Chapter 3

When Dad got home and told Mom what had happened, she blew up.

"Who knows where Nadia ran off to? That girl needs some discipline. So be it. Let's see if she can stay away forever," she snapped.

I forced a bitter smile. Mom could relax now. I wouldn't come back anymore.

*****

Three more days went by and I still hadn't shown up. Dad was starting to get anxious.

Before heading to work, he said to Mom, "If you have time today, drop by Nadia's school. She can't just keep crashing at her friend's place forever."

Mom replied coldly, "I'm not going. Honestly, it's better if she doesn't come back. At least I won't have to see her and get pissed off."

Dad sighed, grabbed his briefcase, and left.

After finishing up the housework, Mom walked into the room I shared with my sister.

It was our room, but the only thing that was really mine was the folding bed by the balcony.

Underneath it was a suitcase Dad had passed down to me. That was where I kept all my clothes and books.

Everything else in the room was Claire's.

She had a fancy princess bed and a sparkling crystal chandelier. Her closet was filled with beautiful princess dresses, all lined up. Her bedside was piled high with all sorts of stuffed animals.

Mom, her face ghostly pale, carefully wiped down everything that belonged to Claire.

She cleaned everything, from books to stuffed animals, leaving nothing untouched.

Her tears dripped onto the rag as she worked.

She let her longing for Claire seep into every item, as if each one could carry a piece of Claire's memory.

After she'd finished wiping down everything that belonged to Claire, Mom cast a look toward my bed.

Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she threw on her jacket and walked out the door.

I tagged along behind her as she went to the art studio where Claire learned to paint.

Then she stopped by the hospital Claire used to frequent.

After that, she grabbed a cab and headed straight for Claire's grave.

On the way, her face was blank, and she seemed miles away, totally lost in her own world.

After leaving the cemetery, she flagged down a cab.

I thought she was heading home, but instead, she gave my school as the destination.

I followed her to my school.

She walked up to the security guard and said, "I'm looking for Nadia Henley."

The guard asked, "Which class is she in?"

"Which class?" Mom echoed, looking lost.

The guard noticed she couldn't answer and asked again, "Who's her homeroom teacher?"

Mum just stared blankly.

The guard's eyes narrowed. "You're not some kind of child snatcher, are you?"

Mom gave an awkward laugh. "Of course not! I'm her mother. Nadia's just been upset with us and hasn't come home for a few days."

The guard scoffed. "Her mom? You don't even know her class or her teacher's name. How could you be her mom? Come on, let's go to the office and sort this out."

Not taking any chances, the guard marched Mom straight to the admin office.

My homeroom teacher was right there.

"Are you Nadia Henley's mother? Why hasn't Nadia been showing up at school? And what's up with you guys? I can't get through to you with the contact numbers you gave us," the teacher asked, clearly annoyed.

Mom stood there, completely at a loss. "Nadia hasn't been coming to school?"

When the teacher confirmed it, Mom's face darkened with anger.

She started complaining about how I was ungrateful, and disrespectful, causing drama for no reason.

She said, "Nadia is so stubborn. She refused to donate bone marrow to her sister, and now her sister died young. Moreover, just because I scolded her, she ran off from home.

"She's always causing trouble, but lately she's just getting more and more out of control.

"How did I end up with such a rebellious kid? It's just my luck."

My homeroom teacher interrupted her, "Ma'am, Nadia is a great student. Both the teachers and classmates think highly of her, and she's not the kind of kid who'd just run off.

"If she's truly disappeared for nearly a week, you should contact the cops right away."

Mom's expression turned icy. "Call the cops? Nadia's just throwing a fit. Her dad and I went on a trip and kicked her out for a few days, that's all."

The teacher stared in disbelief. "Ms. Henley, what do you mean you kicked her out for a few days?"

Mom lowered her voice and explained to the teacher how she'd gone out to relax and locked me out of the house for several days.

The teacher's face twisted in anger. "How could you just leave your kid outside all alone? She's only sixteen. That's seriously irresponsible. Do you know how much we stress over keeping the kids safe? How can you not care at all?"

Mom's expression soured at the teacher's rebuke.

She forced herself to stay calm and asked, "Who does Nadia usually hang out with? Could you ask around and see if anyone's seen her?"

The teacher let out a sigh and headed to the classroom.

After a bit, she came back shaking her head. "The last time anyone saw Nadia was right after school let out on Friday.

"Mrs. Henley, you really need to call the cops now. Nadia's not the kind of kid who'd just take off because of a fight. The sooner you call, the safer she'll be."

Mom just gave a half-hearted "Okay."

But the moment she stepped out of the school gate, she spat, "Nadia's always making trouble for me. Just wait till she comes back. I'll definitely teach her a lesson."