The Unknowables

Chapter 9

I sleep well that night, exhausted from all the happenings of the day and no sleep the previous night. After waking up at a decent time and going through my morning routine, which now includes preening my feathers, I face the dilemma of being backless shirtless. Back when I thought I was dying I had gotten rid of any shirt that didn’t have a high collar and long sleeves.

A decision I greatly regret now because it left me with no shirts that’ll let my wings move freely, not that I had owned a backless shirt before anyway. Now I didn’t even have a shirt I could alter to become backless. I grab my jacket and stow my wallet in my shoulder bag next to the books I promised Kitty. I stop on my way out to quickly poke my head into the kitchen.

“Nita? I’m going out.”

Nita looks up from the breakfast she’s making for us to eat together. My aunt and uncle both left last night, both eager to return to their labs. I would be lucky if I saw them again this week.

“What? So early? Don’t you want breakfast at least?”

“Well… I want to get to the mall before it gets crowded and get my school shopping done early.”

In a way it was true. I was going shopping, just not for school things. I want to get a backless shirt so I can meet the others as soon as possible.

“I’m worried about you little bird. You’ve hardly eaten anything for the past couple of days, and you look like you’ve hardly gotten an sleep recently either.”

The look Nita gives me is worried and just a little sad. I realize of course that she’s right, I haven’t been my self lately. If I’m going to keep the promise I gave to Lance I have to act as I normally would, so as to not raise suspicion. Also don’t want to worry Nita, I love her, she’s the mom I never had after all.

“You know what? Your right Nita, the mall can wait, let’s have breakfast.”

So I spend the morning helping Nita make and eat breakfast muffins with extra bacon on the side. She tells a funny story about how a teenage guy in the supermarket yesterday had split the skinny jeans he had been wearing. He had to wear a paper bag out around his waist. I’m practically chocking on my own laughter and I’m only just starting to breath again when she asks what I had been doing yesterday.

My aunt and uncle may not be around to give me the time of day, but Nita is attentive where my adopted parents are not. I’d have enough free leash to choke myself with if Nita wasn’t around to raise me and show me what’s right. She knows me better then anyone else, and she also knows when I’m lying to her. I have to tread carefully if I’m going to balance both my old and new life. I decide on a mixture of both truth and lies, or at the very least just enough so Nita can’t tell I’m lying.

“I wanted to get out of the house for a bit. Went for a walk, took a cab to a sandwich shop and met some people. We had coffee, talked for a while and had a little fun, a quick early movie and then came home for supper.”

“Well it’s always nice to get out and meet new people. Do you think you’ll see them again?”

“Ya, I think I will.”

I give an inner sigh of relief at being able to fool Nita’s lie detector. I help her put the dishes in the dishwasher and clean what  little mess was made in making our meal. I run back upstairs to grab my cell phone. On my way back down the house phone rings, I pause, Nita answers it.

“Hello, Pully residence, this is Nita speaking. Oh, hello Chelsea. Yes Wren is here. Oh? Well she told me she was going to be doing the same thing today. Yes, yes I’ll tell her. Ok, bye.”