Navigation is Tricky

Four

Kallitown was no Dubai, but it definitely had it's own charm. My mother walked in long strides, her slightly heeled boots clicking softly, melting into the quiet buzz around us. It was a lot cooler than I was used to, and there was a haze that seemed to cling on to the crisp, perpetually salty air. It wasn't completely dark yet, the sky was purpling slowly, and the black silhouettes of the birds seemed to disappear into oblivion.

We finally arrived at the restaurant, which smelt like fresh pizza and citronella, an intoxicating, but odd combination. I scanned the room to see whether there were any familiar faces, and lo and behold, Zachary's sandy hair came into view. He was sitting with another girl who was wearing a red dress and lipstick to match. Yup, Zachary was on a date, and I officially had no one to talk to.

My mother and I walked up to a small booth and settled down nicely. from where we were sitting, a clear view of the who on their hot date was given. I tried to avoid staring as much as possible, but I guess I wasn't doing a very good job.

"Is there someone you know?" My mother asked gently. She looked at me curiously and I cleared my throat.

"Yeah, my friend from school, he's on a date though." I replied honestly. My mother trusted me, and there was very little I kept from her. We ordered pizza

and gossiped a bit about my school. I gave her the essentials, glossing over some details which I deemed unnecessary.

Over time I had perfected the art of summaries, and my short bursts of living could be neatly divided into 100 word paragraphs. We chatted good-naturedly and I stole looks at Zachary and his date, wondering where he had been for the past few days. He looked uncomfortable, but the leggy siren seemed quite oblivious. It was quite topsy turvy to be honest, Zachary was cute, but not that cute.

I shrugged and attributed my indifference towards exposure. Yet, Charli's warning haunted me slightly. Was I becoming obsessed with them? I inhaled sharply and my heartbeat slowly picked up. I mean, I was staring at him right now. I clutched the table and looked at my mom apologetically.

"I need to go to the bathroom." I mumbled. I got up hurriedly and practically ran to the breezy restroom. My hands shook as I splashed cool water from the faucet onto my face. I looked at my red and sweaty face in the mirror.

"You. Are. Okay." I growled at myself. I took off my glasses and massaged my eyes. The ambient music playing in the background seemed to wash over me. To my horror, pressure suddenly rose to my face. A lump caught in my throat and for some reason, my eyes stung.

I clutched my face and squeezed my eyes shut. I will not cry. I had no reason to. I had a roof, food and a parent. I had the opportunity to travel all over the world and meet new people. Why did I feel so alone then? Why did I feel this pit of loneliness growing in the middle of my stomach? It seemed to consume me. I wiped my face, which was steadily rising in temperature, and I attempted to neutralize it by taking cool deep breaths.

Suddenly, the door clicked and the teenage Aphrodite (aka Zachary's date) walked in. I put my glasses on quickly and pretended to fix my flat black hair. She swung her hips as she walked, her curly brown hair fell in waves.

"Are you new here?" She posed suddenly. Ok Kitty, it's show time again. I smiled at her and made sure to keep my eyes wide, to prevent any treacherous tears from falling.

"Yeah, my name's Kitty, I moved here a couple of weeks ago." I delivered with confidence. So far so good. The thing about crying however, is that it comes out at odd times. Constant villigance is the key. I gulped slightly as my voice broke.

"What's your name?" I croaked. She looked at me pityingly and anger fumed through my face. No one pities Kitty. I kept a cool(ish) exterior, and looked her straight in her warm brown eyes. The bitch was hot. It was impossible to tell where she was from. Long legs and Classic looks. I was positively green.

"I'm Esmerelda."She grinned, showing off her perfect teeth. She looked oddly familiar, so I decided to give her a gentle nudge.

"Forgive me for prying, but I couldn't help but notice you with Zachary at the resteraunt." I said rushedly. Her red lips stretched into a smile, which seemed to break into laugher.

"Oh lord, what a charming thought." she gasped in between her laughter. "I'm Che's sister you see, Zachy's best friend." She tilted her sentence upwards, her concern for me was peppered in her choice of words and lightheartedness.

I nodded and smiled wryly. Maybe she was nice after all. Bringing my hair to the side, I smiled at her, clearing my throat.

"So are Che and Sunday joining you guys?"I asked nonchalantly. Her lip twitched slightly, definitely trying to hide something. I decided if I were to get anywhere with this, I have to play nice. I'm not a sociopath, I swear. 

"Do you go to Hopkins too?" I questioned. She nodded her hair from side to side, her hair bouncing more than ever. Up close, she looked a lot wearier. Her lipstick was smudged on her lower lip and I could see small lines forming near her eyes where her foundation, which didn't quite match her rich olive tone, was caked. 

"No, I graduated a year ago." She whispered, with a hint of nostalgia. "I'm doing Engineering right now at City College." I nodded my head in acceptance. She seemed like an overachiever, yet she was going to community college.  Something was up, and this girl was not perfect like I had originally imagined. 

"Actually, we're planning a surprise party for Che." She opened up. Ah, so that's what this whole jazz was about. I smiled neutrally, and was in a difficult position. If I ask when it is, I may be overstepping, but if I don't say anything, I was a cold hearted bitch. 

"Alright, good luck with that." I said warmly. I forced my smile to reach my eyes. This is the awkward moment where she either decides to invite me or not. She retouched her lipstick and looked at my wryly.  

"It's next Saturday, come around 4." With that, Esmerelda and her oodles of hair turned around and walked out. Time for my first fucking party in this town. A small smile graced my lips for the rest of the day, a million things about the party buzzing in my head.