The One

Out

 Karol waved goodbye to Accalia and Beo as they drove away from the house. She closed the door and turned around, only to find herself face-to-face with her parents, who were unsuccessfully stifling their laughter. The giggles soon subsided, and Anna broke the silence.

"What was that all about, baby girl?"

She raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly incredulous. "I thought it was Christian at the door, not the two of you! And why didn't you bring your house keys?"

Anna shot a playful look at William. "Ask your old dad; he always forgets, no matter how many times I remind him."

William chuckled. "That was my mistake. Well, Accalia and Beo were honking like crazy, so I panicked and closed the door before heading out with you."

"Whatever you say, you two. It's a good thing I was home. If not, you'd be stranded outside, waiting for me like usual. We both know Sharon is otherwise occupied with her fiancée."

"She's living her life," she retorted.

William's curiosity piqued. "So, what's going on with Christian?" He said, removing his shoes.

"Ugh, that guy," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "He spammed me with texts and freaked out when I didn't reply immediately. Then he claimed he was coming over, which I thought was just a lie. But then the doorbell rang, and I panicked, thinking it was him. I was ready to give him a piece of my mind, but it turned out to be you guys!"

"That's kind of cute, though," Anna smirked.

"Do you two really chat at this hour?" she asked, raising an eyebrow playfully as she walked toward the kitchen with her husband, Karol trailing behind.

"Yes, Mummy, we did, and it's perfectly normal for friends to do that, you know," she said, leaning against the countertop, meeting her parents' smiles. "By the way, are we going anywhere tomorrow?"

William looked thoughtful. "Nope, don't think so. Why?" he asked, gathering their shopping bags and placing them on the dining table.

"Can I just procrastinate at home?" she asked with a beaming smile, hiding her true motivation from them.

"Aren't you going to get bored wasting the whole day away?"

She shrugged playfully. "Nope! I can procrastinate all day, every day."

"Well, if that's what you want to do, we might as well make some plans. But if you're intent on procrastinating the whole day, we can all head out together."

"Fine, if you don't want me to. Okay, I'll come clean. I might ask Christian to take me to the library tomorrow. Happy?"

"Very happy," William replied as he rinsed their cups at the sink. "And you know you can just tell us the truth. No need to hide things; we're your parents, and we can tell something's up."

"I wasn't hiding anything, though. Seriously, can I just?"

"Yes, you can! You don't need to ask us for permission; you're an adult now," Anna encouraged gently.

"I know! It's just that I feel I should, especially since I'm still living under your roof."

"Don't worry about it, okay? Go ahead and enjoy your time with Christian. We might hang out with Accalia and Beo again, but we'll see about that tomorrow."

"Why do I see you two hanging out with them so often? Is there something I should know?" Karol narrowed her eyes at her parents suspiciously.

William and Anna exchanged a secretive glance and continued walking toward their bedroom, chuckling mischievously at their youngest daughter's curious gaze.

"Geez, this is all Christian's fault, and he's going to pay for it," she muttered under her breath, placing the blame on the unsuspecting Christian as she made her way to her room.

She flopped onto her bed, ready to unleash her thoughts onto her laptop when a notification pinged from her phone.

'What now!' Karol muttered under her breath, her fist clenching tightly as she engaged in a fleeting moment of shadowboxing, adrenaline coursing through her before she dared to open the message.

C: Sorry to bother you with my constant messages, but are you free tomorrow?

K: Nope, I'm not busy tomorrow, I think. Why?

C: Do you want to come with me? (smiley emoji)

K: Where to? (curious face emoji)

C: Just to my boring office, but you can say no if you're not up for it.

K: Okay then, no.

She couldn't suppress her laughter, as she teasingly rejected his invitation. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she envisioned his reaction to her playful text.

C: Why no? (sad emoji)

C: No, I mean, is there anything I can do to change your mind?

K: I'm kidding, I was just messing with you, Christian. Of course, I'd love to accompany you to your 'boring' office. (reply with a couple of laughing and sticking tongue-out emojis)

C: You naughty lady; you know how to make me go crazy. (devil emoji)

K: Hahaha, don't go nuts, it doesn't suit your appearance. (series of evil and laughing emojis)

K: What time should I get ready tomorrow?

C: I'll pick you up at 7.30 am, and we'll reach my office by 8 am.

K: Do you have any dress code for your office?

C: Not really, just proper attire.

K: Formal? Semi-formal? Oh, you don't need to be that formal unless you want me to look like a potato next to you! (laughing emoji)

C: Never! I need to be the cool guy to match your beautiful, fiery, head-turning appearance.

K: Don't flatter me too much; you won't get anything out of it! (laughing emoji) Okay, see you tomorrow, I mean today, at 7.30 am.

K: Sleep tight, Christian, goodnight.

C: You too, Karol, goodnight. Sleep well.

She pushed herself up from her bed, her fingers brushing against her laptop as she placed it on the desk, the lights flickering off as she moved towards the window. With a swift motion, she pulled the curtains wide open, revealing the night sky where the moon bathed the world in a silvery glow. Returning to her bed, she allowed herself to drift into sleep.

As always, her peeping mate was nearby, watching her with a soft smile, admiring the view of his companion before succumbing to slumber himself.