High School Survival Theory

Chapter 11

IMPORTANT: any playlist suggestion for High School Survival Theory?

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When I was a kid, I used to adore Barbie. She was my idol. I mean how many people can you find who has 134 jobs? But what I liked more about her was her blond hair and blue eyes. Sure, I have none of them, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming.

It wasn't only me who used to adore barbie. Mom secretly loved them too. So whenever there was a new movie, she would sneak in my and Kat's shared room, with an excuse of serving us snacks. Her most favorite one was the Island Princess.

If there wasn't a Barbie movie, then there was Disney princess. She watched them with us too. Like almost every weekend.

Then when dad would come home and find the house empty, he wouldn't worry, knowing mom's all-time habit. He would also sneak in our bed and we all cuddled together as Kat and I would fall asleep.

Kat wasn't a big fan of Barbie, especially her blond hair. Dad agreed with her too. Then mom and I would tease them saying they're saying this only because they're blessed with blond hair and hazel eyes.

Unlike Kat and dad, mom and I share chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. Though it's me who looks a lot like dad and Kat who looks like mom, the hair and eyes got crisscrossed.

Back then, dad was an assistant doctor and he had six days a week work. But the good thing about then was, unlike now, he could spend the whole evening with us.

After he was promoted, we were so happy because he worked so hard for it. He deserved the world. But then things started to change.

Dad started spending more time at work than home, started coming late, rarely stayed home on weekends.

We didn't mind, we knew being a neurosurgeon isn't easy, but the last two years have been the worst. After that China trip, dad made more names in his work, now he hardly stays home. He doesn't even pick up his phone at work.

Even though mom doesn't say it, I see it in her eyes. I know what she thinks and she doesn't want it to turn into reality.

What if-what if there is another person in his life that he's not telling us? At first, I dismissed that idea away, saying myself dad would never do that. He still loves mom as ever. The best evidence of the statement is their marriage anniversary.

Dad hardly stays home for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but he never misses their anniversary week. And of course, our birthdays. Every year, a week before their wedding anniversary, he would take mom on a trip out of the country. This tradition started on their tenth wedding anniversary, after dad's big promotion. They took us with them to Rome that year. But it doesn't come cheap so mom and dad go by themselves leaving us with our grandparents. Kat and I don't mind, they need some privacy too.

It costs him a fortune, buying business class tickets and booking five-star hotels every year, yet that doesn't stop him from doing so.

They would come back on the day of their anniversary and we would go out for dinner together.

Still, this doesn't keep mom from shedding her tears every weekend when she makes dinner. She thinks no one notices, but we do. Because before this distancing started, it was dad who used to do all the cooking on weekends.

It's another Saturday evening and dad is MIA again.

It's almost six o'clock and Kat is back from her weekend practice. She made it to the team. The coach called her this morning and she wanted them to start practice from today. Dylan got in too and they got a ride from Cadence, Miles, and Dylan's mom.