I almost forgot that I had to meet up with Heather at her house. It dawned on me when I was eating breakfast and replaying the previous night’s happenings in my head.
I looked at the clock hanging on the wall and it read ten-twenty three. I remembered her asking, no, more like ordering me to be present in her room at sharp eleven. That meant I had a little over thirty minutes to get to her house, wherever it was.
I asked Samara to check if Heather had sent a car here to pick me up while I gobbled up as many waffles as my mouth could possibly manage. Leaving half of it uneaten, I gulped down some juice in less than fifteen seconds.
I didn’t have time to go upstairs and change and my outfit was not bad anyway. Samara then came to inform me that the driver had been waiting for me for about twenty minutes already.
I quickly ran to my room to see if I at least looked presentable. I brushed my hair a little and slipped into a pair of wedges because I couldn’t find any sneakers or flip flops. All of my shoe stand was crowded with a couple dozens of stiletto heels.
I told Samara to tell anyone who asked about me to say that I had gone over at Heather’s.
When I reached the driveway, I found the driver waiting. When he noticed me, he started up the car as I slid in, and drove out of the mansion gates.
It was quite a long drive or maybe that was what it felt like. The ride seemed to go on forever. I was scared to meet Heather. She just told me that she wanted to hang out with me but I knew there was more to it. There was a reason she wanted to meet me.
I suddenly remembered that she had asked me to wear the bracelet Juliet and Heather gave each other. What the hell was I going to say to her about that?
I could just tell I forgot it at home. It was not like I had the bracelet with me so I had no other option but to tell her that. I hoped she’d not make a big fuss out of it and would just let it pass.
I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to dodge her questions about the bracelet more than a few times. Too many times would make her suspicious of me.
The car drove through another mansion gates and pulled into the driveway. I made my way out of the car and towards the main door. Hesitating for a moment, I reached out a hand and pressed the doorbell.
Almost immediately a maid answered the door and let me in. I asked her where Heather was and she told me she was waiting for me in her room. I glanced at the watch on my wrist and it showed me the time fourteen minutes past eleven.
She had been waiting for nearly fifteen minutes. After getting the directions to her room, I walked towards it. It was on the fourth floor of the mansion. I walked through a long hallway with rooms on either sides. The hallway was bathed in dim lighting and flower vases and paintings adorned the walls.
I stood in front of a particular door which was supposedly Heather’s bedroom.
I smoothed my curls from yesterday and took a few deep breaths. I just hoped she wouldn’t decide to have a walk down memory lane with me today because I honestly wouldn’t be able to get through it without my secret being revealed.
I gently knocked on the door and her voice came through a few seconds later. “Come in.”
I cracked open the door to see her in front of her mirror as she brushed her hair. I closed the door behind me and took in her bedroom. It was almost similar to mine.
Her bedroom was done up in light pink and grey colors. There was a queen sized bed in a corner and her wardrobe in another. Her room appeared more bigger than mine.
She looked at me through the mirror.
“Take a seat,” she said, gesturing to a chair on the side. I nervously went and sat on it.
She continued with her hair even though it was already more than perfect. The silence was killing me and I wanted nothing else but for her to break it.
“You didn’t wear the bracelet,” she spoke after some time.
“Oh, yeah. I forgot. I woke up late today and almost forgot that I had to meet up with you. So I was in a hurry and in my haste, I totally forgot about the bracelet. I was going to wear it. I didn’t intentionally not wear it. And I didn’t want to keep you waiting any longer so it kind of slipped out of my mind, I’m sorry I-”
“It’s okay,” she said quickly, cutting off my drivel. “Relax.”
She finally put her comb down and turned to me on her swivel chair. She watched me for a few moments before smiling.
“I’ve missed you so much,? Juliet.”
“I know. I missed you too.”
“Then tell me. What happened to you all this time.”
The question caught me off guard for a few seconds. I didn’t expect her to directly question me on it which was pretty stupid of me. She is Juliet’s best friend. Of course she would be curious about what happened.
“Oh, about that, well I…” and then I repeated the same damn story for the third time.
“Sounds like quite an adventure you had,” She commented at the end of my story.
“Yeah, it was fun, I guess.”
She pushed her chair forward and grabbed my hands in hers. “Juliet, you know I don’t like being lied to, nobody does so I just want to ask you, is there something you’re keeping from me, or – lying to me about?” She asked seriously, looking into my eyes as she if she was seeing my soul.
Words got stuck in my throat.? Yes,? I answered her internally.? About? everything.
I looked down from her gaze. It was my chance to tell her. She might understand and forgive me.
“No, it’s nothing like that,” I forced out.
She freed my hands from hers and I buried them between my thighs.
She reached out for her phone and tapped away on it.
“I want you to remain completely silent during this,” she said and it scared me. What was she going to do?
She placed the phone on her dresser table and I glanced at it. She had called a number saved as ‘J’ and put it on loudspeaker.
As we waited for the person to pick up, I was pretty sure my heartbeat could be heard by Heather herself.
Soon enough the call was picked up and I was pretty sure my heart missed a beat. I was so not ready for this.
There was a second or two of complete silence and nail biting suspense before a female voice answered. “Hello?”
Her voice was like a normal female’s. I didn’t know what I was expecting – probably a nasally and mean one.
“Hi!” Heather said enthusiastically.
“Heather? What is it? Make it quick. What did I say about one call per month. God, do you want me to get caught? You just called yesterday!”
“Okay, okay. Shut up. I just-” Heather suddenly looked at me, “got to know something.”
“Really? That’s a first.”
“Shut up again.”
“Are you going to tell me about it?” She asked impatiently.
“Um… no. I mean you should know about it but I can’t tell you. At least not right now.”
“Then why’d call me? Does it have anything to do with me getting caught?” She sounddd annoyed.
“No, you’re safe.”
“Good. Tell them that I love them. You know who. And you too.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
Without so much as a goodbye, she hung up.
I didn’t realize I was holding the armrest of the chair in a death grip until Heather reached out and placed her hand on mine.
“I told you I don’t like being lied to, didn’t I?” She said.