The Girl Who Chased Stars

V

"So honey, how was your day?"

Mom smiles at me over the dinner table, cutting a steak into pieces.

"It was normal."

It's been two weeks since the night Paris persuaded me to sneak out of the house to meet Skai and Wolfe, and my parents have started to realize my sudden absences from home. Sometimes I'd go over to Skai's or Wolfe's house to hang out and amuse them while they chain smoked their cigarettes and dared each other to do idiotic things.

I could tell my mom was curious about me by the way she pried.

"How's Skai?"

"Um, good? Why?"

"Oh... well." My mom looks down at her fork very hard. "She's just um..."

My dad laughs. "Your mother is concerned about your choice of friends."

Paris snorts and shovels another carrot in her mouth.

"What? Why?"

"Well, honey, I was speaking to her Mrs. Mitchell the other day, and she was telling about how your friend Skai is, well, a trouble seeker."

"Are you implying that I've picked a bad set of friends? When only three weeks ago you were practically begging me to make friends?"

"Honey, no! It's just. Please, be responsible. It's all I'm asking."

I sigh, and put a piece of steak in my mouth.

My dad chuckles. "I also heard she was a player of hearts."

"Wonder who taught her how to do that." I mumble, staring dead at Paris.

"Oh ho! Look who's got jokes!" Paris grins and throws a piece of her roll at me.

I wasn't really joking. I think to myself.

Paris continues to smile at me, and I start to feel a bit creeped out. "I'm gonna go out to the tree," I say, which is basically just my way of saying that I was going to spend the rest of my night cooped up in my tree house.

My Father clears his throat. "Not before you wash the dishes, young lady."

Sighing, I pick up my plate and head into the kitchen. "Yeah, yeah. Okay."

I feel multiple sets of eyes boring into my back as I walk away. I can hear my dad muttering to Paris, " She seems off tonight."