The Pursuit

Three

THREE 

I spent the better part the next morning before interning working on my design once again. I woke up earlier than usual to fix all of the flaws of it before presenting it to Caleb. I didn't have time the night before due to my shift at the restaurant. I was running on five hours of sleep. 

Finally after an hour of erasing, I got the design to where I wanted it. I was very picky and a perfectionist about my designs. I looked at the time on the microwave in the kitchen. I only had about an hour and thirty minutes to get ready and be there on time. I wasn't risking being late again.

After a nice, refreshing shower I dressed into a black pencil skirt with a pale pink blouse tucked in. I rarely ever do so, but today I curled my hair into soft waves that flowed over my shoulders and back. I believed in the saying  dress to impress. 

Before leaving my apartment, I stashed a few granola bars into my bag and half ran to the bus stop catching the early bus this morning. I leaned my head against the window looking out into the sky. Unlike yesterday the weather was back to its gloomy state. The sun was barely peeking through the rain clouds, water threatening to fall. 

Living in Washington all my life made me sick and tired of the rain. Although when it comes down to it, I knew I would never trade it for anything else. I loved the place I grew up in. The bus was quiet, only the sounds of the vehicle rumbling down the road audible. 

I was staring off into the distance, that I didn't realize my phone had been ringing for a while now. Without looking at the caller id, I answered it before it could go to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Bethany? Hi, honey." 

Dad. What a surprise.

I took a deep breath and straightened in my chair. "Hey Dad. Why'd you call?" 

"I remembered about your internship at this company," he explained in his gruff voice. "I just wanted to wish you luck."

I told my father about my internship 

"It started yesterday," I informed him, irked. "Not that you would know."

"Oh yes I know. Stella, me, and your brother and sisters just got back from our trip to the Bahamas. We just arrived late yesterday night, just in time for their school you know?" He chuckled at the end. "Those little kids are growing up too fast."

"They're not my siblings," I gritted through my teeth. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Chris and Crystal were a set of twins that Stella, Dad's new wife, gave birth to five years ago. Tori was Stella's kid from her other marriage. As far as I knew, she was only a couple years younger than Ben. Somehow, Dad wanted all of us to be one big happy family. Likely.

"Bethany... You know I-" He was interrupted by a fumbling of phone for a minute then returned. "Sorry. Crystal stole the phone from me. Are you being a bad girl?" I heard him coo over his daughter. A loud squeal erupted from his end. 

I tore the phone away from my ear with annoyance.

Dad laughed. "Sorry. Crystal's always like this when she wakes up." 

"Look Dad," I said closing my eyes. "I have to go."

"All right. Tell me how-" 

I clicked the end call button and leaned back into my chair with a sigh of relief. It was always so difficult talking to my dad. He pretended that everything was fine, but in reality it was far from it. He may be fine, but Ben and I weren't. Our mom wasn't. It's all thanks to him.