I was about to go help Luke out with preparing when suddenly, the ringtone of my phone rang through the car."I think it's yours." Luke said, the delicate allure of the moment interrupted. I nodded, still a little dazed and went to it.It was Bernice and I immediately picked it up. I was expecting her to tell me about how I had been missing classes and all, but the first thing I heard as I brought the phone to my ears was the sound of her crying."Ber..Bernice. Why are you crying?" I asked, concern lacing my voice. Luke stopped what he was doing and turned to me, even though I could see he was trying to not come too close so he wouldn't intrude."Very cheap of you to ask me that, don't you think, Karla?""What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling nervous for some reason."How could you do this to me? I am your friend! We have been together since high school, we have done everything together and what? Nathan?" Her words were jumbled, and I was finding it hard to understand."I do
I sniffed, blinking back the tears. My memories of this time flashed before my eyes.Everything had been perfect. From that ceremony at my house to the party they organized for me. Shopping, getting ready for college, we had done all of that with Bernice and Kate. The problem had started when Bernice had asked me to come to Natalie's birthday party. She was more of a distant friend, and I hadn't really felt like going. I could remember now, that I had a headache, and decided to stay home. But much later, I decided to suck it up and go, since Natalie had attended my own birthday party last October.FBThe party was the normal teen party, with a few couples dotted here and there and lots of red cups. I felt a little sick to my stomach with the crowd, and I decided to go and wish Natalie, then probably make it upstairs and get some sleep, hoping Bernice would find me."Happy Birthday, Natalie." I said, walking towards where she was standing. She broke into a smile and hugged me."Tha
The depiction of time as an interloping of threads was just too accurate. An interloping of regrets and missed chances. Short bursts of happiness and overwhelming sadness and most importantly, the things we wish to have a second chance with.I raised my head to look at Luke who was quietly sitting in the car with me. After helping me get rid of the initial sadness, he had helped me into the car, then drove away from Kate's house.There, he sat in silence and let me just cry as the second wave of sadness hit me. The thing with Bernice didn't hurt half as much as the realization. The realization that there was so much I could have overlooked and forgotten like this one, manipulated my memory into thinking it just happened with no fault of mine, and moved on with my life.I was once a bubbly person with pink all around her, but then I grew...not necessarily into the world, but further into a shell. The person that had been with Luke hadn't been my true self either."Can you tell me some
"I thought you wouldn't come. I was not expecting you to come at all." Her voice was shaky, and I knelt to her height. "I am sorry mum, I have been....""You are always just on your father's side, Karla. All you have ever wanted was to support him, and neglect me. It felt as if I didn't have any right to you.""Mum, please. How can you say that?"She watched me, as her lips slowly quivered. "How am I supposed to live with losing both of you? My daughter feels like A distant stranger and your father...." Her voice trailed off, but she did not even need to finish it.My father had cheated. And to make sure she wasn't on the losing end, she took his mistress away, by marrying me off to her son. It was the weirdest thing, yet the saddest. In the end, coming back in time has only showed me just how responsible for my tribulations I really was."My...I am sorry. I am so sorry. Even if...even if I am...if this apology will only be something I can remember, something that will remain only
I spent the night at home, if what I did could be called spending a night. I sat on the bed all night, feeling all the things I used to feel while sitting here, seven years ago, rushing back at me again. It was weird, just how in the end of it all, I was the very middle of it.I looked at my phone. Would the past Karla have her phone with her? What is she doing? I tried hard to remember what I was doing then around this time, but nothing came up. I stayed awake till the morning sun rose on me. In as much as I wanted to stay with my mother, I wanted to go back home. To be alone again.I trudged my way out of the room, intending to spend some time with her and leave."The alimony? Are you willing to pay it?" I heard my mother's voice say, and I stopped."But...Sandra. We can't just give our only child away like that. We can't just give her away into a marriage she does not want because we want to keep ours, Sandra. That is selfish."I heard my mother laugh. "Do you mean the same da
I adjusted my position on the bed, my eyes squinting. It should probably be mid day, but I had no motivation to even wake up. It was annoying how in the end, to my father, I was only an alimony. Or the price for it.I turned to my back and sighed.It was eerily quiet. This is one of those days that I would have run to Bernice...but right now...right now I wasn't exactly her favorite person.I felt around for my phone, and grabbed it once I felt the cold steel against my palm. I turned it on, and there was a notification for a message."Hey. This is Luke. So sorry if I am being fussy and irritating, but, I hope you are okay. I left a little package for you."I sighed. It was starting to feel like I was ruining this second chance too.He had sent it over three hours ago, and I dragged myself off the bed. I walked slowly to the front door, and opened it.There was no one around, so I stepped out to get the medium sized pink box. I had just picked it and was about to go back when I felt
"You are silent. Do you find the sky that mesmerizing?"I looked up to the sky again. It was already dark now, and I moved away from the window. "It must be really hard...and lonely. Isn't it?"He chuckled. "At least, I have you to call now. It used to be much worse." His voice went down an octave, and then he let out a sigh. "Maybe I should let you rest now.""Luke.""Yes?" He answered and I could hear a slight shuffle. It was like he had already removed the phone from his ear and only returned it when he heard my voice."Would you like it if I came over?"There was a moment of silence. "Do you want to?"I nodded, a little absent mindedly. My future self was probably laughing hard at my fickle decisions now, after she had sworn to not like Luke."Yes, I want to."There was another moment of silence. "Would you like to?" His voice dripped with uncertainty this time around."Just give me the address." I laughed. "Tell me if there is something you want and I will bring it to you."He w
I swallowed, trying hard to reduce the heat that had flowed to my cheeks. My heart was on a race against it's own self, and it was almost dizzying.I turned around. He had gone into the kitchen. I turned and walked around the sitting room, touching the small figurines arranged on the desk. The small shelf to the left was filled with books I could never dream of reading. Science books and things I have never seen before.I stood up and went further around the house, remembering that it was indeed his father's. The man who had brought me back here. The man who could undo all of this.I walked around the rooms. They were mostly normal, and I could tell which one Luke stayed in.The last room looked a little abandoned, though and I walked to it. The door knocked came open immediately I pushed down, and I slowly walked in, assessing the place. It looked like an old study that had been cleared out, except for a few papers strewn around, and not much else.I bent to pick one of the papers