IMPORTANT: any playlist suggestion for High School Survival Theory?
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When I was a kid, I used to adore Barbie. She was my idol. I mean how many people can you find who has 134 jobs? But what I liked more about her was her blond hair and blue eyes. Sure, I have none of them, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming.
It wasn't only me who used to adore barbie. Mom secretly loved them too. So whenever there was a new movie, she would sneak in my and Kat's shared room, with an excuse of serving us snacks. Her most favorite one was the Island Princess.
If there wasn't a Barbie movie, then there was Disney princess. She watched them with us too. Like almost every weekend.
Then when dad would come home and find the house empty, he wouldn't worry, knowing mom's all-time habit. He would also sneak in our bed and we all cuddled together as Kat and I would fall asleep.
Kat wasn't a big fan of Barbie, especially her blond hair. Dad agreed with her too. Then mom and I would tease them saying they're saying this only because they're blessed with blond hair and hazel eyes.
Unlike Kat and dad, mom and I share chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. Though it's me who looks a lot like dad and Kat who looks like mom, the hair and eyes got crisscrossed.
Back then, dad was an assistant doctor and he had six days a week work. But the good thing about then was, unlike now, he could spend the whole evening with us.
After he was promoted, we were so happy because he worked so hard for it. He deserved the world. But then things started to change.
Dad started spending more time at work than home, started coming late, rarely stayed home on weekends.
We didn't mind, we knew being a neurosurgeon isn't easy, but the last two years have been the worst. After that China trip, dad made more names in his work, now he hardly stays home. He doesn't even pick up his phone at work.
Even though mom doesn't say it, I see it in her eyes. I know what she thinks and she doesn't want it to turn into reality.
What if-what if there is another person in his life that he's not telling us? At first, I dismissed that idea away, saying myself dad would never do that. He still loves mom as ever. The best evidence of the statement is their marriage anniversary.
Dad hardly stays home for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but he never misses their anniversary week. And of course, our birthdays. Every year, a week before their wedding anniversary, he would take mom on a trip out of the country. This tradition started on their tenth wedding anniversary, after dad's big promotion. They took us with them to Rome that year. But it doesn't come cheap so mom and dad go by themselves leaving us with our grandparents. Kat and I don't mind, they need some privacy too.
It costs him a fortune, buying business class tickets and booking five-star hotels every year, yet that doesn't stop him from doing so.
They would come back on the day of their anniversary and we would go out for dinner together.
Still, this doesn't keep mom from shedding her tears every weekend when she makes dinner. She thinks no one notices, but we do. Because before this distancing started, it was dad who used to do all the cooking on weekends.
It's another Saturday evening and dad is MIA again.
It's almost six o'clock and Kat is back from her weekend practice. She made it to the team. The coach called her this morning and she wanted them to start practice from today. Dylan got in too and they got a ride from Cadence, Miles, and Dylan's mom.
Sometimes I think the only reason Kat got into swimming in the first place was Dylan. Yes, my sister always had a crush on her old best friend and the whole neighborhood minus Dylan is aware of it. But she's too shy to confess to him.
I'm glad she is. Because Dylan is nothing like his brother. In fact, they're the polar opposite.
While Miles has this laid back attitude, Dylan is the most popular in his grade, especially among ladies. He just started high school and has gone through his third breakup a few days ago.
If this continues, he'll be the next Ashton Fellan of our high school.
"Dad home?" Kat asks when she comes downstairs after taking a shower.
I shake my head like every other weekend. Kat frowns. She stares at the kitchen door sadly where mom is making lasagna right now, then walks over to help her.
Kat was always a daddy's girl. So it hurt her hard when dad stopped spending time with us. Even though she doesn't share the same thoughts with mom and me, she's disappointed in him.
But all of our faces light up when we hear the doorbell when we are about to start dinner.
"I'll check," Kat runs out of the room. I look at mom. She had this hopeful look on her face.
But our hopes get crushed Kat screams. I get up from the table and follow her voice to the front door.
"What-" I stop when I see the person standing in front of Kat. A tall, lean guy, whose head almost touches the door, smiles at me when he sees me appearing behind Kat.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask Ashton. Mom comes behind me.
