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Chapter 5- Candace's House

Chapter 5- Candace’s House

Chris drove Rhea to Candace's house after school. Rhea thanked Chris and watched him drive off. She turned back to the huge white house behind a metal gate, almost like a mansion. She went and clicked the buzzer. A woman's voice came from the speaker and Rhea thought it was Candace's mom.

"Hello?"

"Um... I'm here to tutor Candace," Rhea said.

"A tutor? Well that's new."

Another voice could be heard in the background. "You can let her in mom, I asked her to help me with my studies."

"Wow, Candace! That's the first from you, I'm so proud."

The buzzer beeped and the gate opened. Rhea gulped, tightened her grip on the sash of her bag and walked up the driveway to the house. She admired the nicely cut front yard as she walk up the stairs of the porch to the maroon double doors. Rhea knocked her knuckles against the door two times and the door flung open. Being startled, Rhea jumped back a bit meeting a woman that looked eerily similar to Candace, only a bit older and with lots of make up.

'Maybe her sister? But I don't remember Candace ever mentioning an older sister around school,' Rhea thought.

"Hi, You must be Candace's tutor?"
"Y-yes, um... I go to the same school as her. I'm Rhea, Rhea Jackson." Rhea held out her hand.

"It's nice to meet you Rhea. I'm Candace's mother." She shook Rhea's hand.

'Mother? Wow, she looks so young,' Rhea thought. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Kindler."

"Oh no, it's Ms. Kindler."

"Oh! Sorry, Ms. Kindler,” Rhea corrected herself.

"It's quite alright, Candace never mentions the divorce. Please come in." Ms. Kindler motioned Rhea to come into the house.

Walking through the door, Rhea saw two grand staircases going up to the second floor and the right led to the living room and the left led to a separate room. On top of the ceiling was a huge, beautiful chandler.

"Candace is upstairs with her friends in her room. They just got home. I'll bring up some drinks, so go ahead." Ms. Kindler pointed up the stairs. "Her room is down the hall to the right."

"Thanks you," Rhea said as she walked up the stairs on the right.
She admired everything as she walked down the halls. There were many paintings and family pictures on the walls. Once she reached the door down the hall on the right, she knocked.

"Come in."

Hearing the voice, Rhea turned the doorknob pushing the white door open. She was met with a huge white room with Candace on her light blue bed with four other girls. Rhea closed the door and just stood there, not knowing what to do.

"Well don't just stand there," Candace said. "Come here." Rhea slowly walked closer to the bed. "Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Riley." Candace pointed to the girl with curly brown hair then to the girl with long blonde hair. "This is Lisa." Candace moved down to the next girl with blonde hair that was tied in pigtails. "That's Penny and last but not least, Ellen." Candace pointed to the last girl with light brown hair that was in a braid. "Girls, this is Rhea Jackson. She’s here to help with school work."

"Isn't she the girl that Chris started to hang out with?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, she is," said Ellen.

Rhea looked down at the carpet as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She bit on her lower lip wanting to run out the door and call Chris to bring her back home. That's when the door opened and Ms. Kindler walked in with a tray that had five glass cups.

"I brought rum~" she sung.