Kate stretched as she walked out of her last class for the day. Just a week of resumption and her legs and arms were already aching from walking and taking down notes.
Parker walked out after her. He was also as tired as she was, except that apart from the stress, he totally and completely hated the class. He was studying law because of his dad and Kate couldn't understand one bit of it. Why do something you don't love just because your parent asked you to? What happened to individual dreams and goals?
She knew she would never do something just because her parents wanted her to, they didn't even care about what she did anyway. She sighed and rubbed her face.
"What's wrong?" Parker asked as they walked side by side.
"Nothing. Um, I'm going to see my dad tomorrow"
He gave her a full smile. "Now that's a good step to reconciliation. I'm proud of you, Kate"
"I'm not reconciling so don't be"
She had only gotten in touch with her dad a few months ago after he had abandoned her years back. He had left her in the worst situation possible. She couldn't just forget all the years he wasn't there just because he waltzed back into her life. She was only going to see him because he had been asking her for a while and where he was currently staying was just a three-hour journey from school.
"Well you're taking a step to it" Parker rubbed her head and she glared at him.
He was just an inch or two taller than her. He shouldn't even be considered taller, they were practically the same height. Just that he was a guy so comparing his broad and manly features to her slim body, he looked very much bigger than her.
She slapped his hand away from her head.
"Ouch," Parker rubbed the back of his palm. "Naughty Kate" he scolded and laughed when she slapped him again.
***
Parker and Noelle were in the sitting room working on Noelle's assignment while Kate made dinner in the kitchen. Noelle needed someone to help with a seminar presentation and Parker was just the right guy. He was a computer genius and loved what he did. Another reason Kate couldn't understand why he gave up on his nerdy dream and chased after his dad's.
"Omg! Thanks, Par!" Noelle yelled from the sitting room and Kate guessed they were done.
Soon they both trooped into the kitchen just as she was dishing out the food.
"Mmm that looks good" Parker called as he looked over her in the frying pan. "Can I -have-" he paused when she gave him a stern look.
"Go back home, Par" she said.
"Come on, I don't have any food at home"
"That's a lie. Tyler cooks"
Tyler was Parker's roommate. They also shared a two-bedroom apartment.
"Come on, Kate!" Parker whined and turned to Noelle. "I helped you with your assignment, beg her"
Noelle sucked in through her teeth before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Par. But when Kat cooks, I just have to be greedy"
Kate laughed before dishing another plate for Parker. She would have loved to keep this going and argue with him on food but she had to pack up for her trip tomorrow.
"Yes!" Parker jumped as she handed him a plate. "I knew you couldn't resist my charm"
She scoffed and they all surrounded the counter in the middle of the kitchen to eat.
"So there's this party tomorrow" Noelle announced gleefully as she looked from Kate to Parker. "It's at the frat house"
How does Noelle get invited to every party on campus?
"You coming?"
She knew Noelle wasn't looking at her so she focused on her food.
"Yeah, okay" Parker nodded.
"Kat?"
"Hmm?" Kate looked up from her food, her mouth full of meat.
"Are u coming?"
She swallowed hard and drank some water. "Um, no"
That was a very obvious answer.
"Um, why?" Noelle mimicked.
"Because I'm going to see my dad tomorrow, obviously"
"Oh," Noelle said softly. But in the next second, she was pointing her fork at Kate. "You see why you should get a car, Kat. Now I'll have to walk like an animal tomorrow till you get back"
Noelle had been kind enough to lend her car out to her so she could visit her dad, but that didn't mean she stopped whining about Kate getting her car.
Noelle and Parker came from pretty stable homes so they were able to get good rides after their first semester of college. Kate, on the other hand, had to work for everything she had so she wasn't so fortunate. Noelle and Parker's parents had offered her help countless times but she had accepted little to none of them.
"I was actually planning on staying the whole weekend," Kate said softly as she looked at them.
