The Perfect Lie

Chapter 12

August 2005, NYU

 

“Who’s that?” Angelica asked Chanty.

“Who?” she asked without looking up from her book.

“The one Liam’s with.”

Chanty looked up and glanced at the corner of the café where Angelica’s gaze was focused.

Liam was talking to a pretty black-haired girl and he seemed to be enjoying the company.

“She’s pretty. Must be his new girl,” Angelica said.

“I don’t care,” Chanty uttered with a sigh. “You should be back at the hospital now, Ange. You’re not supposed to be here spying on people.”

“Hey, I missed you, okay? After I graduated, it’s like I am alone again. It’s nice to visit NYU and you. And I like keeping tabs on things around here.”

“And Liam interests you?”

“Yeah. He’s a pretty cool guy if he’s not with Zachary. But the two of them are not that bad either. You should come with us next time.”

“Yeah, maybe. Whatever,” Chanty said, stealing another glance at Liam and the girl he was talking to.

 

2013

“Who?” Chanty asked her two wide-eyed friends.

“Beth the bitch!” they cried in unison.

“What?” Chanty shot to her feet. “Julianne, let’s go!”

She stormed to the door and Cassandra and Angelica moved to the side to make room for her. She went out the door, turned to the right and walked to the end of the corridor.

“They’re over there at the corner,” Angelica whispered in Chanty’s ear.

Chanty poked her head out of the partition wall that separated the private dining rooms from the main dining area of the restaurant.

“Oh my God! What the hell!” Chanty cried out in a whisper, grasping the edge of the wall with one hand. “It’s really her! What are they doing together?”

Angelica joined her, her head right below Chanty’s. “I think they’re on a date.”

Cassandra walked toward them and joined in with the peeking. “Yes, I guess so too.”

“Who’s Beth the bitch again?” asked Julianne, her head below Angelica’s.

“She’s our all-time favorite enemy,” Angelica answered.

“She’s my ex’s twin sister,” Cassandra explained.

“The ex who broke up with her two years before she met Philip,” Chanty added, her eyes still focused on the couple at the far corner.

“And she hates Cass’ ass like hell,” Angelica said.

“Why?” Julianne asked.

“Because she had been stalking Philip for years, that bitch,” Cassandra answered with ire.

“I’m really confused,” Julianne uttered.

“It’s pretty simple. Cass has an ex. Beth is his twin sister. Beth blames Cass for the accident that happened to her brother years ago. On the other side, Beth has been chasing Philip for years but Philip ended up with Cass. So yeah, Beth hates Cass,” Angelica explained, looking down at Julianne.