Replay Of Shades

17

ENID

Although the partying was still very much going on, as agreed, Maya and I bade Cedar and his friends goodbye once it was 12am and left the club. I wasn't drunk when we did, just tipsy, but since Maya was sober, she took over in driving us to her place where I intend to spend the night and leave from there for work the next day.

After apologizing to her again for running my mouth like that to Cedar about her pregnancy, unintentionally, of course, which she waved off saying he was bound to find out later anyway, I became unsually quiet. Maya must have had a lot on mind, too, as she had turned quiet herself.

Tonight was just one of those nights when I was feeling unbearably sad. Knowing my birthday was in four days didn't help either.

I later pulled out my phone out of the pocket of the leather jacket belonging to Chase that I still had on and unlocked it. Opening up my gallery, I went ahead to rest my head against the window and began to scroll it all the way down until I reached one of my old pictures from six years ago.

It was the picture Maya took of me on the morning of my birthday that year in college. We had classes that morning, and we had both taken a few pictures before splitting up and heading to our different classes.

In the picture, my hair was held in a low pony tail. And, my outfit consisted of a soft green, plaid tweed mini dress and a pair of black lace-up ankle boots. On my left shoulder hung a cute black backpack.

It was May 2, and that happened to be the same day that I found out about my real parents.

~Six years ago~

Returning home that evening after another yet memorable outing with Maya, I went up to my dad's study where I was positive he would be since he wasn't in his bedroom when I'd gone to check for him there.

However, it turned out he wasn't in his study either when I got there. I was just about to leave when I began to hear his approaching footsteps. In the mood to joke around, I ran and hid behind his desk.

I heard him mention my name when he walked inside. When he did, my initial thought was that he knew I was there in his study until he continued speaking, and I realized he was on a call with someone.

I cringed behind the desk where I was hiding, when he suddenly began to yell, 'She's better off not knowing about her real parents. Don't you think it'll break her to find out her father was a monster and because of jealousy, he deliberately started a fire which cost him his life and Jane's?'

Hearing him say that, I tried convincing myself he was probably referring to someone else, not me, but to my dismay, no sooner did he mention the name of the woman I'd thought was my mother. She was the person he was on the phone with.

'I've said this before, and I'll say it again, let it rest, Mabel. Let it rest.' He dismissed before ending the call in anger.

'That's right, I wonder if she's back yet. I should go and get her present from my room first.' He muttered, leaving the study again.

I could have tried to hold on to the false belief that what I heard wasn't true but, the new realization explained a few things, for instance how it had been so easy for her to leave after dad came clean to her about his secret son, and her not wanting anything to do with me following that.

She didn't try calling me once, and when I did, she'd told me never to call her again. Hearing her say those words to me had hurt like crazy.

It wasn't long after I returned to my room that Dad came knocking. He let himself inside when I didn't answer.