar. "Where have I seen this before?" she thought once more trying to get a better look at it without touching it.

"Oh", she thought.... This symbol was somewhere on the wall of my room in our previous house. It wasn't in a very noticeable place, almost hidden, that's why I couldn't remember right away.... I think I saw it only once— or twice".

Mia stretched out suddenly feeling relieved, startling Princess a little.

"Sorry", she said to the cat as she pet her head, "But don't take this as a confirmation. You can't sleep in my room."

Mia took Princess to her mum's room since it was closeby.

"Don't forget to sleep early. Tomorrow is Sunday, so that means...", Mrs. Sarah reminded.

"Church... Got it, mum", she answered in such a tone that indicated she was already aware.

Not having anything else to say, she went back to her room.

~■~
Sunday came and they went to church in the morning.

Later on in the day, Mia told her mum about her activities in school, obviously leaving out the part of The Three being descendants of gods and all that.

Mrs. Sarah found it hard to believe that Mia became friends with the popular kids in her school.

~■~
Mia came early to school the next day. She saw Dale already on his seat doodling something on a book.

She sat down on her seat.
"Hey", she turned back to face him but he didn't answer, not even lifting up his head.

The atmosphere felt awkward and she turned back to her original position.

"Did he not hear me?" she thought. Part of her felt that he was ignoring her but she was in denial.

"Ouch", Chimamanda whispered to Mia as she came in and sat down beside her. "Harsh much? That must have hurt."

Mia put her fore finger on her lips to indicate that Amanda should kindly stop talking.

"What? It's not like he can hear me", Chimamanda whispered once again in defense.

"I highly doubt", Mia thought, "Maybe it's just a coincidence", she convinced herself.....