It all started when I turned 18

Epilogue

I opened the door of my house and I was surprised to find three pairs of eyes looking at me. I totally forgot that they were coming back on that day.

"You my dear have a lot to explain!" mom was the one who said that. She stood in the middle of the living room with her hands on her chest and a serious look on her face.

Sherry ran to me and hugged me tightly.

"Woah, look at you! Someone might think she is the one who came back from a long journey after weeks," dad commented, amused by Sherry but what he didn't know was I really came back from a long journey, from the journey of life and death.

"Wait, Is that...Is that blood?" mom asked, only now noticing the dried blood stains on my blouse. She quickly walked to me and inspected it close "Did something happen? Are you okay?" she asked looking into my eyes, I could see how worried she was through her eyes.

"No, mom. It's not my blood," I told her before realising what I said and quickly corrected myself, "I mean it's not blood, we had a science project on something so this ended on my shirt," I lied hoping that the blouse was dark enough to support my lies.

"Ah," she nodded falling for it.

"So, where were you till this late?" she asked pointing at the watch on the wall. I looked at it and realised it was pretty late, it read 1am.

"Like I said we had a science project. It's deadline is tomorrow so we were busy getting it done. And I lost track of time. Sorry, it won't happen again," I lied to her again, I was telling so many lies on one day, correction night.

"And who is the guy that dropped you here, your boyfriend?" Dad asked and after seeing my questioning look he added, "We heard a car outside and when we looked on the window we saw a guy dropping you here."

"Oh, no...that wasn't my boyfriend. It was Kyle, one of the guy we were doing project with. He is Betty's boyfriend," I answered him. I could see him relieved after hearing that. I have never seen Dad being all Dady over boys before. Maybe that was because I never brought home any guy before.

Mom looked at me closer inspecting if there was any hint of lies, I knew she wouldn't find any because after the day's events I was too tired for other emotions to show on my face.

"You can ask Betty if you don't believe me, she was there with me," I told her. It wasn't entirely false though. Betty was there and we had a project which deadline was today, not a science one though.

"I believe you," Mom told me and then hugged me tightly, "I really missed you," she told me after releasing me.

Dad walked to me and hugged me too, "missed you kiddo," he told me. He then released me and looked at me with a smile on his face. "Tell me.. how do you feel being eighteen? Being officially an adult?" Dad asked jokingly reminding me of my birthday which felt like it was years ago when it was just few days ago.

"I feel old," I answered him with a smile and they laughed at that. Sherry stayed quiet looking at me, she must have been so worried and I'm sure she was dying to hear every detail of what happened but that wasn't the right time so she stayed there quite holding it all in.

"I'm sorry we couldn't be here on your birthday, I promise you we will have a big party this weekend to celebrate your birthday. You can invite all your friends. And before you say no to the party, please let me do that to atleast release some of my guilty, will you?" she asked and much to her surprise I nodded agreeing for the party. Although I was feeling down a while ago, my mood started to light up with her here, with my family around.

"So, what did we miss?" she asked in excitement so that we can fill her in on what she missed when she was gone. Mom likes to know everything happening to us. She would sit and listen to even the smallest things happening to us, and we usually have a lot to tell her, except that time.