Chapter 5

The drive to the zoo took about half an hour, due to traffic. Once we got there, it took another ten minutes to find a spot to park. Jake had said no when I offered to pay for the tickets, as he had paid for lunch today. He only grinned at my frown.

"So," he said after we had entered through the gates. "What do you want to see first?"

"I'm not sure. I don't really care what we see first," I admitted.

"I know where to start." He took my hand and pulled me along behind him, as we made our way deeper into the zoo. There were a few signs indicating which direction to go for certain animals. Jake led me in the direction of African mammals. "You ever seen one of those?" He questioned as we reached our destination.

What I saw was a four-legged animal with black-and-white striped legs, with a head resembling a giraffe. "What is it?" I wondered, stepping closer for a better look.

Jake grinned as he looked down at me. "It's an Okapi. They're actually endangered."

I watched the animal as it grazed the grass it stood on. Its ears would occasionally turn back and forth as it listened to the sounds around it. "That's cool. What's next?"

We walked over to the reptile and aviary buildings, before grabbing dinner at one of the cafes, which I was not allowed to pay for. After that, we looked at some other animals we hadn't yet seen before calling it a night. By the time we hit the highway, it was eight forty-five at night. The drive back didn't take long as it was later in the day.

"Thank you for tonight, Jake. I had fun."

He nodded with a smile. "Good. I hope you have a good night."

Thanking him again, I exited the car and made my way to the porch. I waved at Jake as I opened the door and turned on the porch light. After locking the door, I made my way to the living room, where I knew my father would be.

"Hey, kiddo. Have fun tonight?"

"Yeah," I answered with a smile. "It was fun."

He muted the TV before speaking again. "Your mother called again. She's adamant to get to know you." Dad's tone carried a hint of annoyance and frustration.

With a shake of my head, I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling. "She's not gonna stop until I agree... will she?" I could feel the beginning of a headache at the back of my head. Why can't she just leave me alone?

"I don't think so, honey." Dad watched me as I rubbed my face tiredly before standing. "Are you going to bed?"

"I'm gonna shower first," was my quiet response. The hot water felt good on my skin. So good, in fact, I could feel myself growing more tired by the minute. It took all of my willpower to get out before I fell asleep.

Once I was settled in bed, I turned on relaxing music to help me fall asleep. Though I didn't always listen to it at night, it helped to calm my mind and make me relax when I did so. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before slipping into unconsciousness.

"...with a high of only 58 degrees today. Expect cloudy skies and a 70 percent chance of rain. I'm Tom Kellar, and we'll be back momentarily." I groaned at hearing the news report. I wasn't a fan of cold weather, however I did love the rain. The smell of it always made me smile, and the sound of raindrops spattering on everything was relaxing.

"Crystal," my father called out to me from the kitchen. "Come here for a minute."

I was suddenly nervous. Though I knew I hadn't done anything that would cause me to get into trouble, I was still wary. Those words had always made me cautious. "Am I in trouble?"

Dad chuckled before gesturing for me to sit down. "No, you're not in trouble. Unless you've done something that you should be in trouble for..." His eyes were teasing as he said it.

I only smiled.

"I wanted to run this by you before I made a decision," dad started. "How do you feel about your mother coming over for dinner tonight?"

If I were to say no, that would be the end of the discussion. But seeing as how my mother called every few days, I figured it would be best to get the dinner over with. "That's fine, I guess. Let's just get it over and be done with it."

Dad nodded, but didn't reply. He knew where my thoughts were. I wanted nothing to do with my mother, but she wouldn't stop until she was satisfied. I'll give her one chance, I decided. If my feelings don't change much after tonight, then that's that.

Reviews

[Vertigo Cat1111]

Uhhh oooooh. She’s coming over for another greatly-written chapter... also, hurray! Love the rain too! But sometimes cold weather gets too cold! I can’t wait for the next chapter!