"Ouch," Leigh winced, handing the phone back to Kylee after reading over the brief conversation she had with her mother. "I'm sorry, Ky. She seems like such a hardass."

Kylee sighed as she tossed her phone on her bed and reached over to Leigh's lap and stole some pretzels from the bowl of unhealthy junk food the girl had made the both of them. They were in their pajamas, having stopped studying for the night, and were watching Friends on Leigh's laptop. "Tell me about it. I can't do anything without that woman knowing about it."

Leigh shifted the bowl slightly so it tilted toward Kylee so she could pick out what she wanted. "Honestly, I can't wait for the day you decide to tell her where she can stick her snobby nose. Karma exists, my dear, and she's on the top of the list."

"Ha!" Kylee chuckled at Leigh. "I bet you my mother pays Karma off with the money she stole from my father before sticking her boot in his face and shoving him in prison." She moved a strand of brown hair behind her ear, leaning back against the wall with her head resting against it. She side eyed her friend and said, "Karma always skips her, it seems."

"One day, she'll get what's coming," Leigh insisted, pointing a veggie straw at Kylee. Kylee only
hoped she was right.

She didn't know how much more suffocating she could handle under her mother's iron cold grip.