Our lives

E l e v e n

~ Katie ~

"Hey, midget, you've got a surfing lesson this morning." Nicole's voice floated from the doorway.

"I don't think I really want to go..." I sighed, closing my eyes again.

"Katie? Doesn't want to go surfing? Do you feel sick or something?" Nicole asked, coming closer and resting a hand on my forehead. I rolled my eyes and swatted her hand away impatiently.

"No. I just...I have my mind on other things and I'll get real distracted and..."

"MUM! ADAM! KATIE SAYS SHE DOESN'T WANT TO GO SURFING" Nicole yelled, blue eyes crinkling at the corner, just like Jason's did when he was amused.

Jason...Just thinking of him made me feel queasy and worried. Really, if I just hadn't been looking out of the window at that exact moment, I wouldn't have felt like this.

I snapped back to reality when I realized that three people were staring at me with the same expression. One eyebrow raised, Nicole and mum with hands on their hips and Adam's arms crossed against his chest.

"What?"

"Nothing stops you from surfing lessons. Nothing. When you had cross-country the day before and you moaned and groaned about your legs aching, you still went. When a bee stung you on your foot, you still went. When your grades were dropping and you had to do that make-up assignment that was due the next day, which you hadn't even started, you still went. When you got your perio-"

"Oh god Nicole, we get the gist" Adam coughed, looking uncomfortable.

"Adam, Adam, Adam, you're going to have to get used to the word per-"

"Nicole! Seriously, I just ate" He pulled a face, lightly shuddering.

"The point Nicole is trying to make is that, you surf no matter what. What's changed your mind this time?" Mum said, ignoring Nicole and Adam's mini barter behind her.

"Well," I cleared my throat, not really wanting to bring the subject up. "Did...did dad ever get a kid?"

Adam and Nicole stopped fighting and glanced my way, eyes widening in surprise and shock.

"The toast should be done by now" Mum coolly said, turning around and walking out of the room with a cool, collected expression, but failing to hide the little crease between her eyebrows.

"I better check on her," Nicole said quickly, biting her lip slightly as she walked out, looking tensed up.

I sighed slightly, regretting bringing up the subject of dad. He's not one we usually talk around in here, least of all me.

"Kat? What's wrong?" Adam asked, looking worried, forgetting his recent argument with Nicole.

"Nothing, just...just"

"Kat, you wouldn't bring up dad for no reason...you were the one who cried for days and sunk into days of-"

"Adam, I know how I suffered, I was there," I said sarcastically, interrupting his speech.

He opened his mouth again, probably to retort back, when I saw familiar two people walking hand in hand, laughing and talking, to the direction of the beach.

"Change of plans, I'll go surfing, get out" I said quickly, shooing him out of my room and running to the closet to get my swimmers. I felt my heart racing and I took a deep breath. I'll have to face him sooner or later, so why not now?

"I'll get your surfboard out?" He said, sounding slightly bewildered at my sudden change of mood.

Hopping on one leg while getting my wetsuit on, I went down the stairs, skipping the last two. I grabbed a piece of toast and was on my way out, when I felt someone tug on my arm, causing me to swivel around and face the person.