Masked Purpose

Chapter One

It took me three attempts.

Three attempts to convince Stella about the disadvantages of the celebration period.

"I'm serious Stel. I mean, why should we have to place a time frame on when we're rewarded? Shouldn't natural human courtesies be honored on a regular basis?"

"They should. I see your point." She adjusted her position on the couch before taking another toke. "But, I also believe that the season in which it occurs plays an important role in the 'why' aspect."

"What do you mean?"

"The holiday is celebrated during the winter months, typically a duration where work isn't always available due to the declining weather. So why not reward people for operating and assisting throughout those conditions?"

"Because those are duties you need to be performing year round." I raised upwards from the mattress to face Stella directly while she tapped the end of her cigarette. "Regardless of our opinions, there is nothing we can do to change it."

"Possibly. In the future."

"When you have your steady job, a rich husband, a two story house, and kids?" She sighed forcefully, clearly annoyed with my sarcastic comment.

"There is nothing wrong with dreaming for an ideal lifestyle Kaia."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden attitude. "I know...If you believe in fairy tales."

Her release of smoke and roll of eyes displayed the annoyance she felt. "Whatever."

"You know you love me, bitch." I tossed my legs forward coming in contact with the tiled floor. Stella muttered an incomprehensible statement as I exited the room.

The topic of conversation was brought about by way of closeness to actual occurrence. Celebration was set to begin in one week. My bittersweet relationship with the event produced our argument in the first place. Our boredom only added fuel to the fire.

And my eagerness to bug my best friend.

As I trudged through our assigned apartment searching for a quick snack, I could faintly recognize Stella's voice calling my name. Based off of previous inclinations, her tone indicated she wanted something.

"What?!"

"Can you stop by the pharmacy and pick up my meds?"

I slammed the refrigerator intending on showcasing my aversion of doing her 'smoke patch' runs. "Stel, why can't you get your perfectly able ass up and get them?"

A short pause followed by a shuffling noise took place. "Because I'm too busy believing in fairy tales."

My jaw clenched in amusement and slight frustration at her reference while I commenced the motion of leaving.

This solitary walk served as an opportunity to delve into the details of my surroundings, which brought upon a greater appreciation for my attentive qualities. Such things as minute as a crack in the sidewalk to a building's exterior found its way to snake inside the realms of my optical brain and plant in my memory. My mother used to see this attribute as an excuse to belittle me. 'Kaia stop being so critical all the damn time' she would say. I grew up thinking that I had a huge flaw, my overly analytical trait.

But my self confidence wouldn't have emerged had I been born otherwise.

The door leading to the pharmacy unleashed a wave of hot air and the smell of a hospital. I received a greeting from a man behind the counter that appeared to be in his mid-50s and sported a beige coat that clashed with the white walls. "Hello miss, how may I help you?"

My explanation for being there was brief and the pharmacist soon proceeded to scan through the countless drawers.

I found the industrial clock above the counter to be odd, especially with its enlarged number five. It stood out in a significantly peculiar way that captured my attention and wouldn't let up until the man returned.

A quick thank you was exchanged along with another glance at the clock before my time inside ceased.

Even without my mother's nagging, I could still hear her deprecatory words as I walked down the street and innately observed everything in my path.

I could still feel the disappointment that radiated from her skin when she talked.

But I could still remember the path that set me free from her mental restraints.