Trust me, babe

Chapter 24

Kathryn

Saturday was a warm and sunny day, just perfect for a trip to the zoo. Although Kenzie had been a bit hesitant about my suggestion of visiting the Taronga Zoo — claiming going to zoos was something little kids did — Jacky and I had managed to convince her it would be a nice day. And so here we were, at the zoo, staring at the map and trying to decide where to go first.

"I want to see all the Australian species like koalas and kangaroos," Jacky said.

"Maybe we should follow the Australian walkabout -route then?" Kenzie suggested. "It seems like all the Australian species are placed along it."

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Sounds good."

"Lead the way, tourist guide," Jacky said, motioning for me to go first. Kenzie giggled and I rolled my eyes, her giggles taking me back to last summer when they weren't dating yet but she had a huge crush on him.

I glanced at the map once more before folding it and shoving it into my handbag. They followed after me and I noticed how Kenzie grabbed Jacky's hand. I realized I was the third wheel and it made me feel really lonely. Kenzie and Jacky had been really considerate during their stay here, not once rubbing their relationship in my face. But somehow seeing them together so casually made me want to have something like that. Someone whose hand to hold while walking through the zoo. Yet at the same time I didn't want that. I didn't want to open up to someone. To make myself vulnerable. To risk being hurt once again.

After a while I managed to push those thoughts away, my mind occupied with all the cute animals. We strolled lazily down the paths, stopping by the cages to look at the cute and funny and beautiful animals. We laughed at the funny things they did and took a lot of pictures of them and of us, especially of Kenzie. She kept sending photos of the animals and of us to our group chat with Sasha and her grumpy replies made us laugh.

"Hey, she sent a voice message," Kenzie said as we were admiring the platypuses.

"Seriously, Kenzie, stop spamming. It already sucks enough that I can't be there with you I don't need to see your stupid grinning faces in front of every single bush you come across," Sasha's voice echoed from Kenzies phone, making a few other tourists turn to look at us. "Plus, if I want to see a photo of a kangaroo, I'll google it."

Kenzie and I burst out laughing. That was such a Sasha-thing to say. We recorded her a voice message where we apologized and Kenzie pretended to be offended by Sasha not wanting to see our faces.

"At least this time I'm not spamming her while she's trying to sleep," Kenzie said and we burst out laughing again.

We continued along the Australian walkabout stopping to admire the cassowaries next.

"Those are the weirdest looking birds I've ever encountered," Jacky commented. "I wouldn't want to meet a flock of those in the wild."

"Yeah, me neither," Kenzie said.

But I couldn't focus on the cassowaries. I had spotted an awfully familiar head of blonde hair from the corner of my eye. And it was approaching us.

"Kathryn!" Samson exclaimed, waving at us.

His voice made Kenzie and Jacky turn around and I felt Kenzie's eyes on me.

"Hi!" Jacky said.

Samson, his sister Louisa and a middle-aged woman who I recognized as the aunt he had been waiting for at the airport, came over to us. Louisa glared at me and flicked her hair over her shoulder. It baffled me how she couldn't even try to be civil. She didn't have to like me but she didn't have to make her dislike so clear either.