ONE
The front door burst open and slammed shut, and nineteen
year old Katie all but stormed into the living room, throwing herself
dramatically against the recliner. Claire, her mother, raised an eyebrow at her
as she sipped her afternoon tea.
“What happened this time, dear?” she said.
“My holiday is ruined!” Katie wailed.
“You mean to Bournemouth?” said Claire with a frown.
“Yes!”
“Goodness, what happened?”
“Tiffany can’t go because of some family emergency, she
wouldn’t say what. I mean, I hope it’s not serious. But then, because Tiffany
isn’t going, Gwen isn’t going. Patty isn’t going without her sister, so that
just leaves me and Peggy, we don’t want to go with just to two of us, so the
whole trip’s canceled!”
Claire’s frown deepened a little. “Oh, gosh. That’s a
shame.”
“Guess I’ll be hanging around here all week, just like last
year.” Katie pouted and huffed in her chair.
“Well, my trip is
still on,” said Claire. “I’d invite you, but I don’t know if you really want to
hang out with a gaggle of old ladies.” She chuckled. “Although, if I do say so
myself, I’m pretty sure no one would guess I’m your mother, instead of your
barely older sister.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “Ugh. No thank you. I’ve done enough
museum tours. You might look twenty, but you and your friends still have boring
old-people hobbies.”
Claire laughed cheerfully. “Oh, honey. We get up to some
naughty things after sunset.”
“I rather do naughty things any time of day!” said Katie,
smirking.
“And that’s why you young folk get so bored so quick. You
have no sense of restraint or proper pacing.”
