A Tea Party Under Venusian Skies

Crowds.

Luna hated crowds.

So why was it that she was in the midst of the shopping district? The one place that big crowds were guaranteed to be? Luna didn't really know, to be honest. She just didn't feel like going to school today. Especially after what had happened.

She needed to clear her head, and standing around in this mass of people wasn't going to do it. She scratched the back of her head and started to head towards the quietest place she could think of that was nearby.

The Cafe Violette.

It was probably open around this time anyway, so Luna saw no harm in wasting her time there. She made her way down those familiar back streets and alleyways, once again spotting that same purple neon sign that she had grown to love. Home.

Of course, it was mostly empty as per usual. Luna wondered how it had managed to stay open for all these years.

Opening the door, she made her way inside. In an almost robotic fashion, she bought herself a cappuccino and sat herself down at the nearest table.

She emptied two sugar packets into the cup and watched as the white sugar was slowly engulfed by the foam which blanketed the top of the cup. Using a paddle pop stick she stirred the coffee, it's nutty smells slithering up her nostrils. She watched as the brown liquid swirled and spun beneath her, like a whirlpool that was trying to pull her in. It was mesmerising.

She snapped back to reality when she heard the door swing open with a familiar creak.

Who would come to the Cafe Violette at this hour?

Her curiosity reaching its peak, she looked up to find her mother standing across the table from her. For what seemed like centuries, the two of them just stared at one another for a while. Neither of them knowing what to say.

Her mother had long, black hair was neatly done up in a bun. There was an extremely sullen, serious look that was smeared all over her face. Her lips appeared to have been twisted into a permanent scowl. A pair of perfectly round, metallic, golden eyeglasses sat perched upon her nose and behind them sat a pair of condescending, glaring eyes which seemed to be drilling straight into her. She was wearing the kind of stuff she always wore. A tight-fitting, white, dress shirt which was accompanied by a dark-red blazer and black skirt.

Her mother was the first to speak:

"I knew I'd find you here," she said monotonously.

"What do you want?" Luna spat.

Her mother nonchalantly walked up to her, and in one swift motion, sat down opposite her at the table Luna was sitting at.

"You have to stop this childishness, Luna"

"Childishness?" Luna sneered, "Maybe if you acted more like a parent, I wouldn't be this 'childish.'"

"This has nothing to do with me," her mother muttered, "It's because you're trying to act like an adult, even though you know nothing, nothing about the real world."

She crossed her arms, the scowl on her face intensifying.

"Tell me Luna, whose house are you crashing over tonight?"

Luna flinched.

"I-I don't know."

"Hmmph, that's what I thought."

Luna's mother continued: "You're only surviving because of all the money I put into your bank account every week. "

"You'd be dead without me, and you know it."

Luna pounded her fist on the table, knocking over her cup. The contents of the cup drizzling slowly off the side of the table, forming a small, misshapen puddle on the floor below and some of it getting on her black hoodie. But she didn't care.

Luna got up from her seat, grabbed her bag, and made her way towards the door.

"You don't know anything about me," she screamed desperately, "Nothing at all!"

Her mother just continued to stare at her, not a shred of sympathy present within her eyes.

"Just.. just stay away from me," she muttered, "Just stay away."

Luna sprinted out the door, knowing that all she could do was run.

Because that was what she'd been doing for her whole life.