Eleven Favours I Owe Him (Kismet-on hold)

Chapter 14

To be edited***

Chapter 14

I wake up around seven-thirty feeling barely alive. The lids of my eyes keep closing, no matter how hard I try to open them. My arms fly to my head as skull ache from wearing my hood, and black hat forgetting entirely to take them off. I can feel the indentation on my scalp, making me wince.

The exhaustion dawned on me when I got home, I'm barely aware of how I manage to put myself in bed at three in the morning when I got home. I managed to sneak into the house quietly despite the rickety stairs without waking mom up. When I look in the mirror a small horrified yelp as I see my eyes are blood-shot, dark bags under them. Even I becomes frightened of my own reflection.

When I pick up my phone, it vibrates slightly symbolizing that I have unread messages. When I look, there are two, one is from Greyson, and the other from Tricia. I read Tricia's first.

There's a Halloween Gala next week, want to come? I already asked, my mom insist that you need to be here.

-Tricia

I think about it, for a moment, not really knowing how to respond. A part of me wants to go, but a part of me also just wants to skip it. The only reason I went to any of those Gala's is to help dad brush his image, although he never asked for it, I just thought I can help him that way. Now that he's gone, I feel that there is no reason for me to go.

I'll think about it. You have a date, yet?

-Em

After hitting send, I click on Greyson's message. It's a morning greeting, telling me to take care, and have a good day-pretty standard to even mention. The content of every text I receive everyday is the exact the same, neutral what I receive before he left. We talk all time through video call, and text message but no one ever really talk about what happened that day on the carnival. Given it's freshness of the wound, I expected nothing less.

Morning, Grey. Take care, my finals are coming up, going to be busy with schoolwork. Also halloween is coming up, any plans?

-Em

I reply briefly pocketing my phone. Slowly, like molasses on a winter morning I trudge down the stairs-where I find mom cooking pancakes for breakfast-to the washroom to wash myself. The faint smell of sourness washes as I run a cool damp cloth on my skin. When I reach my room, I peel off my clothes, and don on my a light grey hoodie and fresh pair ripped faded blue jeans.

I make my way to the kitchen, sitting on the chair right across mom where she has already started to eat. I greet her good morning, but it seems like she has not shaken the sleepiness off her eyes, yet as she response after a few seconds, a sleepy smile on her lips.

A tired yawn escapes my lips as I was about to take a forkful of pancake with bits of blueberry and a spoon of honey mixed in.

I eat my breakfast stifling a yawn each bite, and avoiding eye contact mom as the guilt gnaws on me. I bite my lip, drawing a deep breath, as I swallow a small piece of soft pancake that seems like will get stuck in my throat. I briefly glance at her as she takes a sip of her coffee, then a sigh escapes her lips, then her hazel eyes focuses on me.

Uh-oh.

"Okay, Emily. I know you weren't at Alvin's place last night," she starts softly, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I was going to let you off if you had told me the truth first thing you wake up. I know, Alvin is working until 12 in the morning last night." She drops, no hint of sternness in her voice. Instead its even and calm.

"I can explain," I cry, throwing my hands up in surrender.

"I trust you, honey. Just tell me the truth" She finally adds, tapping the table with her fingers patiently her eyes boring, making me swallow the hard lump on my throat.