Finding the Light: B1 C2

Instructions

"WHAT? NO! MOM!" "MIA ROSE JONES. This is not a matter for you to decide! Don't you think that Callie should live a good life? We can't give her one at our house. She's your friend, don't you want the best for her? "Mom! Don't bring that into play!" "Mia, don't address me that way!" I tune out their argument and watch the rain pelt the car window with a never-ending tip, tap, tip, tap. I sigh. I could escape into my fantasy world again, but for some reason, I don't feel like it would make me feel better. I finger the locket around my neck instead. It feels cold and cool in my hands that rub it. The gold chains give a rough texture and the green stone set into the center is smooth. I rub my finger round and round over the stone. It calms me. It helps me focus and center my thoughts. I slowly click open the gold frame of the locket and lift up the chain. It's a photo. Of me and my older sister, Julie. She has the same dark-chocolate long brown hair as me and the same freckles over her face. But unlike me, she has gray eyes flecked with brown and green, where mine are just plain normal green. She was much than me. I stare out the window again, thinking about well, nothing, as Mia and her mom continue to fight. Then I see something glowing white pass through the window with a loud whoosh of wind. And then it's gone. Probably a trick of the light, though... The rain slowly dies down and birds begin to chirp in the distance. The gray in the sky is slowly turning into a dull, blue. The rain definitely matched my my mood before. Now, not even at all... The car pulls up to the house with a screech. Mia and her mom live in an old, creaky house that was built sometime in the early 1800s. Of course, renovations, fix-ups, and such have been added, but it's probably impossible to wash away the old haunted-feel of the house. There used to be an old rumor that there was an old murder here, but those are just rumors... As soon as the car screeches to a stop, I jump out and run and tug open the door, which is always unlocked. Here in Millstone Valley, there's like a 0.1% crime rate. The tears are starting to come up again so I rush through the stupid house with it's stupid wooden stairs that I run up and my stupid tears that drip down my face. Stupid sobs shake my body and my vision is blurring and I'm stumbling but luckily... luckily... I reach the room where I've been staying for the past few days. It's humble... A simple wooden bed frame, with two pine bookshelves on either side of the bed. Books are scattered around the room, what I've been using to take my mind of things. Most of them are tear-stained. Suddenly, the sadness crashes onto me like a wave. Even though this has happened a lot, it still somehow catches me by surprise. I collapse on my bed and sob, and sob, and sob, and sob, and sob, and sob, because there's nothing else to do right now in my state. "Knock, knock..." says Mia in a sing-song voice. I must have fallen asleep. She steps into the room. "What's the point of saying 'knock knock' if you're just going to enter the room?" I ask dryly. "Look - I talked with my mom and-" "-She said no." I finish for her. "Welll... She said she would think about it." "Which means no." "Stop being such a pessimist!" "What do you think I'm going through?!? You don't understand it at all!" "Callie - should I just... leave?" she asks sadly. I feel horrible and I know I shouldn't say what I'm about to what's coming out my mouth but- "Yes." She lets out a squeal that sounds like a kitten that's been hit. "THEN I'LL LEAVE." "WAIT! Mia! Wait!" I cry out, but she leaves the room, and closes the door with a loud bang. Great. Today I've probably cried a million times and I just hurt my best friend. Probably past repair. I flump onto my bed and wait for the tears to come again but they just- won't come out. Is it possible for someone to just loose all their tears? If so, I'm surprised I've actually held out this long. I curl up into a tiny ball and pull a fluffy pink blanket over me. I finger my necklace again and stare out into the sky... It's still kind of gray, with dark puffy clouds but pink is starting to seep through, blending with darkness that promises to bring night. I can see one tiny little star peeking out from behind the dreary sky. I wonder how that star feels... all alone... Then I see something. It flashes across the sky. It's white and clear at the same time. But it's only their for a second. Just a trick of the light... right? I lie down and try to get myself to go to sleep. Maybe it will help me forget what's happened. I wonder if Mia's mom will really want me to leave after what's happened today. I take a deep breath and finger my locket again, just like usual... Except this time, it's glowing.