The Art of Unopulence

10 | breach

I cross my arms and glare at Dad determinedly.

"Dad we're going to the mall in the neighbouring town because there isn't one here." I try to lay out facts, "I can drive us and we'll need barely forty minutes back and forth. And counting three hours in between to look at all the stores as well as the book and vinyl shop, we can be back by seven thirty at the latest."

"I cannot let the two of you wander alone for four hours, Ariya!" my father replies sternly, shaking his head, "I'm coming with you as a chaperone."

"I do not want you to come." I reply stubbornly, "We're seventeen and we can take care or ourselves just fine."

"You're forgetting that Nathaniel is not a normal boy, Ariya." Dad thunders, "You cannot imagine the consequences if anything goes wrong. And I cannot risk my job or the peace of the world for your mindless whims."

I draw in a long breath of air and blink a couple of times.

"Dad, with all due respect, you're being terribly unreasonable. How can you think for even a moment that I would ever do something to jeopardize this protection program?" I say, my blood beginning to simmer into a boil, "If anything, people will definitely notice if you accompany us. Because no seventeen year olds hang out at a mall with their father for heavens sake! And I just said that I wanted to drive in order to blend in. A couple of agents can tail us, of course."

Dad looks down at me from his imposing height for some time. He thinks it's a power tactic that will make me cower. Honestly, this very look terrified me until a few days ago but now I had the leverage. It was crystal clear to me that the protection program was more important to him than his life.

He opens his mouth to say something when Nathaniel knocks the wall beside the kitchen door as he peeks in.

"I apologise for the interruption, but I wanted to get a quick sip of water if that's no trouble." He addresses my father.

"By all means," Dad steps aside to give him easier access to the refrigerator in our tiny kitchen, "The house is yours."

The kitchen is a boring eggshell white and is designed with the bare necessities like a stove, a basic microwave oven and a medium sized fridge. No fancy fittings, and the cabinet doors creak every time you open or close them so we prefer to keep our washed dishes and glasses in the drying basket next to the sink.

Nathaniel strides over to the fridge and takes out the red Tupperware bottle filled with water that is assigned for him, pouring himself a glass.

I find my eyes tracking every move of his before coming to a rest on his slender throat, Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallows.

"Fine." Dad's thunderous tone cuts through my reverie and I look at him, confused momentarily.

"What?"