As Planned

"Where were you?!"

I winced, surprised and shocked to see my mom and aunt Sarah waiting for me in the living room. And they both looked pissed. No sooner did I walked into our apartment and shut the door was I being shouted at. And for the life of me I couldn`t remember what I possibly could of done to deserve it.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "I don`t understand why I`m the one being yelled at here."

"Where were you?" Mom repeated slowly, her voice considerably lower.

"I was with my friends, like I told you I was," I answered. "I always stay out late with them on Friday nights."

"You were supposed to be at the garage," aunt Sarah hissed. "Not at some illegal street race."

My heart began to race as panic flooded my mind. "What?"

"You were at an illegal street race. And don`t bother trying to lie. It was on the news!"

News? How the hell did that happen? I don`t remember seeing anyone from a news station there. Sure there were cops. But the news? Oh hell. This can`t be good. I knew tonight was one of those nights the cops got fed up with the races and tried to bust us, but that`s harmless. But a news station deciding to report on us? That`s unheard of.

"Speak up, Amelia! Explain yourself," aunt Sarah shouted.

"Explain why I should not be freaking out right now over my only child going to something so dangerous," mom added, her voice strained.

"I was with my friends," I said. "I never lied about that."

"But you never told the whole truth," mom argued. "Do you have any idea how worried we were when we found out where you were?"

"You could of just called me," I whispered. "I would of told you where I was."

"Would you?" mom asked. "If you were at that race, would you of told me exactly where you were?"

I winced. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly?" aunt Sarah echoed. "That is exactly it! You have been telling lie after lie because of these so called friends of yours."

"Excuse me? You have no right to assume such a thing!"

"I have every right!"

"Sarah! Amelia!" Mom exclaimed. "Stop it. Both of you just stop it. I am trying to go about this as calmly as possible and neither of you are helping."

"No. I will not stop. Your daughter needs to hear what I have to say," aunt Sarah growled. "Those damned street racers killed her father. She has no place among them!"

"How dare you!" I hissed. "My father was killed by a drunk driver. Don`t you dare turn his death around on me as a way to keep me from seeing my friends. The people I consider my family!"

"How dare I? How dare you!"

"Stop it!" Mom yelled. "Just stop. Amelia, please go to your room while I talk to my sister. I will come up and talk to you later."

I nodded and rushed up to my room, pulling out my phone the second my door was shut. I quickly sent a text to Han, "Feel like making a rescue?" Before I could even sit down on my bed I got a response.

"Just let me know when. I`ll be there."

I huffed out a breath and laid back on the bed. What was I going to do now? I know I`m going to run to Han at some point. But what was I going to do in the mean time? For a moment, the thought of packing a bag and moving into my room at the garage crossed my mind. But part of me thought that would be too childish. I mean, I was going to disappear for the night anyway. And that was childish enough. I just felt the need to get away for a little while and calm down from whatever the hell happened here tonight.

I groaned and scrubbed a hand down my face. Before I could grab my pillow and bury my face in it, there was a knock on my door and mom slowly walked in.

"Hey," I whispered.

"Hey," mom murmured, coming over and plopping down next to me. "I`m surprised you haven`t ran off yet."

"How did you know I was gonna run?" I asked, a bit surprised.

She chuckled. "Your my kid. That`s how. I used to do the same thing."

"I just do it to calm down."

"I know. I was the same way."

I sighed and scrubbed a hand down my face before asking, "Is this your way of telling me to stop running and just face my problems head on?"

Mom laughed. "Not at all. But please, feel free to take your advice."

I snorted and playfully rolled my eyes. "Then what are you trying to tell me?"

"I`m saying, to go calm down. And it`s okay to run away sometimes for that purpose. I know what it`s like to need that space. Sarah does not. She doesn`t understand or crave that kind of freedom. So she can`t wrap her head around what your doing," Mom explained. "Especially the race thing."

"Are you still mad about that?" I hesitantly asked.

"I was more worried than mad. I thought you didn`t like being around cars," she commented.

"Han and the rest of my friends have helped a lot. I even talked Han into teaching me how to work on cars."

"That`s a big step for you."

"Yeah, it is. But I`m ready to make it."

"I`m so proud of you," mom said, doing her best to hug me with us both laying down. "But don`t think your off the hook just yet. I don`t think you should be doing anything illegal. Whether it helps you or not."

"Technically it`s not illegal," I chuckled. "The cops just come around sometimes to please any citizens who might complain about the noise. That`s all."

"Still sounds illegal to me," she muttered.

"Mom!"

"What? It does."