Chapter 3

"It's extremely hot," Lisa was warned the second she touched the pizza's oven plate.

"Fu.."she cursed in excruciating pain.

"The 'F' word!" Her mother exclaimed as she reached for the cupboard where the first aid kit was placed.

"What have I said about that word?" she asked as she washed Lisa's anguished burn.

"Never again," she said panicking as Lisa sat at the kitchen island table wishing she didn't say it. The burn was as painful as a thousand anvils stacked on one hand.

"Who painted that?"Lisa asked as her mother wrapped her hand with a bandage.

The painting had been there for over twelve years but she had never asked.

"What honey?" Lisa's mother asked she put the last concoction on Lisa finger.

"That, "she pointed at the picture right above the microwave.

It was a picture of the ocean but with the sea creatures in it living in harmony. It was beautiful and unique. The picture looked like it was one of those painting Mr.Dalmon talked about in his art class. Something Leonardo Da Vinci would paint.

"It was your father's," she responded with a changing facial expression.

Lisa's father had gone missing when she was five. Since then she had never seen him and neither could she remember his face. However, from her mother's description and the secret photos she has of him in her bags..... . I think he was twice as good as Thaddeus.

What was she thinking ? Thaddeus is heaven-sent.

Lisas mother:Dorothy,

always told her that he must have been tired of parental responsibility. Maybe even tired of her mother, but until now she doesn't know the reason he left.

"It's pizza time," Dorothy called from the dining room while Lisa pondered on her father's disappearance like one of those Nancy Drew book series descriptions of what was illustrated as an investigation.

Lisa rushed for the table chair.

"Be careful," Dorothy said about Lisa's burn.

"Sure, " Lisa responded

"Shall we pray, "Dorothy added as soon as Lisa sat at the table.

Dorothy was a very devoted Christian. Sometimes when Lisa would help her with kitchen chores she would joke saying she was a prayerful angel on earth. This is because she prayed for everything everywhere.

Of which she was. As much as Lisa knew her mother, she was everything she would ask for.

Lisa grabbed a slice as soon as she had completed the prayer.

"So are you ready for summer camp?" she said trying to start a conversation.

"I think so, "Lisa responded forgetting it was two weeks away.

Summer had arrived unexpectedly or had she reached it unexpected??. Either way, summer camp was coming and she wasn't ready.

Of course girls are different from guys,guys need a day or two to be ready girls needed to go shopping for almost everything.

"Is Thaddeus going?" Dorothy popped the thought bubble she smirked.

"How did you...?"Lisa asked in disbelief.

How did she know?

"Don't worry, your secret or better our secret is safe with me" she said grabbing another slice and her smirk growing to an extended smile.

"It's Tasha?"Lisa asked smiling at her

"I'm not mentioning any names," she said giggling her lungs out.

"Oh and why did you come back early from school today?" she asked killing the emotion.

Lisa's mother was fond of asking these types of questions at the climax of happiness. She called it, "the right time." Lisa disagreed every time she said so.

It's nothing" Lisa responded.

"It was just a small tension, "She added as she took a long sip of her grape juice avoiding saying too much.

"Oh and your principal called me today and he didn't say it was a small tension," she said.

"I thought we agreed that you would fight no more," she added "The only battles you should be having are with your chemistry  tests and it should be the winning battles"

"Sorry mom," Lisa apologized immediately as she released the glass cup from the grip of her lips.

"You better be," she said as she stood heading to her bedroom.

"Goodnight," she said to Lisa as she got into her comfortable house shoes.

Had she lost appetite or had she had enough of the food.It was too early to go to bed what was she upto.

Her shoes were as warm as the pouch of an Australian kangaroo in winter. Yes, it was that warm.   

"Goodnight," Lisa responded.

"And don't forget to tell Thaddeus I said hi," she said leaving a smile on Lisas face.

At least the joke was tantamount to a goodnight kiss. The warmth it brought was equivalent to a pat on my back or a forehead kiss.

No sooner had she gotten to bed than I received two text messages on my phone. The first one was from Tasha it said:

/I had to tell your mother, she forced me.

