LILY I'm sitting on the grass in the park watching children play games with their parents cheering them on. Some children are dancing and running around and taking pictures, and every moment looks like a dance move. The parents rallying around their kids are a mocking reminder to me that I lack love and support. "Hey, can I join you?" I look up to find a young girl standing in front of me. She's wearing a very short skirt and cropped top; she looks older than me, maybe 21 or so. She smiles and shifts her brown hair from her face. I ignore her and look away. To my surprise, she takes the spot beside me, brushing her bare thighs against mine and sending signals to my body. I shift away. We sit down quiet together for a while, neither of us speaking. I'm looking at the kids playing faraway, but I'm not seeing them. From my peripheral, I can see this girl still staring at me. I absently check my phone to find out if anyone at home has called to check on me. My phone is buzzing; I powe
Luca Lily is never this late. I glance at my wristwatch impatiently. "It's 4:00pm already." I mutter under my breath. Sitting on the bed, I stamp my feet on the floor to prevent me from pacing. I slide to the texting app on my phone and view the last message I sent to her. There's no reply, but she never replies. She just shows up. I click on her number and dial it again; it doesn't ring. The network provider says it's not reachable. Fuck!! Maybe she's at Tiffany's. I dial Tiffany's number. She answers on the first ring. "Hey Tiffany, is Lily with you?" There's a long pause on the other line. I think I may have lost her. I stand to my feet and start pacing. "Tiffany, are you still with me?" "Yes. Yes. Lily is not with me." Another long pause. "She's not with you?" I rake my fingers through my hair. "No, she's not." I stop pacing and lean against the wall, drumming my fingers on the wall. "Do you know if she's still at her workplace?" "It's already two hours past her closing tim
LILY My today is too dull. I have been aimlessly creating campaigns, editing content, and formulating sales speeches just to increase our company's social media reach. I yawn and run my palm across my face; I'm exhausted. My eyes scan the little cozy office where I work alone. I stop typing and take a deep breath, resting my head backwards into the chair. Cold air blows my hair from the open window behind me. I remain in the position for a while, enjoying the feel of a cold breeze on my back. I stretch my arms over my head and yawn widely. I sluggishly stand from my seat, dragging my feet across the ground in the direction of the small coffee maker. I turn it on and prepare a dark, bitter, and very hot coffee. Returning to my seat, I sip it slowly. I place the mug on the desk and pick up my phone. I swipe over to notifications and messages, but there's nothing new, especially not from who I'm anticipating, Luca. I sigh in frustration before throwing the phone back on the desk. I mis
LILY"Mom, what happened to my car?" I yell while entering the house and walking towards the dining room. "Why is my car suspended in the air with no wheels?"My mom turns around from the sink to face me. "Honey, your dad says that's your punishment; no car for you." There's no emotion on her face; she turns around to continue cleaning the plates with a towel."Punishment, what did I do, telling him I wanted to become a dancer?" I'm so pissed right now. Last night I caught Luca making out Mira. I kissed her to spite him. Both of them have been calling me nonstop since then, but I have refused to answer, and now my dad is punishing me for wanting to follow my passion. "Mom, you're not saying anything; you're in on this too, right?"She sighs deeply before untying the apron across her waist and hanging it on a pole. She leans her back against the sink. "Sweetheart, we just want the best for you; no parent wants their child to become a street dancer; there's no dignity in that."I chuckl
LILY I don't know why I sneaked into the house through the backdoor; it's not like my dad didn't hear me drive in and couldn't see his meeting to scold me for my bad behavior, but somehow I feel good for doing it. Instead of taking the turn to my room, something snaps in me, and I take the turn to my dad's study. I'm dying of curiosity to know what's going on. I rest my ears against the door, trying to listen. But all I hear are incoherent muffled noises that make no sense. I can tell they are having an argument or some kind of confusion; everybody is talking at the same time. Maybe something has gone horribly wrong at the firm. I recognize my dad's voice, Luca's voice. Even my mom is in there? What's going on? I lean further into the door, and I don't know when the door is opened, but next thing I know, I'm falling forward into the room, but instead of falling into the room, I land on a heavy rock; its large form blocks my view of the room and shields me from being seen by those
LILY"What is the meaning of this?" My mom yells at me, mirroring my shocked expression."Eh... I was just...""Is this what you do when I'm out?" My dad barks angrily.I look down on my body to discover that the sheet is properly covering my body and my hands are still in my pajamas top, so it doesn't look suspicious. I almost thought they had walked in on me doing something stupid. So what are they talking about now?"You took my car that was neat and clean to school without my permission, and you brought it back looking like an accident victim."Oh, that's what he's talking about. I breathe a sigh of relief and look around. "Dad you make my car impossible to drive without my permission; you also froze my account.""You needed a little punishment and a reminder that you can't always get what you want. If you try to pull another crazy stunt, I will ground you." My dad paces around; he's shoulder looks so heavy as if he is carrying the problems of the whole world on it. "A lot of thin
