The Story About How My Imaginary Friend Died

Chapter Two - The Freaks

I sat in my room that evening when mom called from downstairs that dinner was ready. Our house had two floors, my room was on the second, thus, the shouting.

Toyota had been sleeping at the foot of my bed, but when he heard my mother, he jumped up. Not because he thought she called for him, no, but because trust me, this dog knew what 'dinner' meant. He was up and out of the door before I'd managed to stand up from my comfortable position.

I sat down in a slightly uncomfortable silence, remembering that I hadn't made a single effort to make any new friends this day. Oops.

In addition to that, mom kept looking up at me with furrowed brows, making me twist in my chair.

"Soo... how was school?" she asked politely. Filler conversation. The kind she used when she needed to tell you something she didn't want to.

Or I was just paranoid.

"Same as usual," I said.

"Really, and what's usual?"

"Er..."

How did you describe a regular day?

"Classes and shouting people," I said after a while.

She tilted her head, the corners of her mouth pointing down.

"Didn't anything fun happen?"

I looked up at her, shooting her a look I at least hoped said 'really?', not sure if it was.

"Well, I have something fun to tell you," she then said.

I waited. She looked like she was trying to convince herself that it was fun, as much she was trying to convince me. So it couldn't be anything good, then.

"I have said that you're going to start working volunteeringly at the elders center." She smiled. Clearly proud of herself.

I just stared.

"WHAT?" I shouted when the message had sunk in. I regretted it shortly after when I saw my mother's disappointed, tired expression. (Editing: Show how that expression looks!)

"Calm down, Emma, OK, just hear me out."
I tried to relax. It was hard.

"I was talking to one of my colleagues in my carpenter company, and she talked about the elders center needing more people to work there, but they have kind of a financial crisis, so they'll need people who are willing to volunteer--you know, out of good will. So I called them and asked. They were more than willing to take you in."
I sat still, not sure what to say.

The cold side got the better of me.

"And you didn't bother to even ask me?" I accused and glared at her. "Because I'm the one who is going to spend my time on this, if you haven't noticed."

Mom sighed and looked at me with a pleading look.

"I figured you wouldn't be very happy--" I cut her off.

"Oh really? And why would you ever think that?"

"Hey!" mom said. She'd raised her voice and looked at me with attempted authority. "No need to use that tone with me. I'm only trying to help. And I'm in the mindset that you need something to do. You're always home, and Cassandra will be ther--"

"Cassandra?" I asked confused.

"Yeah, she is volunteering too. The college I talked to is her mother."