"Who is he?" She asks.
Before I can speak, Ashton introduces himself. "Hello, ma'am I'm Ashton. I'm a friend of Kiara."
I thought we just called truce yesterday. Since when did the deal change?
Kat gasps beside me. "Since when?" She whispers, loud enough only for me to hear.
I ignore her and roll my eyes. As if I forgot to tell her I'm the next elected president of the United States.
But it's Mom whose expression looks like worth a shot. I take my phone out and capture her look. I smile when I check my work, this will come in handy in the future.
"You're the guy who dropped Kiara home yesterday?" She says, finally finding her voice back. "The guy with Aston Martin? I mean, I didn't think-" She gapes like a schoolgirl when he flashes his all teeth signature smile.
Way to go, mom.
Kat's snort catches all of our attention. "Ashton Fellan drives an Aston Martin? Now that rings a bell." I have no more doubt that she's my own blood and bone.
Ashton blushes. "I've been told before," he says and looks at me. "I came here to talk to Kiara," he says.
He gives me the 'I'll see you look'. I cough. "But clearly, I should've chosen some other time to drop by. I'll leave-"
"No, stay," mom tells him. "Stay with us for dinner. It's just the three of us only."
That should've earned us a look from him. Like where's the dad?
But Ashton looks as cool as a mixture of cucumber and mint.
Then it hit me. Mom just offered him to stay over. No, that can't happen now.
"Actually mom, Ashton will just-"
"Love to stay," the boy in question cuts me. "Well if you want me to."
"Oh we'll love to have a friend of Kiara around, won't we darling?" Her look is directed at me.
"Sure mom," I look at Ashton. "Stay."
With that, mom and Kat escort him to our kitchen where dinner is set up. Kat sets dad's mug and plate in front of him.
I mouth her, what was that?
She just shrugs and sits across the table beside mom. Maybe it's her way to take revenge on dad for missing almost every weekend breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for two years. I shake my head and I sit down beside Ashton.
"So you're Kiara's friend?" Mom asks halfway through the dinner.
"Yes ma'am."
"Oh stop being so formal, call me Agnes." Mom smiles at him.
"If you insist on ma- I mean Agnes," Ashton sips his drink. "All the foods are so delicious, did you make them all?" He asks mom with wondrous eyes.
"Yes. These are my grandma's recipes, she passed it to my mom who passed it to me," she informs him and passes the homemade pasta sauce. "Try this with the pasta."
Ashton takes it from her. "I can't believe you made these all by yourself."
"Kat helped," I add.
"Wait till you try her cookies, they weren't that good in the beginning. Mom added salt instead of sugar on her first try," Kat says, this earns her a light smack from mom.
Ashton's eyes spark in amusement. For some odd reason, his smile relieves me too.
I guess I can say that I'm finally convinced that Kat wasn't lying when she swore on her bubbly bear that she has zero feelings for Ashton. Well, not those kinds of feelings at least.
"So where do you live Ashton?" mom asks again.
"Not far from here, just three streets down," he replies.
"That's great!" Mom says excitedly. "You should visit us more often."
"Sure and I'll earn some cash by having a glimpse of The Ashton Fellan from the girls in my class. Ten bucks per person," Kat adds.
We all laugh. Ashton's cheeks turn pink. "I will. You might even find your dinner missing every now and then."
Mom beams. "Seriously Kiara? He's such a nice boy, where've you been hiding him all this time?"
'In the house of Hades to save the universe from his tantrums, but clearly, that didn't work out as planned,' I wanted to say.
"It's okay Agnes, you won't need Kiara to invite me. Just call me or I'll come over myself," Ashton says cheekily.
Mom laughs.
"And who the hell is that sitting on my stool and having dinner with my family?" We turn to the source of the voice. A figure almost as tall as Ashton is standing in the doorway. He's still wearing his surgeon coat and glaring at the person beside me.
"Will, is that you?" Mom asks in disbelief and stands up, her fork falls on the floor.
Ashton looks at me in confusion and raises a brow. 'Who's that?' He asks in a low voice.
I glance at the doorway and back to him. "Dad," I whisper.
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