LILY"It's all my fault I'm so stupid.""Nothing is your fault, Lily." Tiffany wraps her arms around me. "Should I get you water?" She stands up and starts heading for the kitchen. "You're stressing too much." "No, I don't want water." I snap. "This is all my fault; if I had not posted that picture on social media, none of this would have happened."Tiffany folds her wrist on her waist and stares at me. "You don't know that for sure.""Of course I do; that is what the officers said at the station; that document that I posted was given to my father in confidence to be kept private. Guilt was eating me alive in that station; that is the reason I had to run out of there and back to my home. Will my father be sentenced to prison?"Tiffany doesn't answer. I know her silence means yes. I rub my puffy eyes. "He can't be punished; it's all my fault."Tiffany sits in front of me. "You know no one knows you posted that photo online besides the two of us.""I used one of my fake profiles; they
LILY"Go, I'm coming behind you.""No, we were going together.""Oh. No." I shake my head and try to push Luca to move out of my room."Your mom already knows that I slept over." Luca sticks his hands into his pocket and gives me the bored look."What? How does she know?" He shrugs. "I bumped into her last night when I went to drink water.""Ohhh, so she thinks we're..." I am unable to complete my statement."She thinks that we're?..." He prompts me to say more."Oh, forget it.""Say it." He moves away from the door and closer to me."That we're seeing each other." I blurt out.He strokes my jaw slowly. "Is that why you're so tensed?" He pulls me closer and rests his hands on my ass. "If it makes you any better, I told her that I slept in the guest room. And that I came around because, with Smith's arrest and everything that is going on, you two deserve to feel safe and not vulnerable."I gulp. "Thank you." I try to pull away. "Now, you can go."He tilts his head to the side, studyin
LILY"Your grades are so poor and your attendance is slacking behind; if you keep this up, Lily, you won't graduate...blah blah blah." Mrs. Patricia's lips move up and down in a funny way.That is all the counselor has been saying since she called me into her office this morning. I raise my hands up to say something, but she signals me to remain quiet. I bit my lips in, while my fingers drum unconsciously on my thighs, and my eyes dart across the small office."Lily!" Mrs. Patricia snaps her fingers in my face."Oh." I jolt back to reality.What was she saying now?"Now, what are you waiting for?""What? Oh, is it time for me to go?" I carry my bag and start standing."Oh, it's not time for you to go everywhere. Sign the papers before you."Taking my seat, I look down on the desk, flipping the pages of the documents. "What are these?"The counselor adjusts her glasses. "An undertaking of good behavior. You will not miss your classes or any test henceforth."Is this school thing by for
LILY"Go, I'm coming behind you.""No, we were going together.""Oh. No." I shake my head and try to push Luca to move out of my room."Your mom already knows that I slept over." Luca sticks his hands into his pocket and gives me the bored look."What? How does she know?" He shrugs. "I bumped into her last night when I went to drink water.""Ohhh, so she thinks we're..." I am unable to complete my statement."She thinks that we're?..." He prompts me to say more."Oh, forget it.""Say it." He moves away from the door and closer to me."That we're seeing each other." I blurt out.He strokes my jaw slowly. "Is that why you're so tensed?" He pulls me closer and rests his hands on my ass. "If it makes you any better, I told her that I slept in the guest room. And that I came around because, with Smith's arrest and everything that is going on, you two deserve to feel safe and not vulnerable."I gulp. "Thank you." I try to pull away. "Now, you can go."He tilts his head to the side, studyin
LILY"It's all my fault I'm so stupid.""Nothing is your fault, Lily." Tiffany wraps her arms around me. "Should I get you water?" She stands up and starts heading for the kitchen. "You're stressing too much." "No, I don't want water." I snap. "This is all my fault; if I had not posted that picture on social media, none of this would have happened."Tiffany folds her wrist on her waist and stares at me. "You don't know that for sure.""Of course I do; that is what the officers said at the station; that document that I posted was given to my father in confidence to be kept private. Guilt was eating me alive in that station; that is the reason I had to run out of there and back to my home. Will my father be sentenced to prison?"Tiffany doesn't answer. I know her silence means yes. I rub my puffy eyes. "He can't be punished; it's all my fault."Tiffany sits in front of me. "You know no one knows you posted that photo online besides the two of us.""I used one of my fake profiles; they
