The night after facing the now-dead Lt. Immaturite, Fallon returned to her dorm room in Crystal Academy only to find it occupied. Her mother was there, lips pursed, eyes wet, and knuckles clenched. “Where have you been?” she said tersely. It was fortunate that Fallon had not opted to come in through her bedroom mirror. She had instead transported to the bathroom to take a shower first. Her hair was still wet.

After too long a silence, her mother pressed again. “Fallon. Tell me right now. Do not lie to me.” Her eyes narrowed. “Where have you been?”

Slowly, Fallon set her bag down on its hook by the door. “How are you still here? It’s after hours.” There was caution in her voice. If her mother had alerted one of the matrons of the school, the police would have been called. At the very least, there would be a very irritated headmistress waiting to expel her.

Iva stood, one hand slashed the air beside her in a single definitive gesture. “I came here to surprise you for dinner. I came here at 9:00PM because I made special arrangements with your headmistress to keep you out late. We were going to have a girls night. But none of that matters now.” She folded her arms, anger rattling in the tensing of her muscles. “Where have you been for the past five hours?”

Magenta eyes roved across her mother’s face, drinking in the lines of tension. They had not seen each other in a long time. Ever since Fallon had come to America, they had been distant. The only time they saw each other was when Fallon was hospitalized for an extended stay, or the one brief moment when Iva believed she might be on the verge of a divorce. She knew her mother was in town, but her mother knew how she felt about surprises. Why would she do this?

And more importantly, what was Fallon going to say to explain it?

The silence had gone on too long. Fallon needed to reply before her mother started getting loud. It was not something she could afford in a sleeping dormitory. “I have a girlfriend in the building, mother,” she said suddenly. “We’ve been secretly dating for a month now, and if the matrons found out, we could both be punished. There is no fraternizing after hours -- either with boys snuck in from the outside or with your fellow students behind closed doors.” The teenager had chosen her card to play, and this had been it.

Iva loved her daughter, but she still struggled with the idea of her daughter’s sexuality. It was something that she tolerated. Fallon wanted her acceptance. In using this excuse. the cinnamon-haired girl had put her mother on the spot. Her words whispered, Reject this excuse, and you reject me.

Her mother stiffened, eyes avoiding direct contact. “You were with... your girlfriend,” she said, speaking so slowly it was as if she were learning a new language.

Fallon upped the ante. “Yes, in her bedroom alone. Her roommate is out of town. We don’t get many opportunities like this so--”

Iva held up a hand, silencing her daughter. She bent over and picked up her purse. “I have left you several voice mails. Don’t ignore my calls, Fallon. No matter... what you’re doing.” Bright eyes stared to the clock. “It’s late. I’m leaving.” Her mother breezed past her, and Fallon let some of the tension in her shoulders roll free.

She heard the door open, waited for it to close. Instead, her mother said, “I want to meet her. Bring her to dinner this weekend.” And then she left.

Dinner. This weekend.

Where was Fallon supposed to find a pretend girlfriend by then?