Mirage by Kat Hooper
Kyra:
Kyra was bored; outside the thick snow blanketed the world, from the sill of the window she rested her chin on, to an abyss that swallowed the garden, outhouse and garages.
She despised this weather although she ought to know better by now than to expect anything less. She understood her Pa needed to move when her Mother died, to leave the painful memories behind him, but Alaska, this far north? Come on!
Not for the first time, she wondered what their lives would have been like with her mother still alive; would they live here still, would they still have such an intense bond between them and would her Pa still be so overprotective?
She couldn't be mad at him really; her Mother had passed in suspicious circumstances and within three weeks, he had made his move, cutting off anyone and everyone he had ever known. The house, his job, furniture, car, all left behind, in the care of an estate manager, who sold the lot at Pa's request. Her only possession that had once belonged to her Mothers was a silver locket, decorated in fine filigree scrolling, a wolf howling at the moon ,flames flanking the background. It was an unusual piece of jewellery, delicate yet somehow solid. She knew it was crazy but when she held it tight between her hands, she almost felt it pulsing, as if her Mother was saying "I'm still here, watching over you". She never wore the locket, for fear of losing it yet she meticulously polished it several times a week, opening its tiny catch to gaze, once again, at her Mother's image.
Kyra sighed, stretching her arms, her back arching as she unfolded from her seat in the window of her attic bedroom, instantly feeling bad for her make-believe games.
Her Pa had done what he thought best, she had a good life, tons of friends and even her own Husky pup, Ice, finally gifted to her after three years of begging!
Scooping him up, he nestled into her neck, his moist, cold nose burrowing in her hair, as he kissed her with delight, then jumped down, his gaze fixed on her bedroom door, his tail wagging as if to a beat.
" Okay, okay!" she grumbled good naturedly, "Pa warned me about you!" she giggled, as he entwined himself between her legs, tripping her as she walked.
Grabbing his lead from the banister, she clipped it onto his collar, dragging his thick, fur-lined coat on as she did. Slipping her feet into boots, her hands into mittens, she dragged on her coat, an arctic weather ski jacket and stumbled out onto the front porch, her feet skidding as she failed to keep pace with the excited pup; not paying attention, she left out a 'oomph' as she collided with a solid object, she head whipping up quickly to see what, or rather who she had collided with.
Taking stock of his hands, each on one of her shoulders to steady her, she let out a tiresome sigh.
"What are you doing here, Drew?" she asked the human trip hazard in front of her, with a sigh,failing to prevent the accompanying eye roll.
Grinning down at her, the stocky, dark haired lad cocked an eyebrow in her direction, his cheeky smirk irritating yet amusing.
Poor guy had a massive unrequited crush on her, had done since she was six years old it seemed and no matter what she did, who she dated, how she treated him, there he was, always appearing as if by magic, when her guard was down.
"What are you doing here Andrew?" she repeated, using his full name whilst trying to keep the exasperation from her voice.
"Do you actually camp here, waiting for me to leave my house?" she added, her patience thin already, thanks to the return of the stupid weather.
Drew scrunched his nose whilst he thought; apparently some girl had told him it was sexy so he did it as much as he could in her presence.
"No, no tent here Kyra, its too cold for camping" he stated, the sarcasm clearly over his head.
