We Need to Talk

It had been a frustrating day for Shawna. The teachers were always on her case, nagging her about being late for class, not turning her homework in on time, and a million other nit-picky things. When she had seen her mom sitting in the living room, it was obvious she was waiting for something—or someone—probably her. Whatever her mother wanted to discuss with her, Shawna was in no mood to hear about it.

That's when she saw the empty space on her desk where her computer monitor should have been. She looked around her room in disbelief. How could something like a computer monitor disappear? Where could it be? How. .. ? What... ? Her mom. It had to have something to do with her mom. That must be what she had been waiting to talk with her about. Shawna reached out and was just about to fling open her door and go charging out to confront her mother when she heard a knock. "Shawna? May I come in?" The door opened slightly. "We need to talk," Stevie said, poking her head into her daughter's room.