The Bodyguard

Chapter 1

Sometimes the innocent
pay for the mistakes they
didn't make
and sometimes the guilty
get away with it.

I frowned as I read the message I just got. The number was suppressed.

The driver told me that we had arrived and I put my phone away. I grabbed my luggage and payed.

There I was again. In the house I've been living for 18 years.

Before unlocking the door I looked down to see our old Momsen-door mat.

"Mom? Dad? Is anyone home?" I shouted as I opened the door and got in.

It looked just like when I left. The same bordaux carpet, the small glass cabinet to my right and the old wooden stairs just a few feet away from me.

A loud noise chimed in the kitchen and then my mother ran out.

Her dark hair was tied into a loose ponytail and she wore the yellow apron with my handprints on it from when I was four. It was my birthday gift to her.

She was covered in flower and she didn't look happy to see me at all. Her eyes were filled with panic and the wrinkles around her lips increased as she puckered her mouth.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She asked puffed.

That's not quite the reaction I expected.

"Nice to see you, too" I mumbled as I put down my bags next to the door and closed it behind myself.

She rolled her eyes at me and put a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Pina, you know I'm happy to see you. But shouldn't you be in college?" Her brown eyes inspected me worried.

I was just about to answer that it's spring break. Two month ago my parents forbid me to go on vacation with my friends so I decided to come home instead.

Honestly, I wasn't so eager on traveling to Bora Bora anyway. My family doesn't have the money and if I wanted to party I could do that in California as well.

The stairs creaked as my dad came down. When he saw me he called my name cheerily and ran towards me.

He pulled me into a hug and whispered that he had missed me so much.

"That's a reaction I expected" I chuckled as I let go of him.

My dad looked confused at my mother.

"Why? What did you do, Kayla?" He asked reproachfully.

"Nothing. I just didn't know she was coming. That's all" she stated annoyed and hurried back into the kitchen.

My father put his glasses straight and brought my bags up in my old room.

I decided to go in the kitchen and find out what was wrong with my mother today.

When I walked in I almost tripped over a backing tray with cookies on it. As I looked around I noticed that the entire floor was covered with cookie trays. On the table was a heap of cupcakes and the fridge stood open. Some pink liquid was dripping down on the ground.

The kitchen was a complete mess.

"Is the mad hatter coming over for a tea party?" I asked jokingly as I took a cupcake and sat on the only free chair.

The other three chairs were occupied by dirty dishes just like the kitchen sink.

My mother looked up from a book and a grey strand of hair fell in her face. She didn't have many grey hairs but up front of her head she had a pigment disorder.

I remember that as a kid I always thought it's strange to have a grey strand of hair and not wanting to die it but later I kind of realized that in some way it truly is beautiful.

"I wouldn't eat that. It's poisoned" she ignored my question and pointed stressed at the cupcake in my hand.

Whatever.

Knowing the food was not poisonous I put it back anyway.

"Why are you backing so much?" She three the book in the trash can and focused on me.

Skillfully she evaded the backing trays in the floor and hugged me.

"It's great that you're back, sweetie" she let me go and stared deeply in my eyes.

Why is she acting so weird?

She sighed and smiled sadly at me.

"As I was saying, it's great you're here but you're in big danger, honey."