War of the Words
By Leah Wilcox
“Honey… It was for your own good. You’ll see,” her mom fumbled. Cheeks flaming, Laura exclaimed, “All I see is my friends laughing.”
“We raised you better than drinking at parties and egging Mrs. Brown’s house!” Laura watched her mom’s anguish without remorse.
“I live how I want to,” she snapped and stormed upstairs.
The next morning she read the note on her closet door, Gone for a walk, love Mom with fuzzy eyes. Her hangover throbbed, so she went to the bathroom. Why do you do it? was on a sticky inside the medicine closet. Laura crumpled it up. Next she threw away theWhy? on the kitchen counter. Sighing, she mechanically removed a succession of other why’s that were stuck onto her coat, shoes, and backpack.
At high school she opened her math binder. This time she just stared at the bold Why? In third period she was punished for not listening. She had been mulling over the word why instead. Laura stuck one of the stickies in her locker before she headed home.
Her mother was waiting. “Hi, honey, have a good day?” Laura flinched at her mom’s tenseness.
“I was a little distracted during class, but otherwise ok. I’m sorry… I realize what you were trying to say.”
Her mom smiled gratefully, then replied, “You’re still grounded tonight though.” Laura groaned, but she stayed in her room all evening.