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Sophia’s POV.

I bit my lip hard as I walked down the stairs, my heart beating hard in my chest. I feared my parents could already hear how hard my heart was beating from the kitchen. I couldn’t believe I was about to do this. I mean, I shouldn’t be doing this but it wasn’t like I could tell them the truth about where I was really going to. I could hear my siblings, Sarah and Simon, bickering in the kitchen. This was just a typical Friday evening in our house. Sarah and Simon were back from school early and that was why they had the energy to start bickering right now.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and quickly tied my hair into a bun as I approached the kitchen. I was supposed to be using an hair bonnet right now. It was one of the rules of our kitchen but right now, mom will pardon me as far as my hair was tied.

“Good evening Mom,” I greeted. “Good evening dad. You’re back early,” I said as I smiled at him. I knew exactly when he came back. I had been staring out of my window while planning a way I could leave this house and go to Jenny’s place.

“Good evening sweetie,” Mom answered as she smiled at me and focused back on her cooking. Dad kissed my cheek. “Princess.”

I grinned at him.

“I thought you were asleep?” Mom asked as she turned of the gas and started grabbing some plates. I joined her.

“Yeah, I just woke up,” I answered.

Sarah paused her bickering and raised a brow at me. I shot her a look before turning back to my parents. This was the time to ask them if I could go to Jenny’s house to study but I suspected they wouldn’t agree. Especially now that Jenny’s parents weren’t around.

I suspected they wouldn’t let me go to Jenny’s house if there was no parental guidance there or if there was no elderly person watching over us. Unlike me, Jenny was the only child of her family and they pampered her a lot. Plus her parents were almost always away for business trips and other things.

I should just ask them and get this over with. I took in a deep breath and opened my mouth. “Is there any other thing you want me to help you with?”

That was what came out of my mouth instead.

I mentally slapped my forehead with my palm as I shut my eyes tight and exhaled. When I opened my eyes, Sarah was giving me a weird look while mom just shook her head in answer to my earlier question.

“I’m coming, I need to go change,” dad said as he got up from the kitchen stool and headed outside. He was still in his police uniform.

“And I need to freshen up,” I lied and rushed out of the kitchen without waiting for my mother’s answer. I ran up the stairs and locked the door behind me as soon as I got into my room.

I might have to cancel plans with Jenny if I’m not able to talk to my parents about coming to her place. I sighed and picked up my phone then dialed her number. She picked up instantly.

“Are you on your way over now?” She asked. I could imagine her picking on her nails I’m that bored manner until I tell her what she wanted to hear.

“Unfortunately, no,” I answered with a sigh. There was pin drop silence on the other end of the line for about a full minute before she finally answered.

“Why?”

“I’ve not told my parents I’m coming over yet. I might not be able to tell them at all,” I murmured. “I doubt they’ll even allow me to come anyways.”

“They will. They trust me, remember?”

“Yeah but your parents are not at home. Remember?” I reminded her.

“Pfft. They won’t lock you up at home just because my parents aren’t at home, you’re coming over here to study, remember?” She said, putting more emphasis than on ‘study’.

I rolled my eyes. “okay, okay fine. I’ll go down and tell them now. And I’ll tell you about whatever they say. Cool?”

“Cool. I have everything prepared and I’ll be expecting you,” she answered and hung up on me instantly before I could tell her again that I wasn’t really sure if I was going to be able to come over or not.

Slapping my forehead with my palms once again, I shook my head and blew out a breath. I went to my closet and quickly put on another outfit then sprayed some perfume before leaving my room.

Everyone was already at the table, having their meals. We weren’t the family that always waited till everyone was present at the dining table before having our meals. No. We dish our food and eat whenever we’re ready.

Simon was almost done with his food and he was trying to pick chicken off his twin sister, Sarah’s plate and she was hitting his fingers with her fork.

“Are you prepared for your entrance exam on Monday?” Dad asked as he cleaned his mouth with a napkin. Mom raised her head from her food and looked at me, clearly interested in the topic.

Perfect. This was the opening I needed.

“Yeah, but there are a few things I don’t understand there,” I lied. “Can I go to Jenny’s house? So we can study together? It’ll be like a sleepover. Pleaseeeee,” I begged.

“No, Jenny will distract you,” Mom answered with a small shake of her head. She didn’t mean it in an insulting way though. Jenny was also a smart girl and if we weren’t best friends, we’d be enemies fighting for the top spot in class. It was just that Jenny and I could be really unserious when we were around each other.

“But mom,” I whined, pouting and then I turned my head to look at dad. “Dad, tell her it is a good idea to go study at Jenny’s house. She understands what I don’t and I’m sure you both don’t want me to fail, just because you didn’t let me go to my best friend’s house to study,” I mumbled.

My mother narrowed her eyes at me and then looked at my dad who just shrugged. Her shoulders dropped. “Fine. But I want you back in this house by 12pm latest tomorrow.”

“Really?” I asked, excitement bubbling up in me.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t make me change my mind.”

I squealed as I jumped up from my couch and ran to my room to pack up all the things I’d need.