Strings of Fate

Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning and take the best shower I have had in a while. The steam evaporates off my skin, releasing my fears about today. The maid must have restocked my bathroom because there are three kinds of soaps: lavender, vanilla, and something with a foreign flower on the bottle. When I return to my room, a uniform is spread across my bed. There's a black blazer with a Woodland Academy crest stitched with red and gold thread across the left beast. The blouse is white, and the skirt is plaid red. On my dresser is a black tie folded neatly.

I put on the uniform and glance at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting my collar. The shirt feels stiff on my body like it was made for someone else. I pull my hair back into a half-up ponytail, leaving my bangs to frame my face. I have never worn a uniform before, but I guess it's better than finding something new to wear every day. Plus, it's hard to say how these Woodland Academy Students will be; at least I can blend in.

I head downstairs and find Danny slumped over the couch, tapping a notebook with the eraser of his pencil. His hands shake, and he runs his fingers along his beard. His undereyes are purple, and I can tell he hasn't slept.

"Sorry I didn't have time to make breakfast this morning," he shouts over his shoulder. "I planned on surprising you, but I was in the studio until 4 am with the guys."

"It's fine," I tell him, looking through the refrigerator. I find a peach yogurt and peel the lid.

"It's not," he mutters. "You've been here one day, and I've already been a shitty Dad."

"No, you haven't."

"I should've been there yesterday to get you." He says." "Things are just so hectic right now. The label wants me to release a new album by the end of the year, and I've only written a few songs."

Danny tucks the pencil behind his ear and reads from his notepad. "Here is what I've got so far: I went through all these trenches. Lost and thinking, how you could've been mine. Now you're gone, and it'll never be our time." He pauses and looks at me. "What do you think?"

I shrug. "It's not bad... Maybe it'll come together when you're in the studio."

Danny shakes his head. "That's what I thought, too, but after a six-hour session, I still have nothing."

I take a spoonful of yogurt. "I'm sure something will come to you. My mother always said if something is meant for you, it'll come to you."

Danny walks over to me and reaches for a carton of orange juice in the fridge. He takes a swig, "She's a smart woman."

"The smartest." I agree.

Danny's eyes get soft. "I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you're going through right now. I know it's weird being here, and there's so much you probably want to know. But I want you to be comfortable here. This is your home now."

I smile at Danny. I know he means well, but this isn't my home, and it will never be. Without my mother, I don't know where home is.

"Do you know where the bus stop is?" I ask.

"You're not going to have Felix take you? Or drive yourself?" Danny asks this like it's normal to have a driver take you to school.

I laugh. "I don't have a car."

Danny makes his way towards a drawer near the stove. "Do you have a license? You're sixteen, right?"

"Yes, I have a license."

"Pick a color."

I laugh. "What?"

Danny twirls three keys around his index finger. "Red, black or blue?"