All five girls sat on a circle on the carpet in their living room, deciding to talk instead of watching TV during dinner.
Deanna remembered something and got up, jogging over to the door and grabbing the shopping bag from earlier that day. She sat back down with a small smile on her face and plopped the bag on the floor in front of Carly
"I got you something," Deanna smiled softly. Eya, Riri, and Ivy all collectively 'awwww'-ed from their spots on the carpet.
"For me?" Carly asked, a small smile appearing on her face. Deanna nodded and Carly clapped her hands excitedly. "Open?"
"Go on," Deanna motioned to the bag. Carly giggled and pulled the bag into her lap, digging inside and pulling out the bright yellow hoodie Deanna had bought.
"Yellow!" Carly squealed. She immediately hugged the sweatshirt to her chest and smiled widely. "Thank you, you're welcome," she crawled over and tackled Deanna in a bone-crushing hug.
Deanna laughed, nearly falling backwards when Carly wrapped her arms around her. "You're welcome," she giggled. Carly pulled away and looked down at the hoodie, giggling excitedly before leaning in, cupping Deanna's face, and planting a kiss on her lips. This earned various "Yiiieee" and "awww" from their other three roommates.
"Damn," Eya raised her eyebrows at Deanna when Carly pulled away. Deanna's cheeks grew bright red when she saw all her roommate's eyes on her.
Carly stood up with the hoodie in her hands, peeling off her shirt with no shame and changing into the bright yellow sweatshirt.
"So... what are you guys?" Ivy asked, turning to Deanna while Carly got changed. Deanna bit her lip, unsure of how to answer the question. Before she could say anything, Carly beat her to it.
"Mine," Carly nodded once.
All of the other girls grew confused. Carly tugged the sweatshirt over her head and padded back over to Deanna, sitting down in her lap contently.
"Mine," Carly repeated, wrapping her arms around Deanna's neck and smiling widely. "My Didi."
Deanna's heart fluttered and she quietly wrapped her arms around Carly to keep her in her lap. "You heard her," Deanna nodded towards her roommates. "She's my Carly and I'm her Deanna." Carly giggled eagerly and hid her head in the crook of Deanna's neck.
Eya and Ivy both made gagging noises while Ridi smiled widely, pulling out her phone and snapping a picture of the two.
"Y'all are too cute, I'm gonna puke," Ivy groaned, sending a playful glare Deanna's way. The three roommates weren't used to Deanna being affectionate with anyone. It was a big change, but one that they considered monumental for the girl.
"Shut up," Deanna muttered, trying, but failing to hide her smile. Eya hopped to her feet to throw away her trash. Carly took that as a sign that dinner was over, and she grabbed the remote from the couch.
"Are we really going to watch Friends again?" Deanna laughed, raising an eyebrow at the girl in her lap. Carly nodded excitedly and picked another episode, focusing her eyes intently on the screen.
Four episodes of Friends and a bag of popcorn later, all five girls were exhausted. Deanna and Carly were the only ones still awake.
Carly yawned, turning over and smiling sleepily at Deanna. The older girl couldn't help but lean down and kiss the smaller girl's forehead.
"You ready to go to bed?" Deanna said quietly, not wanting to wake her other roommates. Carly nodded and pried herself out of the older girl's grasp, shuffling towards the stairs. Deanna followed close behind.
The minute the door to the bedroom was closed, Carly placed her hands on Deanna's shoulders and stood on her tiptoes, capturing the older girl's lips in her own. Deanna was taken aback, but quickly caught on.
"You're good at that," she whispered when the kiss broke. Carly giggled and hopped onto the bed, laying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Deanna changed into a big t-shirt and sleep shorts and joined Carly on the bed.
Legs entwined, hearts beating, chests rising and falling; both girls fell asleep almost instantly in each other's arms.
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A scream pierced through the silent air, jolting Deanna out of her slumber. The older girl bolted upwards, darting her eyes around the room and trying to figure out what was going on. The trembling figure beside her quickly made her realize.
"Carly," Deanna whispered, shaking Carly's shoulder to try and wake her up. It was no use. Unsure of what else to do, Deanna pulled Carly's sleeping body into her lap. As soon as she did, the smaller girl began flailing violently, punching her fists into Deanna's chest.
"Hey, hey, shhh," Deanna said softly, hugging Carly against her chest and ignoring the punches that were being thrown at her. Moments later, a gasp was emitted from the younger girl's mouth and her body stilled. Realizing where she was, Carly burst into tears and buried her head in Deanna's neck.
"Please..." Carly's small voice cracked. "Please, Bad Things" she shook her head and clung to the material of Deanna's shirt.
"I've got you, Carly," Deanna whispered, stroking the smaller girl's hair. "I'll keep you safe."
"Promise?" Carly looked up at Deanma, who reached out and wiped her eyes with the pad of her thumbs before locking their pinkies together.
"Promise."
Carly sighed heavily and laid her head on Deanna's shoulder. The older girl shivered at the feeling of Carly's warm breath against her neck, giving her goosebumps.
"Sing?" Carly whispered, looking up at Deanna with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
🎶"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said "don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound.
Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto this lullaby even when the music's gone, gone
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound
Just close your eyes, you'll be alright
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and s-," 🎶
Deanna paused when she heard a faint rumbling noise downstairs. Carly lifted her head, wondering why the older girl had suddenly grown quiet.
"Didi?" she whispered.
"Shh," Deanna held up her hand to signify for the girl to be quiet. A few moments later, there was a loud knock at the front door. Deanna raised an eyebrow in confusion. Who could possibly be looking for them at 2AM in the morning?
There was a groaning noise from the next room over and Deanna heard Eya's heavy footsteps leave the bedroom.
Deanna heard her jog down the stairs and glanced at Carly questioningly.
"Who is here?" Carly asked, slithering out of bed and walking over to Deanna's bedroom door. Deanna quickly ran after her and grabbed her hand, pulling her back and pressing her ear to the door to try and eavesdrop on what was going on.
"Listen, I don't know who you are, but it is 2 in the fucking mornin-," Eya's voice slowly faded when Deanna heard the door open. "Uh, hi?" Eya suddenly adopted a more polite tone, but still incriminating.
"Is Carlota Hernandez home?" the low voice grumbled. Deanna tensed. A million worst case scenarios ran through her mind.
"I-I... I don't know a Carlota," Eya quickly answered.
"Me," Carly whispered, tugging on Deanna's sleeve. "That is me."
"I know, shhhhhh," Deanna warned her, pulling Carly closer to her and pressing her ear against the door, cupping her hand to try and hear them more clearly.
"Hey, you can't just do that!" Eya's voice grew louder and Deanna heard multiple loud footsteps enter the apartment. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"We have a warrant to search the premises, ma'am," one of the stern voices replied. Deanna's heart started beating rapidly in her chest and she turned to Carly, placing her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes.
"Carly, I need you to stay here, okay? .Hide. I will be right back. Don't leave this room. Do you understand me? Please I need you to stay in this room" she said firmly, trying to stress the importance of her words. Carly nodded slowly, worry flickering in her eyes.
Deanna pressed a quick kiss on Carly's forehead before quietly slipping out of the room. She rushed downstairs, nearly gasping when she saw the three men in uniform practically tearing their house apart.
Eya and Deanna made eye contact and Eya's eyes widened. Deanna quickly looked around the apartment, noticing one of the officers digging through her backpack.
"Hey!" she yelled, running over to him and tugging her bag out of his hands. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step away," another one of the officers put a hand on her shoulder. Deanna whipped her head around and shoved his arm off of her.
"Don't lay a hand on me!" she hissed, clutching her bag to her chest. "What are you doing here?"
"You don't happen to know where Carlota Hernandez is, do you?" One of the men ask.
Eya shook her head furiously from behind the officer, and Deanna did the same. The officer that had been searching her bag before appeared beside her and tried to take the bag out of her arms.
"Don't touch me!" Deanna yelled, yanking her bag away and looking to Eya for help.
"Didi?!" Carly's panicked voice rang out from upstairs. Eya and Deanna both cursed under their breath.
"Go back to bed!" Deanna called, trying to act casual.
"Didi?" Carly's voice appeared again at the top of the stairs. By this time, all three officers were already heading towards the staircase, and Deanna panicked.
"STOP!!!! " Deanna threw her bag to the ground and ran towards them, sliding to a stop in front of the staircase and blocking them from going any further. "IT IS 3 IN THE MORNING, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE!?"
Deanna internally cursed when she heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Didi?" Carly whispered from directly behind Deanna.
"That's her, that's Carlota," one of the police pointed to Carly and suddenly Deanna was shoved aside, almost falling to the ground. She grabbed onto the wall to regain her balance just as Carly started screaming.
"GET OFF OF HER!!" Deanna growled, watching as the officers appeared from the staircase, holding Carly firmly by the shoulders. The smaller girl was whimpering, struggling to escape their grip.
"Carlota Hernandez," one of the officers pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket and passed them to the man holding Carly. "You're under arrest on the charge of murder in the second degree."
Deanna's heart dropped in her chest and Eya sprinted over to Deanna to hold her upright.
"Murder?" Eya spoke for Deanna, who still couldn't find her words. "You've got to have the wrong person, Carly wouldn't hurt a f-,"
She was cut off by an ear piercing scream from Carly as the handcuffs snapped shut around her wrists. The smaller girl shook her head, trying desperately to pull her hands out of their reach.
"Didi!" Carly cried, looking straight at Deanna, her eyes pleading for help. Deanna snapped back into reality and put one hand on the wall to steady herself.
"YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!!!" Deanna yelled, motioning to the cuffs around Carly's wrists. The officers ignored Carly's cries and shoved her towards the door, practically dragging her by her collar.
"Didi!" Carly cried again. Deanna's hands shook.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!!" Deanna yelled at the third officer who stood in front of them. "YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE HER AWAY LIKE THAT!"
The man sighed heavily and pulled a business card out of his pocket, handing it to Eya because he knew Deanna wouldn't take it.
