Caged in Paradise (2nd Draft)

Home Invasion

The next day, I hurry down the stairs, but my mom intercepts me. "Maya, are you going to Alani's?" I pause and peek around the corner to see my mom on the couch, reading a book. "Yes..." I respond, curious about the request that's coming. "Can you drop this off at Makana's? It was under Koa's chair." I slump in disappointment; it's not exactly what I wanted to be doing with my time.

"Dramatic," she remarks, rising from the couch with a critical look. "You can use your fathers car," she adds, picking up the key from the side table. I narrow my eyes at her, asking, "Does dad know I'm allowed to take his car?" She just shakes her head and says, "Just go," as she drops the keys in my hands. I roll my eyes.

"Fine, thanks mom." I say softly as I walk away towards the garage.

****

I can't believe I'm driving through the gate, parking in front of Makana's massive mansion. It's probably the biggest house on the island, not even exaggerating. Three stories, a four-car garage underneath, a big porch, balcony, and a huge roof – it's breathtaking. The large bush walls usually hide it, but their house is enormous. They snagged the biggest piece of land on the island, covering tens of thousands of square feet. I think they even have a private beach.

I fix my makeup using the car's rear view mirror, take a deep breath, and head towards the front door. It's a massive dark oak door, next to it are small deer statues. On the porch, there's a cozy hanging couch, perfect for reading. The door swings open, and I'm relieved to see Mrs. Makana, now with her curly hair in a bun, her piercing blue eyes, she smiles at me and gestures for me to come in.

"Oh, that's not necessary Mrs. Makana, I just came by to drop this off, I don't mean to infiltrate." I try to get myself out of this situation, showing her the key.

"Oh, Koa has been looking for that! Thank you!" she says gratefully, walking inside and leaving the door wide open, inviting me in. I feel like crying at this point.

"He's at the back by the fireplace, I think." Before I can make an excuse about not seeing him, she keeps going. I follow her into the kitchen, and she adds, "He's been acting like a complete jerk since our dinner," frowning at the oven as she says it. I stay quiet, not knowing what to say.

Then she turns to me, a genuinely concerned look on her face, and asks carefully, "Do you happen to know anything about that?" I shake my head, I think she's overestimating how well I know her son. She nods understandingly. "Sorry, I just... really can't figure him out sometimes," she says, sounding frustrated.

Trying to steer away from the topic, I say, "Smells amazing, what are you baking?"

"Banana bread, they can't get enough of it in this house," she smiles. Then, with care, she adds, "he might want to talk to you... I think,"

My heart skips a beat. He wants to talk?

I'd rather drown or choke than go look for Koa in the backyard right now. But I force a big smile at this sweet, innocent woman, not wanting to let her down. I confidently say, "Of course," and head towards the sliding doors to the backyard.

"Right down the path, the fireplace is close to the beach," she explains. I nod kindly and step outside. A vast open space unfolds, the scent of freshly cut grass in the air, trees near the tall bush walls, but I can see all the way to the ocean. The large pool in front of the house reflects the sunset beautifully.

Near the pool, I spot a gardener by a big rose bush. He glances my way, squinting in the sun beneath his hat. An elderly man, his white beard fluffy, sweat evident from his work. As I approach and our eyes meet, he looks at me in awe. "Hello, beautiful," he says sweetly.

I smile at him as I walk past, raising my eyebrows and pointing to the path toward the beach as a question. He nods. "Yes, he's right there..."

Then he mutters under his breath, shaking his head as he resumes work, "lucky bastard." I quicken my pace toward the beach while hiding my smile. What the hell is going on right now? I'm walking in Koa's backyard, this was not as planned and I feel like my mother has set me up.