Mara emerged from her room late enough that she figured some snarky comment was coming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the days when her mom did have the energy to be awake at what she considered normal hours, she would do her best to be what she considered a normal mom. Today, she had cooked bacon in the oven and scrambled a big plate\u2019s worth of eggs\u2014Mara was on the hook for her own coffee and toast\u2014and she would be annoyed that Mara wasn\u2019t awake to hang out with her. Not so annoyed that she\u2019d stay mad, of course. But Mara had to brace herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the TV, some dead-eyed stone-faced Food Network host was talking about the best way to kick your next barbecue up a notch. He was gripping a rack of ribs with tongs. He was in some sort of desert and balancing in cowboy boots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe is risen, she is risen indeed,\u201d her mom said from her recliner. \u201cEggs might be cold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wish I was at work, too, Mom,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid I say all that? Did I say good morning Miss Mara, I assume you\u2019ve been in your room filling out applications since 5:30 a.m., surely you must have several interviews lined up already<\/em>? Did I say those things? Did I say just imagine, today would be the last day of your first week at Lilypad<\/em>? No I did not. All I said was it\u2019s nine o\u2019clock already.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know, Mom. I didn\u2019t sleep super well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell I\u2019m sorry to hear that, I really am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat time do you work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGo in at four.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTired. What else is new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mara settled on the loveseat on the other side of the coffee table. She didn\u2019t mind lukewarm eggs, because her Mom put a ton of pepper on them. She watched her mom watch the barbecue man kick the party up a notch<\/em>. She couldn\u2019t care about how to take a can of baked beans to the next level<\/em>, so she pulled out her phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The screen from last night was the first thing that popped up. A Reddit thread about all the dead body dumping at Salt Shed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She wasn\u2019t starting her morning on that subreddit. But she remembered what Melissa said about evil having an echo. Had she purposefully left that tab up on her phone last night? Could she afford not<\/em> to scroll through, in the off-chance that her tired brain had seen a clue? Tired brain last night, shit, her coffee hadn\u2019t kicked in for this morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow that looks good,\u201d her mom said at the TV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mara looked over at her mom, past her reclined head to her work shirt resting on top of her bag. Pills in that bag, vitamin supplements. A full water bottle. An extra cardigan. Mara\u2019s shoulders were like shoes dangling over a power line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing her mom in a Jewel polo made her want to rob every bank in the country. It made her want to go downtown and throw rocks through the Blue Cross Blue Shield building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She couldn\u2019t start her day on murder research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow see, I don\u2019t know why he\u2019s putting breadcrumbs on that mac and cheese,\u201d her mom said. \u201cI hate breadcrumbs on my mac and cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mara went to her room, came back with her laptop. Made a rule to apply for at least three jobs before any more murder research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They passed the morning like this. Mara filling out endless forms, her mom watching other people cook. Every host seemed so confident. Their dishes tasted so good. Mara couldn\u2019t remember a time she or her mom had cooked anything they\u2019d seen someone else cook on TV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the early afternoon, Mara made a frozen pizza for them to share. They ate it while watching a travel host eat fried crickets. After what didn\u2019t seem to Mara like enough food, her mom pushed her plate away. Stood up. Said something about needing to get ready for work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Mara could think of a kind way to ask if she\u2019d had enough pizza, her mom disappeared into the bathroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the computer screen, an email came through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mara sat and processed what should have been good news. Eyed the pizza. She could go for another slice, but she felt like boxing the leftovers up and tucking them in her mom\u2019s bag. Just in case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her mom reappeared, coat on, despite the forecast of a cloudless, windless, 73-degree summer evening. She looked like she hadn\u2019t enjoyed the standing up she\u2019d just had to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, looks like I got an interview on Monday,\u201d Mara said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood news!\u201d her mom said, and left. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The TV was still on. The host who couldn\u2019t walk in cowboy boots was back. Now, he was talking loudly and authoritatively about Hatch chiles, while winking and nodding every time he said a word in Spanish. His pronunciations exaggerated and wrong. Next to him, a Mexican woman folded tamales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mara turned off the TV. It was either that or throw her coffee mug through the monitor. Still, the silence had a bitter aftertaste. She ate a slice of pizza, but it felt wrong even going down her stomach. She packed the rest of the slices away and left a PIZZA IN THE FRIDGE <\/em>note on the whiteboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New jacket on\u2014cloudless, windless, 73-degree summer evening<\/em>, but amulet<\/em>, Mara thought to herself\u2014she pulled on Chuck Taylors and headed outside without a destination in mind. Maybe The Muse, that was a 15-minute walk. She didn\u2019t know anyone playing tonight, though. Maybe The Hollywood Club. She didn\u2019t drink, but they had live DJs spinning either reggae or 90s R&B on Friday nights. Either one felt like the right vibe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She walked about a block before deciding to text either Parth or Melissa. She settled on Parth first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey what are you doing? Thinking of swinging by Hollywood Club<\/em>, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The block was quiet. Lights just starting to come on, even though the sun was barely setting. Mara wished she had weed, suddenly felt very motivated to interview well on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just finishing up with the WaveRace97 guys at Winona Studios<\/em>, Parth said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n WaveRace97 was a heavy-synth dance band that had seen their star rise after some YouTube videos of them covering 90s pop anthems went viral. They were Chicago\u2019s most in-demand Corporate Event Band or Neighborhood Festival Headliner or Wedding Band. The millennials were in charge now, and apparently, they demanded Wheatus\u2019s \u201cTeenage Dirtbag\u201d or Michelle Branch\u2019s \u201cEverywhere\u201d run through a filter of yacht rock and Nintendo menu screen music. Their bass player had seen Crystal Lake Counselors and introduced himself to Parth after the show. Eventually, they talked about Parth singing some guest vocals on a track, and the bands playing a show together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Parth tried to act like it wasn\u2019t a big deal, but Mara could tell. WaveRace97 wasn\u2019t either of their favorite bands, but Mara could admit they were fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing honest, I don\u2019t hate it,\u201d Parth had said. \u201cSome of their originals I really like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winona Studios was something of a legend in the Chicago music scene. Lots of bands recorded their first EPs taking advantage of Winona\u2019s First Time Hardest Time Discount. Then again, Winona Studios had come up more than once in Mara\u2019s death research. Mara didn\u2019t believe in ghosts, but she didn\u2019t doubt anyone who said Winona Stufios was haunted or cursed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her phone buzzed with a triplet string of texts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey so are you going to Hollywood Club? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You know it\u2019s reggae night yeah? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fine with it. Meet you there?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mara felt herself forget whatever had just been bothering her. She jammed her hands in her jacket pockets. Liked that her jacket hung lower than her shorts. Felt cool in her Los Crudos shirt. Let evil echo some other night<\/em>, she thought, and walked off towards The Hollywood Club and Parth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mara emerged from her room late enough that she figured some snarky comment was coming. 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