The Gate

16. Insufferable Protection

Jane-Anne Pearce

"Why not?" Mom asked. "I thought you and Taylor were friends."

"It's nothing." I insisted. "I just don't feel like having a sleepover, that's all. Besides, it's a school night."

"I understand that," said Mom, "But I asked Taylor to tutor you tonight. You need her help. Do you know how close you are to a B in chemistry?"

"Close, Mom." I corrected. "I'm not there yet."

"That doesn't matter, Jane-Anne. I don't want to risk you coming close to anything bad. No one is going to want you if-"

"Stop!" I interrupted. "No one is going to want me? How can you say that?" Usually, I would be upset with myself for speaking my mind. But this morning, I wasn't. I didn't bother to stumble out an apology, but waited for my mother to respond.

Mom closed her eyes and sighed as if she couldn't believe I was her biological daughter. "I'm just trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection." I fired back instantly. "It was a year ago. She's gone, and she's never coming back." The last sentence came out unexpectedly. Both of us shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to think about what had happened.

The attack was hard to talk about, especially since I couldn't remember anything. I was told that it was normal to block out specific memories. Sometimes, people forget things to save themselves from their trauma. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what had happened that day.

"That's not what this is about, but-" Mom paused when she saw Dad make his way downstairs.

"Good morning, Jane-Anne." Dad was making himself cereal, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Tell Mom to stop hating me, Dad." I blurted instantly. Dad looked up at me and blinked, stunned by my statement. It was too early for family drama, especially for Dad, who didn't even have an ounce of coffee in his system yet.

"Snow," said Dad, his voice hollow with morning drowsiness. "Do you hate our daughter?"

Snow. The nickname that Dad picked for Mom because he struggled to pronounce her real name. Mom never seemed annoyed with it, but I always got frustrated on her behalf. I've had to defend having a hyphenated name since kindergarten, but Mom never bothered to defend hers.

"No." Mom answered flatly. Dad shrugged at me like it was the best I could do.

"Ugh!" That was the last thing my parents heard from me when I walked out the door. As usual, Taylor and Kiara were waiting for me on the porch, ready to walk to school together. Whenever my parents weren't watching me, I was being guarded by those two. I hadn't realized how strange that was until Rowan had pointed it out.

And now she's dead.

"Are you ready?" Kiara asked enthusiastically. She smiled with an energy that did not belong in the early hours of the morning.

"Ready." I replied. "Also, I'm not sure if I'm up for a sleepover." I told Taylor.

"What did your mom say?" Taylor asked.

"That I need chemistry tutoring." I responded. I crossed my arms, thinking back to our disagreement earlier.

"Can you still come over?" Kiara asked.

"I guess so." I answered unenthusiastically. I was trying to distance myself from Kiara and Taylor, but they were proving difficult to shake.

"Okay then." said Kiara lightly, not a single care in the world. She adjusted her fedora and continued to walk ahead of Taylor and I.