As much as Karyn Black was a tomboy (or had been until recently), her mother Bethany was the opposite. She lived in pastels and carefully curated the jewelry she wore. Floral scents and floral patterns were her lifeblood.
So when her supposedly-tomboy daughter burst in through the front door with the boy she always hung out with, the both of them tittering girlishly and speaking in conspiratorial tones, Bethany felt a sense of relief. Or, not quite relief, but something very near to it. It was a feeling that maybe she'd be able to relate better to her daughter. But even if the stone was nowhere nearby, Bethany was about to learn a lesson in "be careful what you wish for."
Because although her daughter looked happy, Bethany also noticed that her daughter looked... tired. Worn. Like she was putting on a smile that she didn't quite feel. It was the same sense that Jon had gotten back at the school, and of course it was: if Jon knew Karyn well enough to see through her facade, then surely her own mother knew her even better.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Bethany put a hand on her blonde daughter's shoulder, pulling the girl's attention away from Jon.
And then Bethany's world went fuzzy. Just a little bit.
A moment later, Bethany felt herself being lead upstairs by the wrist alongside her daughter. Jon was taking lead. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"Karyn's room!" Jon replied with enthusiasm. "We're gonna try on some outfits!"
Bethany abruptly stopped in the middle of the staircase, drawing attention from her two companions. "What's wrong?" Karyn asked.
"We're not going to Karyn's room," Bethany tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "My room's bigger, and I've got cuter clothes anyway."
The three fell into identical giggles, and as one rushed the rest of the way up the stairs and into the master bedroom.
