Perfect Strangers

“Are your parents normally like this, Myla?” Whispered Kai leaning in towards her ear.

She stood, wide-eyed watching her parents square up to each other and she couldn’t help but feel nervous of what was going to be said. Her throat became dry, her palms went clammy and goosebumps broke out over her body. “No, I’ve never seen them argue before,” she choked out.

“Well, I was out earning a living and providing for my family, Victoria. I tried to be there for you all when I could.”

“Well, you’ll have to remind me then, Stan, because I’m struggling to remember. Were you there when Grace stole that car and got arrested? Were you there when Myla spent a week in detention for launching a pencil case at the teacher? Were you there for either of the girl’s proms? No, no you weren’t. You were never there.”

“Grace and Myla are grown adults, why are you bringing this up now?” Questioned Stan pulling out a handkerchief from his trousers and wringing it in his hands.

“Why not? Now is a good a time as any. Let’s get everything out in the open. If Myla can come clean about Rhett, — I mean Kai, then we should all come clean about stuff.” She challenged as her eyes flickered towards Myla over Stan’s shoulder.

“Mother!” Myla snapped.

“Oh, so now you want to talk to me?” She bitched and fixed her glowering stare, straight at her daughter. Myla pursed her lips, shaking her head gently in a silent plea.

“What stuff? What are you talking about, Victoria?”

“Well, I’m sure we all have secrets, let’s get them all out in the open,” she reiterated, keeping her gaze firmly fixed on Myla.

“Can we go?” Myla huffed out. She broke her gaze from Victoria and continued heading towards the fenced car park.

“You’re just like your father, Myla. Run away from your problems rather than stay and face them.” Victoria’s voice rung out.

“What’s she talking about?” Kai asked, as he fast paced walked along side of her.

“Beats me,” snapped Myla pushing forward with her mission.

Feeling exasperated, he reached out and held onto her shoulder, bringing her to a forced standstill. “Myla?” He questioned.

“Are you ready to admit the truth yet, Myla? Are you ready to really remember what happened that day?” Victoria continued to goad behind her.

“Ignore her, let’s get out of here,” Myla mumbled shrugging Kai’s hand from her and continuing again, with her forced stomping towards her destination. She was fighting the urge not to break out into a run, leaving Kai behind.

“For years, I’ve had to put up with your damned attitude and I’ve had enough,” Victoria screamed behind her. “Do you know how hard it’s been having you hate me for something that you conjured up in your mind?”

Myla continued plowing on, the fencing was in sight, it was right there. Her vision began to blur as hot tears freely gave way, her head, although still fuzzy from the alcohol began to throb incessantly, and a pain ripped through her chest as she battled to keep her breathing even.

“You need to come to terms, Myla. You need to re-live that day as it actually happened.”

“What the fuck is going on, what are you talking about?” Snapped Kai suddenly striding towards Victoria.

“I told you when I came to your room, not to believe everything she told you. For years, she has been in denial, the truth of that day is completely distorted in her mind, and I’m going to finally make her see that, even if it kills me,” she retorted. Pushing past him, she broke into a jog to chase after Myla.

Kai looked at Stan who seemed to be as completely baffled as he, fear gripped him with her words. What the fuck is going on here? Ignoring his fear, he ran after Myla and Victoria. Myla was now climbing the small fence shouting as Victoria pulled her back. “Get off me,” yelled Myla.

“We can’t carry on like this, Myla. I’ve held your secret from everybody but you’ve blamed me for years for something I didn’t do, you need to remember. You need to remember.”

“I don’t want to remember,” screamed Myla as she fell backwards onto to the ground, with Victoria underneath her. Wrapping her arms around Myla’s chest tightly, she buried her face in Myla’s neck crook.

“You have to set me free, Myla. You must go back to that day. Not everything is how you remember it,” she wept against her.

Coming to a standstill in front of them, Kai looked from Myla to Victoria, bug eyed and with furrowed eyebrows, his brain seemingly unwilling to process this intimate gesture coming from the woman Myla claims to despise. “I’m going to say his name, I want you to take yourself back to that day and you tell me what it is you actually see,” whispered Victoria.

She tightened her grip on Myla’s shaking body as she screamed “Don’t say his name, I don’t want to hear his name.”

With a deep breath and an apologetic glance to Kai a single tear fell from her lids and then she uttered the name to a roaring scream from Myla’s mouth.

“Jonathon Banks Junior.”