String of Fate

Chapter Forty Three

My parents clapped as I finished the piano performance that I had been playing. They always requested one off me every Friday night after dinner, the day after my piano class. I had been playing the piano since I was seven, four ears after I started Saturday afternoon ballet sessions. Only the best for the only daughter of the owner of the largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. My mother sat forward. "Brava, darling! You keep on improving every week. Wonderful!"

"Thank you, mama." I replied, getting up from the piano. I clasped my hands in front of me. "I must now go and study. My GCSE's start on Monday, and I have a difficult subject to begin with."

"Darling, you are brilliant at French. I doubt you need any more studying." My mother spoke. She reached out a hand to take mine, even though the piano had been three metres away from me. "Besides, it's your birthday tomorrow. Take the weekend off."

"I'll have tomorrow night off. I'm not going to be able to study during the party tomorrow." I pointed out. I turned and headed out of the room, calling a goodbye over my shoulder after some excuse about finding the right dress for my sixteenth birthday party. I was surprised that they didn't go out since they couldn't on their usual Saturday evening. I got to my room and shut the door behind me, wondering about what I should do since I already had the perfect dress (I had done for a couple of weeks) and I didn't feel like studying. I felt like going for a walk.

I changed out of the dress that I had been wearing into woolly leggings and a long t-shirt, pulling a zip up hooded jacket on top, but leaving the zip undone. I slipped my phone into my pocket and climbed out of my window, using the tree as a way down like I usually did. I ran across the huge garden and through the gap in the hedges at the border before wandering the streets.

After a few twists and turns, when I made it to the more suburb part of the area with more houses, smaller than the one I was used to living in, I heard a commotion from the other side of the fence beside me. Then, someone shot over the high fence and landed in front of me. I could still hear a commotion from the other side of the fence. The tall, skinny person grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction which I had come from. "Run!"

He had such a tight grip on my hand that I couldn't just let him go. I ran with him, his strong hand keeping me close to him so we ended up getting lost together. A few streets away, he stopped and we both caught our breath. "What were you doing?"

"I was trying to get some food from the kitchen – the back door was open for the cat – but the old man caught me." He explained, sitting on the park bench. I didn't know how we had ended up in a park. I sat next to him, wondering why he needed to steal food. He glanced at me, as if seeing what I was wondering. "My dad died when I was little and my mum is ill, so she can't work much. Since it's just me and her, I work two jobs to provide for us. Usually, I get leftover food from the restaurant that I work at, but I got fired today because one of the customers didn't like it when I told them that we didn't serve lobster. I didn't have any money to buy anything and I have never stolen anything before but I just saw the back door and I was so desperate. I don't even know why I'm talking to you about this. I don't even know you."

"I'm Francesca." I replied. He seemed so confused and distraught with himself. He seemed to be having a really tough time. I thought for a moment, and then stood up, holding out a hand. "Come with me. I promise you don't need to run from the kitchen where I live."

"How can I trust you?" He questioned, letting me help him up.

"I could ask you the same thing. Anyway, you can't trust me. Just come on. It's cold." I spoke, turning back to him. "Look, I know you have a mother that needs looking after and you know my name. I think that should be enough to start a friendship. Maybe telling me your name could help build some trust between us."