Escaping Fate

[1] 'And I'm Leaving'

    Coming home was probably the best thing of the day. Grabbing my backpack from my shoulder I tossed it near the hall closet, slipping off the heels I wore and looking around. The house was empty, as usual, but it still jumbled me how the television wasn’t on, the radio wasn’t play, and it was completely silent. I twisted my lips together, pulling the jean coat off my back and beginning to walk across the floorboards of the hallway. “Libby?” I questioned, calling to the house keeper who usually worked week days when my parents were at work; but there was no reply. I peeked into the kitchen, the light above the kitchen table was still lit, the house was spotless, but it was quiet. I sighed in defeat, my feet aching too much to search the rest of the large house. I went to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water and a box of frosting.

    I sauntered to the counter tops, sliding into the bar stool chair and propping the frosting container on the metallic surface with the water bottle as I dished out my phone from my jean pocket. Scrolling down the contact list I stopped at Luna’s name. Grinning to myself I clicked on her glowing name and pressed the phone up to my ear as I began peeling the lid off from the frosting jar. I took a finger and dipped it into the white substance and pulled it to my mouth just as the other line clicked. “Laura?” Luna asked, I could hear the beat of her loud music pounding in the background. I stuck my finger in my mouth, getting the frosting off the tip of my finger, “Yes” I responded happily.

    “Are your parents still at work?” she questioned, turning down the blasting stereo, I sighed in relief as my eye drums rung from a moment. “Yeah, Libby’s not here either,” I replied, resting the edge of my elbow onto the counter while scooping up another finger-full of frosting. I sucked it off my fingers and Luna giggled “Are you eating the frosting that’s for your birthday cake?” she asked. I looked down at the container and slowly turned it.

    On the backside, a little note written in sharpie was across it ‘Laura’s Birthday cake frosting. Do NOT eat’ I quickly took the lid and snapped it back on top of it, smiling to myself.

    “What? Of course not,” I teased. Of course she knew I wasn’t telling the truth, but it’s not like I sucked the jar clean. I pushed the jar to the middle of the counter top, to keep myself from eating more, and grabbed the water bottle, twisting the lid off. “Just remember, if there’s no cake, I’m not coming!” Luna joked, laughing in the background. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the water, spinning in the bar stool so I was facing the living room. I pressed my back against the cold surface behind me and looked around, nothing was new, and nothing was different. But my eyes wondered across the photos of my parents and I, the awards my parents won from their jobs, the souvenirs from vacations we took. We were a tight bunch, since it was just down to three of us, not including Libby; the house was always empty considering it was so large, so my parents made sure we spent quality time together. It really didn’t bother me like it might bother most other sixteen year old girls, they treated my well, and hey, who doesn’t like a free vacation to Hawaii?

    “Okay well let’s forget the Birthday plans for a moment. What are you wearing to the pageant?” I enquired, as I heard Luna take a deep breath in and having a moment to think. “Didn’t I show you on Tuesday?” she pondered, I tapped the edges of my pink nails against the counter behind me. “I thought you were joking about that dress,” I murmured, trying to hide the cracking smile that was spreading across my lips, even if she wasn’t here with me.

    “No! That’s the dress my mom bought, why was it that ugly?” she whined. I couldn’t help but giggle quietly to myself. “You know the whole schools going to be there, right?” I asked, she let out a loud huff. “Yes, yes I know! Your precious little boy-toy’s going to be there,” she assumed, which was right. “Yes, but that’s not important” I reminded her, taking another long drink of my water bottle. I knew Luna was rolling her eyes by now, mocking me most likely, but I ignored it. “Well it’s not my fault you practically forced me into the pageant” she murmured into the phone line, but still loud enough that I could hear. “I heard that, ya’ know?” I told her. “You were supposed to bi-…” she began to say, but was cut off by the loud buzz of the doorbell. “Sorry got to go” I said sweetly, smiling at the phone speaker. “You won this round Lulu” she retorted before the phone line went dead, and before I could tell her how much I hated that dreaded nickname she had given me in second grade.