Biology with Agatha |JB|

Pause and Play

My life is a movie and everyone's watching

So let's get to the good part and past all the nonsense

-I'll Show You, Justin Bieber

Agatha

My eyes switched to glare at Ryan, to Justin who stood like a statue next to me and over to the poised man who leaned against a blinding car under the sun. 

"Man that car, look at that beauty," Ryan whistled as he side stepped me purposely to elbow a motionless Justin.

I was about to turn away knowing whatever business the 3 of us ridiculously started seriously had no hope to become civil and proper. A conversation with those 2 was just me digging myself deeper to hell. 

I was a good twenty steps away from them when a simple acknowledgement numbed my steps to a steady pause. 

"Justin, son..." 

I felt my breath hitch and before I knew it, my body was twisted back to see the same man engulfing Justin's frame in a tight hug. For a second, I wanted to run back and stand by Justin's side as the close-to-miracle scene unfold before us knowing damn well how his father's whereabouts meant to him. 

Son? So his father was not dead all along? That sure was different from what he told me before. With one last glance between the reunited father and son along with a flabbergasted Ryan who didn't know how to rearrange his jaw back; I walked to the opposite side to get to my car.

Closing the door behind me, I already felt the shift in the atmosphere that missed Nana's amicable aura and the smell of her kitchen recipes. Instead, a familiar yet strange perfume lingered as pots and utensils rumbled in the kitchen.

"Agatha, is that you sweetheart?" 

And one could reenact the surprise I felt when I heard the same phrase a week ago. Same time, same spot right here last Monday after my birthday, I came home with a pounding hangover ridden head only too see my mother lounging in our living room.

"Sweetheart? Hi, how was school?"  Her soft natured voice asked as she walked towards me, eyes scanning over my features with a pained smile that probably matched my frown.

"Why are you home?" 

She stopped right in front of me, hands shaking as the shallow layer of impending tears glassed her eyes. I wanted to run past her and up to the comfort of my room but everything felt heavy. I was tired of always walking away.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I was 2 days late for your birthday."

I held my breath as I slowly continued up the stairs but not a second later I already felt my mother's gaze burning on my back.

"I was calling you is it so hard to even just make a sound of acknowledgement?" Her tone was clipped and my tongue was sharpening in an instant. 

"I didn't have to answer you, you knew it was me." I fired back, back still facing her.

"Agatha,"

The faint smell of butter became more detectable and for a moment, I felt my stomach drop over the fact that she was probably waiting for me to eat lunch with her. Not that she was not doing just that, each day this past week.