Visions Of Us

8 | Wonder Woman

JULIA

On the car ride to Rory's home, my mind analysed everything about her. The colour of Rory's hair, the flirtation, the small touches. I remembered everything like it was written on the back of my palm. A growing smile appeared on my face as I felt the memories play in my head like a film reel. For a split second, I take my eyes off the road and look at her face. I see tiny freckles splayed across her nose and cheeks.

Suddenly, I had the urge to trace and match the freckles gently with my finger as I had never before noticed the tiny freckles splayed across her cheeks and nose. I've never noticed or thought about a girl like that before. I've never wanted to trace freckles on a girl's face or thought of how pretty the colour of a girl's hair is. Until Rory. I stop the car when we reach the driveway of her humble abode.

"Thanks for the free food and the whole teaching me thing." she giggled, biting her lip to hide her smile.

"Anytime, Rory." I said, smiling at her.

I realised that I won't see her for the whole weekend until monday when we had school and even then I won't be able to talk to her much. I inwardly sighed at that. I was just starting to enjoy her presence around me.

"I'll see you later."

"Goodnight, Julia." I chuckled, waving my hand at her until she left the car.

I watched her figure walk on the lawn before reaching the stairs to her doortstep and stepping foot into her house. It was pretty late at night by now, the tall streetlights casted luminescent shadows on the gravel road, and the scent of dewy air lingered. I slowly pulled out of the driveway, making sure not to hit any vulnerable gnome or anything of the sort and made my way to my own home. I dreaded going back home because I didn't know what to expect at all. I told Amelia that I was going to hang out with a friend in the evening a few minutes before I left the house but other than that I didn't call my mom on how long I would be outisde.

Oh and also dad. Almost forgot about him.

I entered the lobby of the house expecting the lights to be shut off at this time of the night but in my surprise all the lights are on, I can smell the mouthwatering scent of freshly baked pastries and the sound of the TV in the living room. I hang my coat on the coat hanger, carefully making my way to the living room to see my mother drinking straight out of a bottle of vodka in a laying position on the couch, mindlessly watching the television screen. Reese Witherspoon is like a living Barbie doll on the TV screen playing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. I love Legally Blonde.

"Hi mom."

"Hello Julia, baby can you go to your father's study? he wants to talk to you there." she drunkenly said, not mentioning my long presence outside of the house.

"Okay." I snorted, confused by her behavior.

The second I saw that serious look on his face, I knew he wanted to talk about the other night. I drew the armchair in front of the desk backwards, creating a screechy noise against the floorboard. I sat on the plush cushion of the seat and let my eyes linger around my setting. The rich burgundy colour on the walls clashed with the multicoloured books in his bookcase, filled with pages of Russian, English, Urdu, and French literature. In my freshman year of high school, I made it my goal to read all the books in that bookcase, and I did end up reading all of them, I loved everything about them. From the uniqueness of the language to the importance of the literary devices used.

"So what do you want to talk about, dad? the economy? or politics? " I asked, amusement clear in my tone.

"You think your'e being funny?"

"Just a little bit."

"What's so amusing about you sneaking out the other night smoking, drinking, and doing who knows what. You just ran off somewhere today and avoided our talk."