Arranged

Chapter-16

"What are you doing this Sunday?"

"This...Sunday? Hmm, I'm supposed to bring Lucy to this playroom. Why?"

"Great! I'll bring Ben! Where is it?"

"Ben would hate it. They don't have video games there."

"Who cares? Lyn and I are annoyed with his constant nagging and complaints and smartass replies, and yes, moodiness."

Kelly laughed at that. "Bring him along then. I hope the kids there tolerate him!"

"Once again I am obliged to repeat: who cares?"

Kelly laughed again. "I see your patience has been tested to its limit."

"Limit? My patience, my dear, has been crushed, converted to juice and drunk by that little devil with his breakfast every day."

Kelly could not continue with the phone call post that because she could not contain her outburst of laughter, which soon turned into tears and an ache in her sides. "Oh God," she gasped, retiring to her bed and pulling the covers over her head.

Sunday arrived bright and sunny, unlike Lisa's mood. Kelly had taken out the car with Lucy in the front passenger seat, her seatbelt securely tied around her. Her mother ran out to them, handing over their packed lunch.

"What's Lisa doing, Ma?" Kelly asked, taking the lunchbox and giving it to the outstretched arms of Lucy. She giggled at her big sister, who patted her cheeks lovingly in response. Kelly turned back to her mother and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Amelia shook her head and said in a dejected voice, "She has not come out of her room since morning, still chatting or something. God knows how we will get her to interact more with people around her."

Kelly sighed and undid her seatbelt.

"Key! Seatbelt on! Safe!" Lucy exclaimed, her big eyes becoming bigger in shock. Kelly smiled and said, "Don't worry, honey. I'm just going inside the house for a bit."

"Oh." The littlest sister went back to outlining the design on the lunchbox with her finger.

Moments later, Kelly banged on the door of Lisa's bedroom. "Hey, kiddo! Lee! Open the door! We're going on a fieldtrip!" she shouted, continuing the banging.

"God, Key! How loud can you get –?" Lisa's rest of the annoyed question got chortled in the throat because the minute she opened the door to confront her elder sister, the latter grabbed her under the knees and threw her over her shoulder. Lisa was too shocked to protest until Kelly opened the back door of the car and deposited her inside.

"What the hell, Key?!" Lisa yelled, sitting up straight just as the door was rudely shut on her face, and Kelly got into the front seat and locked the car. She put on the seatbelt and adjusted the rear view mirror. Lisa's glaring eyes were reflected and Kelly smirked in victory. She rolled down her window and leaned out to bid goodbye to their mother, who now stood at the porch, acting oblivious to the kidnapping that had just transpired under her nose, and happily bid them a happy time ahead.

"Key! Are you listening?!"

"Lee, you are coming with us too?"

"Yes, she is, honey. How is the lunchbox doing?"

"It's warm, warm, warm. I love it!"

"Key! I'm talking to you here!"

"And what do you want to do when you reach the playroom, Luce?"

"I want to...jump!"

"KEY!"

Kelly finally glanced into the rear view mirror and smirked once again. Lisa had turned red with anger, her ears burning from the rage. "Now you know how it feels when you ignore the people around you for the virtual life," she said firmly as she took a left turn.