Second Chance

Seven: A Girls Day Out

Seven: A Girls Day Out

“Girl, you’re not telling me something.”

“Bessie?” Ciara sat up straighter, tossing ‘Jane Eyre’ to the side and grasping the phone tighter in her hand. She took off her glasses and placed it on the bedside table next to her. “You’re back?”

“Yup, he decided to change the plane ticket so we’re back early.”

“Your boss can sure be confusing.” Ciara somehow had a vague idea of where this conversation was going. Bessie’s next sentence confirmed her suspicion.

“Anyways, what’s this rumor I heard circulating around here?”

Ciara scowled. “Mona?” she paused. “Or are you just being the pro stalker you are?”

“The latter.”

Ciara could practically hear the smirk in her high school best friend’s voice. Her eyes shot to the clock hanging on the wall, and she grinned. Bessie beat her to it.

“It’s only ten, and you don’t have work tomorrow. I’m sleeping over.”

Ciara rolled her eyes. “Sure, self-invite yourself over.”

“Cool, I’m already in a taxi. I’ll be over in ten minutes.”

The call went dead, and Ciara leaned back on her bed. Well, she could always finish the rest of the fifty pages of ‘Jane Eyre’ tomorrow.

True to her words, ten minutes later, Ciara’s doorbell rang noisily. She scrambled out of her bed to open the door. The short girl came into her vision, a bag slung over her shoulder. She strode into the room like she owned the house and headed for her bedroom.

“Do you not clean your room?” Her lips curled back in distaste at a few shirts thrown carelessly around the room.

“I was going to wash them,” Ciara shot back. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. Really. Plus, it wasn’t like it was that messy.

Ciara quickly followed Bessie into her bedroom. The girl plopped onto her bed, and her eyes gleamed brightly. A matching impish smile made her lips curve up into a smile.

“Now, tell me everything.”

Ciara leaned back, her eyes meeting the ceiling above her. She raised her eyebrow at her friend’s face looming above her.

“All right, Jared’s back. No, don’t give me that sarcastic look.” Ciara propped herself using her elbow. “He came to the coffee shop.”

“Uh-huh.”

“We exchanged numbers.”

“Okay?”

Ciara took a deep breath. For some reason, she felt guilty. All of this was something between only the two of them. By telling a third person, it seemed like she was divulging some secrets only the two of them knew. Plus, this was Bessie. She could at least keep her mouth shut better than Mona. Better but not fully shut. She may just twist around some words and act as if she’d never uttered a single syllable.

“All right, here we go.”

“Dude, go away.”

“Aw, c’mon!”

Ciara snuggled closer to the pillow, ignoring the sudden weight on her back. She groaned, her voice muffled by the pillow she was burying her head in.

“Bessie.”

“Get up, you lazy bum.”

“Bessie, go away.”

The annoying girl started to shake her violently, and Ciara growled. No matter how much she tried, she was slowly waking up. Bleary eyed, she glanced up and noticed the shorter hand of the clock wasn’t even pointed at ten.