Lifeline (Marc Guiu)

Chapter 11

"Crap! Crap! Crap crap crap!"

"Where were you?"

"Hi, mum. I...".

"Your grandma has been waiting to see you for two hours. Do you know how hard it is for her to be here for so long?"

Alicia knew and she felt so bad. "The job took longer than expected and then the train...".

"Go say hello to your grandmother now".

Alicia left the suitcase by the front door and went to the living room. There was her grandma, looking like she was about to fall asleep.

"Hi nana, sorry I was late".

"Ali, my darling. Come here, I want to give you a hug".

But her grandmother was too weak to hug anyone so it was Alicia who wrapped her arms around her, trying not to hurt her. She was so fragile. "Sorry".

"It's ok. You were working?"

"Yes".

"Good girl".

"What are you wearing?", asked her dad.

"What?", she looked down and realised she had forgotten she was wearing Marc's t-shirt. "My dress got dirty so someone at the shoot let me wear his t-shirt".

"I think I need to go", said Alicia's grandma and her nurse was quickly by her side. "Honey, why don't you come visit me soon? I know I'm not great company for a young girl like you but we can watch a movie and you can use that nice make-up you have to make me pretty. Like you did when you were a kid".

"I'm a little better at doing someone's make up than I was back then".

"I bet you are. I'll go now. I love you sweetie".

"I love you too, nana", said Alicia, kissing her grandma's cheek.

Alicia looked at her mum helping the nurse take her grandma back to the car.

"Where were you?"

"I was working, dad. You know that".

"You miss assignments from uni, you forget about your grandmother who is ill...and you come back wearing that? Whether it's the job you claim it is or a boy who's distracting you, it ends now".

"I didn't...".

"You live in our house and you follow our rules. We pay for your university so you can have a good future. We let you pretend you will be a make-up artist because we're middle class and that's what we do. We get bored of spending money and have to pretend we'll do something different and quirky before it's time to follow the path that was set for us since we were born. I pretended to be a photographer for a minute too. But I never forgot my responsibilities. Remember your brother's dreams about being an actor? Well, he isn't one now, is he?"

"I haven't forgotten my responsibilities either", tried to say Alicia.

"If you miss another important thing for that job, it's over. This whole letting you do whatever you want will be over".

"I won't".

"And that guy you're seeing better not distract you either".

There was no point in saying she wasn't seeing a boy because her face would betray her. And she didn't want Marc to be a part of this mess. That was why Alicia felt she couldn't date anyone. Not until she was gone from her parents' house. And especially not now that they knew how good a liar Alicia could be. She lost a big part of their trust.

"Mum...".

"Friday afternoon, right after uni, you go to your grandma's and spend the whole afternoon with her. You hear me?"