Alison drove me home after school so we could tell Mom where we were going. I wasn't sure how my mother would react to my friend's need to visit Suzanne but was surprised when she smiled.
"That's a lovely idea," Mom said. "I'm sure she could use the company."
I wanted to ask my mother if she had any news about the creature, but she was already occupied. By Alison's new car.
A Mustang convertible, no less. Mom's favorite. Alison was given a shiny red car for her birthday and I had a visit from a creature that wanted to kill everyone.
Sounds fair.
I tapped my foot as they compared vehicles for what seemed like hours but really only amounted to about ten minutes. I finally sighed heavily to get their attention as Mom explored the dash from the driver's seat.
"We should get going," I said.
Mom gave me a soft kiss on the cheek on the way by and I knew she was laughing at me. I just knew it.