Chapter Text
Imagine yourself where I am. Living in some stuffy neighborhood surrounded by equally stuffy people. All with tons of cash to burn and two point three kids to burn it on. Imagine being an only child in the loudest house on the block. Having no parent at home that gives a shit enough to check in except to say the bills were paid.
Sounded pretty sweet to me, at the time.
Oh, by the way, the name's Kara. Short for Makaria. My mom, before I was born, was obsessed with the occult. Like, worshiping the Greek gods.
Anyway, I would totally consider myself a bit of a party-girl. Nothing makes me feel more alive that drinking Blue Waves until I pass out on the floor. Or grinding up against any girl or guy with their partner standing close by.
Anyway, I pretty much look like every cheerleader you've ever seen. But, the kicker, I'm not a cheerleader. My amazing shiny brown hair, tone dancer's body, and the best looking---
My gray Siberian Husky jumped up onto the couch, knocking my laptop out of my hands.
"Dammit, Cerberus!" Again, my mother's doing, not mine.
He looked up at me with those big ol' eyes and licked my neck. I pushed him away as my phone buzzed next to me.
"What up?" I said.
"It's Mom, Kara," she responded.
"Oh. What is it, Riley?"
She sighed. "Why don't you call me 'Mom'?"
Silence as I fought down my angry retort.
"Just wanted to let you know the bills were paid today. There should be around $500 in the account."
"Yeah, thanks." I turned on the speaker and started to braid my hair.
"So, Kara, how-how are things back home?"
I was the one that sighed now. "What difference does it make? I'm not starving and not sick."
"I know, Kara. I just wanted to check on you. I am still your mother, after all."
"Yeah, for about another year."
The doorbell then rang, and Cerberus barked loudly.
"Listen, Riley, I'm gonna go now. Guess I'll talk to you next month."
I hung up and walked over. I looked through the peep-hole and saw one of my closest friends, Kyra Michals.
"Hey, loser girl," I taunted. Unlike myself, Kyra was pretty boring. She never partied and she never drank. Basically, she just stayed locked in my room until after midnight.
"Thanks for the warm welcome, Kara. I really appreciate that," she sighed.
"So, Riley just called me."
"Oh, what did she say this time?"
"Askin' me how I was. Whatever." I walked to the kitchen, and she followed. "You wanna drink?"
"Tea, please."
I grabbed her drink and a beer for myself. "I'm having a little get together tonight. You wanna sit in my bathroom this time?"
"Whatever. I'll just look up the symptoms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy."
One other thing, Kyra was a real nerd. Knew everything that involved everything.
"Whatever, Michals."
I picked up my phone and called everyone. Starting with my current summer fling, Stallings.