"I know you agreed to see your dad, Kate," Parker started. "But don't you think you should take the weekend to rest? We just came back from a break where you had no rest whatsoever, and then you had to go through this week at school. I think you should maybe postpone it and..." He looked at Noelle before facing her again. "Rest"
Kate gave it a thought. He was probably just saying this because he wanted her at the party too. But she would rather spend the weekend with her dad she just found than in a room full of strangers. Even though she didn't like to admit it, she kinda missed him-her dad-and was hoping they could catch up a little during the weekend.
"Sorry but if I don't see him tomorrow, I don't think I'll ever want to see him again" she said as a means to threaten Parker.
Parker squeezed his chest as he gasped dramatically. "How dare you, Katherine?"
She laughed and continued with her food.
"So I'm going to be without my car for two days?" Noelle whined. "Parker, can you drive me anywhere I want?"
"Only if you can cook fajitas like Kate" Parker moaned as he chewed down his food.
Noelle gasped. "Offensive! Who says I can't cook?"
"I didn't say you couldn't cook. But can you cook like Kate?"
"Alright," Noelle dropped her fork carelessly on her plate and grabbed Parker's plate. "This is my apartment too and I say no food for you"
"What? You can't do that" Parker held the other end of his plate and turned pleadingly to Kate.
She turned her face away from them and continued with her food. No way she was getting involved in their argument.
***
It felt nice to be driving a car for a long distance. Though the three-hour journey had added an extra hour because Noelle's car faulted so Kate had stopped by the road twice to get it fixed. She sighed heavily and turned the volume of the music a bit louder.
She was a little nervous to meet her dad after so many years. No, that was an understatement. She was extremely nervous. She had only had a chat with him once and that was even through a video call so she could see his face. It was sad because he had been in the hospital. After that, she just continued to chat with her little stepsister.
Yes, a stepsister. Whom she was actually excited to see.
Kate's dad had left her and her mum while she was still young. Kate was about 10 years old and could remember how much she cried when she begged him not to leave. He had left them for a woman who was pregnant for him and the result was her now 10year old stepsister.
It was weird because even though they were both from different mothers, Kate and her sister got along well. At least their chats said so. It was her sister who had called her when their dad landed in the hospital. He had slumped in the house and was later diagnosed with Infective Hepatitis, hence why she needed to work constantly so she could take care of his medications and other bills.
Kate smiled when she saw a familiar large yard ahead. Her sister had sent her a picture of their house and the address so Kate could find it easily. They lived in the suburbs, so peaceful and quiet compared to the city.
Kate parked in the yard and got down with her duffel bag. Her legs seemed to be shaking as she walked to the front door. How was it going to feel seeing her dad in person after so many years? She could remember him being so jovial and agile while she was younger. Would he still be like that?
She reached for the door to knock but it opened on its own and a little girl in pigtails seemed to be in a hurry to run out. She stopped, seeing Late in front of her.
"Kate?"
"Hi Alec" Kate smiled at her stepsister. She stood still, wondering. Was she going to hug her? Why was she so quiet?
"Oh my god! Kate!" Alec held her hand and pulled her into the house. "Dad! Dad! Kate's here!"
Kate looked around the house as Alec continued to drag her around. The sitting room was neatly arranged with worn-out couches and a centre table. Most of the things in the house were old, the floors, the stairs, the ceiling.
Kate didn't have much time to look around as Alec dragged her outside the kitchen. She saw herself in a small backyard and a man was bent over, looking under a bench.
"Dad!" Alec called and laughed. "Were you seriously looking for me under a bench?"
"I'll admit, you're good at this game Alec" the man said as he stood up. He turned to them and paused.
Hi dad.
Kate gave a small smile and waved. If she thought she was nervous before, then she was a trainload of it now.
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Been so busy lately hence, I couldn't write.
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P.s, who knows how to enter a book into the wattys, cause I'm so confused at the moment.
I'm just a dm away if you know how to do it.
IG: author_sommy
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