Conflict

Bianca 1988

"Where were you?" My mother demands when I walk in. It was late. I didn't mean to stay at Steph's house for so long, but I fell asleep on the couch and then had dinner with them.

"I was with Stephanie," I mutter, I'm tired, and I don't want to argue with my mother. "I meant to be home sooner."

My mom purses her lips, crossing her arms in agitation.

"You were with her again?" Why does she make it sound so accusing? Like I've done something wrong by hanging out with my friend? 

"Yes," I threw my bag on the table. "I went to Steph's house."

"In Chicago?" I can feel my mom's irritation turning to anger. "I've told you I don't want you so far away from the house."

"It's not that far," I sigh, walking past her to the kitchen. 

"That isn't the point," My mom follows me. "You left the city."

"I was with my friend," I turn, trying not to get angry. "I was safe."

"Nowhere outside this territory is safe," She slams her hands on the kitchen island. "How many times do we have to have this conversation?"

"Daj, you act like I'm a little girl. I'm seventeen. I'm not stupid," I grit my teeth.

"I know you aren't, but you're still my daughter, and you will obey the rules of this house," She glares at me, and I know neither of us will back down. 

"I don't want to be a prisoner here," I shoot back. 

"Bianca, do you think this is about locking you away?" The power in my mom's voice is growing, but I don't flinch from it.

"Isn't it?" I purse my lips. "You don't let me go anywhere. I don't have any friends except for Stephanie. You won't allow anyone in the house. I can't dress as I want, and you expect me to accept that without questioning you."

"You think it's easy to stay so isolated?" My mom bites back at me. "Do you think I want to work in a job I hate? Do you know how hard it is to be away from your phuro?"

"Don't," I snarl. "Don't bring dad into this! If he wanted to be with us, he would!"

"He is protecting you!" My mom yells. "You can't resent him for that."

"Like hell I can't," I yell back. "He ran away because of some make-believe ruler?"

"That isn't true," My mom takes a step toward me. "It breaks his heart to be away from us."

"Really? He doesn't show it!" I cross my arms. "The king tells him he can only see us three months out of the year, and phuro obeys like Papo was a god."

"Bianca, do not disrespect your king," My mother warns.

"He isn't my king," I snapped, and it's like I slapped her. "He's your king, not mine."

"Take that back," she orders, but I shake my head in disgust.

"You want me to be afraid of someone I've never met," I remind her. "I don't know who any of them are, and I'm not like you."

"You think this is because we're Roma?" mom looks at me in disbelief. "We are Ge'llin, first and foremost."

"I'm an American, a human being!" I slam my fists on the counter. "I'm not part of a tribe or some long-lost magic fairies!"

"Bianca!" My mother cries out, but I'm already storming out of the kitchen. 

I couldn't do this anymore. I was tired of living my life in fear of some magical monster that was supposedly hunting me down, fed up with looking over my shoulder for things that were supposed to be willing to kill me.

Life wasn't worth living if I had to live it like this. I understood we were in danger. How could I ever forget it? It was still on my hand, a constant reminder of what we'd escaped.

Slamming my door shut and locking it, I slide down to the ground.

"Bianca!" My mother bangs on the door. "Open this door."

"Leave me alone!" I yell, refusing to obey her.

Maybe I shouldn't be so angry, but I'd done nothing wrong. I went to my friend's house, that's all, and my mother acted like I'd run to our worst enemy and offered myself as a sacrifice. 

"Bianca, please," My mother continues banging on the door. "Don't shut me out."

Didn't she see that it was her who'd shut me out? How much did she expect me to handle before it was too much? I was one person, mom had to see that, but she didn't.

No one did.

There were too many things, and I couldn't juggle all of them without losing my mind. 

What was I? Was I a gypsy or a Ge'llin? A witch or human?

You couldn't pretend for so long as to think you'd be sane. I wasn't, and I don't know how to fix things.

"Bianca!" My mother's crying now, but I don't budge. "Please, princess, please."

No, I wasn't a princess. I would never be that. My father was the prince, not me. I was no one, and that's all I wanted to be. An ordinary human who lived life. With friends, school, and doing everything you're supposed to do at your age.

I was sick of being lonely.

My mom tries to force the knob open, and I'm glad of the amulet on the door. It prevents magic from being used in the room it guards. The only place in the house we can use is down in the basement. If I didn't, she would probably blast the door open.

Closing my eyes, I rest my head on the shaking door, not speaking a word.

The last time I cried was when we came to America. That was the last time I shed a tear, and I felt them threaten to escape. 

The door stops shaking, but I know she's still there, her soft cries giving her away.

I open my eyes and turn to stare at the mirror. I'm not shocked to see my eyes aren't brown anymore.

Steel gray with veins of silvery-white. They look like they're glowing in the dark, but it's just the magic in my body showing itself.

There's too many secrets in my chest, and I want to scream.

Slowly, I get up and silently walk to my closet. Grabbing a large bag, I quietly packed some clothes.

There's a coldness in my heart while filling the bag. I don't want to do this. I don't want to run away like a coward, but I think I'll crack if I stay. 

There was only one place I could go.

I think my mom moved away. She'd probably gone to find the key to the door. She didn't know I had it in here. Once she figures that out, she'll probably try to break the enchantment.

That'll take her a minute. The amulet was something I'd made myself, and it was always harder to break someone else's magic because your energy creates the link. It wasn't my best work, but it did the job.

Before I chicken out, I open my window and start climbing out. I guess there was an advantage in not being fully human. A two-story drop isn't that scary.

I hear my daj returning to my door, and it's now or never.

'I'm not Rapunzel.' I think to myself bitterly before jumping out of the window.