Binded Strings

Chapter 3

I woke up to the beauty of the room, quite forgetting where I was, yawning deeply, I slipped out of the bed and walked to the kitchen.
     “Morning sleepy head”.Mom smiles at me.
      “Thank you Mom”.
      “For what?”.
      “For the vacation, and for the cute room”.I winked.
      “At first, your dad thought it was a waste of money but he is liking the whole idea already”.
      “So what's for breakfast”.I looked around the kitchen.
      “Just cereals, we haven't had time to go shopping to buy foodstuffs, but that's what I would do when I am done here”.
     “Would like to go for a stroll mom”. I said.
      “But you don't know the places around here, you could get lost sweetheart”.
     “There is nothing google maps can't do”.I stretched my phone.
      “Oh I see”. Mom giggles.
Hilly comes down from the stairs looking rugged from sleep, “Good morning mom”.She turns towards me, “Good Morning Kathy”.I had a feeling that greeting wasn't real.

      “Good morning to you too”.I mumbled.

       “Would you like to go with Kathy for the stroll?”.

       I turned towards mom immediately, “Mom!”.

       “No, I wouldn't want to spend the hours with her”.

       “Neither do I”.

       “You both will go out on a stroll together like sisters, and that is final!”. Mom said angrily.

      “Sure mom”, I murmured, picking up the milk for my cereal.

   

Few minutes later, I stood in front of Hilly's room, irritated by the way she stayed in her room dressed for hours.

      “We've got to go”.

      “One minute”.

      “You have been saying that the whole time”.

      She stepped out of the room, dressed in a floral gown, “it's not my fault if I wanna look perfect”.

       “Let's get this over with”.I snapped.

Peter walked in with Jacob, who was frowning deeply.
     
