Lies Become You (A NOWC22 Project) A Short Story

Chapter 3

A week after the big news has spread, nothing happened.

Two weeks. Nothing happened.

The following week, still nothing. Everyone has almost forgotten about it and going about their normal routine without a care.

Yet another week, but we still heard nothing. The new rumour spreading was that Ife was most likely wrong about this one and how she should have just kept her mouth shut. I agreed with them of course but she would never keep quiet like they suggested.

Pretty much everything has gone back to normal, well, the normal normal, not Kathy Baker normal. And life's going great actually. Father has remained sober for a whole month and I can't be more grateful. He took up a job for a small company. And fate's finally smiling upon me.

"We should throw a party for your birthday," Elizabeth suggested.

"Yes of course."

"But you don't have many friends." She complained, poking me. We were in my room, throwing suggestions over a large tub of ice cream. I wagged my spoon in her direction agreeing with her.

"Neither do you."

"We can invite your boyfriend," I smiled coyly, knowing what she would say next, "even though I can't stand him." They don't see eye to eye. Both of them, they've never really got along well but they just tried for me. Once we went on a double date and Elizabeth jabbed a fork in his hand and claimed it was an "accident". She hated him, he hated her as much as I loved them both. It used to bother me a great deal but as soon as I managed to get them both to at least be civil, I was at peace.

"And yours too." She nodded wistfully. I've never met him, she said he's a busy man.

"We can invite Deji," she chirped and before I could protest, she added, "he's very cute."

"I don't want him there, he's going to call me Katherine all night and ruin my birthday." I protested.

"Cancel him out then." She reached over and brought out a pen and paper to jot down all the plans and the people.  

After several hours of delegations, we arrived at a mutual decision and decided to just not invite anyone and celebrate it alone. Just the two of us.

It's been hours after she left, an empty bowl of ice cream was lying around somewhere in the room. I was too tired to pick it up. It was around six thirty in the evening, father hollered at me when he came back from work. Apparently, he's to come six times a week. If he told me alo you of that earlier, I wouldn't have let him work no matter what.

But like I said earlier, things were really looking good for me. Maybe, just maybe, I can move out soon now that I know that dad will be okay without me. It's thrilling, just thinking about it. Very very.

I managed to get myself up and clean up the mess we created. I checked my phone once in a while to see the messages Caleb has sent, they're mostly memes but hey, who doesn't like a funny image? Replying each one with a crying emoji, I put my phone on charge.

Sitting without anything else to do, I wore some loose jeans and a crop top with sandals and decided to take a stroll. I was trying to look casual with no makeup on and all but you don't know who can cross your way. Always dress up, so you don't ever regret going out a certain way.

"Father?" I yelled.

"Kathy, in the kitchen." He yelled back.

"Okay, I'm just going out for a stroll." Tucking my phone in my back pocket, I left before he could answer me back.

The air was chilly. No surprise, it's February. But the weather does whatever suits him. And yes, I used the pronoun him, why? Well, because only men do whatever they want without thinking most of the time. Women are more levelheaded and thoughtful. If the weather was actually a woman, she'd be more sensible and not be hot today and cold tomorrow. But anyway. I kicked a random stone on my path and hissed painfully. I shouldn't have done that.