Suzy stole a glance at her only daughter. "So, you looking forward to summer vacation?" she asked in an attempt to end the silence. Karen's only reply was a simple shrug.
Suzy sighed and turned back to the road. "Karen, sweetie, no matter what may happen, your father and I will always love you." She reached over and grasped her daughter's hand. "You believe that...don't you?"
The green-eyed teen looked at her mother, an expression of skepticism in her eyes. "If you guys love me so much, why can't you just stay together?" she challenged.
Her mother heaved a deep, heartfelt sigh. "Kar, we would. It's just-"
"No, no!" Karen yelled, jerking her hand away. "Don't give me that 'we just don't love each other anymore' mess!" She forcefully slammed her fist down on the armrest.
Suzy gave the teenager a sharp look. "You listen to me, young lady. Now, I understand that you're upset, believe me I do." She narrowed her eyes. "But that does not give you the right to go around hitting things. Do I make myself clear?" When her daughter didn't reply, she repeated, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal clear, Mother," Karen said, her words dripping with sarcasm and ugliness.
Suzy, after one last glance, turned her eyes back to the road. Her mind, however, wouldn't let her off so easily.
Ever since Harold had announced two months before that he wanted a divorce, Karen had become sullen and withdrawn. Whenever asked a question, her reply was a non-committal shrug. And every time she got near her father, a huge fight erupted. The last time, a lamp ended up broken and the neighbors had to call the police. Everything was affecting her, changing the teen from the sweet, considerate girl she used to be, to an ugly, horrendous monster. Hopefully, spending the summer in Retroville with her cousin would bring that girl back. Hopefully.
Karen became irritated at the silence, so she reached over and turned on the radio, flipping it to her favorite station.
"Born to be wild, born to be wild," the radio screamed.
"Karen," Suzy yelled. "Karen, could you turn it down a little?"
The teen shot her mother an irritated glance before turning the volume down.
"...fire all your guns at once and float into space..." Karen played an air guitar, flinging her head back and forth in a rocker imitation, her hair flying. After the song ended, she shut off the radio without so much as a glance toward her mother, and pulled a CD out of her over-stuffed backpack.
Harold always teases her about that backpack, Suzy reminisced. Always says she puts too much stuff in it...
Karen popped the CD into her Walkman, shoved the earphones on, and started rocking again. Her lonely mother sighed. This was going to be a long trip...
Yah, short, I know. But this is to give y'all the basic background of Karen. BTW, in case you hadn't guessed, she's Cindy's cousin. Horrors! Don't worry, she doesn't, like, fall in love with official charas or anything. She just likes my other JN chara, G'Nor'Ta. Oh, yeah, and does anybody know what Cindy's parent's names are? Besides Mr. and Mrs. Vortex, of course. If you know, or at least have an idea, REVIEW!!!
Kris