Fate Reloaded

Fate Reloaded--Part II, Chapter One

Author’s note: You may want to go back to Chapter One of the book and remind yourself where that chapter left off….you’re about to embark on a new story with Jordana, had she made a different decision about going to the movies. Enjoy!

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Part Two

            Jordana shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her hoodie jacket and kept her head bowed low. She glanced quickly at the cars as they passed, each time sure she would see her parents staring back at her.

            With the way Jordana had her hood pulled over her head, you’d think she was running away—or maybe a member of a local gang.

            Nope—Just your average, everyday liar, folks, she thought to herself, as she walked quickly toward the PC theater.

            Jordana could remember—clearly—the last time she’d lied to her parents. She’d been 6 years old at the time and had accidentally broken her mom’s favorite teapot—one that had taken her nearly two weeks to create. Scared that her parents would ground her, or even worse, take away her TV privileges, Jordana had hastily hidden the broken pieces in the very back of the highest cupboard in their kitchen.

            During the week after the “teapot incident,” Jordana had developed severe stomachaches, which seemed to last for hours on end. Being the naïve kid that she was, she’d decided that she was being punished by “the powers that be” for breaking the pot. It hadn’t even dawned on her at the time, that her sudden sickness was actually a physical reaction to the guilty feelings she was having because of lying to her parents.

            As she made her way to meet her friends downtown, Jordana knew that the reason she was feeling a little sick to her stomach right then, was not because she was about to see her heartthrob, Billy. She knew these were I-just-lied-to-my-parents pains.

            Pulling the strings of her hood even tighter, Jordana tried to push her guilt-ridden thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on the fact that soon she’d be sitting in a dark movie theater with Billy. The fact that six of their friends would also be with them, didn’t keep her from fantasizing that the outing was actually a date of sorts.

            “Jordana! You made it!”        

Jordana’s thoughts were interrupted as she looked up and saw Desi waving to her from the sidewalk outside the theater. She took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face as she made her way over to her friend.

            “Where is everyone?” Jordana asked as she sidled up to Desi.

            “Don’t you mean where’s Billy?” Desi asked her, grinning widely.

            “No,” Jordana answered slowly. “I mean, I thought I was running late. Is it just gonna be you and me tonight?”

            “Everyone else is inside already,” Desi answered, linking her arm with Jordana’s. “I took the liberty of buying you a ticket already and waiting out here for you.”

            “Well thanks, Des,” Jordana said, squeezing her friend’s arm tightly. “So everyone’s here?”

            “Just about,” Desi answered as she handed the teenage theater worker their tickets. “Noe said that Billy’s running a little late and that he’d catch up with us before the movie started.”