"Hi Katia. Where are your parents?" she asked, looking around in confusion.
"I, uh, you'd better come in," I said, leading her into the living room.
My house was cosy, not big and modern like the Williams', but I kept it tidy nevertheless. The living room was a fifth the size of hers, and didn't have the huge windows. The windows were smaller, and panelled, taking up half of a wall. Most of the light came from the lights on a 'fake' chandelier hanging in the centre of the room. There was one, large, creamy sofa, and one brown, leather armchair.
"So?" Alice asked, prompting me and raising an eyebrow,as she sat in the armchair.
I took a deep breath.
"My parents are dead. They died in a plane crash when I was fourteen. It headed straight for the airport. They both left me everything, so I have some money, and I can get a job next year," I said, halting as I remembered them.
Remind me why this was such a big secret?!
Alice moved onto the couch I was sitting on, and hugged me gently. I patted her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, rubbing my arm.
"Don't be. It's ok, I miss them though," I said, bitterly.
Alice nodded, before extending her hand and leading me to her car. A bright, yellow porche turbo. I grinned at her, and she at me, before getting into her car. I still had the stuff I'd bought over the weekend at her house, and it was better there than in an empty house here. It could be painful remembering them.
I smiled as she clicked the roof down and I felt the wind blow through my hair. I whooped and grinned at her as the car sped down the road, by the forest.
"I came over to see if you wanted to come over, my parents still aren't home, so unfortunately Sam and Jake still stop by. The kitchen as become out of bounds," she said, rolling her eyes.
I laughed freely. I was free of one secret, but the other still loomed over me. Although, they definitely had some secret themselves.
"Alex is, um, out. He's not feeling so good, he might not be in tomorrow," Alice said, stumbling over her words.
I frowned.
"Why's he out if he's ill?" I asked.
Alice shrugged. Hmm.
"You still owe me an explanation," I said, referring to when she'd promised me answers if I came over for the weekend.
"Um, yeah. About that. I-I-Look, Katia, I really want to tell you, but I can't. It isn't safe for you to know," she said.
I pursed my lips, but nodded. I knew what she meant, and said just that. Alice threw me a grateful look as she opened her front door and announced her arrival to Matt.
"Thanks for understanding," Matt said from the doorway, as though he'd heard our conversation.
I could hear the sounds coming from the living room, and Alice rolled her eyes. Matt chuckled as someone turned up the music, and it practically deafened all of us. I winced slightly, although Alice and Matt didn't look too happy either.
"They're taking over our house, I swear. If mum and dad were here..." she shook her head, "Not that I'm complaining. I can be naughty too," she said, fluttering her eyelashes at Matt.
Matt grinned, and grabbed her waist, pulling her tiny, pixie form to him, before kissing her sweetly. They smiled at each other and Matt beckoned me to follow them.
"You get used to Sam and Jake after a while. I spend my time ignoring them, but Alex spends his telling them to get a room," Alice said, smiling grimly as she opened the kitchen door, to reveal Sam and Jake in another shameless make out session.
They didn't look up when we entered, and I became uncomfortable as Alice began making coffee. I slipped out, and headed to the living room. I sighed in content as I sat down on the squishy sofa.
"Sorry about that Katia," said a voice from the doorway.
"No worries Sam. You guys really love each other hu?" I asked.
Another puzzle piece. Such strong human bonds were rare, particularly at such a young age. The room chimed with her laughter.
"You could say that."
I smiled at her, and stood up to find Alice. My nose dragged me to the kitchen, where I smelt coffee and biscuits. Jake was scoffing down vanilla shortbreads, barely tasting them, and Alice was sipping a mug of steaming coffee. As I walked in, she grinned, and handed me one. I blew on it gently, and allowed myself to go blank.
***
The following morning, I rode t school in my Porsche without anyone else. It was only a two-seater, and my friends all wanted to go with their significant other.
The morning passed in a blur, and lunch was full of girls pouting about Alex's absence. Although I had asked what exactly was wrong with him, I had yet to get a straight answer. Cat too, was away, so I had nobody to chat to in French. The empty seat beside me was filled with one of Gabriella's gang, and I decided to ignore them.
As I left the classroom for lunch, Gabriella followed me. I became irritated as she continued to flick her long, fake blond hair in my face, literally slapping me with it, and my breathing was heavy when I reached my locker. Alice wasn't there to save me, so I had to get rid of her before I committed murder.
"Nice face Brown," she sneered.
