We had just finished dinner and mom was cleaning up. She loaded the dirty pots and pans into the dishwasher. She didn’t talk to me. Instead she let her actions speak for her. Slamming pots and pans were her way of conveying her anger.

“Kait, you are a foolish girl. You had better tell me what you were thinking. Tell me!”
She ordered. Her face was red with anger and I knew she wasn’t going to let this go anytime soon. If she wasn’t ignoring me, she was begging for a fight.

“Mom- for the hundred millionth time- let’s drop this, OK?” I was tired of this argument going around it circles. Clearly she wasn’t tired at all. She threw put the dishtowel on the kitchen counter and walked quickly walked towards me.

“You just wait until your father hears about this. You just wait young lady, you will be grounded for months.”

I rolled my eyes as she once again tried to use dad against me. It never works, but she keeps trying. Mom isn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I learned a long time ago that if I push her long and hard enough, I’ll get what I want.

“Kait, you tried to bribe a cop. Do you know what trouble you’re in?” She asked in an overly dramatic tone.

“Yeah mom, you keep reminding me every couple of minutes. Can’t we call Mr. Bains, our lawyer, He can take care of it.”

“Do you know how much that is going to cost? Kait this is serious. Why aren’t you taking this seriously?”

“Maybe it’s because I don’t care mom. I tried to bribe a cop, so what’s the big deal? He didn’t take it. Call our lawyer, he’ll get the charge reduced to something and then this whole shit will be over.”

“You have an answer for everything, don’t you Kait?” Mom asked.

“Yes I do, mom. Stop making a freakin’ big deal of it. That’s what lawyers are for.”

She threw her hands in the air and shook her head.

“You are hopeless, Kaitie, completely hopeless.”

“So are you.” I mumbled, but she didn’t hear me.

I plopped myself down with my netbook and opened a chat program. My friends were online, so at least I’d have some escape from mom’s wrath.

As I was chatting with my online friends, the doorbell rang. I ignored it.

“Kait, can you get the door? ” Mom yelled.

The doorbell rang again. I ignored it again.

It rang a third time, no big deal.

Mom ran to the door, “couldn’t you answer it?” She asked me, again ready for a fight.

“Nope. I couldn’t.” I replied, not hiding my indifference. She shot me a dirty look.

“Who’s there?” She asked through the door.

“Southern City Police, please open the door.” A man said from the other side.

“Shit!” I exclaimed as I shook my head in disbelief.

Mom opened the door and the man stepped in the hallway.