PS:I have a surprise for you, tomorrow./

The other one was from an unknown number. It was from one of those people that paid a monthly fee to their service providers just so their number would be kept a secret.

It read: I'm coming for you and I won't sleep until you are mine.

Not only was I frightened but also extinguished.

"Who would it be and why at this hour of the night?" I whispered to myself clearing the dinner table.

**********************************************The next Morning

"Guess what?"Natasha asked as she sat by the table waiting for Lisa to finish her breakfast.

She had been there early and she wasn't up for any breakfast this time.

She was too excited

What was so exciting to hear?

Lisa stayed quiet hoping she would spill the beans.

"Lisa, do you know that when someone says guess what you have to respond?" Natasha asked irritated as she escorted Lisa to the kitchen where she took the plates Lisa had eaten on.

"Uhm, I don't know," Lisa said still thinking of who sent the anonymous message yesterday.

"Guess?!" she demanded.

"Uhm.....an asteroid hit your house now you have to start living with me and my mom. Your brother was eaten by some sea monster in Zanzibar, so he won't be annoying you anymore and your mother and father took a holiday to see Victoria falls in Zambia. So it's a win-win."Lisa asked grasping for air.

"How funny, none of those happened which I kind of wish would," she said locking the door to Lisa's apartment and leading her out for school.

"It's a new car! I got a new car!" She exclaimed letting her feast her eyes on the newest Honda model.

"Where did you ....?" Lisa adorned in astonishment.

"It's something I had been saving my money on," she concluded opening her car.

Natasha was a prominent business girl who owned at least four of the famous restaurants in town and one bakery she had never told anyone about.

She started working as a cashier at some company where her pay was exaggerated. Lisa thought it was from a caring point of view.

With the funds she had raised she managed to build and flash to the top of one of the richest girls in school.

Seconded by Roxy whose worth was majorly from the companies her dad owned.

In short, Natasha was as rich as Roxy's father.

She had never had a boyfriend because she believed it was an utter waste of time and emotion. Nevertheless, she was not immune to love.

She had a crush on Carl:some rich hockey player from my school. Fortunately, he also had a crush on her but shared the same views. Both didn't believe in dating.

The car smelled as fresh as a new pack of shoes. The windshield was as clear as the morning sky and the chair was as comfortable as a five-star hotel's furniture.

"I can't wait to get to prom night with this," Lisa said as she fastened the seat belt.

She drove Lisa to school almost every day except on the days she wasn't going or the days she had her SAT tuition from home.

Every other day she was as resourceful as a mother bird.

When they arrived all eyes were on the car. You could almost imagine the whole school worshipping the car.

As she parked it, the car park audience marveled at the presence of a new car. Seeing the car from a distance it looked like it was one of those movie cars where some cars came through a time machine from the future.

"Wow! Cool ride," the girl squad came taking pictures of the car as they congratulated its owner.

"When will you get one?"Roxy asked me as she took a front-sided picture on her phone with Natasha.

"As soon as her birthday," Natasha responded to Roxy.

"Shut up, " She said to Natasha amazed while the girls envied me from afar.

"Yeah, why not a car for my best friend on her special day," she said reaching out for Lisa.

"When will you get me one?"Camilla asked Roxy.

I'll have to talk to my dad," Roxy stated in embarrassment.

Camilla had been Roxy's best friend since they were young.

They were raised together.

"But how will you get Camilla a car without one of your own?" one of the squad girls asked.

"Ah..."Roxy hesitated as she walked away in anger.

"Roxy wait, "Camilla shouted as she ran for Roxy.

"See what you caused," another girl said and stopped photographing the car.

The whole squad stormed off.

"Girls," Natasha and Lisa said as they ran for a hug with her.

"Hey Natasha," a deep voice broke off the hug.

It was Carl. He had been wearing a semi bleached Polo shirt and black trousers with a strap bag on his shoulder.

"Hey Carl," she said back to her kissing his forehead.

"I'll catch you later, "Lisa said walking away.

"Oh and don't get in any trouble today," she said as she beamed her lovely black skin back at Lisa.

Not like she could intentionally but her radiance was beaming.