A Long Path Ahead Of Us

Chapter 10 (The ghostly doll)

Annabella scratched the back of her head and gave her father an awkward smile.

"Dad, when did you come? Where's mom?" She asked instead of answering him.

Mr Parker cleared his throat as he took a sip from his tea. "She went to the supermarket to buy some vegetables I guess. I just came and have to go to meet one of my colleagues later as well. Wait, answer my question first. Who's this little lad?"

Damien's face darkened. He wasn't a little lad for god's sake! He was a young man, a man, okay? He came forward and introduced himself with a smile that he thought was professional.

"Hi, uncle. I'm Damien and we are..."

Annabella interrupted him by saying, "He's one of my friends' younger brother. Mmm... Clara! Clara's brother. Right, Damien?" She gave him a look that showed, 'Act accordingly.'

Damien reluctantly nodded his head. "That's true."

Mr Parker raised his eyebrows. Clearly, he wasn't convinced yet.

"Then what is he doing at his elder sister's FRIEND'S house, may I ask?"

Damien replied before Annabella could say anything. "Sarah went on a trip with her co-workers and our parents are abroad. So she's worried about me and asked..." He glanced at Annabella a bit nervously before saying, "Big sister here to take care of me."

"Oh," Mr Parker nodded his head understandingly. "But I still have some more questions."

Annabella felt like something was wrong when she felt her father's sharp gaze.

"What do you have to say about the blood stains on your shirt, your back... And how did Clara become Sarah?"

Annabella gulped in fear. Sure enough, fooling her father was the hardest thing ever. She helplessly looked at the boy who was standing beside her. He caused trouble and he must be the one to correct them as well.

Damien didn't look affected by his question. He clicked his tongue and said, "I was arguing with my friends and big sister saved me when someone hit my back. Thanks for that, big sister." He turned around and bowed down to Annabella a little which made her speechless. What a drama king!

"And as for my sister's name... To outsiders, she's Clara as her birth certificate shows that name. My mother chose the name, 'Clara.' Dad was upset because he wanted to name her 'Sarah' instead. To satisfy both of them, Grandpa suggested that they should use both names to address her."

Annabella widened her eyes at him. He was such a brave one. He could just make lies here and there so casually like that! Mr Parker nodded knowingly. "That was epic. Even for Annabella, we argued a lot because of damn names and eventually, we bonded the names together."

"Oh, really?" Damien's eyes lit up. "Tell me more about it."

Annabella glared at him unhappily. It was none of his business, wasn't it?

Damien gave her a playful smirk and sat beside her father nonchalantly and popped his chin on the back of his hand as he crossed his legs, showing how eager he was to listen to his story.

Annabella sighed and sat in front of the two of them on the single sofa as if she was the outsider there.

A happy smile spread across Mr Parker's face as he began, "I want her to be called Anna or Annie but wifey protested, saying that she liked the name Arabella. We argued about it and finally, I told her we should join the names together and she became Annabella in the end."

Damien chuckled. "That's how she became the ghostly girl."

Annabella raised her eyebrows in confusion. "What did you mean?"