When I arrived at our apartment, I knocked on the door and Jojo opened the door on the first knock. She was dressed casually in a pair of denim jeans and a satin blouse. We didn't say a word to each other as we walked to her car. She let me take the driver's seat since I was the one who knew the way and then, we drove in silence. She had the stereo blasting loud music during the ride. It was obvious she was doing this so I wouldn't be able to speak to her. So, I swallow back my words and let her be.
We reached Miranda's house a few minutes later and I could see the way Jojo eyeing the building both in fascination and envy. The househelp helped us get inside and as soon as Suzy sighted us from the top of the stairs, she called me by my name and rushed downstairs to meet us.
"Hello, Kenzie." She gave me a quick hug and did the same to Jojo. "Hi, Jojo."
"Hello, Suzanne."
Suzy chose to ignore the formal title she had addressed her with and smiled regardless.
"It's an honour to have you in our house, Jojo."
Jojo smiled in turn. An unfamiliar grin that came off as fake.
"The pleasure is mine."
"Come on. Mom's waiting in the dining." She told us and turned her back, leading us all the way upstairs and into the dining area.
When we arrived at the dining area, Miranda was setting the table with her house helps. The table was assorted with all sorts of desserts and appetizers and I stopped my mouth from watering.
Miranda immediately smiled at us as soon as her eyes meet ours and she left the helps to continue with the organization while she walked up to us.
"Kenzie." She pulled me in a brief warm embrace and I smelled the coconut scent of her hair. She released me and focused her gaze on Jojo, her eyes warm and friendly. The last time I had seen her, she was stone cold and almost dead. I was glad she was still standing and light has returned to her eyes. Even though I could not tell if it was fake or real.
"Hi, Jojo." She opened her arm in an embrace and I half expected Jojo to refuse the hug which caused me to be surprised when she reciprocated Miranda's smile with a bigger one and accepted the embrace, lingering more than necessary.
I wasn't comfortable with Jojo's new niceness to the same people she disliked. She was planning something. I could feel it. Even her smiles were too exaggerated to be real.
"Thank you for having me over, Ms Lee. I am delighted to be here. Your place is lovely." Jojo commented and Miranda looked taken by her compliment. She smiled in a new self-pride.
"Why, thank you. It's a pleasure having you both over."
Miranda cast me a glance and placed a delicate hand over my arm. Her fingers were warm and fragile. And so was her smile.
"Thank you for coming, Kenz."
I smiled back and she added.
"Come on, girls. Let's go have dinner."
"Great idea, Ms Lee. I am famished." Jojo mentioned as we walked to the table and Miranda laughed at her words.
Suzy nudged me by the arm and when I look at her, she gave me e a what-the-fuck-is-going-on kind of look.
"I don't know," I whispered back, glad I was not the only one who thought Jojo was acting weird and different today.
Jojo helped Miranda pull a seat and Miranda smiled a grateful smile at her. Jojo smiled back and settled on a seat closest to Miranda. Suzy and I pulled our separate chairs and take our seats.
When we started to eat, Miranda said to Jojo.
"So...I heard you are in college, Jojo. What's your major?"
Jojo took a moment to chew her food down completely. I wonder when she started to become so ladylike. The Jojo I knew would speak with food in her mouth and not give a fret about it.
"Yes, Ms Lee. I major in computer science."
"Interesting. Why computer science though?"
Jojo shrugged and cut her turkey on her dish.
"I don't know. Maybe it was because that was the same course Kenzie was taking before she dropped out of college."
Miranda's face softened and she met my eye. I looked back at my plate again.
"Kenzie...dropped out of college?"
"Of course, she did, Ms Lee. Can't believe you don't even know basic stuff about your daughter." Jojo said with a laugh but I could tell it is not a genuine one. Anyone could hear the tone of sarcasm in her words.
I wondered if she was doing this intentionally.
"I...I didn't..." Miranda stammered.
"It's okay, Ms Lee. I bet you don't even know she has an allergy to peanut butter too."
I exhaled a shaky breath quietly and secretly prayed that she shut up already. I could feel the eyes of everyone at the table on me and at my plate. At the untouched plate of salad that had a peanut butter dressing atop it.
"You...I..." Miranda stammered again and I felt great pity for her and for the situation Jojo was putting her in.
She was. doing this on purpose. She was intentionally making Miranda feel bad.
That was the reason she had come here, wasn't she? To make Miranda and Suzy feel like a piece of shit.
"Or that she hates having classy dinners. Or that she prefers her turkeys and chickens grilled instead of fried. Did you even know about the scar on her right thigh that she got when she was trying to escape the orphanage with Zed and me?"
"Jojo. Stop." My eyes were brimming hot with tears and I did not like that Jojo was putting up a hate show.
But Jojo didn't listen to me. Her tone had gone from neutral to aggressive now.
"Do you know about her worst fears? Or her childhood crush? Or the nights she had cried on her bed till she went to sleep...?"
"Jojo," I warned again. My voice was stern now and the cutleries are tight in my grips.
"Fuck, it Kenz. Don't tell me to stop!" She was yelling at me. "These people don't know shit about you and yet, they wake up one morning and decide you are their long-lost daughter and they want you back? Is that it?"
"Stop it, Jojo." I was losing my patience and my anger was beginning to cloud my sense of reasoning.
"Fuck you, Kenz. And fuck you, Miranda. And you, Suzanne. I hate you for everything. And I wish you all rot in hell..."
I rose from my seat and dragged Jojo off hers. Before she could calculate what I was planning to do, I had already landed her a slap right across the face, scattering her hair all over her face.
Miranda and Suzy gasped short gasps at my action and Jojo stared at me in utter disbelief, a hand holding to the cheek I had hit.
I could not believe what I have done either. A tear escaped my eyes. I had never hit her before. This was the first time.
"I told you to stop." It was the only thing I could say. The only reason I had to blame her for my action.
But I still did not feel better. If anything, I felt even worse.
"You slapped me....because of them?"
She was red on her face and tears flooded her face. She was crying.
"These people...are my family, Jojo. You must respect them."
"Never." Her words were stern. Hateful. "I will never accept them. Or you. Never again."
She stormed off, turning her back against us, her heels clicking on the stairs as she walked away.
I finally looked at the face of Miranda and Suzy and I could see pity and guilt in them. Jojo had accomplished what she wanted. She had made them feel like the worst humans for supposedly breaking two sisters apart.
That was her goal and she had accomplished it.
I made to open my mouth and tell them it wasn't their fault. Things had gotten bad between the both of us even before they came into the picture.
"Don't apologize," Miranda said, stopping me from saying the first word. "Go get your little sister."
