Saturday, 18 August 2018
I KISSED HIM
Those three words have been on replay in her mind since she left Chris’s place for home. She had been touching her lips in shock. She gave away her first kiss to Chris.
Her phone beeps. She reaches into her pocket and finds a few messages from Chris.
Babe, tell me when you reach home, alright?
Babe, are you there?
Babe? Are you alright?
I’m fine. I wanna take a nap first. I’ll text you when I reach home.
She replied.
A month later.
Zaily finally is home to cook and Marc came home early from work. It has been quite a while since everyone was home to have dinner as a family.
“Faith, get out of your room and help me prepare the table!” Zaily shouts from the kitchen. “Cess, go get your sister. Faith, get down here, now!”
“Faiiiiith!” Francesca shouts while running up to Faith’s room.
“My mum is calling me to help in the kitchen,” Faith sighs. “I need to go.”
“So soon?” Chris asks.
“Babe, we have been on the phone since I left school! It’s almost seven now.”
Chris chuckles. “Time flew so fast whenever I’m with you. Talk to me after?”
“Absolutely. How can I not call you after?”
“Faith, open the door!” Francesca knocks continuously at her door. “Opennnnn!”
“I got to go,” Faith sighs again. “My sister is annoying.”
“I can hear that,” Chris laughs. “Love you, babe.”
“Love you too.”
“QUIT IT!” Faith opens the door to Francesca.
“Mum has been calling you!”
“I know! I’m going, I’m going!”
“Smells good!” Faith says.
“Of course,” Farrell smirks. “It smells good because you didn’t help.”
“Oh, and you did?” They stare at each other.
“Stop it both of you,” Zaily says. “Faith, the table won’t get ready by itself.”
“Aye aye, captain.”
Faith sets the table and serves all the food on the table. Marc comes down with Ashley and put her in the high chair. “What time did you reach home today, Faith?” He says while buckling Ashley.
Faith looks at Farrell who is looking at her and smirking. Faith rolls her eyes at him and replies, “About 2:30pm,” She is curious as to why her father was asking her. “Why dad?”.
He doesn't respond.
The atmosphere in the kitchen changes. Marc’s voice is firm every time he speaks. Everyone senses that Marc is angry. Masticating and swallowing food is deafening. Faith keeps her head down while eating. Farrell keeps giving Faith the you-are-busted look whenever Faith looks up to him.
Does dad know something?
After cleaning the table and washing the dishes, Faith tries to quickly make her way up to her room but is called over by Marc.
“Anything you need, dad?”
“Sit,” Marc says.
Faith sees an opened envelope beside Marc.
Marc points to the envelope and says, “Explain.”
She opens the envelope and realises it is her cell phone bill.
She scans the bill all the way down to the total amount charged.
FOUR HUNDRED AND TWO DOLLARS!
Faith stares blankly at the bill.
“I said EXPLAIN,” Marc raises his voice. “Why are you keeping quiet? I said to explain that bill you got there!”
“I… I…” Faith is finding words to say.
“'I' what?” Marc snatches the bill from her hands. “Four hundred dollars! Who were you on the phone with for hours and hours each day? Look at this! 17 July, 5 hours! 18 July, 4 hours! 19 July, SEVEN hours! And it goes on for a month!”
Faith has her head down the entire time.
“You’re grounded!” Marc exclaims. “No more coming home after 3 on school days. And if there’s an extra class on any day, I’ll call the school to confirm it myself. Don’t you dare lie to me! Now stay in your room!”
Faith runs up to her room and takes out her phone straight away and texts Chris.
Do not text me till I text you. My dad might be confiscating my phone.
What happened?
I’m grounded. My phone bills skyrocketed.
Update me if he’s not confiscating.
A hard knock comes on her door. Marc comes in.
“Phone,” Marc extends his arm and beckons his hand to pass it to him immediately.
Faith sulks and single-handedly switches off her phone out of Marc’s sight because she knows that he would need a password to access her phone.
“NOW!” Marc says firmly, his voice raised.
Faith glances at her phone to justify that it is switched off before handing it to Marc.
It was almost 2am. Faith sneaks out of her room to the kitchen to grab the cordless phone and runs back up to her room.
“Babe, it’s me,” Faith says.
“I figured your dad would confiscate your phone,” Chris yawns.
“I’m sorry to wake you up but I miss you.”
“I miss you too. It’s alright, I’m barely asleep. Meet me later after school?”
“I can’t. I’m grounded remember?”
“Oh, yeah, bummer. Can’t you fake a remedial class or something?”
“Maybe tomorrow? My dad is still furious.”
“I guess I’ll go home straight after work.”
“Sorry, babe,”
“It’s alright. Go ahead and sleep. You need to wake up at 6am for school later. Love you.”
