A. Gautam
Although I had to keep my promise to Mrs. Lancaster, I was getting cold feet on the day of announcing my campaign. What was I thinking when I said yes? I was a single mother to a teen, and she needed me now more than ever because kids at her school were vicious. But I had kept my dreams on hold until Kiera needed me less and less. It seemed that day would never come. Now, the city of Rosali was ready for the first female mayor, and Mrs. Lancaster was going to fund my campaign. I truly couldn’t deny the opportunity, but now, I couldn’t dive into it either.
“Ready for the fundraiser luncheon?” I asked my daughter donned in a somber black outfit that looked fit for a funeral. There was no time to change. Besides, relatable kids fared better than prim and proper kids.
“Never been more ready,” Kiera said, putting her phone away with a sigh and dragging her backpack on the carpet.
As we grabbed donuts and milkshakes from the drive-through, I realized that only until last week, we used to eat oatmeal and smoothies together every morning and chat about our days.
“Did you want to get smoothies instead?” I asked, briefly stealing a glance of my daughter who was furiously typing on her phone. She hadn’t touched her food.
“Uh huh,” she said and remembered to start eating.
I was worried if being elected would ruin our relationship and if my only daughter was already pulling away from me.
Chapter 2: Kiera: Waiting
A. Gautam
My mother had no idea how bad Regina and her crew had been to me in the past few days. Every morning, when we could have had time for a chat, she was on her laptop and phone at the same time. Every night, I only saw her when she peeped into my room while still on the phone. She was a lightning bug that I saw too little of, but my heart warmed up every time I saw her face. We ate dinner at the same table but without saying a word to each other. In a way, it was good. At some point, I had to figure out how to get strength from within me. I had always relied on my mother for advice on everything. Maybe it was time to guide myself.
Even Aliya had stopped hanging out with me. She didn’t want to be Regina’s target. Yes, I was lonely, but I was used to that, too. The morning of the luncheon, Aliya warned me to stay away from my locker all day. Her text said that she would clean out whatever Regina had put in my locker before the day was over. Aliya was doing all the smart things. She was saving herself, and she was still helping me. I guess that is a kind of friendship, too.
I didn’t want to tell my mother what was going on anyway. She had taken care of me all my life. Now it was my turn to rise to the occasion and let her reach the dream. She wasn’t going anywhere anyway.
Which of these ideas is emphasized by the figurative language in paragraph 1 of chapter 2?
Responses
A Kiera thinks her mother feels too ambitious for her family. Kiera thinks her mother feels too ambitious for her family.
B Kiera doesn’t have friends, so she is lonely in her house. Kiera doesn’t have friends, so she is lonely in her house.
C Kiera finds the energy of her mother to be inspiring.Kiera finds the energy of her mother to be inspiring.
D Kiera feels strong affection and love for her mother.
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The idea emphasized by the figurative language in paragraph 1 of chapter 2 is:
D. Kiera feels strong affection and love for her mother.
The metaphor of her mother being a "lightning bug" that she sees too little of but whose presence still warms her heart reflects Kiera's deep affection for her mother, despite the physical distance created by her mother's busy lifestyle.
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