"I'm just doing my job, ladies. Call the number on that card tomorrow and you can find out about your friend. For now, there's nothing we can do."
Deanna's knees crumpled beneath her and Eya quickly grabbed her to keep her upright.
"Get the fuck out of our apartment!!" Eya growled, staring the officer straight in the eye. Moments later, the door of the apartment slammed shut and Deanna fell to her knees on the floor in tears. Carly's cries could still be heard down the hallway and each one plunged another dagger into Deanna's heart.
Two sets of footsteps came heavily down the stairs.
"What the hell is going on?" Ivy asked worriedly, sliding to her knees on the floor beside Deanna and trying to comfort the distraught girl. "Where's Carly?"
Ivy's question only sent Deanna into another round of hysterics, causing the girl to slam her fist into the wall and sob violently into her hands. Riri stood frozen at the end of the staircase, taking it all in.
"I-I don't know," Eya breathed, sliding down against the wall and sitting next to Deanna. "They came looking for Carly - three officers - and they said... they handcuffed her... and said something about murder."
"Murder?" Riri gasped, finally joining the group circled around Deanna on the floor. "Carly wouldn't hurt a fly!!"
"That's what I said..." Eya said quietly, shaking her head in disbelief and trying to keep her own tears back. All four roommates, not just Deanna, had grown exceptionally close to Carly in the time they'd spent together.
"THEY CAN'T.JUST... THEY CANT... IT'S CARLY!!" Deanna cried, lifting her head and leaning back on the wall next to Eya, allowing herself to sink down and curl up into a ball, resting her head on her knees.
"She's.... she's Carly....
She's my Carly"
"All we can do is call in the morning and see what they say," Eya sighed, trying her best to be the voice of reason. "Fucking with the cops... won't get us very far."
"Murder..." Riri whispered under her breath, still trying to understand it herself. "Do you think-,"
"CARLY WOULD NEVER DO THAT!!" Deanna snapped, lifting her head. Her eyes were blood shot and makeup was streaming down her face. She brought her hands up, grabbing fistfuls of her hair and letting out a noise of frustration.
"She wouldn't..." Deanna whispered, letting her head fall back into her hands.
All the girls grew silent after Deanna's sudden outburst. Ivy rubbed circles in Deanna's back to try and calm her down. Eya and Riri exchanged glances, both as lost for words as Deanna was. None of them knew what to do.
Deanna's thoughts were racing. Carly had needed her. She'd promised to protect Carly and she'd failed. The girl had been screaming her name, and she hadn't been able to do anything about it.
"Oh my god...." Deanna whispered, lifting her head and staring blankly ahead of her. "Maybe... oh my god," she shook her head and felt her breathing speed up.
"What?" Ivy glanced over at the distraught girl. Deanna took a deep breath, trying to contain her sobs as best as she could.
"The bruises, her... her uncle... he..." Deanna brought her hands to cup her mouth as she slowly connected the dots. "I need to go to Miami," she said, scrambling to her feet and grabbing the remains of her backpack from the floor.
Her other three roommates all exchanged glances, confused at Deanna's sudden outburst. Ivy quickly got up, following her and putting a hand on Deanna's shoulder.
"Miami?" the dark skinned girl asked cautiously.
Deanna nodded, grabbing her wallet and frantically counting her money. "I need to... shit... seventy five... eighty," she cursed under her breath and restarting counting the bills. "They don't know... about Carly. They need to know... I need to... I need to know," Deanna stammered, curling her lip in concentration.
"That's not enough," she huffed, tightening her grip on the crumpled bills in her hand. She dropped to her knees, digging through the contents of her bag desperately.
Eya exchanged glances with her two roommates before stepping forward and reaching into her back pocket. She pulled out a collection of bills and sifted through them before handing Deanna everything she had.
"Wha...?" Deanna stood up, looking at the bills in her hand. Ivy and Riri both did the same, adding to the collection of money in Deanna's hand.
"Go," Eya whispered, pulling Deanna into a hug before the girl could see the tears forming in her eyes. "I'll call you as soon as we find anything out." Riri and Ivy both nodded in agreement.
"You guys..." Deanna's voice cracked and she quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. "Thank you so much," she shook her head and hugged her two other roommates before slipping the money into her wallet. "I owe you."
"You don't owe us anything," Ivy spoke up. "We'll figure this out, okay? It's Carly we're talking about. We'll find a way."
"I hope so," Deanna whispered, biting her lip and looking around the room hesitantly.
"Get your ass on a plane, Wong," Eya laughed sadly, nudging her friend's shoulder. Deanna swallowed hard, nodding and grabbing her bag.
"If I don't answer my phone, call me until I do," Deanna nodded, throwing her bag over her shoulder and heading towards the door. "I love you guys, okay? Thank you..."
All the other girls nodded. Eya turned away to hide her tears and Deanna decided not to call her out on it, just this once. She slipped through the door of the apartment without another word.
—
****TO BE CONTINUED***
A/N:Bitinin ko Muna kayo, huhuh guys naniniwala ba kayo na murderer si Carly? 😭.
ps:(sorry for the typos if ever Meron kayong Nakita)