Free Rising Tide: Dark Innocence (The Maura DeLuca Trilogy Book 1) by Claudette Melanson

answer her question?
    Ron saved me again.  “I think
I can explain,” he took a tentative step onto the living room carpet.
    I didn’t like the way Caelyn’s head
snapped around when she looked at him.  “What was your name again?” she
asked viciously.
    I saw him swallow hard as he
answered, “Ron.”
    She turned on him then.  “Well Ron ,” it sounded like she’d chewed on his name before spitting it out,
“do you mind telling me why it is you’re out with my daughter…when she’s
supposed to be with Katie Parker?   And after you’ve answered that,
I’d really love to know why you would bring her home wearing only that !!” 
She pointed the index finger of her shaking hand at me, standing on the plush,
blue carpet next to our couch, holding onto its arm for support, my knees
knocking together.
    Ron went a little pale…I couldn’t
stand to see my hero wrongly accused.
    “Mom! Listen to me!  If-if it
weren’t for him, for Ron…Mom I’d be dead right now!”  I shouted it
all out quickly, before she had a chance to silence me again.
    “What…” she suddenly looked like
she might have a fainting fit, as well, reaching out to catch the doorframe for
support.  Ron, ever the gentleman, steadied her by stepping over to let
her lean against him.  I was surprised to see her reach up to grip his
considerable shoulder.
    She blinked her eyes heavily and
then looked at me again.  “What did you just say, Maura?”
    “Mom, Ron…he just happened to be
camping near to where we went swimming…”  I just lied a little bit.
    “Swimming?!”  Caelyn’s eyes
burned again, “You never said anything about swimming, and at this time of
year? What were you thinking?”
    “I guess you didn’t tell your mom
where you were really going?”  Ron raised an eyebrow at me disapprovingly.
    My cheeks burned at that.  I
noticed Caelyn look at him with a little more softness then.  Oh well, at
least one of us would be off the hook.
    “I didn’t,” I admitted, “but if I
can get back to defending you….”
    “Continue,” he said calmly.
    “Don’t you think you should go put
something else on, Maura?” Caelyn interrupted sharply.  This probably
meant two things.  One, she didn’t want me to continue standing here
half-dressed in front of our male guest.  Two, she was going to pump Ron
for information in case I was holding out on her about anything else.  I
couldn’t really blame her, Caelyn wasn’t used to having me lie to her about
anything.  I didn’t think it was a good time to tell her I’d merely
started acting like any other normal teenager. 
    “Yes,” I sighed and trudged up the
stairs to my room.  I could hear her start before I’d even cleared the
last step.
    “Ron, just where were all of you
tonight?” 
    I hoped she’d at least let him
explain that he wasn’t part of that horrible group who’d devastated me
earlier.  I was trying not to think about what they’d done, but it keep
invading my consciousness, making me feel nauseous every time it permeated my
thoughts.  I’d always known I was different, but I never imagined that
difference could make me so hated.  I wiped fresh tears away, as I entered
the safe haven of my room.
    I dug out my favorite fuzzy
pajamas, not caring if Ron had to see them.  My gaze fell with longing
onto my PlayStation, and I couldn’t wait to escape into some Final Fantasy
VIII .  But…I doubted I would get much of a reprieve from the lecture
my mother was sure to deliver tonight, and I wanted to take a shower. 
Finally get warm all the way through to my bones…and wash away the blood—thank
God Caelyn hadn’t noticed—that was grossly matted into my hair.  I kept
catching its metallic scent, and for some reason that was really bothering me,
it kept capturing my attention like a mosquito buzzing at my ear.  At
least I’d managed to hide the gash up next to my temple with my hair.  The
water was really going to make it