Submit (Book 1, The Karyln Trials)

Chapter Three

     "Girls! You both need to get in here so we can all get ready to go next door for tea." Mother's hard voice pulls the two of us apart. We both head up the steps of the porch and into the house.

"Ah! There you girls are, what took you so long?" Father closes his book and fixes his glasses, waiting for our answer.

I stood there, opening and closing my mouth not knowing what to do. Luckily, Millie's best friend Clara is a twenty-first and taking lessons to become an actress. "Sorry, Father. We ran into my friend Rachel, she's a year older than me and also in the nursing program that I'm in. I insisted on speaking with her." She bows her head and looks at her feet like she was sorry.

Father rises, setting his book aside, and sets his hands on Millie's shoulders. "Oh, it's okay, dear. You still made it back in time, that's all that matters." She looks up at Father and smiles. She would be a wonderful actress, and hairdresser, and nurse, and just about anything else she tries. She would probably end up being a better dancer than me because she excels in everything she does. It wouldn't bother me if she did anyway, it's just who she is, perfect.

Father releases Millie and takes the container from her. He walks into the kitchen to talk to mother and both Millie and I release a breath. She turns to me and smiles. "Well, that was close." I nod and glance over at our parents.

They're talking away and I can see on the virtual clock on the wall that we have to leave in three minutes. "It's just a good thing I'm never the one to talk, everything would've been ruined if you waited two more seconds.

Millie waves her hand, dismissing what I said and is already thinking about other things. "So, do you think that guy in the market is your age? Maybe you'll see him again!" She whisper-screams at me and jumps up and down.

I grab her shoulders and smile at Mother and Father who are gazing in our direction looking very confused. "Millie!" I hiss at her and she stops.

She clasps her hands over her mouth. "Sorry." Her voice is muffled by her hands and I drop my head slightly.

"Yes, he looks about my age, no, I probably won't ever see him again. I haven't seen him before and it's been nearly eighteen years, so it's very unlikely that I'll see him again now." There's the main difference between the two of us. Millie is very, optimistic to a fault. She only believes in happiness. She chooses not to hear Mother yelling and hitting Father. She refuses to see that Father drowns himself in his reading to stop thinking about when the next time Mother loses herself will be.

I am quite the opposite. I do whatever I can to prevent the bad. I only see the possible consequences of breaking the rules, I only think logically, and I weigh the odds in everything I do. I am too cautious and I know it, but it's kept me alive this long so I'm not going to be changing anytime soon.

"Mother, Father, we should probably leave now, we don't want to be late." They both look over at us, meeting my eyes after my suggestion. Father nods and holds his arm out to Mother.

"Jane, are you ready?" Mother nods and takes his extended arm. Father looks back at us. "Let's get going girls."

We all walk out the door, take five steps, and walk up the next houses steps. Mother presses the circle to the right of the door and it glows. The doorbell rings and almost immediately Mr. and Mrs. Fields answer the door with wide grins on their faces.

"Why hello, everybody!" Mr. Fields' deep voice has always given me chills. His gaze too happy to see Millie and I. I'm almost afraid to ask Clara about her relationship with her father.

"Jane, Philip, you both look great!" Mrs. Fields' was like an extreme version of Millie. She was eccentric and overly happy. "Adaline, Malinda, you two are growing into quite beautiful young women." Which I think is funny of her to say, given she says that every time we come for tea.