LILY"What is the meaning of this?" My mom yells at me, mirroring my shocked expression."Eh... I was just...""Is this what you do when I'm out?" My dad barks angrily.I look down on my body to discover that the sheet is properly covering my body and my hands are still in my pajamas top, so it doesn't look suspicious. I almost thought they had walked in on me doing something stupid. So what are they talking about now?"You took my car that was neat and clean to school without my permission, and you brought it back looking like an accident victim."Oh, that's what he's talking about. I breathe a sigh of relief and look around. "Dad you make my car impossible to drive without my permission; you also froze my account.""You needed a little punishment and a reminder that you can't always get what you want. If you try to pull another crazy stunt, I will ground you." My dad paces around; he's shoulder looks so heavy as if he is carrying the problems of the whole world on it. "A lot of thin
LILY I don't know why I sneaked into the house through the backdoor; it's not like my dad didn't hear me drive in and couldn't see his meeting to scold me for my bad behavior, but somehow I feel good for doing it. Instead of taking the turn to my room, something snaps in me, and I take the turn to my dad's study. I'm dying of curiosity to know what's going on. I rest my ears against the door, trying to listen. But all I hear are incoherent muffled noises that make no sense. I can tell they are having an argument or some kind of confusion; everybody is talking at the same time. Maybe something has gone horribly wrong at the firm. I recognize my dad's voice, Luca's voice. Even my mom is in there? What's going on? I lean further into the door, and I don't know when the door is opened, but next thing I know, I'm falling forward into the room, but instead of falling into the room, I land on a heavy rock; its large form blocks my view of the room and shields me from being seen by those
LILY"Mom, what happened to my car?" I yell while entering the house and walking towards the dining room. "Why is my car suspended in the air with no wheels?"My mom turns around from the sink to face me. "Honey, your dad says that's your punishment; no car for you." There's no emotion on her face; she turns around to continue cleaning the plates with a towel."Punishment, what did I do, telling him I wanted to become a dancer?" I'm so pissed right now. Last night I caught Luca making out Mira. I kissed her to spite him. Both of them have been calling me nonstop since then, but I have refused to answer, and now my dad is punishing me for wanting to follow my passion. "Mom, you're not saying anything; you're in on this too, right?"She sighs deeply before untying the apron across her waist and hanging it on a pole. She leans her back against the sink. "Sweetheart, we just want the best for you; no parent wants their child to become a street dancer; there's no dignity in that."I chuckl
LILY My today is too dull. I have been aimlessly creating campaigns, editing content, and formulating sales speeches just to increase our company's social media reach. I yawn and run my palm across my face; I'm exhausted. My eyes scan the little cozy office where I work alone. I stop typing and take a deep breath, resting my head backwards into the chair. Cold air blows my hair from the open window behind me. I remain in the position for a while, enjoying the feel of a cold breeze on my back. I stretch my arms over my head and yawn widely. I sluggishly stand from my seat, dragging my feet across the ground in the direction of the small coffee maker. I turn it on and prepare a dark, bitter, and very hot coffee. Returning to my seat, I sip it slowly. I place the mug on the desk and pick up my phone. I swipe over to notifications and messages, but there's nothing new, especially not from who I'm anticipating, Luca. I sigh in frustration before throwing the phone back on the desk. I mis
Luca Lily is never this late. I glance at my wristwatch impatiently. "It's 4:00pm already." I mutter under my breath. Sitting on the bed, I stamp my feet on the floor to prevent me from pacing. I slide to the texting app on my phone and view the last message I sent to her. There's no reply, but she never replies. She just shows up. I click on her number and dial it again; it doesn't ring. The network provider says it's not reachable. Fuck!! Maybe she's at Tiffany's. I dial Tiffany's number. She answers on the first ring. "Hey Tiffany, is Lily with you?" There's a long pause on the other line. I think I may have lost her. I stand to my feet and start pacing. "Tiffany, are you still with me?" "Yes. Yes. Lily is not with me." Another long pause. "She's not with you?" I rake my fingers through my hair. "No, she's not." I stop pacing and lean against the wall, drumming my fingers on the wall. "Do you know if she's still at her workplace?" "It's already two hours past her closing tim
LILY I'm sitting on the grass in the park watching children play games with their parents cheering them on. Some children are dancing and running around and taking pictures, and every moment looks like a dance move. The parents rallying around their kids are a mocking reminder to me that I lack love and support. "Hey, can I join you?" I look up to find a young girl standing in front of me. She's wearing a very short skirt and cropped top; she looks older than me, maybe 21 or so. She smiles and shifts her brown hair from her face. I ignore her and look away. To my surprise, she takes the spot beside me, brushing her bare thighs against mine and sending signals to my body. I shift away. We sit down quiet together for a while, neither of us speaking. I'm looking at the kids playing faraway, but I'm not seeing them. From my peripheral, I can see this girl still staring at me. I absently check my phone to find out if anyone at home has called to check on me. My phone is buzzing; I powe