Keeping A Straight Face | ✔

19 | Candle

T A Y L O R S   P.O.V

Monday Evening, February 11th, 2014. 

"You know miss," I said, resting my head on my hand as I looked out her car window, "Today's been really shit. Just want to say thanks for not being horrible to me."

Miss Lauriana chuckled as she continued to drive. "Oh shush Taylor, you know I'm always going to be good to you. Side note; don't call me 'miss' outside of school - that's just... weird. Call me by my first name."

I smiled. "Sure thing, Dianne."

It was about six in the evening, and Miss Lauriana drove me home. We sang along to songs on the radio and had a heated discussion on who was the best classical pianist. We had just left a set of traffic lights when she spoke again.

"Did you ever end up finding out why Darko left my music room so suddenly?" Miss Lauriana asked, turning a corner. I whipped out my phone and read aloud my conversation with Darko.

"That seems fishy..." she said. "I hope things are okay with him. He hasn't been very stable these past few weeks."

I nodded in agreement. "So many things don't make any sense with him anymore. It's like he's hiding something from me. I just can't help shake the feeling that he's struggling with something and that he needs help."

She shrugged. "Maybe he is. Have you ever asked him if he's okay?"

"Well... no. Not in person."

She laughed. "Well, you better do it first thing tomorrow."

We sat in comfortable silence. Miss Lauriana's focus may have been on the road, but mine was on Darko.

"We're here," she said, snapping me out of my reverie. She pulled into the driveway as I reached in front of my seat, plucking my schoolbag from the car's floor.

"You know, you can stay over for dinner if you like. It would be cool for you and Mum to catch up - you haven't talked in a long time."

"Thanks," she said, looking toward the house, "but, I can't. I need to get home to cook for my kids."

"Ah right, I forgot about AJ and Micah. Tell them I said hey!" I said, earning a smile from her. AJ and Micah are twins, and the sassiest boys I've ever met.

"See you tomorrow, Dianne."

Miss Lauriana smiled. "Have a lovely birthday, Taylor."

I opened the car door and trudged towards the front of my house, waving her off as she reversed out of my driveway. The tiny turquoise car sped off, little liquorice-coloured puffs of smoke jetting out of her exhaust pipe as she turned out of our street.

While calling out to Ana, I knocked on the door. I had my own key, but I figured that Ana would want me to wait outside for her surprise to really have a good effect on me.

I held my breath. Although I had been bottling it in for the last half of the day, I was absolutely terrified of spending my first birthday without my dad. I don't know how any of us are going to handle doing something 'big' without him.

Only time will tell.

Almost instantly, I heard footsteps thunder down my wooden hallway, stopping abruptly at the oak slab in front of me.