Spring Cleaning

Chapter 1
Home from College

Chapter Description: She bolted inside, confident that she would have a free day as soon as she handled the formalities with her mother. Certainly some of her friends would know some good parties going on tonight.

It was 2:00 PM, the second day of Spring Break. A well-worn navy-blue automobile made its way down Magnolia Street and pulled in at the driveway of 126 -- a rustic, traditional house where the garage was open and a middle-aged man was busy cleaning the porch windows. The man looked up with a start, and grinned as he saw the car now bordering his lawn. He walked briskly over to the car, and as its busty brunette passenger stepped out he grinned widely.

"Hey, how’s my little angel? Come here, you!" Before she could say a word, Angela found herself trapped in her father’s embrace.

"Uh, yeah dad, happy to see you too...Can I breathe now?" With a chuckle, Angela’s dad released her.

"Yeah, I got a little carried away I guess," he admitted. "It’s just that I haven’t seen you since Christmas. Has everything been alright up at college? Dorm life treating you well?"

Angela paused briefly, hiding her feelings behind a chuckle. She didn’t want to tell him about the drama with her roommate, and she definitely didn’t want to tell him about how Brent -- the only boyfriend her dad had ever approved of -- had left her for a brainless blond named Betty.

"Yeah, dad," she said with a convincing smile, "everything’s been great." She closed the door of the car and then handed her dad the keys. "It was a long drive, do you think when you’re done with the window-washing you could go fill up the tank?" She looked at him pleadingly, knowing he couldn’t refuse those eyes.

"Eh..." He rubbed the back of his neck a bit, then looked back up at her and smirked. "Well, alright. You’re ready for a break, I understand."

Angela giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks daddy. I’m gonna go say hi to mom now, seeya in a while!" She bolted inside, confident that she would have a free day as soon as she handled the formalities with her mother. Certainly some of her friends would know some good parties going on tonight.

She set her luggage down in the foyer and then headed for the kitchen, where her mom usually was. Before she had a moment to think, Angela turned around and found herself face-to-face with her mother. After a quick gasp, Angela chuckled lightly and recovered.

"Hey mom, how are--"

Her mother cut in abruptly. "Angela Katherine Thomas, we need to have a chat. Follow me to the living room."

Feeling a bit confused, but not wanting to argue about it, Angela soon found herself seated on the couch beside her mother, who was wearing that "I’m trying to be patient with you" look on her face.

Her mother began, and she braced herself. "Alright Angie, listen up." The daughter groaned on the inside; she was twenty-one years old, and to hear her mom use such a juvenile nickname as "Angie" reminded Angela why she had decided upon dormitory life in the first place.

And then the maternal tirade started: "I asked you nicely to do it when you were in middle school. I asked you nicely to do it when you were in high school. I asked you nicely to do it after you graduated high school. I asked you nicely to do it the summer before you left for college, and I asked you nicely to do it the day before you left for college." The fake smile immediately disappeared. "Well, I’m through asking nicely -- Angela, clean your room!"

Angela was shocked. "But mom--"

"Yes, yes, I know: ’But mom!’ That’s what you always said, but you never did anything about it! I don’t know what the deal is with this mental roadblock, Angie. When I told you to eat your veggies, do your homework, and get to bed by nine, there was no problem. But in the twenty-one years we’ve spent together, I can’t remember you ever cleaning your room when I asked you to -- not once!"

"Mom, is this really that big of a deal?"

"Of course it’s a big deal! I was planning on turning your room into a guest room after you left, but I didn’t even know where to start when I opened the door! It’s an absolute mess, Angela. I don’t care if you’re fatigued from the long drive. You’re cleaning that room up today, and you’re not visiting any friends until you do. End of discussion."

"...But mom--"

"End of discussion!" Her mother rose quickly to her feet and strode out of the room, leaving Angela dazed and alone on the couch. Clean my room? On my first free day of Spring Break? Is she nuts?

Suddenly her mom poked her head back in the doorway. "Look at it this way, Angie: I was just going to throw most of that clutter away. But if you take care of it yourself, you’re the one who gets to decide what stays and what goes. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a few treasures worth keeping." With a wry smile glued to her face, Angela’s mother sped off and out of the room.

The disgruntled daughter sighed. Fuck. Oh well, I guess I might as well get this over with if I plan to see any of my friends tonight.

Angela made her way upstairs and stood near the threshold of her room. She knew it had to be in pretty bad shape for her mom to have made such a monumental fuss about it.

Resigning herself to the long hours ahead of her, Angela closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door.