Two long days go by. No knock from Poppy at my door. No sign of her in the street outside my house, either. Mom orders me to come along on a long list of errands: locating the new post office, shopping for bedding and matching throw pillows, and picking up groceries at the new high-end supermarket where she stocks up on six bottles of white wine. I drag my feet the entire time, hoping Mom will sense my misery and rethink her choice to delete Poppy like an app on a phone, or words you strike from a document with the click of a button. She can't just erase our friendship.

Why can't she see there was my life before Poppy? Boring, basic and babyish. Then, my life after Poppy? Fun, free and fabulous. Two different lives. I can't go back to the way things used to be. So I do what any thirteen year-old would do: I make her life as difficult as possible. When she turns her music up in the car, I turn it down. Every time she makes a suggestion, I roll my eyes and stare at my phone. When she talks to me, I tune her out. Instead of praising her choices at the Home Goods store, I grunt and groan. If she asks a question, I give one word answers instead of complete sentences. When she wants in, I push her out.

"What is with you today, Violet?" Mom nags while staring at me over her dark sunglasses as we walk to the car carrying four bags overflowing with merchandise. "Aren't you excited to stock up our new place?"

"You spent almost $1,000."

"So?" Mom shrugs.

"So... maybe I'm just not into material things like you. Maybe I'm into people and experiences."

"Are you calling me materialistic?" Her jaw drops.

"I don't know." Confrontation makes my body squirmy and weak. I can't look her in the eyes because I know I'm walking a fine line of independence and disrespect. "It's like all you care about these days is appearances. Like, we have to have the best, newest house and the prettiest hardwood floors. You have to get highlights and manicures and Botox."

Mom huffs loudly.

Uh oh. I've done it. I've pushed her over the edge.

"Violet, this is absurd! I want to take care of myself and feel good and you have a problem with it? I want to give you and Teddy the best life and that's somehow selfish?! I'm just doing the best I can. Don't fault me for wanting to live life to the fullest! I work hard. I pay the bills. And I'll have you know I plan to be active in the community and donate to charities. I'm not all about material things."

"I didn't say that."

"Well, you implied it, and that hurts me. It does." Mom shoots me a pained look, but I'm not buying it.

"You know what hurts? You taking away my only friend in this new place. The one person I know at my new school." With an angry sigh, I shove the two bags I'm holding at her, pull open the car door and plop down in the seat growing irritated with the sticky heat, my tired feet, and Mom's complete lack of concern for my happiness.

The rear door opens, I listen to Mom's dramatic sighs and the crunch of her placing the plastic shopping bags in the trunk. I brace myself for her wrath, but when Mom opens the driver's side door, she greets me with sympathetic eyes. "Is this about Poppy?"

I nod. Duh.

"All this time I thought it was your hormones raging, and you had finally turned into the ungrateful teenager who hates her mom everyone warned me about, but it's just about that silly girl?" Mom laughs and breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, Violet. Why didn't you say so?"

Her laughter is sandpaper on my skin. Poppy is not a 'silly girl' and neither am I. For the first time, I don't shrink down into my seat, I sit up straight. "I want you to let me see her again."

"I never said you couldn't see her again." Mom must think I am a total fool.

"You said, 'I forbid it.'" My arms cross and my voice deepens. I'm not backing down.

"What I said was, I need to meet her parents first. You know you shouldn't have been left home alone to swim in the pool. That's not safe. We don't know anything about this family, and judging by where she lives and how she looks--"

"Mom, stop! Just stop, okay?! Don't judge her or her parents by where she lives or what she wears or any of that crap. It's not fair." I am yelling. For the first time ever, I dared to raise my voice to my mother. "You don't know anything about Poppy. You don't know anything about her mom either. Did you know she is a nurse who works the late shift taking care of people at a nursing home? She's a single mom too. I know she's just doing her best. Why are you so awful?"

With that, Mom's mouth opens wide and she is speechless. My words hang in the air and I can't take them back. The realization pierces my heart and pokes me with the pain of regret. I could say sorry, but why bother: the damage is done. There is a fracture between Mom and me now which wasn't there before. A chasm, sharp and deep. I am a piece of her breaking off bit by bit, and one day I will be free. The thought is utterly thrilling and absolutely terrifying.

"I wasn't ready for this," is all Mom says the entire car ride home. No music and no conversation, just a silent void between her and me.

* * *

On the third day, there is an unexpected knock at the front door after dinnertime. I am scraping the remnants of salmon, green beans, and rice off my plate when the soft tapping reaches my ears and my heart leaps. It's Poppy, I just know it.

"Someone's at the door." Mom stares at Teddy, as if her very gaze is a direct order to answer the door.

"I'll get it. It's probably for me." I slide my plate into the pristine, white ceramic of our 'farmhouse' sink.

"For you?" Teddy knows who it might be because he hops up from the table like his chair is on fire.

I race him out of the kitchen and into the narrow hall leading to the foyer, but he beats me to the doorknob. When he opens the solid wood door, I am stupefied. It's just a middle-aged lady in dusty pink scrubs and beat-up sneakers. Her long, black hair is pulled into a neat bun on top of her head and her tired, brown eyes are rimmed with dark circles.

