Angry mom

"Hey, don't worry, it's going to be fine," Alexander said, his voice steady yet reassuring. He gave Kamsi a warm glance, his presence grounding her. "And if it isn't, you know I've got a permanent room for you."

Kamsi glanced up at him, the faintest flicker of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She nodded, grateful but still shaken. "Thanks," she muttered softly, before stepping towards the entrance of her building.

As she stood before the door, her heart began to race again. The weight of what had just transpired between her and her mother pressed heavily on her chest. She inhaled deeply, steeling herself, before pushing the door open.

Her mother, Felicia, was sitting on the couch, her gaze sharp and unyielding. Kamsi's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she wondered if her mother had been waiting for this confrontation all along.

"Hey, Mom," Kamsi said, forcing a smile, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her nervousness.

Felicia's eyes narrowed as she stood. "Where have you been, young lady?"

Kamsi's pulse quickened. She had expected this. "I... I told you. I went on a school trip," she said, but even as the words left her lips, she felt a pang of guilt. She could never lie convincingly.

"A school trip?" Felicia repeated, crossing her arms tightly. "Funny, because I called the school. They didn't know anything about a school trip."

Kamsi's blood ran cold. Her throat tightened, and for a moment, she thought she might choke on the words she needed to say. "I... I'm sorry, Mom," she stammered, struggling to maintain eye contact. "I didn't mean to lie. I just didn't know how to—"

"How to what?!" Felicia's voice broke through her words like a whip. "Tell me the truth, Kamsi! Where were you?"

The room seemed to close in on her, and Kamsi felt the walls pressing against her. "I... I went to visit a friend," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"A friend?" Felicia's voice cracked with disbelief. "You went all the way to Middleburg, Virginia, to visit a 'friend'?" She scoffed, shaking her head in frustration. "You've never even mentioned anyone living there! Who is this person, Kamsi? Why didn't you tell me about it?"

The sharp sting of her mother's accusations cut deeper than Kamsi had expected. She felt her resolve crumble. Tears welled up, and she fought to keep them at bay, but they betrayed her, spilling down her cheeks.

Her mother's anger surged, and she was on her feet in an instant, a fury Kamsi had never seen before radiating off her. "I don't know what's going on in that head of yours," Felicia said, her voice low and threatening. "But I do know this. You're not staying here."

Kamsi froze, unable to process what her mother had just said. "Mom... please, I have nowhere else to go," she pleaded, her voice shaking with desperation.

Felicia, her face a mask of betrayal and rage, marched to the door and swung it open with force. "You go back to wherever you came from. And don't come back until you've learned to tell the truth," she snapped.

The cold air hit Kamsi's face as her mother shoved her out into the hallway. She stood there, motionless for a moment, her heart breaking, her body trembling. Tears streamed down her face as she silently begged for some understanding that she knew would never come from her mother.

Then, she heard footsteps from behind. Laura, her neighbor and Xavier's mother, appeared in the doorway, her expression a mixture of concern and confusion.

"Kamsi, what happened? What's going on?" Laura asked, her voice soft yet insistent. She stepped forward, her arms instinctively reaching for Kamsi, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "You don't have to explain everything now, but tell me what happened."

Kamsi's chest heaved with silent sobs, her words stuck in her throat. She didn't know how to explain, how to voice the helplessness she felt in the face of her mother's rejection.

"I... I don't know what to do, Laura," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't mean to lie... but I couldn't tell her the whole truth."

Laura squeezed her tighter, her own sadness reflected in her gaze. "I know," she said softly, brushing Kamsi's hair away from her face. "Come inside, and we'll figure this out."

Kamsi nodded, gratefully, but the tightness in her chest refused to ease. As they stepped inside, Laura shot a quick look at Felicia, who stood by the door with her arms crossed, her anger still simmering beneath the surface.

"Felicia, calm down," Laura said firmly, stepping between them. "Let's talk this through."

Felicia opened her mouth to retort, but then thought better of it, slamming the door behind her. The silence that followed was thick with tension, and Kamsi could only focus on the weight of what had just happened.

Once inside, Kamsi collapsed onto the couch, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster. Laura sat beside her, offering a comforting smile. "Come on, we'll sort this out," she said gently. "But first, tell me everything. Why did you go to Middleburg?"

Kamsi swallowed hard, her throat raw from the tears. She hesitated, looking away as the words threatened to break free, but she wasn't sure she was ready to speak them aloud. Instead, she lowered her voice, barely above a whisper. "I went to see someone. Someone important."

Laura raised an eyebrow but said nothing, understanding Kamsi's hesitation. "You're safe here, Kamsi. And you're not alone. Xavier and I, we'll help you."

The words were comforting, but the confusion and fear still clawed at Kamsi's heart. She felt a small flicker of hope, but it was fragile, like a candle in the wind.

Just then, Xavier appeared in the doorway, his expression soft but unreadable. He hesitated for a moment before walking in, his eyes locking with Kamsi's. The intensity of his gaze was enough to make her breath catch in her throat.

"Hey," he said quietly, almost as if unsure how to approach her. "Are you okay?"

Kamsi nodded slowly, though the ache in her chest remained. She hadn't expected him to care so much, not after everything that had happened between them. But there he was, standing in front of her, offering a comfort she hadn't realized she needed.

"I'll be fine," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "I just need time."

Xavier sat down beside her, his presence surprisingly soothing. "Take all the time you need, Kamsi," he said, his voice gentle, his hand resting on the back of the couch. "You're not alone in this. I'm here."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Kamsi allowed herself to lean into the warmth of the moment, her head resting against the couch, her tears slowly subsiding. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as alone as she thought.