     “Anything I need to know about?”.Hilly walks towards peter.
     “Nothing to worry about babe”.Peter grins, “Where are you both of to”, he pauses and shifts uncomfortably then adds, “together”.
       “Mom decided it will do us good, if we stopped snapping at each other”.I said.
       “Well that's an improvement”.Peter grins again.
       “Not on my side”, Jacob stirs his coffee staring intensely at me.
       “Well nobody wants to know about that”.I snapped feeling my teeth gritting.
        “Everyone wants to, except you”.
        “Jacob we have matters to attend to”.Peter turns towards us, “You girls be safe”.
        “We will”. Hilly smiles at him and they both stare at each other for a while.
         I coughed loudly, “We really need to be going now”.
          We stepped out of the house.
         “I should have brought my phone, the view is insane”.Hilly says.
         “It sure is”.I agreed, and we were both surprised I did, it was actually the first time we both agreed on
something, we practically snapped at each other since we both met.We both turned onto a narrow street that is lined with tall, white buildings. The morning sun casts shadows on the cobblestone street, and the air is cool and fresh. As we walked, we could hear the sound of a church bell ringing in the distance. We passed a small shop selling fresh fruit, the scent of oranges and lemons filling the air. We turned a corner and saw a group of children playing in a fountain, laughing and splashing each other. They can hear the sound of water running over the stone, and they feel a sense of peace as they watch the children play.
      “Soon enough, I will have my own children and I really look forward to it”.
       “You're pregnant?”.
       “How did you know about that?”.She frowns.
       “Isn't it pretty obvious?”.
       “Ohhh, I guess so”.She says.
       “Does Peter know about it?”.I asked.
       “Soon enough, I want it to be a big surprise”.She smiles.We stopped to take in the sight of the Parthenon, the details of its architecture evident in the morning light. The columns, carved with intricate
designs, stand tall and proud. The intricate friezes, depicting scenes from Greek mythology, are visible on the sides of the building. We made our way to the steps leading up to the Parthenon, and we began to climb. As we both ascend, the view of the city below grows more expansive, the buildings and streets laid out before them. The morning sun is casting a warm glow over the city, and a gentle breeze blows through our air.Hilly stretched her hands apart like a bird do, and giggled as the air blows.As we both reached the top of the steps, we turned to take in the view. The Acropolis is spread out before them, the ancient ruins bathed in the morning light. In the distance, we can see the sea, glistening in the sun.
      “We would go there for the family picnic Kathy”.
      “We sure will”.I agreed yet again, already regretting my softness.
The breeze is stronger up here, carrying with it the scent of the sea and the flowers growing in the surrounding gardens. We take a seat on a stone bench, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. We are surrounded by the sounds of the city waking up, the birds chirping and the distant hum of traffic.Up here we could see a lot of tourists taking photos and videos.
       “Fuck!”.I breath.
       “What!”.Hilly says.
       “My battery is dead”.
       Your battery is what!”.
       I turned towards her, “You heard me Hilly”.
       “The fucking google map us our ticket home, no sane person will go out to a place she doesn't know without a…”.
       I couldn't take her insults anymore so I stopped her from going further, “Just shut the fuck up bitch”.
       I could hear her gasping, but I didn't give a damn, jumping out of my seat, I walked out of the building and into the street.
        “Wait for me!" .Hilly called out.
I could see a house standing by the corner and so I walked towards it, a guy stood by the door.
       “Excuse me”.
        He turns, “Lost?”.
       “Yes , how did you?”.
       “Happens every time”.
       “So are you gonna show us the way home or what handsome?”. Hilly snaps at him.
        “I don't help rude Ladies, so you may as well find your way home”.He frowns.
        “Am so sorry Mr”.I said.
        “It's Mitch”.
        “Am so sorry Mitch, we didn't mean to be rude”.
        “Okay, I would help you guys get back to your house if you give me the address”.
         “We just got here for our vacation so I am afraid we don't know the address”.
         “If you could describe it, I would know, I know a lot of houses, tourist stay when they come ''.
We walked through unfamiliar streets, for a moment I wondered if we wouldn't make it back home, when I heard his voice.
        “We are here”.
        “Finally, you're lucky you're cute, I wouldn’t behave too calmly if you weren't”. Hilly says not waiting for anyone, she goes into the house.
         “Sorry about that, she's not always like that and I am not sure about what she meant”.I felt disgusted defending Hilly, who would never do the same.
         “Sis?”.He asks.
     "Ewwww, gross, no, I breathed in quietly, “Kindoff”.
     “Oh" .He says.
      “Look, I am really grateful you helped us”.
      “It's my job to help lost tourist”.He winked and for the first time I took a look at him, tall like Jacob is, brown cute eyes, dark brown hair,thick eyebrows, I couldn't take my eyes off his good looks, Hilly was right.
       “Hmmm”,I searched for words.
.      “I have got to go, see you some other time?”.
       “Sure thing”.I watched as he merged into the crowd, then walked into the house, Hilly walked towards me.
        “What were you two talking about?”.
        “How about you don't intrude into my affair”.I snapped.
        “Whatever”.She rolls her eyes.
        Mom walks into the room, smiling brightly, perhaps thinking we were both getting along, “How was it?, you both were gone for hours”.
       “Kathy got us lost”.Hilly frowns
       “Hilly!”.
       “Kathy?”Mom’s eyes softened.
       “We are here Mom, a cute stranger helped us”.
         "You shouldn't be going anywhere with just anyone Kathy”.Mom warns.

      “But he was the only ticket home”.

      “You reassured me, you had your Google map”.

       “My battery went dead,"I explained.

       “So much for that”,Mom says, “You girls go change, lunch would be served in a minute or two”.

I lazily got into my room, screaming loudly my what I say, or who I saw.

        “Shut the damn door, people will think you are in trouble”. Jacob says.

         “Of course I am”.I locked the door.

         “What are you doing in my room?”.

I could hear a loud banging of the door, I turned towards Jacob, “Quick hide!”.When I was sure he wouldn't see me, I slowly opened the door.

        “Took you hours to open your door?”.Mom frowns.

        “I wanted to figure out how the locks work,"I smiled.

          “I heard you screaming sweetheart, is the any problem?”,she peeps into my room

          I blocked her way immediately,”Nothing mom, I was just singing, here”.I displayed an horrific dance
while singing or rather screaming.
        “That's embarrassing sweetheart, quit the horrific dance and the screaming”Mom says.
         “Sure mom”.She peeps around one more time before leaving the room.
Jacob comes out of the closet, looking angry, “I got to stay in a closet?”.
       “Serves you right, for going into a room you shouldn't”.
        “By the way”,he pauses, “that screaming thing you did, was a total embarrassment”.He smirks.
        “I had to do it to save your ass”.I shouted after him as he left the room.