Kara shook her head blandly. "That's not going to work, Ma. They'll notice eventually," she pointed out, her voice shooting through an octave in nothing flat. Her voice was musical, light. Her long dark curls fell to her back, the top of it covered by a blue woolen beanie. Turning huge brown eyes on her mom, she covered her abdomen. "I'm not going to stay size four for long."
Mrs. Childs glared at her daughter. "Obviously. What we'll do is pull you out, saying you have to be homeschooled for the time being, and you can go back to school next year."
Kara scowled. "Gee, that won't be obvious, will it Mom? What are we going to tell them before hand? I know you'll pull me out about three months, but people are going to ask if I have beer belly! Gross!" Kara tapped the purity ring around her pinky. She didn't know why she still wore it. It meant nothing now. But the Cross on her necklace around her slender neck was not coming off.
Shifting her sweater nervously, she glanced around the kitchen to make sure her siblings weren't there. Devon, Cam, and Louis were the last bigmouths she wanted to know about this now.
With a sigh, her mother resigned. "Think about it, Kara. There are other options."
Kara's eyes narrowed. "There-are-no-other-options!" she hissed through her clenched teeth.
"Kara, Wyatt isn't coming back. He's not only moved, but moved on. Have you seen his Facebook pictures? And his constant status?" Mrs. Childs pointed out. Gritting her teeth, Kara growled at her mother.
"I've seen it," she whispered in a deadly poisonous voice.
"Well, good! Keep that in mind then! Because he won't be back for you, I'm sure of it."
"Go to hell, Mom!" Kara shrieked, and walked outside, slamming the door.
Natalie pulled her blond hair through the baseball cap she was wearing. Her big ears stuck out, as always. Pulling her dad to the baseball field, they set themselves up at the bases. Holding a stopwatch, Mr. Summers cried "Go!" and Nat was off like a rocket. She winced as the bruise on her thigh stretched over her skin. That's what having a jealous stepmother does to you. Laughing, she streaked all the way home, sliding on her good leg. Her father hit stop and raised the watch high in the air.
"9.35 seconds! Baby, we are almost there!" he cried, hugging Natalie fiercely. Wendy, her stepmother, coughed.
"Great job, sweetie," she said in a sugary-sweet voice that set the hairs on the back of Nat's neck stand up. "I'm sure your father will be smiling all night when he leaves tonight for work." She stretched her face into a gruesome smile.
"You betcha!" Mr. Summers yelled, and kissed his wife and daughter on the cheek. I gotta pack and go, girls. Have a good night, don't burn the pancakes Natalie Hannah!" he roared, jogging back to the house. Wendy grinned maliciously at Nat.
Wrapping her arm too tightly around Natalie's shoulders, she smiled wider. "We are going to have loads of fun, aren't we honey?" she asked, pinching Natalie's cheeks far too hard.
"Ow!" she gasped in pain, and the thick purple bruises on her cheeks stung. Smacking her stepdaughter hard across the face, she half dragged her back to the house, while Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs.