Emilia’s pov
Sandy and Becky sat on the stools and rested their elbow on the counter. They pressed icebags to their forehead. I sit across them, slurping quietly on my milkshake.
“It’s not true!” Sandy says and shook her head as if in a trance.
“It’s not possible” Becky says as she wince in pain.
“It can’t possibly be him…. I wanna die!” Sandy mutter under her breath. I cup my chin and yawn tiredly. It’s 6:00pm already. I’m hungry, and sandy and Becky have been repeating the same thing over and over again. I itch my hair in frustration. Just a day with that criminal and everything seemed to have gone wrong. Sandy slowly gets off the stool, open the fridge and grab a bottled water. She uncap it and began to gulp the contents. Becky snatched it from her and gulped it noisily. She drained the contents and tossed it to the floor. Sandy belched noisily and sit back on the stool. Her eyes were half open.
“Emmy….. is th…. that Liam Paige?” I sigh.
“Is that the criminal….” Becky drawled in between a burp. Good God this ain’t going well.
“Calm down guys!” i plead in exasperation, this isn’t how I plan spending my Friday.
“look guys I’m sorry for not letting you know immediately, I promise you I’m reporting to the station first tomorrow morning.
“what the fuck are you saying girl!” sandy screech. I flinch in suprise as I gawked at sandy. Her eyes were wide open like she nothing had happened to her.
“I thought… you were half unconscious!” I mutter.
“Well not after you just said that right Becky?” Becky dropped her icebag and grinned
“Yeah girl”. She wink at me. I hung my mouth in suprise… so they have been pretending to still be half unconscious for an hour. Where did I get this sort of friends from.
“Don’t tell me you are planning on reporting to the station girl!” Sandy asks and she get off the stool and turn to the other side where I was. She sit on the counter as she stare at me. I looked sideways at her.
“What are you tryna say sandy…. that I should allow a criminal in my house…. no way!”
“Yes way Emilia!…. oh come on stop being a jerk for once and act like you’re 22!”. Becky who had joined us place her hand on my shoulder. I shrug it off.
“Guys you gat to be kidding right!” I asked and fold my arms. Sandy facepalm herself and gets off the counter.
” Have I ever been wrong on my instincts Emmy”. I pause and stare at her. I hate to admit it but she’s right. She always knows a lot. Like she has this foresight on everything. I sigh and shook my head as I imagine having to live with the criminal for weeks… no!… I’m gonna be a prisoner in my home.
“Sandy he could come stay in your house I don’t want him here, he’s done a lot of harm!”. Sandy widens her eye.
“My gosh…. did you guys you know??….” she winked. I swat her arm in annoyance, really this ain’t a time to joke!.
“And just take a look at it from the positive side Emmy…. you gat to wake up every morning to a real cute face, you guys may get along real well, you’re gonna laugh and play all day long and maybe….” She told her arms and wink.
“You guys may fall in love” She grinned. I scoff in annoyance. I grabbed a bowl and pour cereal from a pack.
“Could you stop saying nonsense sandy” She giggle. I pour milk into it and stir it.
“But girl come on. Let’s be realistic, you’re the only one who’s gonna save his cute ass from the cops you know…. I never did know you had a underground room…. he seemed to have brought out a soft spot in you”. I scooped from my plate and shoved it in my mouth.
“And…. to think you lied to the cops to cover for him… what hapened to the nerdy holy Emilia who never breaks the ten commandments” Becky expound and they burst into laughter. I hit sandy on the head with my spoon.
“ouch!… ” she winced in pain and continue laughing. Becky quickly moves away before I could get to her.
“You know what guys… it was worse talking to you goodnight!” I grab my plate and walk out of the kitchen as their laughter increases. I walk through the short hallway to the sitting room, I sit on the couch. Good thing is, he had arranged the room back to it’s normal position and he was in the room beneath the floor. I could hear him whistling. I shook my head and shoved a spoonful into my mouth. I chew slowly as many thoughts brainstormed my mind. How could I allow a stranger I barely knew to stay with me for weeks…. not even a day, or a week but weeks!. And not just a random criminal, Liam Paige, the one who’s on every newspaper, billboards, magazines and every cops on patrol are hot on his trail. To think that he talked dirty only worsens the situation. I grabbed the controller and tune it. It was a news station and unfortunately, they are talking about him. I tune it to another station and thankfully it’s an animation. I relax into my seat as I watch the toons. I hear sandy and probably Becky walk in and I huff.
“Cartoons again… for fuck sake Emmy are you still three!” she sit beside me.
“Even a three year old would have outgrown watching toons” Becky grins as she sit on the other couch. I fold my legs on the chair and scoop cereals into my mouth. Sandy pats my arm.
“Okay Emmy…. there’s no gonna be any joke again… what did you say about him staying over for a couple of weeks?” I close my eyes briefly and open them.
“I say…. a very big fat no!” Sandy chuckles.
“Why sweetie?” I paused with my spoon halfway into my mouth. cos he’s cute and ugly same time, cos he talks dirty, cos he seems like a bad guy, cos he’s a criminal!. I wanna scream those things out but I find myself saying…
“Nothing…. I just don’t want him here” seriously what’s wrong with me!.
“Nothing??….” sandy scoffs. Yeah nothing. Becky rolls her eyes. sandy itch her hair.
“Do you know you aren’t being a good christian like you claim to be Emmy?” I frown and glance at sandy before returning my gaze to the tv screen.
“Cos you always preached to us about nice, helpful, caring and lending a good hand to the needy… well obviously you aren’t siting a good example”. I suck in my breath.
“And Emmy…. I remember when a stray dog had come into my apartment and I wanted to throw it out… but you had told me to keep it that someday it’s gonna be to my advantage. well you’re right cos it prevented me from dying two years ago…. so, maybe if you let him stay, you would need him some day” sandy expound with a soft gaze. That got to me. Well Sandy’s dog had noticed the brakes in her car weren’t functioning well and just has they were about to hit a pole, it had lept on sandy face and protected her from the long pole that had shattered the windscreen, of course it had taken the injury and had died before they could rush it to the vet…. sandy had never stopped thanking me for saving her life since then.
But what help could I possibly need from a stranger?, especially one that talks dirty. I sigh and drop the plate on the table. I place my feet on the floor and look at Becky and sandy who were looking at me expectantly. I sigh again.
“Come on Emmy say yes please” Sandy pleaded. I ran my hand through my hand in frustration. I have never been this confused my entire life. I suck in my breath.
“Okay…. not for anything, but for you guys to stop crying in my ears…. fine, I’d let him stay, only for a few weeks!” I puff out my breath, there, I said it.
“You will!” sandy widens her eyes in excitement. I roll my eyes.
“Not like I have a choice!” I say with a small smile.
“Yaaay!!” she squeals and gives me a side hug. Becky grins and smiles, but she never left her seat to hug me like always when she was super excited about something. Maybe she shared my own fears too. sandy disengages.
“Wow…. then my mission is accomplished gurl” she giggle and flip her hair. I sigh.
“What about madam Chloe, how loud did she scream” I ask. They groan.
“Loud enough to make my blood boil in anger” sandy groan. I get it, sandy hates her.
“Did she fire me already?” Becky scoffs.
“She dares not” Becky says.
“Don’t be go all sure Becky… good thing is, it’s a friday and I won’t have to face her till next Monday, thanks heveanly father. I brought the rosary hanging on my neck to my lip and kissed it. sandy and Becky laughs.
“Speaking about weekend…. you guys realise tonight is gonna be booze and boos right” Becky gasps.
“Jeez… sandy I totally forgot about Dylan club party tonight” They scramble to their feet and grab their bags. I huff, I told you, they could do anything to club. Sandy drags me off the couch, and pulls me into a bear hug. I push her away.
“So I’m not seeing you till on Sunday right… cos I know you two would have hangover tomorrow” I roll my eyes.