"What the hell is your problem Gabriella? I've had enough of your shit!" I hissed.
"You're friends with the Williams' and co," she stated.
I nodded, confused. She hated me for my friends? That seemed a little low, even for Gabriella. But what else was I supposed to think? What a stupid thing to say!
"You're practically best friends with Alex's sister, and you're friend's with him," I nodded as she paused, "I want you to persuade him to go out with me," she finished.
I laughed at her. Who did she think she was? Alex wasn't my puppet! We were attracting an audience, not that I cared, Gabriella needed putting in her place.
"Alex is a human Gabriella. I don't control him. Why should he go out with you anyway?" I asked, not really caring about her answer.
"You..." Gabriella began, raising her hand to slap me.
But someone interrupted.
Someone interrupted her while in a tantrum. I would forever owe whoever that was.
"Gabriella! Don't you dare," called the clear, cold voice of Sam, her eyes flashing dangerously.
Gabriella recoiled as Sam drew nearer, and I flashed her my thanks. Having no want to watch Sam put Gabriella well and truly in her place, I hurried off to the lunch hall to find the rest of my friends. I spotted them at their usual table, chatting animatedly. I bought my lunch and sat by them.
***
Biology was dull without Alex, but in the end, I preferred the first dull half an hour to the physically painful hour at the end. Gabriella sat by Cat in biology, so, unfortunately, when we got onto our practical, we were paired up. I spent the hour listening to her drown on about boys, specifically Alex, throwing insults at people, majorly me, and squeal when something moved under the microscope. I gave her the microscope as we observed the most active of the bacteria, and sniggered when she jumped a foot in the air, hand on her heart when it moved.
Her girls flocked to her as she screamed, and Dr.Schmitz ran over, checking Gabriella. She looked into the microscope, and rolled her eyes, returning to her desk. The boys that sat at the back laughed at her as they realised what she was screaming about, and grinned. I hope Alice heard about this.
By the end of the lesson, I had made Gabriella squeal and shriek more times than I cared to count, and only once intentionally. What was it with her? Alice grinned at me when I met her outside by the lockers, and tackled me into a rib-cracking hug. I still didn't understand how someone so small could have so much energy. I laughed at her as she jumped up and down I celebration.
"Can you are me home? Matt has something to do and he's using his car," she said, once she'd calmed down enough to speak.
"Sure thing," I said, as we walked out to my car.
***
Although Cat reappeared the next day after a case of flu, Alex was away for the entire week. In biology on Friday, unfortunately for her, I lost it with Gabriella.
She had just finished swooning over Alex, and telling me how he should be his, she turned on me.
"And don't get me started on you Katia Brown. You're such a hypocrite. You should be making Alex MINE. I hate you. You're such a bitch Brown, you..." she ranted, but I'd had enough of her.
I slammed my textbook shut, and threw it to the floor. I smashed my pen down on the desk, and shook with rage. She would pay for that.
"Shut up Gabriella!" I screamed in her face, "Maybe I hate YOU too, maybe I don't WANT to damn Alex to hell by dating you, maybe I hate YOU as much as you say you hate me, maybe I want to throttle YOU. I want to wipe that muck off your face, to ring out the disgusting dye in your hair, to rip off those fake nails. I swear, if you utter one more piece of shit about ANYTHING I..." I shouted, but was abruptly cut off by a gentle hand on my arm.
"She's not worth it," Cat whispered.
I kept quiet, and relaxed my body slightly, but my breathing was still heavy, and I was still quivering with rage. I didn't often have outbursts like that, and I realised how rude I'd been.
"To hell I'm worth it Catherine, you..." Gabriella began, snorting.
"That's enough Gabriella. Turn on me all you like, but leave my friends alone," I said, quietly.
She didn't deserve my apology.
"Girls! Get back to work please," Dr.Schmitz called.
I nodded sharply, and sat back down, picking up my book and sitting back down, but body relaxing a little with each calming word I wrote.
I really couldn't wait for Alex to come back. Gabriella was killing me, and was a right pain in the neck. I had no idea how he'd put up with having her as a girlfriend for all those months that Alice has described as 'painful' for anyone within five feet of the couple.
I had to admit it, I missed Alex next to me.
***
A/N
Sorry the last couple have been shorter, I tried to make this a little longer to make up for it, but it's certainly not my longest! Sally asked me to carry/extend in detail on a couple of her short stories, and they'll be coming later this year, when I finish one of these stories. I'll upload the prologues soon!
Lucy xX