Two swears in one sentence, Lisa silently counted. Her mother had always hated swears and would make her and Andy pay a quarter every time she heard one. The mere fact that she herself was using such strong words was a clear sign that she was going into a super panic.
Carol rose to her feet, her fists clenched and her eyes aflame. Her cheeks were red, as though she was sunburned. "Girls, get dressed and meet me in the car," she said before storming out.
Jen looked over at the pair of sisters, both of whom looked as though someone had just pulled a gun on them. "Ever seen her like that?" she asked tentatively.
"One time," Andy replied. "You were too young to remember, Lisa, but I was playing with the microwave, just trying to see how many things I could fry up. Well, I kind of put a bag of silverware in it and..." her voice trailed off as though she was experiencing some terrible flashback. "Well, good luck!" she called as she hurried out the door.
"This is bad," Lisa commented as she threw some clothes on at random.
Jennifer nodded silently.
The girls raced out to the car, Lisa immediatley jumping into the back seat, leaving Jennifer for the front. Jennifer cast her a deadly glance before taking her seat.
"Mom, what exactly are you doing?"
"Heading to the jail to find Cromarte," Carol replied, her voice lacking its usual gentleness.
"I don't think they'll just let you walk in," Lisa sheepishly noted.
Carol didn't reply; her wrist forcefully turned the key and she sped out of the driveway and towards the heart of the town. Jennifer was growing very nervous, as each time the car had to stop or suffer a traffic violation, Carol's hand would slide down her back through her shirt and touch her new bristly growth.
The fifteen minutes it took to get to the county jail felt more like an hour, and Carol was in no better mood when they arrived, judging from the sound of the car door slamming behind her.
Lisa and Jen trailed behind her as though they were unwilling participants in a heist, whereas Carol appeared to be trying out for football!
She flung the doors wide open and a skeptical man in uniform sitting at a desk raised his eyebrows as the engranged woman began marching through the room. "Can I help you?" he asked.
Carol didn't answer, she just grabbed Lisa's hand and marched her into the cells. Jennifer opted to stay behind and try and explain the situation to the officer, knowing full well that Carol could get in serious trouble.
Carol dragged Lisa through rows of cells, the vast majority of the unoccupied, until finally Coach Cromarte's figure came into view, her eyes staring blankly at the pair, immediately recognizing her former cheerleader.
Carol stopped in front of the cell's iron bars and kicked them forcefully. Cromarte's face went white with fear.
"Do you know what you've done?" Carol asked, tears again spilling out.
"I had no idea they would work that way," Cromarte pleaded. "I was only trying to enhance their performance in a way more natural than steroids."
Carol gently pulled Lisa beside her. "Show her," she commanded. Lisa's body was trembling, never in her life being so afraid of another person. Her fingers clutched the bottom of her shirt and slowly lifted it, revealing her fuzzy abdomen.
"This - this is what you've done to those girls, and that's not even all of it," Carol stammered.
Lisa thrust her shirt down and backed away from the scene at the sound of rushing footsteps. Turning, she saw the officer from before running through the corridor, Jennifer striving to keep up.
"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded to know, pushing Carol back away from the cell.
"Do you know what this woman had done?" she asked, incredulous.
The officer sighed. "Of course I know, but you are in violation of the law, madam."
"What if it was your child?"
The officer lowered his guard a bit now. "I'm going to let this one slide, but I urge you to leave the department. We've set a trial date for five weeks from now, and the victims and their families will be asked to testify. You'll be recieving a summons in the mail," he explained. "Have your revenge in court."
Jennifer took Carol by the hand and the three women left the department. The girls piled into the backseat, including a grief-stricken Carol. She pulled both girls into a deep embrace.
"I'm so sorry," she said softly.
Lisa finally allowed herself to cry genuinely. "Am I a freak to you now?" she asked.
Carol's eyes widened. Never before had her daughter ever questioned her love and acceptance, and here she was asking her blankly if she was a freak.
"Of course you're not!" Carol replied, stroking her youngest daughter's cheek. "You girls are not freaks. I'm sorry if I sounded that way to you, but it's only because I love you so much. It's just that I didn't think you'd be looking this way for such a long time, and I never imagined you'd have that much hair." She bit her lower lip as she clung to the pair of girls. "From now on, I want to know exactly what's going on with your bodies. I don't want to invade on your privacy, but if I could inspect you every once in a while, it would make me feel much better, and I want you girls to both talk to me about it."
Lisa and Jen nodded their heads and Carol climbed back into the drivers' seat.
Having worked up an upset stomach, she immediately fell bedridden upon arrival at home. Lisa opted to stay by her side until she got better, leaving Jennifer and Andy to entertain themselves.