Storm and Sunshine

1.

Nodi.

"Run faster if you really want to catch up with my jogging pace! " I shouted at Anika who was five hundred miles behind me. My best friend hates jogging, and I really just love pissing her off.

"Ugh,you're no fun, Nodi, jogging sucks".She's always complaining and I have to come up with motivation for her to do this, after all, she wanted this.

"I'm getting too fat for all my clothes, look, my jeans are literally getting ripped at the seams ." "oh my God, I need to start working out, soon I'll resemble a basketball ." "Nodi, we should start jogging ." Like I don't do that already.

That was two weeks ago and now she wants to quit? She was crying, tears all over the place and she just wants to back down now? "Anika,remember that dress you really want to wear for my birthday party? Well it won't look good on you if you aren't in shape, okay? And besides, we are almost home so quit being a big baby." I give the best pep talks.I think.

She scrunched her nose and mumbled some "I've just got thick bones" and "I'm not fat I'm fluffy " under her breath. This girl.

We approach her house after her struggle to jog down the hill. Who has trouble jogging down a hill anyway?
"Mom's preparing dinner, wanna come in? " she asks from her porch.
"I'll pass, Kaia is probably waiting for me,and believe me, the older she gets, the shorter her temper becomes"
Anika and I burst out laughing at this.

"Nodi, honey, how's your dear grandmother Venus? " Mrs. Murray peeps through the window and eyes us. "And do come in, dinner is already set" she gestures towards the table.

Lasagna.

My nostrils want to go, really, but my mind knows better. " She's doing just fine aunt Jackie, and she actually told me not to be late for dinner, maybe tomorrow? "

"Alright dear, please pass my regards, Anika, you stink, go take a shower before the food gets cold." I really should get going. "Campus tomorrow, Nik?"
"campus tomorrow, Nod." And with that she slammed the door and I continued jogging towards home.

My place was fifteen minutes away from Anika's so I took my time. Jogging. Thinking. Next year I'd be a college graduate, and maybe, just maybe, I'd move out of Kaia's house. Living with her is great, she's the only family I've got anyway, but I'd just love the taste of freedom, independence. She'd be sad, but she has to get over it eventually .

The last time I talked about moving out, she got furious, talking about how I no longer appreciate family. So I gave her space, three years is alright isn't it?

Sometimes I think she's not overreacting, she's just as sad as I am, thinking we only have each other, and not being strong enough to accept the fact that one day we will have to part ways, either by death or something.

I think she is sad because I'm the only family she's got, and I'm scared she's the only family I've got. Sometimes I wonder what happened to my parents. Did I have any siblings? Did they die too? Kaia only gives me limited information

"They died in a car crash when you were two... "
"why don't I have any memories of them? "
"Because you were two.. "

That's all she says, every. single. time. Sometimes I believe her, sometimes I don't.I don't blame her though, if my daughter died I wouldn't talk about it too, I'd keep the details to myself, for seventeen years. As if.

The lights are dim, why are they dim? Is my grandmother trying to be romantic? A laugh escaped my lips. Romantic. I see a shadow of a woman in the living room from the window. A young woman. Does Kaia have a friend over? Why does she have a friend over when the lights are dim? Is she being romantic with this other woman?
And why can't I see Kaia's shadow? Where is she? God. I reach for the door handle but it's locked. Way to keep the spare key in my backpack in my room. So I knock.

Silence .

Then a loud thud.

Then someone cursing under their breath .

Then the door opening.

Kaia. "You're late. "
"I'm really sorry I interrupted your date Kaia, I could go sleep over at Anika's if it's -"
"How long have you been standing there? " she asks. Long enough to know you found someone. "oh I just got here, "
"Your food's in the microwave, warm it and don't talk to me, I've had a long day "right. I'm not even hungry anymore. "I'll just take a shower and I'll be in my room, Kaia, goodnight " she didn't even respond, and I didn't wait for her response either.

After a soothing shower, I I decide to listen to some music and drift far away, away from this household, away from this earth, with the words that come back to me every night stuck in my head.

Pàre me sto spiti, ma aòrato pòrtes...

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Till next chapter,
Love,
Grace