Rising Tide: Dark Innocence (The Maura DeLuca Trilogy Book 1) Read Free Page B

I
wasn’t prepared to answer.  What was even playing at the theater?  I
tried to think about movie trailers I’d seen on TV.
    I got lucky.  “Are you going
to the theater at the mall, then?”  She seemed to relax at this.  The
mall was full of people.  Safe.
    “Yes,” I answered, knowing I was
too overeager.
    Caelyn mistook the animation in my
voice, “You really are excited about going aren’t you?”
    I played it safe and nodded my
head, instead of risking speaking another word.
    “Well…ok,” her eyes were a bit
tight, so I knew she wasn’t completely thrilled, “but I really would prefer you
were home before it gets too late ok?”
    I hadn’t been told by Katie or any
of the others how long we would be at the bridge, but surely we wouldn’t even
be in the water after dark, given the time of year.
    “Don’t worry, Mom, I won’t leave
you alone too long!”  I blurted out, suddenly worried about her home all
by herself the whole day, brooding.  I’d jumped up and come to stand by
her side.
    She looked injured by that, and
glanced up at me through her thick, feathery lashes, “You don’t have to worry
about me, Maura,” her voice was heavy with guilt, “I just want you to go have a
good time.”
     
    I woke up Thursday morning, still amazed
by how relatively easy it had been to gain my freedom on Saturday from Caelyn.
 I still couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty for leaving her alone. 
But I had a surprise in mind for her.  Something she’d been wanting to do,
probably holding back because I never left the house…without her anyway…on
weekends.  Something to pass the time while I continued my valiant attempt
at finally fitting in.  I just had to convince someone to drive me across
town.
    I was singing as I brushed my
incredibly glossy hair this morning.  Its new gleam even made a regular,
old ponytail look ornate somehow.  I usually didn’t wear my hair up. 
Its ability to hide me both from the sun and the eyes of others, was something
I took a large amount of comfort in.  But the gloss and texture it seemed
to have lately, inspired me to experiment…not that an ordinary ponytail was
anything too extreme to anyone but me. 
    Caelyn was in the kitchen, pouring
coffee into a travel mug to take to the office.  Her eyes popped wide when
she saw me bound around the corner.  “Maura? Your hair is up ?” 
    I rolled my eyes, but to be honest,
her surprise was justified.  This really was a first.  I tried to
smile nonchalantly, and shrugged.  “I wanted to try it out.”
    “Weird…but ok…”  She shrugged
as well and turned back to the counter.  I was on my way to the cabinet to
dig out my favorite honey-flavored cereal, when my mom’s arm came across my
path to block me.  In her hand was a plateful of scrambled eggs.
    “Here, Maura, why don’t you eat
this?” my look of disappointment caused her to use an infallible
tactic—guilt.  “I got up early to make them for you.”
    “And…what’s wrong with
cereal?”  I took the plate obligingly. 
    She tried to sound indifferent, but
I noticed the nervous tremble, underlying, in her  voice.  “It’s time
you put more protein into your diet.”
    “Mom, I’m almost seventeen, and you
pick now to become more concerned with my diet.”
    “You’re right, I should have done
that a long time ago.”  She patted my head affectionately, and of course
with that, the battle was over for me.  I was now resigned to the eggs, my
sugary, morning fix lost to me.
    I took a whiff.  A cook Caelyn
was not…that was another reason I took on kitchen duty, but they smelled
mouthwatering.  “Mmmmm,” I surprised myself by scooping a wad of them up
with my fingers, not bothering to grab a fork.  I wolfed half the plateful
down in this manner before I noticed my mother staring at me open-mouthed. 
    I laughed nervously, blushing
profusely.  “Hey!  You’re right, protein is good.”  I didn’t
want to, but forced myself