It was almost past 7:30 am when Tina glided down the last stair– all dressed up in her uniform. Intuitively, she darted off to the dining hall; her bag hanging loosely over her shoulder with an unclear expression pasted on her face. Given the time, she knew well Lucas would have been long gone; for some reason, she suddenly felt bad for leaving him to eat by himself alone last night.
The former was still beating herself up inwardly as she shuffled into the hall when a hoarse voice hit her on entering.
“Is that how late you leave for school every day?” Her father spat out the words; placing the document he was scanning through on the table– directly beside the beverage he was sipping on while his gaze rested on the puzzled young lady lagging towards them.
Involuntarily, Tina’s gaze traveled to Lucas as she settled beside him as if to ask what was going on. It was so unusual of their parents to sit together as a family around a table like this or rather not their thing. As if the latter could read her mind, he shrugged– not making it obvious but at least to her alone.
Lucas on the other hand; gave Tina a keen look not particularly sure what she was up to with her new look especially after putting up all that drama yesterday. Moreover, It was not like it was her first time pulling her dark ebony hair into a ponytail but then it’s been ages. If he could remember properly, she hated it though it looks good on her.
“Thought you hated holding your hair like that.” Her mother’s voice interrupted which had both of them glanced at her. Lucas swiftly threw an expectant gaze at his sister in wait for a reply but she just remained silent; focusing more on her meal than satisfying their curious minds.
Though Tina wasn’t paying attention to them, she could still sense the extreme gazes fixed on her like she was kind of in an interrogation room. With the intensity of the stares beginning to get to her, she blurted.
“Can I just have this meal in peace?” She glanced scornfully at Lucas who in turn shrugged, allowing his gaze to travel to his meal with a slightly raised brow as if to say something. A scoff instinctively escaped Tina’s lips while she turned back to her meals but then; as if on an impulse – she paused, glancing up at her mother on noticing her curious eyes still on her. “You don’t expect me to answer that right?” She asked, sounding rhetorical.
Cizer knowing her daughter was just trying to get on her nerves sighed, rolling her eyes in the process as she tried to suppress the anger which was beginning to well up within.
“ And what if I am?” She said, biting on a stack of French toast which she had picked with her fork. “ Am I not allowed to worry about my daughter?”
“Oh please mum..” Tina swiftly snapped in, setting her cutlery on the table. “ Can you stop being sarcastic already? It’s starting to get on my nerves.”
At that instant, Lucas sense things getting heated up at his sister’s outburst. Intuitively, he nudged the former’s thigh with his knee; hoping to have her drop the coldness in her voice and speak more politely but then– things took a different turn as his action rather fueled her up. Like his attempt was some kind of boost that geared up all the anger in her. Without warning, Tina shove him off angrily;
“Don’t you dare stop me, Lucas?” She charged, still staring directly at her mother whose face was beginning to turn red with anger. “Are you now pretending to be a good parent?” She bellowed at her mother. “Where were you when we needed you the most? When 5years old Lucas was left alone; sick and dying. When he called for you every night before going to bed.” Tina teared up but swiftly brushed them off, sniffing back in the process. “As if that was not enough, you left him alone on Parents Day. Do you know how lonely and dejected he felt? You can do it to me for all I care but not to him.” She choked on her tears, fighting hard to hold it back. “Do you even know your children? Their dreams and aspirations?” She roared. “You know nothing mum so just drop the act.” She scorned.
Austin who was all along listening and watching the scene unfold before his eyes; sense fury surged through him as he held back the urge not to roar at Tina but then he couldn’t hold back anymore. His blood boiled while his pulse slammed in his neck at every word she uttered. Inwardly, his annoyance flared.
“Tina!” The former slammed his fist on the table which had Lucas involuntarily shut his eyes as if to absorb the tension– only to flicker them open in the next second while Tina’s gaze went to her father.
“The truth hurts right?” She horned, not in a bit pushed by the former’s anger. Instinctively, she allowed her gaze to travel back at her mother than to her meal. “You know what? I think I’ve suddenly lost appetite.” She pushed her chair back– making a scraping noise on the delicate tiled floor as she stood to her full length. With a scowl on her face, she snatched her bag from her seat and veered towards the door. “I’m off Lucas, you can stay all you want.” She taunted and was out in the next minute.
Stepping out into the terrace, she felt the coolness of the morning air hit her body though the sun was still out. Like the flow of a waterfall, her tears freely trekked down her cheeks as if the emotional gates to her heart were broken. The day had already started but she could already tell it was totally out of sync with her mood. Without thinking, she raced out of the gates of the huge mansion, leaving her car behind.
“Young Miss!” Her chauffeur called but she was already gone.