Tiger Striped Sky - III

"Are you serious?"

I shifted my weight, second-guessing whether telling my stepmother about the news was the right decision. The tone my father's second wife took on made me wince from the words that might follow her question.

"When will you depart?"

I chewed on my nails. "Today."

The sigh that left Veronica's mouth caused static through the phone. I flinched. "You and your father have always done this, leaving me in the dark until the last minute. May, I'm so disappointed. We could've celebrated together. I have someone to introduce you to. He's such a sweetheart- totally your type. He studies, actually I can't remember, but he works at the hospital. Just like you but with humans. You two would get along great! And this alliance would really help you father's-"

"I need to go."

"Why? You haven't heard the best part."

"I have to board the plane. Tell dad I love him." It was a lie, but it got me off the phone. I dragged my hand down my face when the call officially disconnected. I had never understood what my father saw in Veronica but figured I should support him if he was happy.

A honk disconnected me from my thoughts, drawing my attention to the taxi sitting in front of me. Inside the car, Riley leaned over the driver. Invading his personal space, the wild girl was laying her hand on the horn. Her hand waved enthusiastically at me and an approaching Zach. I gasp at the situation at hand. People turned to find the source of the loud noise. The taxi driver forcefully pushed Riley off of him, cursing her out of his car.

"Hey ya'll!" Despite the harsh treatment she had just received from the cab driver when he throws her bags at her, she simply gave him a high five when he went to point at her. I could only shake my head while Zach proceeded to laugh his ass off beside me. "Who's ready to get their mid-flight party on! I know I am!"

"Riley, how much coffee did you have?" I was cautious with the question. She had hit me the last time I asked her that.

A wide smile stretched across Riley's face. Both Zachary and I took a step back, away from the grinning demon. "Only five cups."

. . .

Three hours later, she was out like a light.

The steady rocking of the plane almost brought me to sleep too, but I couldn't sleep. My mind was too captivated by the conversation with Veronica earlier and the excitement of arriving in the Buraco.

"Hey May," Zach leaned over Riley's sleeping body to look at me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

His brows furrowed in worry. "I might have overheard your conversation on the phone. I know you don't really like to talk about it but I don't know. I wanted to make sure you are okay."

I turned away from him. I remember the first time he asked me. It was 3 three summers ago, just a week after my father had remarried. Zach had overheard a conversation between Veronica, her daughter, and myself much like the one I had this morning. I had just found out the week before, on the day of their wedding, about her. While I was happy for my father, it felt like a betrayal for him not to say anything beforehand. And the fact that Veronica took it upon herself to try and act like my mom the day she met me, I wasn't a very happy camper. My mother's death hit me hard, it still hurts, and Veronica's actions seemed inconsiderate. Zach ended up huddled in a corner with me at the end of the night.

"I'm good." My breath fogged the window as I spoke. "I'm used to it."