The Blondes of Bel-Air

TAYLOR

There I was on the patio, on the far side of the massive Madison-Vaughn estate. 

I could still hear the party sounds, and I hoped that someone would help. I weakly called out, but of course, no one could hear over the loud music. This side of the house was completely dark, save for a silver slice of moonlight. 

I don't know how long I laid there, on my back, legs twisted, arm over my head. My body felt like lead and I was lightheaded, I feared I'd throw up. It took me a while to even understand what had happened.

When I fell, I kept my eyes on Lily and Gemma, who watched from the window. Their expressions were gruesome and horrifying and I wondered how serious this was. I struggled to gasp for breath. They looked as scared as I was. 

It was an accident. 

No one pushed me. 

I shouldn't have been holding on to that stupid diary, anyway.

I heard a noise that might have been close, a rustling sound then laughter. Someone said, "Shhhhh, we don't want to get caught..." and the other voice said something like, "It's dark over here, no one will see."

I wasn't certain what I heard because my brain pounded with pain. There were potted plants and flowers surrounding me. I don't know why that came to my mind, but it did. I figured if I was going to die, it might be nice to be among the gardens on the estate.

I might have drifted in and out of consciousness. My chest was heavy, my head ached like a migraine and I had a bad metallic taste in my mouth. I tried in vain to get the phone out of my pocket so I could punch 911 but to no avail. My brain wouldn't tell my arm to move.

Finally, I heard the clickety-clack of heels.

"Penny..." I murmured weakly. I didn't know much about perfumes, but she always wore a fragrance that made my allergies act up. It was a sharp, spicy scent that tickled my nose and gave me sinus pressure.

"Penny... please, help me."

"That's funny," she said. I blinked, forcing my eyes to focus. Trying to look cool, I had left my glasses at home. All I could see was the white flash of her silky top and her small hands on her even tinier hips. "Funny you asking me for help when you told everyone my little secret, huh Taylor?"

I tried to respond, but I couldn't. My throat was tight, I couldn't inhale. Were Penny's hands around my neck? Was she covering my mouth? I attempted to gasp for air. I faded in and out and at some point, I had a light feeling of floating. I saw the tops of the groomed palm trees, and the crowd of people gathered on the far side of the house, on the patio.

From somewhere other than my body, I watched as Penny kicked off her shoes and straddled me, covering my mouth and nose with her hands until I could no longer breathe.

I watched with one hand over my eyes, shocked. She was crying about me letting out her secret and everyone would know she had problems and it was my entire fault.

There was nothing I could do. 

I was dead.

Then, I watched as Lily and Gemma hid my body and later buried it under the tennis court. I knew they struggled with guilt and remorse. They thought it was their fault. But they didn't kill me.

Penny did.

I couldn't seem to leave the Madison-Vaughn mansion, I was stuck there. Lily was scared of my ghost-self. I liked popping up at times when she least expected it. After the novelty of haunting her wore off, I wanted to tell her, it wasn't her fault. I was alive! I had been alive, barely, but breathing. Then Penny came along and put an end to everything.

I didn't want to hold Lily or Gemma responsible. It was my own actions that caused me to fall out of a window I had no reason to be near in the first place. I tried to let Lily know we could be friends; I left her a yellow rose. I wanted to write her a note but had trouble forming the letters with my hands. I talked to her as she slept; telling her it was Penny, not her or Gemma, that did me in.

But she didn't hear what I was trying to say.