I froze. The hair on the back of my neck was standing on end. I stopped breathing. Kitty gave me a concerned look, and I heard someone get up from the couch in the other room. The lock on the front door click to the unlocked position and I heard it's hinges creak as it was opened.
"Hello, sir." I knew that voice. I gulped.
I heard a somewhat deep male voice answer it. "Good evening." Potato said, almost as a question. This can not be good.
On of the men outside cleared his throat. "Have you seen anything, um, unusual in the sky today?"
I mentally face-palmed myself (while in real life, I was still unmoving), they sounded like idiots. I had no idea what their problem was.
"Mallory, are you okay?" Kitty asked.
I slowly nodded my head and cupped my hand around me ear, trying to motion to them that I was listening to the conversation in the other room.
"Uh..." I heard my future-step-father stutter at the door. "Claire, what do you think? I just got here and..."
I heard my mother get up from the couch and her footsteps were echoing against the silence of the house. "No I haven't seen anything unusual lately. Now, please leave so we can enjoy our evening without any interruptions." Go mom.
I could only imagine what the men at the door faces looked like. Man, this is gonna be a fun story to tell later on in my mutant life. If I even have one.
I heard the front door close and my mother's exasperated sigh. I let my body go limp, and fell onto my mattress. The two Parker girls almost jumped onto me as they gathered around me.
"Mallory? Mallory?" Tina asked, her silver blue eyes concerned. "Who was that? What was that? Why were they asking questions like that? Tell me why!" Man, Tina was one curious and persistent twelve year old.
I sighed and looked over at Kitty. She was sitting at the foot of my mattress, her dark brown hair almost covering her eyes. "Well, you see..." I was about to blurt out everything. Then, not even a split second later, my mother came ramming through the door, pure rage in her eyes.
"Mallory." She said, trying to keep her voice calm. "We need to talk. Now."
I slowly stood up and walked over to the door. My mother, not even giving me a second glance quickly walked in the direction of the master bedroom. I looked behind me to see Tina staring after me, while Kitty had migrated to her bed and was back on her computer. Seeming to think nothing of the unusual occurrence.
I quickly followed my mother through the living room, and into the master bedroom where she shut the door. Not quiet slamming it, but not closing it in a soft fashion either. I was in for a whooping, that's for sure.
My mother glanced around the room, as though she thought someone could be listening from inside the room. She had seen for herself that everyone was either in the living room or in my temporary room.
"Okay, Mallory." She sighed. I held my breathe. "I know I've gone over all the safety measures and what you should do in case of an emergency, but..." She trailed off, her eyes glazed with, something in between concern and sorrow? I could tell she wasn't angry with me, just worried. For the time being. I hugged her, as she stifled a cry. "I... I just don't want to lose you. I know those men are after you, and it's all because of me. It's my fault you're like this. It's my fault your life is so complicated, and I'm so sorry. I would take your place in a heart beat."
I closed my eyes, and smiled. "You're only saying that because you want to be able to fly." I joked. "I've seen that look of wonder in your eyes when ever I soar into the unpredictable blue sheet that covers our earth." I opened my eyes, and released my mother from the comforting hug that was keeping us both together. Her cheeks were tear streaked and all I saw in her eyes was regret. "I remember when I was five and first started to learn how to fly. It was Daddy's idea." I looked down. "I thought it was the most wonderful idea in the world. I was so happy when I actually flew, for the first time." I looked up at my mother. "Not because I could fly, like all the fairies and dragons in my fairy tales, but because I saw that look of complete pride and happiness in your eyes when my feet were lifted off the ground."
My mother then gathered me into one of her own ferocious bear hugs. She squeezed me tighter than you would squeeze an orange to make orange juice. "Mallory." She sobbed, stroking my hair, which was now wet from her salty tears. Yuck (no offense. I just hate it when my hair is damp). "I love you so much." She said, a smile on here face. She then released me from the hug, before I died of strangulation, and went to wash her face.
I sighed and shook my head. "It's not your fault." I said in almost a whisper as I walked out of the room.
