1 Chapter 1

***This story is for your enjoyment. Do not duplicate this work in any way***

“Dad, I'm leaving don't wait up for me, okay?" I told him as I took my bag from the chair that was in the hallway.

"Okay, Eyllah remember you should be home by 10:00 pm." He told me. I grabbed the house keys from the shelf and walked through the hallway towards the door.

"Dad, did we not agree yesterday that curfew is 11:00 pm?" I asked him.

"Yes, but you do know what tomorrow is right?" he peaked his head from the kitchen with a curious look. It was as if I did not know how important it was for him. It was Mum’s birthday/ death anniversary. My dad told me that she died in a car accident when I was two years old. I knew how much it meant to him, but I couldn't bring myself to feel the same way he did.

"Yes," I sighed as I looked at my reflection in the mirror beside the door. "I know it's mum's death anniversary and I promise I won't be late." I adjusted my makeup and took my coat from the hook on the door.

"You promise you won't be late?" my dad said in a distrusting voice. I do not blame him I bailed on past anniversaries either because I had a school competition or just wanted to be with my friends. I did not miss my mum as much as he did, I mean I would miss her at times, but my dad had done a great job of filling the gaps left by my mother. He was always there for me when I needed him, and I was grateful for that.

"Yes, I will be there," I said. My dad celebrates my mum's death anniversary by having a picnic by the sea he says that my mum loved picnics and the sea so what better way to celebrate her memory?

"I promise I will be there for real this time." I turned to face him. I did really mean it I had missed too many anniversaries. I had to make it up to him.

"You better be there I have something I want to tell you” " he said with a serious look on his face. He got out of the kitchen to face me, “just please be there, okay?” he pleaded with me.

"Why can't you tell me now when I am free you do not have to wait until tomorrow?" I asked.

"No, it has to be tomorrow I promised your mother..." he looked so eager to tell me something but stopped. I wish he continued.

"What about my mother?" Why won’t he tell me anything? He has been like this every year stating that he has something to tell me on the anniversary and when I didn’t show up he would postpone it and when I did show up he would change the story. How is this year any different?

"Just be there. Okay?" He pleaded.

"Fine, I will be there b..." The hooting of a vehicle stopped me from finishing my sentence. Cane my best friend was here to get me. We had been best friends since kindergarten.

"Dad, I have to go, and the curfew is at 11:00 pm I love you, bye," I shouted as I rushed out of the house. I waved at Cane who was checking out my neighbor Kasandra who was busy gardening. He always had a thing for her, but she rejected him.

"Hi, are you ready?" He asked me. I nodded while hopping into the car.

"Can we please live before my dad comes out?" I asked him. He looked at me mischievously before asking.

"Did you get into a fight with him or something?" He winked. He pretended to start the car as he yawned lazily.

"No, just drive," I glared at him while putting my seatbelt on.

"Okay." He said with a sarcastic tone. My dad got out of the house something that I couldn’t quite catch running towards the car. This was when Cane decided it was the perfect time to drive off. I watched my dad through the side mirror as we drove off, he was panting on the road waving at us. I was sure he was worried about me and the anniversary thing so I waved back at him to assure him.

"Do you even know where we are going?" I turned to Cane. We were going to a party that was supposed to be the biggest party of the year but none of us knew the location.

"It's Zander, who doesn't," he stated. I rolled my eyes and got comfortable in the front seat. I knew that Cane didn't know where he was going so, I better rest because this was going to be a long ride plus, I didn’t have much sleep last night. We could not ask anyone we knew for directions because none of them were invited including us. This party is exclusively for the chosen few.

"Did you tell your father where we are going or even what we are up to?" He asked me with a fake smile.

"No. You know the type of communication I have with my father. So why ask me a question that you know the answer to?" Cane knows that I rarely speak to my father. When I am at home, I mostly shut myself in my room and he is usually busy with...well whatever he is doing. I turned to look at Cane. I wonder how I got a guy like him to become my friend. I mean he is sweet and considerate and most importantly tall and extremely good-looking. He has never been angry with me and defends me when I am in a problem. Come to think of it I have never seen him angry or sad he is always happy no matter what I do to him. Today there was something weird about him I don't know what exactly, but he is not himself he looks agitated as if he is waiting for something to happen.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked me, "Do I have something on my face or am I so handsome that you can't take your eyes off me." I cringed at his words turning to look at something other than him.

"I think we are lost," He looked at me with wide eyes.

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Well, this is the fourth time we are passing that building," I told him. he just smirked at me.

"For your information, I do know where we are going. Can you please have faith in your best friend?" He asked me. I knew we were lost but he doesn't want to admit it.

"And also, I know Zander's place I have been there a few times." He sounds proud of his accomplishment.

"Wait, I thought you did not know where he lived. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I feel betrayed. We could have gone together." I complained. This was shocking news he usually told me everything why keep this from me? I thought we were past keeping secrets, but I guess he has other friends other than me that I don’t know of.

"You know this is not fair why do you do all the fun stuff without me? Are we not friends here?" I continued.

"In my defense, you refused to come with me on my adventures." He said.

"Well, you never specified what you were doing in those 'adventures'," I said putting air quotes on adventures.

"And you never bothered to ask me what they were." He smiled at me. I rolled my eyes and turned my head to face the window. Clouds were forming. I really didn’t like rain. I loved it when I was cozy in my room watching a movie but when I was out I loved calm weather.

"Hey, I think it's going to rai..." my mouth was covered by a hand that smelled oddly like beef jerky.

"Shhh, you will jinx the whole day. Who wants to go to a part when it is raining." I tapped his hand signaling him to move it from my mouth.

"Oh sorry," he said, "I forgot." Moving his hand away.

"Did you do something today before you came for me?" I asked him. He turned to face me with a surprised face.

"How did you know?" He looked genuinely surprised.

"Well, your hand smells like beef jerky," I told him. How can he not wash his hands after eating I am still not used to it. "Next time wash your hands after you eat it's disgusting," I said taking a wet wipe from my purse and wiping my mouth with it.

"Okay." He answered me as he rolled his eyes. We drove past town towards the forest.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" I asked Cane. The forest was a no-go zone, especially with cars, and was not ready to go hiking with the outfit I was wearing. The environmental activists in this area fought for this land and won. Before we used this as a short cut but nowadays it is a no-go zone. If the activists find you, they sue you, or worse if the criminals hiding in the forest find you then you are doomed.

"Don't you trust me?" He asked, "Zander's home is just past this forest " Just then lightning ripped through the clouds startling me. It began to drizzle.

"Oh great, it's raining, and we are lost can't we just go home?" I asked Cane who was busy looking at his phone. "I thought you said that you went to Zander's house a couple of times." The rain got heavier by the minute it was becoming unbearable to see the road. Cane parked the car on the side of the road and looked at me.

"Sorry, Eyllah we need to stay here for a while I can't see in this weather." He told me.

"And now we are stuck." I sighed.

***This story is for your enjoyment. Do not duplicate this work in any way***