CHASING SHADOWS

I

Kelvin Wills stares outside the room. His gaze was fixated on a particular figure; the silhouette of a maiden. He sighed softly as he fantasized about having a life with her.

"Snap out of your dream and
come help me with the dishes!". Lucinda, his stepsister called from the kitchen; nothing extraordinary just a room surrounded with usual kitchen utensils.

The wall was unpainted with crack marks on them. Kelvin grunted frustratingly. Why does she always have to be a party pooper. He hated the fact that she was his Dad's new wife's daughter and is now related to her. He mumbled some cusses under his breath.

Lucinda splashed water on his face and bursted into laughter almost causing her to tear up. “What was that for, you bitch?". He asked as he began rinsing the already soap washed dishes. “That's a wake up call to remind you Maya is too much for you. She deserves a more better guy than a shitty suck up".

Her voice spat hatred and resentment towards Kelvin. “Well,at least I've got someone, not some drunk nobody who sits on our couch and does nothing but sips beer".

Lucinda's eyes turned red with anger. What did you say?she demanded. “Oh,you heard me!". Kelvin said confidently staring directly at her brown eyes as he did his chore.

Lucinda gave him an angered look but Kelvin wasn't looking at her now, but on the dishes. He smiled when he saw Maya; this time she was helping a kid tie his shoes. What a sweet life it would be if Maya was by his side. No one had ever stared at him the way she did. Could she be in love with him or what?

Her eyes and her smile made his heart melt. He was so distracted with his daydream until Lucinda called out:
“Hey,lover boy, you dropped something!"
He snapped out of his trance and gasped  in shock. He'd dropped his stepmother's favorite blue plate. He didn't drop it, he said trying to defend himself but Lucinda wouldn't take that.

“Looks like you got yourself in a dilly.
If you don't want me to tell Mom, you've
gotta give me something in return". Kelvin stared at her with disgust and fear. Blackmail, really so that's what she's going with?

Angry tears began to pour from Kelvin's eyes. Look what love had made him do;it has made him drop his stepmother's plate. Now, he was at Lucinda's mercy or Lucinda's net. He sighed tired and exhausted. “Okay,you win, what do you want?"

He asked as he stared outside so not to meet her gaze. “Well,there are two things. Either,you forget about that Maya or you help me get Jason back. That bitch,Ariana just crossed the line by stealing him".

Jason was Lucinda's boyfriend. They'd been together for a year and her mother knew nothing about it. She feared if her mother finds out about it considering that her mother was always after the moolah of men she had affairs with,she might go after him to get close to his father and she doesn't want that.

“So,what's gonna be,lover boy?
Maya or Jason, time's ticking!". Kelvin clenched his fists but could do nothing. He sighed again. “You're a real piece of shit!". Lucinda just smirked. “Yeah,everyone knows that now chop chop!". Kelvin scoffed at her and stormed into his bedroom with angry tears while Lucinda sat on the kitchen counter glued to her phone like sticky tape on a wall.