CHECK

Chapter 4

After crying till there were no more tears left in her ducts, Iris sat up and folded her legs underneath her. She stretched to grab her backpack so she could pull out her Apple laptop.

Turning it on, she sniffled then wiped her nose with the handle of her hoodie. She tapped on the Skype icon and dialled Amanda with her breath being cut short every minute.

"Hi, Ris." Amanda picked, greeting in a high pitched voice, swivelling on a black office chair.

"Hi," dry toned Iris with sore eyes.

Amanda paused then pushed her head forward with both her eyes squinted at the screen, "Have you been crying?"

Iris cleared her throat and averted her gaze down, pinching at her nails and feeling her throat run dry-tears were filling her eyes once again.

"Talk to me." Amanda's tone fell.

"Well," Iris took in a sharp breath and swallowed a ball of saliva, "Mother stopped me from going out. She saw me out and clutched my arm so hard, it hurt." Iris nursed her sore arm, fanning her eyes to push back the tears in. "I feel like a prisoner and I don't know if I'll complete my check list."

"Don't say that," Amanda said with a scowl, snapping her fingers as if forbidding the words that had just slipped out of her best friend's mouth. "You're going to have a life by completing that bucket list and as for your mom-" she started, "Don't get angry at her, she's just showing she cares and wants nothing to happen to you... She's your momma bear and you, her baby bear. She just wants to protect what's hers. I'd do the same with my only child. I even wish my parents would care for me like that."

"They say one man's food is another man's poison." Iris shrugged, feeling a little lighter.

"True and that's why you're not gonna let this ruin your vacation. Sneak out, but don't go too far or get into trouble. Complete the list... I already checked take two fingers out of my list." Amanda winked and Iris couldn't help, but smile at her naughty best friend.

"Bad girl!" Iris teased before a rap on the door took her attention away from Amanda. "I gotta go, someone's by my door. Love ya." Iris blew a kiss and Mandy caught it.

With that, she closed the laptop and placed it beside her before laying flat on her stomach.

"Come in." Iris croaked.

The door creaked open. Her mother poked in her head with an apologetic look on her face.

"Baby?" She slid into the room, hands behind her as she stood just beside the light switch. "Can I come in?"

"You're already in, mother." Iris muttered, looking anywhere but her mother's face.

"Okay," her mother sighed, inching close and sitting with one of her legs folded under her body. "I'm sorry for what happened, I was scared I'd lose you again."

"What do you mean by again?" Ris sat up, confusion mixed with curiosity camped in her heart.

"I'm sorry. Want some chocolates?" Her mother pulled out a box of m and m with Skittles, waving it excitedly in the air.

"Yes! I want Skittles." Iris beamed, grabbing the boxes and helping herself to a handful of Skittles first.

*********

It was a cold night and the breeze that blew was the kind that pricked the skin like a thousand needles. Many laid asleep in bed, but Iris was wide awake-pacing around her queen sized bedroom.

She crept to her room door and placed both her palms on it for support before she finally leaned in with her right ear glued to the door. Groans escaped from her lips when she could still hear her parents talking.

"What are they yapping about by this time?" She left her door, feeling frustrated.

Iris rocked back and forth on her heels, waiting for her parents to fall asleep so she could carry out her master plan.

After waiting for twenty minutes which felt like forever to Iris, everywhere became eerily quiet. She proceeded to open her room door, making sure to be as quiet as a mouse.

Tiptoeing out of her room, she glanced around the huge purple hallway that had doors on each sides. Finally, she sneaked out of the house with excitement gushing through her veins.

With a thumping heart, she ran like the wind to the fresh scent of the sea and pulled up short when she could feel the cold water caressing her bare feet.

Her head went up and her eyes admired the night sky. It was adorned with a blanket of stars that stretched to infinity. She curled her toes, enjoying the wet feeling of the sand.

Iris glanced over her shoulders to make sure she was alone. Satisfied with how empty the place was, she decided to swim naked.

"For the bucket list." She whispered and pulled off her clothes, leaving her in just her bikini. "At least, it's dark and no can see me."

She had a once over at the place again, while holding the sides of her panties. She tugged it down and just when it was below her butt, she almost had a heart attack.

"What are you doing?" The voice of a male questioned and she hastily put her hands on her chest to stop her heart from exploding.

"I was-I was-" she stumbled over her words before her brain signalled her that she was still butt naked. Almost.

Hastily, she pulled her bikini up and bit her bottom lip to hide the color the slap of embarrassment had given her.

"You were-" He folded his arms against his chest and Iris took a step back, suddenly giggling uncontrollably as she tried to drink in his features, but couldn't-it was dark.

"-Checking if I had a bikini on." She rushed her words without thinking then bit her tongue by mistake. "No, I wasn't checking if I-I was just-"

She paused when she suddenly felt her tongue stinging from the bite. Iris winced with her tongue held in between her teeth. "I was enjoying the sea breeze."

She sounded like she was saying jargons. Her whole body heated up when she could feel his predator unwavering gaze scanning her entire body.

"Ow! That hurts." She fanned he mouth with her eyes screwed shut then took a step back. "I-"

Abruptly, she turned to make it for her house, but tumbled upon a rock and fell face flat on the ground, completing her sentence in the sand.

"Sorry." She could hear him mumble and chuckle lowly.

Quickly, she sprang up to her feet and glanced over her shoulder. Needles pricking her very skin as she ridiculed herself in front of whoever the boy was. Goosebumps took over her entire body.

"I gotta go," she said and pivoted on her heels.

"Wait!" His voice rang out, but she didn't turn back. All the voice in her head chanted was... Run.