Open Case File [COMPLETED]

A Moment of Clarity

Why? Cause I was curious when it happened.

The chapter will explain what that vague reason is.

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D.C. was beginning to enter the day, the sunlight glinting off rooftops and pouring into windows, but Kennedy noticed none of this, she was glaring at her reflection. It was glaring back at her with just as much force. Her school uniform fit her body but it did nothing to define her body.

Harrison's words from the previous day ran rampant in her mind, deepening the glare.

They had been walking to class when a fellow freshman had sauntered by, the uniform doing for her what it was not doing for Kennedy. Harrison's eyes had lingered on the girl. When he had turned back to Kennedy, he had said something that almost lost him his head.

"When are you going to start looking like a girl?"

Kennedy let out a huff of air and lifted her arms then dropped them, letting them hit her sides. She was a girl. Just a fourteen-year-old girl with nothing to show for in the development department. Though she was fit - thanks to her parents, there were no curves to her to show off this fact.

Muttering curses at Harrison and his stupid comment, Kennedy finally exchanged the khakis pants for a navy skirt. The change displayed her lean legs, but Kennedy still felt they looked lanky instead of attractive. Before she eventually punched the mirror in frustration, she grabbed her backpack and left her room.

In the kitchen, her mother was leaning against the counter, one ankle crossed over the other, doing the crossword and sipping coffee. She wore a pair of battered Converses, a pair of jeans and her husband's large sweatshirt.

Still, there was a self-assurance about her that made Kennedy think that even if she were to show up to the White House dressed like that she would be shown respect. Kennedy wondered when that confidence gene was going to kick in for her.

"You ready to go, Cadet?" Carter asked without looking up.

Kennedy sighed. "Yeah."

At the tone, Carter raised her head.

"You're wearing a skirt. That's new."

Kennedy peered down at it, holding out the edges as if she wasn't sure if it had been a good decision after all. Carter smiled.

"Are you wearing shorts underneath it?"

Kennedy nodded.

"It looks cute," she said.

"Yeah?"

Carter set down her mug and nodded. "It also offers a good range of motion so if any guy tries to look under it, you can drop-kick him."

Despite Harrison and his stupidness, Kennedy smiled. Carter waved a hand towards the door. She snatched the keys from the hook and Kennedy scampered forward.

"I saw some of the older girls wearing skirts and high heels," she said.

After locking the door, Carter wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"The thing about high heels," she said. "Is that there are pros and cons to them. Pro - they make your legs look amazing. Also, they can be a convenient weapon if need be." She hit the down button for the elevator. "Con - they are hard to run in without a lot of practice, they pinch your feet and you can hurt an ankle if you're not careful."

The doors dinged and slid open, allowing the pair to step into the fabric-lined box. Kennedy rested against the cushioned surface, regarding her mother. In the enclosed space, she could smell her mother's subtle perfume, a gift from Kennedy's father.