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“It’s not fair.”
Of course, perhaps saying as much in front of her mother was a good idea, given the fact, her mother of late tended not to agree with her. “What’s not fair.”
“Mary-Anne is hanging out with someone else.”
“I see.”
Kristy sat in the chair, her eyes widening as she slumped down, shocked that was all her mother had to say about the situation. “That’s all you have to say.”
“Well, you certainly haven’t given me the details regarding the matter,” her mother replied.
“I told you, Mary-Anne is hanging out with someone else.”
“Well, good for her.”
“That wasn’t how you were supposed to answer,” Kristy sulked, her nose wrinkling up. “I don’t like that girl.”
“Do you even know that girl’s name? Also, I think it is a good thing that Mary-Anne is making new friends. It means she’s growing up, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t think so. She still wears those babyish clothes, not to mention the fact she got us grounded from…”
“Kristy, the reason you’re grounded is because you say things like that to Mary-Anne. Those aren’t very nice things to say, are they?”
“Yes, but we were only trying to help. It’s not like she doesn’t have a father in her life, and he treats her like…”
“Kristy,” her mother’s tongue clicked. “Saying such things does not help Mary-Anne, but perhaps you’re jealous…”
“I’m not jealous.”
“Perhaps you’re afraid this new friend will treat her better than you’ve treated her.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Kristy, I don’t want to argue with you on this. It’s okay for Mary-Anne to have other friends just like it’s okay for Claudia to have other friends.”
“We didn’t do anything wrong?”
“Well, apparently Mary-Anne is convinced you all think she’s pathetic.”
“Getting us grounded was pathetic.”
There came the silence, which meant she’d stepped in it with her words followed by, “Well no wonder she thinks she’s pathetic, Kristy Amanda Thomas, if you use those kinds of words around her. And what else have you been doing?”
“Nothing.”
“I wonder though why she’d be hanging out with someone else unless of course, you didn’t first decide not to hang out with her.”
“Are you saying this is my fault?”
“I want to say this is your fault, but that would be like saying Mary-Anne making new friends is a bad thing which I’ve already told you it is not. Just…” Her mother let out a sigh. “It is your fault for feeling guilty…”
“I don’t feel guilty.”
“Well, whatever’s going on in that brain of yours that doesn’t match up with the real world in regards to Mary-Anne is your fault. That’s how I’ll put it. Conversations closed.”
Which of course didn’t sit well with Kristy, though she knew better than to argue things further after she said that. She didn’t like the fact Mary-Anne took the time to try and make a new friend on her own because that meant…
Kristy wasn’t sure what it meant.