[Write the Story] A Teenager Whose Parents Have Unwelcome News
Prompt: A Teenager Whose Parents Have Unwelcome News
Words: comic book, battery, crumbly, apartment, angelic, breach, shooter, soda, engineer, substantiate
Story
“Honey, we need to talk.” The words buzzed but didn’t register in Mallory’s ears. She was in her happy place until one of her parents plucked the comic book from her hands. Suddenly she was wrenched from her angelic comic world back to grim reality.
“To what do I owe this breach of reading etiquette?”
Her mother rolled her eyes. “Oh, are you trying to substantiate the theory you’ve actually been studying for your SATs or just being pompous?”
Mallory snorted, soda nearly shooting out her nose. “You should’ve been a lawyer instead of an engineer. What’s going on, Mom?”
“We’re moving.”
Mallory bolted upright, teenage indolence forgotten in a flash. “What? Where? How? Why? When?”
“Good to know your journalism class taught you the five basic questions.” Mallory’s mom glanced around the crumbly apartment. “But…one, it’s time we’re of this old battery factory building. Two, new opportunity.”
“I like this building. It has character.”
“But there was always the threat of toxic chemicals doing something to us. Which leads to the opportunity.”
“We’re not sick or something are we?” Worry crept into Mallory’s voice, hovering just off the surface.
“Not sick. Superpowered.” Mom focused a fire ball on her palm.
That’s when Mallory realized the weightless, hovering feeling was more than worry. She was floating off the ground. “Great. Now I have to be responsible.”
Word Count: 226
Written: 3/12 and 3/14/18