Finding Lilly

Written by D.C. Mitchell

Chapter 1

    The sun shone brightly through the window causing Lilly to pull the blankets over her eyes. “Lilly, get up! You’re going to make us late!” Lilly groaned as she snuggled deeper into her blankets trying to drown out her older sister’s nagging.

     “Lilly, you have twenty-minutes to get ready otherwise you are going in what you are wearing,” her mom said as she popped her head into Lilly’s room.

     “I know mom, I’m getting up.”

         Although they were sisters Kristy and Lilly Chatsworth were very different from each other. Kristy was the older one who was almost as short as her mom at 5’3” with blonde hair, blue eyes and her mom’s fair complexion and hourglass figure. She preferred jeans and t-shirts with edgy punk rock/goth undertones paired with low cut boots or sneakers. She wore very little make up if any and always had her hair in either ponytails or braids. Lilly on the other hand was the opposite, favoring her dad in looks although her mom had often said she resembled Jennifer Aniston the older she got.

       Lilly was taller than both her mom and older sister with a fair complexion but had long dark chestnut hair that reached to the middle of her back. She was slender with an almost elegance to her arms and legs and preferred to dress chic and more feminine than her sister. Both girls were beautiful with smiles that could melt your heart and were the pride and joy of their parents. Kristy was an aspiring artist, cellist, singer looking to start her own band and a straight A student. Lilly was a talented dancer, singer and perfecting her touch as a fashion designer with goals to start her own fashion line and not as much of a nerd as her older sister. The only thing that hampered them - Kristy was sixteen and Lilly was fourteen and they were still in high school.

        Fifteen minutes later Lilly came walking down stairs to join her mom and sister. She had chosen a pair of dark skinny jeans, a loose blood orange shirt over a grey tank top paired with her black knee boots and her hair swept up into a loose bun. “Wheels leave in five so if you are going to eat, make it quick,” her mom said over her shoulder as she finished making their coffee. Lilly grabbed a cup and poured some milk and cereal in it and proceeded to grab her book bag as Kristy checked herself out one more time in the mirror by the door, coffee in hand.

     “Come on, you orc, you’re going to make us late,” Kristy said over her shoulder at her sister as she walked out to the car.     

    "Who you calling an orc, you troll!” Lilly hollered back.

     “Come on you two, don’t start already. It’s too early for name calling,” she heard her mom scolding them as she closed the car door and started the engine.

     Ten minutes later and they were pulling up alongside the curb to their high school. “Alright ladies, your dad is picking you two up after school. Don’t make him wait.”    

    The girl nodded, “Love you, Mom,” they said in unison as they got out of the car.    

    “Love you guys,” she replied as they closed their doors. And as per her morning routine, Cyndie gave her horn a light tap causing the girls to look back at her. She waved and blew them a kiss before pulling away from the curb.

     Once inside the school, Kristy and Lilly were greeted by their friends, each going their separate directions to their respective classes. They rarely saw each other throughout their school day but when they did no matter how their day started they always gave each other a hug and acted like they were the best of friends. “See ya later, Lil,” Kristy called after her sister as she joined her group of friends. Lilly waved in response as she too joined her little group.

     “Lilly, did you ask your parents about going to the mall after school today?” her friend Amber asked as she linked her arm though Lilly’s. Amber was Lilly’s best friend aside from Kristy, a head shorter than Lilly with naturally curly brown hair that framed a pretty round face. “My mom said she would take us and we won’t be out long. I really want to get a new dress for the Spring Fling on Friday and you can get yours.”

     “I don’t know. My mom doesn’t really like me going out on school nights. And we already went this past weekend to get my dress.”

     Amber pushed her lower lip out as she pretended to pout, “I thought we were going together?” she asked as she looked up at Lilly.

     Lilly hated when her friends felt left out, “Oh alright. I will call my dad at lunch and see if it is ok since he is the one picking me up.”

     “And your mom? You know your dad is going to ask.”

     “I will just tell him that mom said it was ok since your mom is going to be with us. She is staying with us, right?” Lilly looked down at her friend questioningly.

     “Duh, of course how do you think I am paying for my dress? And who knows maybe we will run into your Chad.” Amber laughed as she hugged Lilly’s arm tightly.

