She was late and she knew it.
If she got lucky, mom would be asleep. Dad, on the other hand, probably wouldn't be a problem even if he was awake, which she highly doubted.
Taking the keys out of her bag she stepped in front of the door.
The door flung open.
"Where have you been!?"
She looked at her mother from behind her long black hair, which had fallen in front of her eyes from behind her ears.
"With Mir. At the fair", she answered matter-of-factly before slipping in by her mother.
"Mir?" her mother repeated momentarily dumbfounded. The dark haired girl could hear how her mother slammed the door shut and came after her. She hurried into her room and locked the door only seconds before her mother reached it.
"The fair closed down four hours ago", she heard her mother say.
"And?"
"So where were you?" the mother demanded. Children could be so frustrating, she thought. And worrying. Especially teenagers. And who was Mir?

The girl on the other side of the door changed into her pajamas and then opened the door. Why did her mother need to be so difficult? She really didn't want to lie to her, but if she kept on pushing her she'd be forced to.

"You said you'd go alone", her mother continued, following her daughter to the bathroom where she started to brush her teeth. The toothbrush halted halfway into her mouth. Actually, the girl thought, I already lied to her.
"I met her there at the fair. We went to eat after it closed down and then we just walked around talking", she told. It sounded believable, probably because it was (almost) true. "I totally forgot about the time." She put down the toothbrush and hugged her mother. "I'm sorry."
Her mother wrapped her arms around her daughter. "You worried me", she said, accepting the explanation, as it was easier. She withdrew and stroked her daughter's cheek.
"Why didn't you answer the phone?"
"Oh", the girl said. "I forgot to turn the sounds on after school."
"Okay", her mother said and turned to go.
"Oh, one thing. Who's Mir?" she asked over her shoulder.
She didn't get an answer.
"Violet?"