Dear Ocean Sky

Chapter 17.3 | Kata

Kata stood at the edge of the house, out of sight. She watched the road patiently, waiting for Alex to arrive. Finally, a car pulled up to the property and an awe-stuck Alex stepped out.

Alex: I'm here :)

Kata: Cool I'll be right there

Alex waved her mom off, and the car pulled out of the culdesac. Kata ran up to her friend and started pulling her along. It was almost completely dark, and Kata wanted to get to their destination before it was.

"Kata your house is huge." Alex gaped.

"Oh yeah, that's not my house," Kata replied nonchalantly. Kata knew she wouldn't have been able to convince her mom to let her see Alex, so she snuck out, asking Lana to cover for her. Lana did this graciously considering the fact that the two sisters did this for each other not too infrequently.

"What? Kata where are we going?" Alex asked frantically. "I thought we were going to your house!" Kata stopped for a moment so she could reassure Alex.

"I just said I would send you an address, not my address. My mother didn't agree to let me see you, I just snuck out of the house."

"Why didn't you tell me that?" Alex practically shrieked. Kata sighed.

"Because I figured you'd react kind of like this." Alex stopped in her tracks, and Kata turned to face her. She looked upset. Kata felt guilt curling tightly in her stomach. "I'm sorry Alex," she apologized sincerely. "But, I had to talk to you. I didn't want to do it at school and I didn't know how to do it over text. If you want to have your mom come get you I get it." she finished, half hoping that Alex would bail so that she wouldn't actually have to say anything. This was a stupid idea anyway, why did she ever think she could open up to someone? However, Alex's face softened and she took Kata's hand in her own.

"Okay. But please don't lie to me again." She paused. "Or I guess, not tell me the whole truth."

"Deal," Kata said, smiling and digging a flashlight out of her pocket and threading her fingers through Alex's. She thought she saw Alex's cheeks darken, and if it hadn't been for the cover of darkness rapidly approaching them, Kata would have clearly seen that Alex's cheeks had turned a deep crimson color.

Kata led Alex to the trees on the edge of the property line of the house they were by. This particular homeowner had decided to put up a fence all around their five acres of property, which Kata carefully avoided. She picked her way through the bushes and trees, looking back to help Alex every once in a while. The small forest of plants and trees stretched well beyond the ownership of any houses, and Kata led Alex farther and farther in. Kata started to pick up the pace after going around what she liked to call "the giving tree," because it was bent over halfway. They were almost to their destination. Kata smiled as she saw the wood structure a few yards away from them. She ran over to it and found the little battery box she kept hidden away. She turned it on, and the gazebo lit up.

"Whoa." Alex breathed. Kata smiled. This was her favorite place to come. She found it around the beginning of sixth grade when trekking through the trees. Then it was just a broken down gazebo, but with a mix of the skills she had learned through building sets in theatre, and multiple "hypothetical" questions asked to Lana, and maybe a little bit of help from her older sister she fixed it up. Sure, it was still beaten down and worn, but at least it was structurally sound. Plus, Kata had added a platform on the roof between two of the angles, where she could sit and have a perfect view of the stars. She also bought a strand of small battery-powered lights that she hung up inside the gazebo and added soft flooring so that it wouldn't hurt her feet to dance or walk on the bare slats of the gazebo ground without shoes.