Prison is at home.

[Jotun†]

Trudging up a slight hill to get home, Kayla was not looking forward to coming back into her household. Today had been a bad day, certaintly, and her father was bound to make it worse, both with his intrusiveness and the orders he gave her that he tried to pass off as fatherly advice. If she was lucky she could avoid him until dinner, but they ate at often unpredictable times, depending on her parents plans for the day. Walking in the door, Kayla could tell that she was not going to have a good day, becuase food was already cooking. Her parents would, at least, be out of the house later in the afternoon, but she also needed to confront her father now.

"Kayla, dinner's almost ready, come get ready." Was Kayla's mother's way of greeting Kayla home. Dropping her backpack in the porch she went straight to the dining room, where her father was already waiting. It was a silent two minutes in which Kayla's mother joined them, after serving dinner, and then Kayla's father led them in grace.

"We're going out tonight, Kayla." Said her father, bluntly.

"Okay." Kayla started eating, determined not to enter conversation.

"There's a party which certain people of influence have been invited to. I must attend. I will phone before coming home to see if you need anything else to heat, on account of having dinner early." Kayla's father was a Catholic minister with a gift for business - he held stock in many rising corporations and other things Kayla didn't understand. He was certaintly lying about calling about food, he was warning her that she had best be home to answer the phone..

"Okay." Again nonchalently, Kayla hurried to finish her supper. She noticed her mother tense herself.

"Is something wrong?" Her father. Was she that easy to read? Was he expecting argument or a snide remark? Or was he calling her on her non-committed response?

"I'm fine." And Kayla knew, from having to lie to Felix several times, she'd just done poorly.

"Felix was at school today, wasn't he?" There was scorn in his voice but he didn't seem truly worried. "Is he walking again?"

"No, he's not." Said Kayla. Her temper was rising, she was in a room talking with her least favorite person to talk to, about her least favorite person ever.

"Don't let him make you think you made a mistake. Breaking up with him was the bets thing you could have done." He was being consoling, but it was a lie, he just hated Felix. Kayla sympathized, but didn't like his attempt at keeping her under control.

"Well, if that's what you think maybe I did make a mistake." Kayla said coolly, but her temper was speaking for her regardless. She finished the last of her food and walked away, her father protesting but not rising as she went to her room.