Who is this? I'm so disappointed it's not Poppy my mood crashes on the spot. For some reason, Teddy looks disappointed too. "Can I help you?" I ask.

"You must be Violet." When the woman smiles, her face lights up with more of a youthful glow and her parted lips reveal a little gap between her top two teeth. Just like Poppy.

"Oh my gosh, you're Poppy's mom!" It's the best surprise. I'm on my tiptoes, hopping up and down. Poppy sent her mom to make amends! "It's so nice to meet you. Please come in."

Poppy's mom steps in on the new jute rug Mom and I picked out yesterday. She peers over my shoulder, searching. "Is your mom available? I wanted to stop by and introduce myself. I'm on my break."

"Yeah, she's here." I turn toward the kitchen and scream, "Mom! Poppy's mother is here to meet you." This will fix everything.

Mom walks around the corner with a wine glass in her hand. She's at least two drinks in, which has loosened up her smile. She's wearing a big grin and a flowing sundress that ripples when she walks toward us. The spicy scent of her Gucci perfume greets us before she does. I look to Poppy's mom for a reaction. She stands with hands clasped below her waist. Patient and kind.

"Well, hello." Mom extends her hand. "I'm Rebecca Wilson. So nice to meet you."

"Celeste Cooper." Poppy's mom smiles warmly and shakes my mom's hand. "I apologize I wasn't at home to meet you the other day. I wanted to stop by and introduce myself. It sounds like our girls have hit it off."

"Oh, yes." Mom doesn't look so sure. "They certainly made a splash. In your pool. While they were at home alone?"

Mom's words, although delivered cordially, have teeth which bite their way through the pleasantries.

"I'm so sorry about that. Poppy is a bit of a free range child. It's just me and her since her father left, and I allow her roam and do as she pleases. She is very responsible and trustworthy, I assure you. But I will make sure she will does not use the the pool while I am out in the future."

"Free range? Like a chicken?" Mom's voice is so condescending I wince. "She certainly is free spirited."

"Yes, free spirited is the right word." Mrs. Cooper nods. "I work a lot, which means she is home alone often. If you are not comfortable with Poppy having Violet over unsupervised, I totally understand. We hope she can come visit us again sometime." She winks at me.

"Can I, Mom? Please?" If I put Mom on the spot, she's more likely to say yes.

"I'm sure we can arrange something." Mom gives me a smile that is unconvincing. "We're so busy getting settled, and with school starting in a few days, there's a lot going on."

"Well, I'd be happy to take Violet off your hands tomorrow for a sleepover. I'm off work and Poppy would love to see her again. I can pick her up around three o'clock. How does that sound?" Mrs. Cooper turns and puts her hand on my shoulder, almost like her question is for me, not Mom.

"Yes!" I cheer, and look at Mom with pleading eyes.

One eyebrow raises and she contemplates my fate. "We have a lot to do tomorrow--"

"Please, Mom?" I clasp my hands and beg her.

"I can help you out, Mom." Teddy speaks up and defends me for once. "Violet should form alliances before school starts. Eighth grade at a new school is like being the new guy in prison. She's got to find her gang for protection."

Mom's mouth opens wide and she shakes her head at Teddy in disapproval. "What?!"

Dad appears around the corner, his round face shiny and red from an afternoon of yard work. With a friendly smile and wave, he comes to Mom's side. His out-of-style basketball shorts, faded t-shirt, and honest grin are a stark contrast to Mom's dressy attire and forced smile. At least one of my parents is friendly.

"Hi there, I'm Paul Wilson. Violet's dad. And this is our son Teddy." Dad shakes Ms. Cooper's hand.

"Celeste Cooper. Poppy's mom. I was just inviting Violet over to our home tomorrow evening for a sleepover."

"Oh, that's nice." Dad places his palm on the small of Mom's back.

"We are so busy tomorrow." Mom takes a step away from Dad. "You know, all those chores."

"Mom, I will help you in the morning." I smile sweetly, pretending everything is fine between us, and turn to my father. "Dad, don't you think I can get everything done before I leave?"

"I don't see why not." Dad shrugs.

Will Mom cave under the pressure?

She bites her cheek and gives Dad a death stare for silent for three whole seconds. "I suppose you can go."

"Great. It's settled then. I'll pick her up tomorrow afternoon." Mrs. Cooper looks as happy as I do. "Thank you for giving us another chance. We'll take good care of her."

Mom simply nods and takes a sip from her glass, suddenly aware she is the only one drinking. "Celeste, would you care for a glass of wine?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I need to get back to work." She smiles demurely and ducks out the door. With a quick wave, she is gone.

"Thanks, Mom." I glide past her doing a victory dance as Dad and Teddy head back to the kitchen.

"Not so fast." Mom snags me by the sleeve of my t-shirt. "You're on probation. And so is Poppy. One bad decision by either one of you--"

Mom doesn't even finish her sentence. She doesn't have to, I can finish it all by myself. It's a warning. She'll be watching and taking notes, waiting for me to do something stupid.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]