Free Creatura by Nely Cab

head in it again. “Tell me!” I demanded.
    “It’s Christopher.” She waited for my reaction.
    “ No? !” I couldn’t believe it. “Judge Daniels? You’re lying to me, Mother!” I threw my hands up in the air. “I can’t believe it!”
    Judge Daniels was a bachelor known for not dating women in town because of his position—at least, that’s what my mother had told me when I tried to push her to ask him out. She didn’t want to risk her employment.
    “Did he ask you out, or did you ask him?”
    “He asked me, of course. I would never have the guts to do something like that.” My mom jumped off the bed and opened her closet.
    “What am I supposed to wear? How should I wear my hair?” She jumped on the bed and rustled around with the sheets. “Where’s that article?” She pulled a magazine, bookmarked with sticky notes.
    “Cosmo, Mom? Really?” I looked at her agape. “You’ve never read Cosmo in your life.”
    “I needed some ‘Tips for Dating in this Day and Age,’” she said holding the magazine cover up and pointing to the title of the article.
    “Just how long have you been planning this young lady?” I pulled a typical Claire question on her.
    “Well, he asked me on Monday, but I didn’t give him an answer till Wednesday. We’re keeping it very hush, hush at the office.”
    She smacked her forehead with the rolled up magazine. “What the heck am I supposed to talk to him about that doesn’t concern work?”
    “You’re supposed to get to know him out of the work environment. Even I know that. You can’t be this nervous about a date. It’s the most normal thing.”
    “Says a seventeen year-old that picked up the new guy at the library—easy for you to say!” She laughed, throwing the magazine at me.
    “I did not pick him up,” I said putting my hands on my waist. “And we’re talking about you, not about me.”
    “So what should I wear?” Claire said, hopping up and down like a kid.
    I walked over to her closet and laid out several outfits for her to choose from. She wasn’t too crazy about the sexy tops I chose. I waited in my room while she showered. Next we prepped her hair and makeup. By the time I was done with her, my mom looked like the hottie, hidden within the hottie, that she was.
     
    The doorbell rang.
    “I got it!” I yelled running down the stairs. I swung the door open and welcomed Judge Daniels into our house. The Judge, as everyone called him, was a tall, handsome forty-something year old man. He had a strong build and wore a cowboy hat and boots—very common for southern Texas. According to my mother he was in good shape for his age.
    We waited for my mother to make her grand entrance down the staircase. It didn’t take but maybe three minutes for Claire to appear at the foot of the stairwell. She should have made him wait more.
    The Judge’s eyes widened when he saw the transformation my mother had gone through. I was proud of my work and excited for my mother.
    “Have a good time kids,” I teased as they walked out the door.
    I locked the door and turned the T.V. on to see if anything interesting would catch my eye. It was past dinner time and my mom had left me some money for pizza. I retrieved my phone from my pant pocket and noticed an incoming call. It was Andy. My phone had been on silent mode all this time. I usually kept it like that at school, otherwise, I’d get in trouble. I hadn’t remembered to turn the ringer on.
    “I assumed you went home sick, so I asked the nurse and she told me you fainted. Why haven’t you answered your phone? I’ve been worried about you all day.” Andy sounded very upset.
    “I didn’t faint. I was just dizzy. I’m sorry I didn’t answer my phone, I didn’t know the ringer was off.”
    “My dad wants to talk to you… hang on.” She transferred the phone to Dr. Jameson.
    “Isis, are you feeling okay?”
    “Fine, Doctor. I felt a little dizzy this morning, but I’m okay now.”
    “Listen, I