The Oklahoma-Texas Line

"Kel, is that you?"

How was it that moms seemed to have some unnatural hearing ability? Kelly thought as she let the screen door flap shut behind her, no longer trying to enter the apartment quietly.

"Yeah." She muttered back, slipping her backpack off her shoulders, ready to drop it by the door.

Her mom appeared suddenly from the kitchen. "Don't you go dropping your stuff all around my living room now, take it to your room."

She smirked and nodded, hoisting one strap back onto her shoulder as she crossed the open space to her bedroom.She could feel her moms eyes watching her every move to her room.

"How was school sweetheart?"

She managed a sarcastic "fabulous" as she disappeared inside of her bedroom momentarily before meeting her mother back in the living room.

"What? Don't look at me like that." She held back a laugh at her mother's serious face.

Jeanne sighed and shook her head at her youngest child. "I worry about you Kelly, you're my baby. And there are just some mean people out there and I don't want you to-"

They had had this conversation countless times. "I'm fine, momma, really. There weren't any obscene words spray painted on my locker today and," She waved her hands around goofily, motioning all around her body, "I even managed to make it home in one piece."

She watched her moms face harden before it softened up again seconds later, tears now welling up in her eyes. Shit. I really know just what to say to settle her..

She met her mom at the entry to the kitchen and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry momma, I didn't mean...I didn't mean to upset you."

Last years events had shook their family hard and for her to have brought it up like she had had been extremely insensitive of her. There had been nothing funny about the things that happened. She pulled out of the hug but grasped her moms shoulders gently.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, removing one hand from her moms shoulder to wipe away her tears.

Jeanne managed a smile and nod before whispering, "It's okay, honey."

Kelly offered a smile in return and pulled away from her mother. "Alright well I'm gonna go work on some homework." She announced, pretending to be offended by the shocked expression on her moms face.

"It's your first day back, you have homework already?"

Kelly shrugged. "I don't know mom, your people are strange." She laughed at her reference to teachers.

"My people." Jeanne snorted and shooed her daughter away. "I'll let you know when dinner is done."

Kelly nodded and went bouncing off into her room, holding up her charade until her door was shut securely behind her. The second it clicked in place she slid to the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest and locking her arms tightly around herself. It was then that she finally lost her composure, no longer able to hold the smile she had been forcing all day. No longer able to pretend that everything was okay. Things were different now, and would never be the same. She would never be the same.