Loving Storm

2. Reunion

"Sweetie pie!"

There it was again. The intolerable sugar cane like voice of Ms. Pierce, the kind you'd hear on the other end of the line of a sex hotline. Storm had been ignoring her hollers for the past 10 minutes, but they were growing louder as her mother neared her room door.

Can she take a hint? Oh, thats right, she's too selfish to notice anything but herself.

"Can you tell me how this dress looks? I'm going on a second date with Brett."

Storm lied on her purple fur rug, giving a glance up at her mother at the door.

"Brett? Who's next week's victim, Peter, Stan, Thomas?" she whispered to herself as she rolled her eyes and forced her pupils back to the equation in front of her.

"Well? How does it look?" Her mom practiced a few tacky model poses in the doorway while lifting up her long spirals of dark hair. She had the look of a failed mid-aged painter with the spirit of a 21 year old. She can go the hard way and tell her what she really thinks. The dress was fushia pink, an 80s hooker's favorite color, and it can use a few hours of extra knitting at the hem, and those leopard print shoes...what the hell was she thinking? But she knew well enough what would happen if she took that honesty route. Before her mother spiraled out of control again and sung her insecurities the rest of the night with a bottle of wine and smudged mascara, she held her tongue.

"It looks great."

Mrs. Pierce smiled haughtily, letting her hair down again. Her brows suddenly furrowed noticing the text book within her daughters hands. Maybe she shouldn't have had that last glass of wine. She was evidently hallucinating. "Is that a school textbook I see hunny bun?"

Storm flipped a calculus page indifferently. "Yes..."

"Are you—-" her mother paused, a hand on her hip and a puzzled look. "Are you studying?" 

"Yes."

"It's Friday night, and you're only 17 sweetie—you should be out there enjoying yourself before school starts."

"Hudson thinks otherwise," Storm said, lifting up the Calculus book.

"Oh that poor boy." Her mother set both hands on her waist and shook her head. "You're going to break his heart one day."

Storm glared at her from the floor. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You just wait."

Storm felt her temperature rise to a dangerous level. This woman she called mother easily became the perfect imagery for target practice.

"I would never do anything to hurt Hudson," she said firmly, her hazel green eyes darkening.

"Oh sweetie, you will."

Before she could retaliate, her mother had disappeared down the hall leaving her with a sour taste in her mouth. What did the town's runaround sue know about love? Nothing. Men were play toys for her, and she refused to think the same.

Never. She said loudly in her mind.

I would never hurt Hudson.

Hudson Walker was her air supply and everything she needed to keep living. The day she hurt him would be the day she stops breathing.

~~

A cool breeze blew through the air as the sky became a sapphire blue and Broadhollow became the perfect town for a night stroll onto main street or a family night out at the town carnival.