“awww…. don’t tell me you’re missing me already, truth is you ain’t gonna be seeing me till on Monday girlfriend, I Becky and Dylan alongside his friend are going on a day vacation at the beach, it’s gonna be fun Emmy I could hook you up with a blind date” I fold my arms.
“Thats the more reason I ain’t going with you guys…. do have fun” I pout and hug them both.
“Are you sure Emmy…. it’s gonna be fun!” sandy tries to cajole me. I nod my head. she shrugs and they walked to the door. I trail behind them. They got out and I walk down the short steps to the gate. Becky goes out if the gate first and sandy turns to me.
“I bet you gonna have all the fun in the world with hot Liam in there” she jerked her thumb to my door winked and gave me a quick peck before running to catch up with Becky. I watch them get into the car and drive off. I stood there, letting the evening breeze caress my cheeks. I lock the gate and turn, walking back to the front porch.
“Hey milly how ya doing?” I turn sideways to see Nana sitting on her front porch and smoking a pipe. I grin and walk to her. I climb up her short steps and sit on the bench beside her.
“Hey Nana… good evening” I smile and pat her arm.
“How ya doing milly… being awhile I saw ya” I chuckle.
“I’ve been good Nana… how’s your grandson?” She inhale deeply from her pipe.
“He’s been good… just been too busy with his work…. are ya gonna come over tomorrow to do your laundry?” I nod, she’s got a grandson, maybe about twenty eight years of age, barely around and leaves her in the care of a nurse. I come around sometimes to keep her company and do my laundry using their washing machine since I don’t have one.
“Nana…. you should stop smoking pipe, it ain’t good for your health”. She grins widely as the flourescent lights shine on her toothless mouth.
“While I was a young lass and still got ’em handsome lads tripping for me My papa always sit me and all of them older siblings close to the fireplace and he’d tell us stories of how great wise men live a long time cos they always smoke pipe… now look at me, all old and I ain’t gone to heavens, couldn’t have been possible without my pipe…. I miss ’em old days” she took another drag and I laugh to her old English, I guess she’d probably be in her eighties. I stand up.
“Okay Nana, see ya tomorrow” I wave imitating her English.
“Okay young lass…. heavens watch over you tonight” I peck her and walk back to my porch. I open the door and walk in. I lock the door behind me. Why are the lights turned off?. I groped my hand on the wall for the light switch and when I found it turned it on. I turn round to see Mr criminal. That annoying feeling I always have returned. He was without a shirt, and his curly long hair was on his shoulders. He stood with his arm behind his back. I gulped nothing. How did he manage to move the couch from it’s position and get out. He had to be really strong. He walked towards me and I’m rooted to the ground unable to move, that’s because I’m staring at him, into his blue eyes with black long lashes. He stood a few feet away from me. I tear my gaze from him and stare at the floor. I’m nervous and I haven’t got my glasses on m, so there’s nothing to fiddle with. why am I behaving clumsy again!.
“Hey baby” He mutters under his breath. I clench my teeth.
“I’m not a baby!” I tuck my hair back and try to walk but he got in my way.
“Okay baby…. but are we going to be living here alone for let’s say five weeks?” I stare up at him.
“Five weeks!” I say in suprise, I thought it was just gonna be two weeks. He nods and arch his brows.
“Don’t tell me you’re super excited” He still had his hand to his back. I scoff in annoyance.
“Okay….. the fact that I agreed to let you stay in my house for weeks dosen’t mean you should take advantage of it … you’re just staying three weeks and that’s final!” I move left and he move left too. I huff. so annoying.
“Could you let me go please!” I yell a bit. His smile crookily.
“Nah baby girl…. not after we celebrate….” He removed his hand from his back and he was holding something. He dangled the pack in front of me.
“I’ve got six wraps of condoms in here…. how about we try some new sex styles…. let’s try every corner in your rathole baby, the couch, the counter, the bed, and maybe in your shower let’s get busy till dawn” He licked his lower lip and blew me a kiss. My heart is pounding against my ribcage again. I feel weak suddenly at the knees as I hear those words. my eyes are blinking close…. don’t tell me I’m about to die temporarily again!….