The Search

Chapter 12

My mother is daintily eating her eggs when my father walks in. Or should I say, he stomped, and stormed, and clombered in.

With all the regal elegance of a queen, my mother asks, "What is the matter?"

"What's the matter? WHAT IS THE MATTER?!" my father shouts. Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."Eli, the son of my enemy, is engaged before my own flesh and blood is! He's engaged to Janet no less!"

What? How did that happen? And Janet, he hates Janet!

My father gives me a stern look. This not good. "Aira, enough is enough, you have let this husband search go on for too long! I will give you a single month before, I choose for you!"

I need to breathe. There is so much informaton in so little time. I have to get out of this house.

I smile awkwardly and say, "Well then I better get a move on that searching! I'm going to go get some fresh air!"

I rush out the door, leaving no time for my father to respond.

I run down the pavement, eyes threatening tears.

People used to get several chances on love. There was no set time for them to get married. They waited until they found the perfect person. Someoen, some people called a soulmate. It must have been nice.

As I run I don't look where I'm going and bump into Janet. I mumble an apology and try to walk away. I can't she's the only connection I have to Eli right now. Though ELi himslef would be preferrable.

Her blonde hair looks as perfect as always and a big rock sits upon her ring finger.

"So nice to see you Aira!" she says.

"Nice to see you too, Janet!" I greet her, my voice glazed over with a slippery kind of sweetness that's all to fake.

"Have you heard?" she asks with glee.

I play dumb. "No, what happened?" I ask, trying to sound like I don't already know.

"I'm engaged!" she gushes. "I'm engaged to Eli! He's amazing!"

I take a deep breath and try to swallow a big lump in my throat. "That's great! When's the wedding?" I make my voice as sincere as possible.

"5 weeks away!" Janet says.

My eyes widen in alarm. "Wow! That little time!"

"I just want to be married as soon as possible!" she says. "I have to go! Wedding stuff!"

She must really like him if she actually talked to me like a human being. I have so little time.

I have to make it up. I can't sit around anymore. I have to make it right. I can't let him slip right through my fingers. Some how, some way, I work it out.

You always go back to who someone who you really like.