P H O E N I X
It's every kid's dream to find a present at their doorstep. For me, it just so happened to be a new model of a Mazda which I would have been delighted to see, had I not been sorely reminded that my license was suspended. After that, I felt incredibly depressed looking at the vehicle parked on the curb that I knew I wouldn't be able to ride anytime soon.
"Maybe Santa came early this year." Kat said, running her hand across the glossy paint in awe.
I crossed past her and into the interior of the car where I found an envelope along with the keys in the glove compartment. I opened the envelope and the birthday card inside, recognising who the messy scrawl belonged to.
"Nope, just dad." I informed whilst getting out at the same time, Kat on my tail.
"Dad? Does it say anything else?" I handed the card to her even though I knew she would be disappointed. She never showed it as expected, instead handing it back wordlessly and heading for the garage.
"Kat--"
"Don't say it."
I tossed her an air pump for her bike tyres. "I wasn't going to."
Once we'd gotten our bikes sorted in relative silence, we set off for school. Ever since my license was suspended, cycling was my go to mode of transport and since my mom left before us to drop Ethan to soccer practice, it meant that Kat also had to bear the consequences of my actions. Normally she'd complain about the predicament she'd been forced into but today she was unusually quiet and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.
Our father was always a sore subject to be brought up. After the divorce, he always did try to visit and call but as the years went by, we began to get more distant. It was strange at first, walking through a house that he was no longer in but soon we got used to it. Today was just a unexpected surprise.
When we arrived at school I was still in the middle of securing my bike as Kat shouldered her bag. "I'm sure he'll call." I said in a low voice just as she was about to walk away.
She stopped mid-step and looked over her shoulder. "What makes you think I care?"
"I think you care more than you let on." I tweaked her shoulder strap so it lay flat.
"Why are you defending him?" She accused.
"I'm not." I frowned, rethinking what I'd said. "Just give him some time."
Her next words were so icy that they even made me feel cold. "He could be dead for all I care."
"You don't mean that." I called after her but she was already off on her own accord. I spotted Jay in her path, he stopped to say hi to her, which she ignored, before making his way over to where I was.
"Is she okay?" He asked, both of us watching her back retreat into the crowd.
"No." I said. He waited for more and I sighed. "It's our dad."
"Aah." He nodded sympathetically, already knowing the whole situation within our family just as I knew with his, and fished around his pocket for something. "Maybe this will cheer her up."
He opened his palm to reveal three colourfully printed tickets. "The circus? We haven't been there since we were ten years old."
"Exactly." He smiled. "I thought it'd be nice to go out and do something fun. Elsa wasn't interested and. . . Chloe had something else on so Kat could come along instead."
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Take Me Away | ✓
Novela Juvenilin which two troubled kids try to get their lives back on track despite their past and all the obstacles they face [completed]