Protagonist Backstory NaNoWriMo

Mia came home unexpectedly early the night that everything changed.  Cheerleader practice had been a wash.  Most of the girls on the squad were more interested in getting the details of Shannon Brooks’ latest breakup with her boyfriend, Peter, than in learning a new routine.  So, after a half an hour of dramatics, Mia had finally called practice off.  She was irritated, but of course she couldn’t show it.  Shannon was sobbing hysterically and theatrically on every available shoulder.  The best Mia could do was avoid being an available shoulder.  Peter had cheated (again) and had been caught (again) because he was too stupid to consider going anyplace else besides the food court at Northgate mall to make out with Alice Smithy, even though everyone knew that Shannon’s best friend, Katherine, worked at the mall.

The television wasn’t on when Mia walked in the front door.  Dad’s car was parked out front, and Dad was parked in front of the TV, but the TV wasn’t on.  That was the first sign that things had changed.  Or maybe it was the last sign.  Maybe it was just the first sign that Mia had noticed.  Maybe she had blithely sailed past every other warning that her life was about to go off the rails.  When Mia came into the living room Dad was sitting next to her sister, Emily, on the couch.  He was talking quietly to her, his head bent towards Em so their foreheads’ nearly touched. 

“What’s for dinner?”

They both jumped at the sound of Mia’s voice, and when they looked up, Mia could see tears streaming down Emily’s face.  She wasn’t sure what she should do.  Should she apologize and back out of the room?  Find out from Mom why Emily was upset?  Mia loved her little sister but they weren’t close.  They were too dissimilar.  Dad was the one Em needed right now.  Except, just then,  Em’s gaze caught Mia’s,  and she knew that whatever was wrong, it affected her too.

“Mom’s gone.  She left us,” Emily said.  Her voice was loud, and pitched an octave too high.

She didn’t believe Em, not at first.  In fact, she felt a quick frisson of irritation.  Her parents must have had a fight.  That was nothing new and nothing to get excited about.  Emily had a penchant for drama that rivaled Shannon’s.  But then her father made a harsh shushing noise and got up from the couch.  He looked scared.  When he took a step towards Mia, she took a quick step back.  It was like the simple routine she had been trying to learn at practice earlier this evening.  For every step he took forward, she took a step back.  When she reached the threshold of the living room, she turned and walked away.