“Love you.”
She runs back down, returns the phone and then straight to bed.
She stays in her room until her school bus arrives to pick them up. She refuses to have breakfast with the family and goes straight down from her room to the bus.
Farrell sits behind her on the bus.
“You know that you are the one that is wrong,” Farrell says to Faith. “Don’t behave like everyone is against you.”
Faith turns around, kneels on her seat and looks over at Farrell. “You said something to dad!”
“I did no such thing!”
“Why did he ask me what time I reached home yesterday then?”
“How would I know? Mum was at home some of the time when you came home late! Could have been her! I have more beneficial things to do than telling them about your low life.”
“Shut up, player!”
The bus has a sudden stop, and Faith slips forward almost falling into Farrell’s seat.
“You, there!” The bus driver shouts. “Sit down!”
Faith sits back down and looks out at the streets. She doesn't have her phone to listen to songs. The trip to school feels longer than usual. She wonders what Chris is doing right at that moment.
Why can’t I just skip this National Service?
He got into the Civil Defence Force and started off as a Private due to his qualifications. All he does at work is answering to emergency calls and do paperwork.
“Hey man, wanna go for a smoke break?” Harris, also the same rank as him, pops out from behind the door and asks.
“Give me a minute,” Chris takes his bag, reaches into the side pockets and takes his box of cigarettes out.
He turns around and is greeted by one of his superiors.
“Good morning, mam,” Chris says.
“Morning,” Lieutenant Mandy replies. “Are you going for your lunch soon, private?”
“Yes mam, anything you need?”
“There will be a drill later on and I need all men including Private and Corporals to be there at 2pm.”
“Roger mam.”
Lieutenant Mandy turns and walks out. Chris can’t help but look at her long slim legs underneath that skirt. He has this fetish for long fair skin legs that he can’t control.
If only I can fuck that.
Suddenly it gets him thinking.
When was the last time I had it even?
He takes out his phone but then remembers that Faith's phone got confiscated.
Faith…
Chris really cares for her. He doesn't want to sleep with anyone but her if he could. It would be a risk because if he were to try, Faith might not want to see him again.
I need to make her trust me.
“Man, come on!” Harris shouts from afar. Chris shakes his head and snaps back to reality.
As soon as Chris reaches home, he goes straight to his computer and sends a private message to Faith:
> Hey babe, it would be a lie if I say I don’t miss you. It was a dreading day today. I had nothing much to do! I wish I could call or text you. When will you get your phone back?
He looks at the time; 6:15pm.
Faith should be home from school by now.
Faith had just finished her homework. She looks at the time; 6:46pm.
Mum will be calling all of us for dinner soon.
Faith has been up in her room doing her own thing since she was grounded. She does not want to talk to anyone.
“Dinner’s ready!” Zaily shouts from the kitchen. Faith hears footsteps running down the stairs. Faith ignores that and goes to her computer. Her computer screen was already at Friendster when she moves her mouse to put her computer out of sleep mode.
Message from TheREALChrisHamilton:
> Hey babe, it would be a lie if I say I don’t miss you. It was a dreading day today. I had nothing much to do! I wish I could call or text you. When will you get your phone back?
Faitherine Swan:
> Oh my god! I never thought of sending you a message here, brilliant! I miss you too, babe. I’m still not on talking terms with my parents so I don’t know when I’ll ever get my phone back. I wish I could just get out of this house and see you. My day was as dreading as yours too, babe.
TheREALChrisHamilton:
> I feel like going over to your school tomorrow and just picking you up from there.
Faith suddenly had an idea.
Faitherine Swan:
> I’ve got a plan! But you have to be patient with me. Don’t meet me until I tell you to alright, babe? I’ve got a plan to get my phone back at least.
The next day in school.
As soon as Faith arrives at the school, she searches for Nina.
“Nina!” Faith shouts when she sees Nina.
“Whoa Faith, chill,” Nina says. “What’s up? Why are you panting?” Her eyebrows raised.
“I… was… finding for… you…” Faith said, gasping for air. Nina laughs at the sight of Faith. “Are you… free… after school?”
“Yeah… I… am,” Nina mocks Faith.
“Haha, very funny,” Faith rolls her eyes. “I was thinking of going over to your place later. That is if you don’t mind?”
“Oh my god, I wanted to ask you the same thing!” Nina jumps for joy. “But would you stay for dinner? My parents want to meet you.”
“I’d love to!”
Awww poor Faith. I loved listening to music on the bus as well. It sucks being grounded.
ReplyDeleteHmm... Chris needs to stop thinking about Mandy. I understand he has needs but Faith is his girlfriend. I'm really interested to see what Faith does to get her phone back and see Chris.