ALMOST A MISS

CHAPTER 3.

"Even when you're with me you still hate it." She nudged me with her shoulder. I knew she was trying to soften the mood and as we laughed without looking at where we were heading, I bumped into a hard body and I was sur I spilled a hot cup of coffee all over him. Please don't be a lecture, please. My semester can't start like that.

"Oh shit...watch..."

"I am so sorry." I picked up the remaining contents in the paper cup that fell down.

I knew those tattoos; they are the same as...no this can't be the hottie who almost knocked me down. Yeap it is him alright. Our finger brushed, or was it mine that brushed his and I felt electricity run through me and then his eyes were doing what they did the last time, holding me.

"I am sorry." I whispered but it wasn't intended to be a whisper. He smirked before he picked up the cup and walked away trying to dry his shirt. That black shirt that made my mind wonder what was underneath it.

"Pay back." Judy called out after him and helped me up. "You really showed him," she couldn't hold back laughing that caught the attention of a few students.

"Stop it, I didn't intend for it to happen."

"Either way he got what he deserved for trying to knock you down on Saturday."

We joined the group of students heading to the library.

The rest of the week we spent doing the same thing, walking in and out of buildings. Was I helpful? Yes . With a brain like mine it was definitely helpful. Maurice was taking us to and from school and we did good trying to avoid Cindy and Tom but he always left 2000 ksh every day for me. I used like 200 the whole week.

"So what are your plans tomorrow" Judy asked as we got in the car.

"I don't know, I am thinking of getting my hair done and sleep the whole day till Monday. Mission avoid Cindy."

"That won't be hard; this weekend is the one where she leaves for one of her trips. She usually takes like a week or two and if I am not wrong she will take Tom with her."

"Where does she go to?"

"I don't know, no one ever knows and cares as long as we get the free Cindy couple of weeks."

"Awesome." Smiling.

We reached home just as Tom was putting some suitcases in their car.

"Seems like they are leaving early?" Judy whispered to me.

"Blake," Tom called walking towards us. "Sorry but I have to take Cindy for a business trip to Malindi. We will be back in two weeks. Will you be okay alone."

Is he seriously asking that, I buried my mom alone? That was the hardest thing to do for a teenager. Staying in a house that doesn't have woman you hate is a dream come true.

" yeah." I tried not to sound too happy. "Though can I have Judy over? I know she kind of stays here but I wanted her to be my guest. Like a sleep over kind of thing." Judy elbowed me.

"Yes, she is all welcomed. I will talk to Cindy about it." Cindy walked out of the house in a flowery flowy dress with a sun hat. Really there was no sun. " Ok girls, see you in two weeks. Be good." He tapped my back like the way a coach does to his players.

"Bye girls." Cindy called out once in her car before they drove off.

Judy tossed her bad as we entered the house."Yay, the rest of the weekend alone." l
"More of two weeks alone."

"We should throw a party." She was heading to the kitchen.

"No parties." Maureen was on the stove. Is it me or is she always cooking something. "Just because the masters are gone doesn't mean the rats get to throw a party, not my watch. Remember that I will be here the whole two weeks."

I totally agree with her, who will I invite. I barely know anyone other than Judy, Maurice and her.

"Mom, the monster ain't around, shouldn't we have bit of fun."

"You will have fun, I will prepare anything you want. Just no parties." She walked out the back.

"I like your mom, she totally gets me." I peaked at what she was making. Chili stew, awesome .

"That's because you are boring." Mimicking Cindy again and we all burst out laughing heading up to my room.

"I can't wait to officially start on Monday." She threw herself on my bed laying on her stomach. I joined her facing the celling.

"I can't wait for my eighteenth birthday, I want to go back to be with my mom. She is all alone you know."

"No she is not, she is actually with you."

"And who told you that" I popped up on my elbow and faced her.

"My mom." She sat up and picked my mom's picture , " Just like my dad, when he died I felt all alone and all. You know, you feel like you have lost something really important in your life. It is important don't get me wrong." She was now looking down at the picture. "But the most important thing in our lives are the memories that we have of them, the good they did, the silly, the most precious time hey made you feel like you were the only thing in this world. Those memories are the most important thing. It means they are not dead but alive, alive in you." She placed the picture back where she found it before she turned to me. "Do you get it? She is in you, every last memories you have of her, it doesn't matter where you are or how many miles you are far from her grave she is with you."

Ok maybe she is not that crazy as I thought she was. "How did your dad die?'

Judy got back to lying on the bed with her hands behind her head facing the celling. "Motorcycle accident about five years ago."

"I am sorry." I understand the feeling of losing someone that you love unfairly."

"I have gotten used to it. I love talking about how he lived and what I remember not the sad part. Let's go get some ice cream." She pulled herself up off the bed, I love how she was comfortable talking about her dad and no speck of sadness in her eyes. "Cindy has been killing me with no dairy in the house, she assumes just because she is a strict vegan everyone needs to be one."

"Then can we talk about who did your braids, I need to do mine before Monday."

"Sure I will take you to where I got mine done. He is amazing with hair."

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