"That's fine," Glory said. She went into her room and put on some comfortable clothes good enough to leave the house in. Then she grabbed her keys and waited for Selena.

Selena eventually managed to get everything of hers together. She slung her bag over her shoulder and nodded. "All right, I'm good to go."

"Out to the car, then," Glory said, opening the door for her.

Selena thanked her for holding the door open and stepped outside, heading for the car. The air was surprisingly cool.

Starting up the car, Glory turned on the heater to chase off the chill and then pulled out, heading for Selena's house.

Selena relaxed into the passenger seat, trying to remember where she'd placed that suitcase.

((I'll be back--need to take a shower.))

Glory pulled up in front of Selena's house.

"And this would be your stop," she said.

Selena sighed, opening the passenger door and stepping out. "I'll be back out in a minute--I think I know where I put it. Unless you want to come in with me?" Her voice was hesitant.

"Do you want me to?" Glory asked. "I can wait here if you'd rather."

"I think the suitcase is in my mother's room," Selena admitted, sheepishly. "And I won't be able to sneak in there unless she's distracted..."

"Ah, I get it, you want me to play decoy," Glory said, turning the engine off. "Any ideas how I should do that?"

"She doesn't much care for me, but she shows interest in my friends for some reason...conversation is the best form of attack, there," Selena assured her, firmly.

"I can do that," Glory said, following Selena inside. "Just try to be quick, alright?"

Selena nodded as she stepped inside. It was a plain-looking house, with pale cream walls and blue carpeting. "Mama. I'm home..."

She stepped into the den, where there was an older-looking woman in a wheelchair sitting near the window, with a tall glass of...beer? Champagne? Something alcoholic, that's for sure. She said absolutely nothing to her daughter as she stared out of the window, even though Selena had been missing last night.

Selena also didn't say anything to her. She waited slowly for Glory to play her part.

Glory nodded to Selena, and then glanced out the window that Selena's mother was staring out of. She raised an eyebrow when she was able to see her car from the window.

"I can't imagine my car is that interesting," she said dryly. "It's not even a good car."

Selena quickly scampered off before her mother turned around in her wheelchair, a stern expression on her face. "...? What's this? I've never seen you before. You must be a new friend of Selena's, then?" Her voice was dead calm. There was no telling what sort of intentions were behind it. "The car was unfamiliar, so I wasn't sure who it was."

"Yeah, I just moved into the house on the beach, back at the beginning of the summer," Glory replied. "I live there with my grandmother."

"Ah...are you enjoying this town so far?" Painfully casual. Either she was trying to pry or she was friendly. And according to Selena, she wasn't friendly.

"I like it well enough," Glory replied neutrally. She knew exactly what Selena's mother was trying to do, and she wasn't going to fall for it.

"I prefer living out here--city living is so fast-paced...if you've been here since the summer, why is it that I'm only meeting you now?" Again, a bit of a prying attitude...

"The city has its perks," Glory replied. "I spent most of my summer getting to know the town, and I did a lot of swimming in the ocean."

Selena's mother seemed to have run out of things to say, and just in time as well, for Selena came striding out with the suitcase. It was a giant suitcase, nearly as large as she was, and on wheels.

"Thanks, Selena," Glory said, taking the suitcase. "I'll get it back to you." Turning, she sent Selena's mother a grin, though it ended up being a bit more of a smirk than she really wanted. "It was good talking to you."

Selena's mother lost some of her calm stature when Selena returned, for her eyes narrowed, but she nodded once, quickly. Selena, before her mother had a chance to say anything, waved to Glory. "You're welcome. I'll see you later." She quickly headed upstairs.

Glory saw what was going on and her own eyes narrowed a little. It seemed way to close to what she was experiencing from her own mother when she was younger.

"Let me know if you need another study partner, alright?" she said to Selena. She hoped that was vague enough for her mother not to get but Selena would still understand.