     Chad Sommerton was a boy Lilly had met online through Facebook. They had talked often and he had mentioned he worked at one of the shops at The Mills. Over the weekend she had secretly looked for him while she was with her mom shopping for her dress but didn’t see anyone that looked like the photo he had sent her. When she had asked him about it when she got home, he had told her he doesn’t work during the weekends. Thinking about seeing Chad left butterflies in her stomach.

     Lilly was glad her friend was happy but the fact she just agreed to lie to her dad made her uneasy and left a knot in the pit of her stomach. Not to mention the possibility she might see Chad at the mall too. She didn’t have much more time to consider her decision as she heard the morning bell ring as they entered their classroom for their first class of the day.

     The rest of the school day flew for Lilly. The closer it got to the end of the day the more nauseous the uneasy feeling in her stomach made her feel.

     “Hey Lil! Wait up!” She could her Kristy running up behind her to catch up. “Remember what mom said, we have to be out front waiting for dad so he doesn’t have to wait for us.”

     “Kristy,” Lilly tried to keep her manner casual and normal having to tell yet another lie, “Mom said it is ok that I go with Amber and her mom to The Mills after school to help her pick out a dress for the Spring Fling. I already told dad.” Lilly finished letting out a short breathe hoping Kristy believed her as she tried ignoring the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach.

     “Lil, mom said it was ok? Are you sure? You know how mom doesn’t like us going anywhere on a school night.” Kristy looked at her suspiciously.

     “Yeah, mom said she is ok with it since Amber didn’t get to go with us over the weekend.”

     “Lilly, you coming?” Amber yelled to her from her mom’s car.

     “Yeah!” Lilly yelled back before turning to Kristy. “Can you please remind dad that mom said it was ok and I will be home before dinner.” 

     Kristy shrugged her shoulders, “Alright.”

     Lilly gave her sister a quick hug and ran over to Amber.

     Kristy watched as her sister got into Amber’s mom’s car laughing and giggling with Amber. She sat on the brick wall waiting for her dad toying with the thought that maybe she shouldn’t have let Lilly go with her friend. She did say that mom already knew, right? Kristy tried to reassure herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar horn. She looked up and waved at her dad as she gathered her books and backpack and walked over to his car.

     “Where’s Lil?” he asked as she closed the car door.

     “She said you already knew where she was going and to remind you that mom said it was ok for her to go to The Mills to help Amber pick out a dress for the Spring Fling. She said she will be home in time for dinner.”

     “Your mom would have called to let me know if she wasn’t going to be here. And I don't remember her telling me anything about going to The Mills on a school night. I think I will call your mom just to make sure,” he said as he pushed the button on the steering wheel, “Call Cyndie,”

     “Maybe she got busy and forgot to let you know,” Kristy said trying to sound reassuring as she buckled her seat belt.

    “Hey Luke, get the girls ok?” Cyndie asked over the speaker.

     “Well I think there may be some miscommunication. I was under the impression I was picking up both girls but Lilly isn’t here. She told Kristy that you said it was ok if she went with Amber to The Mills,” Luke replied as he looked over at Kristy.

     “Kristy,” the sternness in her mom’s voice made her slightly uneasy, “What exactly did your sister say?”

     Kristy rolled her eyes knowing her mom couldn’t see her, leave it to Lilly to get her into trouble. “Mom, all she said was to tell dad that you said it was ok for her to go and that she will be home in time for dinner. I said you wouldn’t have said ok on a school night but she said you said ok since Amber didn’t go with us this weekend.”

     Cyndie was quiet for a few minutes. “Kristy you shouldn’t have let your sister go.” Kristy threw her hands in the air in frustration, now I am my sister’s keeper too, she thought.

     “Kristy put your hands down,” her mother said sternly knowing her daughter all too well. “You are not in trouble. It's just you know the rules as does your sister. I will deal with her when I get home. I have half a mind to go find her at The Mills and drag her happy butt home for lying.”

     “Do you want me to go get her?” Luke asked.

     “No, The Mills is a rather large mall and who knows what shop they went to. Just wait until she gets home. She is seriously grounded. I will see you two when I get home.”

     “Ok babe.”

     “Bye mom.”

     The call ended and Kristy and her dad headed home.

Penned on Wednesday, 8 May 2013