At the end of the hallway stood her mother with her arms folded across her chest and a stern look on her face.
"Don't 'Ehe... mommy?' me, young lady. Where do you think you are going?" she asked.
Alicia hesitated for a moment, trying to make up an excuse. "I-I"
"What took you so long last night to reach home?" Her mother raised an eyebrow skeptically, stepping forward. "I tried to call you too. You weren't picking up the calls, Alicia," she said, gesturing to the phone in her hand.
Alicia swallowed nervously. "My phone was dead. I forgot to charge it properly before the day."
Her mother stepped closer, eyeing her head to toe suspiciously. "And where were you planning to go sneaking out of the house?"
Alicia bit her lips feeling trapped and looked down at her feet. "Just a stroll down the street toward the library," she lied, lowering her voice
"Without telling me?" her mother asked, her voice still firm.
