"Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit."
- Khalil Gibran
(Listen for better reading experience): Happier - Marshmello & Bastille
***
"Mum, are you seeing someone?"
"No". Her reply is quick and automatic, could have easily fooled anyone. Unfortunately for her, I wasn't just anyone.
I let out a sigh of frustration.
"Mum, there's no point lying to me when you know all too well I can tell when you do. You play with your hands when you do, just like Aunt Korie."
She groans loudly and I choke back a laugh. This was serious business.
"How long have you been dating this guy?" I ask in my business voice. She blushes lightly and for that moment, she looked like a teenager caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do.
"Kira, I'm tired. I've been working late hours all week." she says, trying to dodge the question.
No escaping this one, Mum. I've got all day.
"You certainly don't look tired."
"Don't you have homework to do?"
"Did all of 'em in school."
She sighs in exasperation. "Fine, a month."
"Mum." I warn.
"Fine, fine. 2 months and 3 weeks."
I take a sharp intake of breath. It's been exactly 1 month, 2 weeks, and 3 days since Dad's death.
"You cheated on Dad." I say, not asking, but rather stating a fact. She fingers the beads on her necklace nervously which draws my attention to them. I grimace. "I haven't seen that necklace before, must have been a gift from your boyfriend."
It wasn't supposed to be a question but she nods her head anyways.
"How could you?"
For a very long time she doesn't respond. When she does though, her words put everything I believe to test.
"Kira, your father wasn't always the good guy you thought him to be."
***
I fumble in my bag for my car keys and put the key in the ignition, turning on the radio and falling into routine. I can't help but to release a sarcastic laugh to the wind. My whole life is just spiraling out of control and I don't know what to believe anymore.
Dad's dead, Jay's missing, Kori is acting weird, I'm working for people who are capable of killing me, and Mum's been having an affair all this time. I don't even realize when the tears come until I taste the salt on my lips, just as I don't realize when I pull up in front of the Park.
As expected, Noah is at the far end of the Park, staring at his phone like it was his world. Without thinking twice, I walk towards him and snatch his world away.
He gives me a disgusted look.
"What the hell? Give me back my phone!"
I shake my head and sprint away from him as he tries to get his phone back. I grin at his irritated face and decide to mess with me a bit.
"Not until you tell me what's so special about it that you're so glued to it 24/7."
He groans. "None of your damn business. Hand me the phone, NOW!"
YOU ARE READING
Nearly Lost
Teen Fiction**Highest ranks: #6 in friendfiction, #3 in deceit, #34 in detective, #76 in newadult, #286 in teenlove** "So James, what's your secret?" When her father dies in a suspicious car accident, days later her best friend goes missing. It seems everyone k...
