"It's like I'm running away from me,
it's like I've taken the puzzle in me
and left it scrambled for all to see."
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When Arden Danvers' parents split when she was eight years old, she moved away with her dad from her...
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"Who, who are you really? I have nothing left to prove, 'Cause I have nothing left to lose."
Who Are You, Really? - Mikky Ekko
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XIV. \\ KNOW THY ENEMY //
I know you didn't come home until late last night. Where were you?
Walking through the hallways at school, Arden sighed as she looked down at the text from her Mom. Apparently she stopped by the house on her dinner break to check on Arden and saw she wasn't there. Arden didn't get back until almost twelve last night...Hawk and her spent some time at the Rage Cage and then they just sat back at the Grotto and talked. Before she knew it, it was 11:30 and she realized she needed to get home.
I was out with a friend, we lost track of time. I'm sorry.
Arden texted her back, even though she know that there was nothing she could say that would make it better. Her mom's response was almost immediate.
Your behavior recently has been unacceptable. We'll talk about this when you get home.
Sighing to herself, Arden looked down at the words, dread filling up inside her. That, and frustration. Her mom was never around for her when she needed her. She never even knew what was happening to her six months ago until after the fact. But she was always there to scold Arden whenever she screwed up.
It felt like Arden could never do anything right.
And she obviously wasn't enough for her mom to care enough to stick around. To be there for her.
"Hey, Den."
The voice pulled Arden away from her thoughts, and she looked up from her phone to see Rowan joining at her side. Together, the two walked down the hall, through the bustling crowd of their classmates.
"Oh, hey Ro."
Tucking my phone in she back pocket, Arden tried to push away all the issues she was facing with her mom, and just focus on getting to class.
"You okay?" Rowan frowned, "You look tired."
"I'm just...stressing about a lot." Arden admitted, "School, my mom, and now all this Monkeyman stuff starting back up."
Rowan nodded understandingly. All of them were on their toes since Rowan first heard from Monkeyman. Even during those six months where they hadn't heard anything, Arden always had that fear in the back of her mind...that nagging worry that never completely disappeared.
