SURPRISE! We're updating!!! You guys didn't think we would ever update, did you?
Yeah, so we apologize about that. First off, @Chocolate_Luv changed her username to @LiddySykes, but I might forget so don't be confused if you notice four differently names :D. I'll probably stick to using @Chocolate_Luv on here, though, to make things less confusing.
So anyways...@LiddySykes got real lazy and never finished this chapter, so I (@SomeoneAwesome) at last decided to write it for her. :D YAY ME!!!
So here it is! If anybody is still waiting intently for updates, you guys are awesome. Hopefully we'll finish this story off.
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Chapter 22 – Zaira's POV
I don't know what was wrong with me, but when I heard the dismissal bell ring at last, I stuffed my books into my locker, grabbed my racket and gym clothes, and headed to the gym.
Imagine my surprise when I found it completely empty, and I stood there blinking in confusion for a good minute before I realized that we didn't have practices on Thursdays.
“Ugh!” I groaned, lazily dragging myself back to my locker. “What the fudge is wrong with me?”
Stop lying to yourself, I thought angrily. You know perfectly well what's wrong.
Sighing, I slipped my arms through my spring jacket and slung my backpack over one shoulder. The hallway was still jam-packed with annoying students shoving one another around, but even that couldn't bother me. I was still thinking about my dad...and what he'd told me.
She lied.
How could it be true? My dad had walked out on my life up until now. He couldn't expect me to believe him that easily.
But then again, he had been quite convincing. Should I go confront my mom and look for signs of weakness? What would I even say? Oh, hey mom, I talked to dad last week and he told me you're actually the one who's been dating six people at once while you two were still married, not him.
Okay, so that number was a little exaggerated.
As I walked out of the school doors, I shook my head and tossed that thought away. My mom was never around long enough for us to have a discussion, anyways. At least not these days.
* * *
“I'm home!”
I threw my bag carelessly onto the floor and strolled into the kitchen in search of a snack. Like I'd expected, nobody answered.
And then I realized Zach's annoying whines were nowhere to be heard.
Munching on a chocolate-chip cookie, I peered up the staircase curiously. “Zach?”
No reply.
I was just about to head up the stairs when I caught sight of the note taped on the fridge out of the corner of my eye. Frowning, I stuffed the rest of the cookie into my mouth and walked back into the kitchen.
Hey sweetie,
I'm working late today. There's frozen pizza and other stuff. You can even make yourself instant noodles if you want. Zach isn't feeling well and he's too young to stay home alone so he'll be with me.
Mom
Scoffing, I tore the note off and crumpled it up, tossing it carelessly into the trash. Great, I was home alone again. What was I supposed to do now?
Suddenly, a mischievous smile crept onto my face as I realized that I had the house all to myself, and it would be a while until I got company.
I was so wrong.
* * *
Ding dong.
The movie I had on was cranked up to such a high volume that I almost didn't hear the doorbell. Shrieking when the camera zoomed out to reveal a field of dead horses – oh those poor creatures – I clicked the pause button hastily and stumbled to the door.
Whatever expression I had on my face was quickly replaced by a scowl when I saw who was standing on the front porch.
A few seconds passed in silence. “What are you doing here?” I snapped at last.
The tall, flustered man whom I supposed I had to call as my dad cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Um...”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, what?!”
He lowered his voice and said, “Thank goodness you answered the door, Zaira. If it were your mother, I don't think I...” His voice trailed off when he noticed my disgusted-slash-impatient look.
“What do you want?” I repeated.
“Well...have you considered our talk on Saturday? I promise you I was being completely honest with you. Your mother – “
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. I opened my mouth to throw out a smart, sarcastic, or even annoying comeback – just a comeback of some sort – but I was sick and tired of this. I couldn't go on holding a grudge with my dad, even if he did lie to us. Now that I thought about it, my mom never really got into much detail about what he'd done. What if he was right, and my mom –
I shook my head angrily. These thoughts were only going to make things worse. “I don't know,” I admitted to him finally. “What you said is pretty hard to believe, you know.”
He glanced behind me nervously. “But I'm telling the truth! Why don't you believe me?”
“There's no one home,” I informed him with an eye-roll. “And I never said I don't believe you.”
Surprise jumped to my dad's face. “You're home alone?”
“Look, I'm turning fifteen tomorrow, okay? I can manage one night without my mom.” Any earlier sympathetic feelings for him slipped away instantly, and I found myself scowling once again.
I expected him to go all fussy about having forgotten my birthday, but much to my surprise, his entire face lit up and he revealed a neatly wrapped gift box from behind his back.
“I'm leaving town for a business trip tomorrow,” my dad told me, a little sheepishly. “So, um...happy early birthday?”
Still dazed, I lifted my arm and took the gift. All of these years, he hadn't gotten me a single birthday present or Christmas present. Not even a card. At the most, I would get a call – which I usually ignored – or an email. But that was it.
Was this just to buy my forgiveness? Maybe my dad had realized that he was wrong and decided to get me a lot of stuff just to please me so that I would welcome him back into my life with open arms.
Well I wasn't about to fall for his lies again.
My jaw tightened and I looked up from the box, hoping I looked completely uninterested. “I'll keep thinking about it,” I told him dryly.
His smile vanished immediately and his brown eyes clouded over. “I – I...” he stammered.
If he had anything else to say, he didn't get the chance to. The familiar ringtone of my cell phone interrupted us, and I turned around instinctively to answer the call.
“Hello?” I said.
“Zaira?” It was Cyra's voice.
I pressed the speaker closer to my ear. “Cyra? What's up?”
There was a fumbling sound on the other end. “Can you come to my house? Just for a while “ She sounded pretty shaken up.
I groaned. “Right now? Do you have any idea how far your – “
“Please, Zaira. I just need to show you something.”
About to decline, I suddenly realized that this was my chance to escape this awkward meet-up with my dad. “Okay,” I said immediately. “I'll be right there.”
Hanging up, I turned to give my dad a I'm-sorry-you-have-to-leave look. “Well, I'm going to Cyra's house. Oh wait – you wouldn't know who that is, since you've never been around to meet any of my friends.”
His face fell completely. “Listen, Zaira. You have to know that I told you the truth. Just...keep that in mind.”
And with that, he turned around and walked down the steps.
***
So, sorry if it was sort of boring, but this part was pretty necessary. Just nag @TheBoredDevil to hurry up and write the next chapter (and make it interesting).
The movie Zaira was watching was War Horse by the way. Saddest movie on earth. *sniffle.
So, if you liked it, VOTE, COMMENT, and FAN!
<3
SomeoneAwesome
&
The rest of TheReal_Charmander