“I’m really going to miss you.”
I looked up from my suitcase and gave Heather a look. “I’m going to be away for only two days – that’s all.”
“Two days is soo long,” she said dramatically. “Jerome would truly miss you.”
I paused and then smiled slightly, knowing Heather wouldn’t see me. “I seriously doubt that.”
I was packing for my two-day stay in a hotel where Amanda and Alex were going to have the wedding reception. Only the closest family and friends were asked to stay in the hotel – and that includes me and well, Garret too.
Amanda’s getting married tomorrow and Garret’s going to drive me to Chicago tonight so we could be in time for the wedding.
“Oh he would,” Heather responded from my reply earlier. “He’s totally crazy about you.”
“But he’s all over Roxanne now.” I didn’t mean to say that but the words were already out and I couldn’t stop them.
Heather raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look jealous. I find that really weird.”
“Maybe only a little,” I admitted. “After all, I really like your brother.”
“Like,” she pointed out. “You two have been together since June. It’s already November. And you still don’t love him? Why?”
“I just don’t,” I said simply and zipped up my suitcase.
“Maybe you like someone else?” she offered, raising her eyebrows even higher than before. “Am I right?”
I smiled and shook my head. “I don’t know.”
“You like Garret, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Let me rephrase that. You love Garret, don’t you?”
I just continued smiling. “I don’t know,” I said playfully and walked out of my room. Heather jumped up from my bed and followed me out to the living room. “Why do you care anyway?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “You’re my best friend.”
The thought touched me. Then suddenly I remembered what Garret said about Heather being the traitor. I turned to look at her. Her lips were curved upwards and her face was tinged with pink. One look at her and I know – she would never betray me. Heather’s one of my closest friend. She has been there with me in every step of the way. She will never betray me.
And yet, when she turned to look at me, our eyes met. And I saw something in there that I failed to see before. Her eyes were filled with deep sadness and loneliness. So the saying “The people who wear the biggest smiles are the saddest ones” was true.
She noticed me staring at her and she frowned. “Is something wrong with my face?” she asked self-consciously.
“Is something bothering you?” I asked.
She seemed surprise with my question. “What do you mean?”
“Is there something you want to talk to me? Like, any problems or stuff? It’s been awhile since we have been talking. I missed talking with you.”
Heather opened her mouth, as if she wanted to tell me something, but then for a millisecond a thought crossed her mind. She closed her mouth once again and shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong,” she replied softly.
“Are you sure?” I pressed.
She nodded. “Yeah."
We stared at each other and didn’t say anything else. Heather was the first one to look away. “And if there is something I’m keeping from you, I have a good reason for it.”
I frowned. “Why would you keep something from me? I’m your friend.”
“Sometimes I have to keep something from you. It’s not all the times that I’ve got to tell you everything.”
“But why? Why would you keep it from me?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” she said and bit her lip. “I have my reasons and I don’t expect you to understand.”
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Maybe I would. I’ll try to understand.”
“You wouldn’t,” she decided, her voice filled with authority. “You will never understand.”
I was about to retort from her statement when suddenly the door opened and Garret came in. Heather and I both looked up. He raised an eyebrow at Heather and then turned to me.
“I’m sorry to intervene in your conversation, but I’m afraid Melanie and I should leave.”
Something told me that he knows what we were talking about.
“You should,” Heather said, forcing up a smile to him. “I don’t want you two to be late because of me.”
“Tell Mom and Dad that I’d be back in two days,” I said, turning to Heather, as if the conversation we had was just nothing.
“Sure,” Heather replied and then gave me a hug. Then she whispered on my ear, “I’ll tell you someday. Not just now.”
I nodded shortly and then we pulled away. Garret was holding up my suitcase and I waved goodbye at Heather. “I’ll see you in two days,” I promised her.
She nodded. “Have fun with the wedding! Go mingle with hot guys!”
I laughed. “I will.”
Garret and I both stepped out from the house. Then I suddenly realized something. I sharply turned to Garret’s direction. “Wait a minute. How did you get in the house? You don’t have any key!”
He just smiled in that secretive way of his. “I’m a vampire. I’m capable of things normal people couldn’t do.”
“So did you hear our conversation?” I asked, as I opened the passenger’s car door and got in.
Garret placed my bag in the car’s trunk and then walked to the driver’s seat. “Yes,” he replied, “I heard your conversation.”
I glared at him as he started the engine. “Don’t you know how that eavesdropping is a wrong thing to do?”
“Then, again, I fell in love with you even though I know it’s wrong. Maybe doing wrong things are the right things.”
Why does he come up with sweet thing all of a sudden? “You’re distracting me,” I told him. “You’re trying to make my anger go away. Right?”
“Yep.”
“You bastard.”
“I’m proud of it,” he said, laughing. “So what do you think about Heather? Do you really think she’s the traitor?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Yes and no. She’s acting fishy but I know she couldn’t betray me. She’s my friend.”
“Melanie—”
“Yeah, I know, sometimes people pretend,” I cut him off. “But I know what I know, Garret. And I’ll stick with it.”
“Fine,” he said, but there’s that look in his face that means he’s not listening on whatever I say.
***
“So glad you could join me,” Amanda said and gave me a hug.
“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” I gushed as we pulled away, laughing. “So, do you have, like, a bachelorette party?”
“Of course. Garret’s also going to Alex’s bachelor party.”
“Bachelor party?” he repeated, looking up at Amanda, suddenly interested. “There’s going to be lap dances, right?”
Amanda gave Garret a look. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.”
Garret chuckled. “I’ll let you know if Alex would have someone lap dancing in front of him tomorrow.”
“Or better yet, don’t tell me.”
“Anyway,” I said, forcing up a bright smile, “what’s for dinner?”
“That would be in the party,” Amanda replied. “My bachelorette party is going to be held in third floor ball room. I don’t know what my mom and my sister prepared for me.” She turned to Garret. “Just go to Alex’s room. He’ll accompany you to the party.”
“Okay,” he said, grinning at her and then to me. “I’ll be meeting strippers.”
I pursed my lips at him. “Congratulations.”
“Bye!” he said, walking away.
“Will there be any strippers?” I questioned Amanda as we walked up the stairs.
Amanda shrugged. “I don’t know what Alex’s dad and brother prepared for him.”
With that, she opened a large door. There was loud music playing and everywhere you look, girls are talking and giggling and mingling. I spotted Melissa talking with Gwyneth, Mrs. Peterson and Amelia, Amanda’s mother and sister.
“Melanie,” Gwyneth said, grinning at me. “It’s nice to see you.”
“You too,” I replied with my own smile.
“When did you get here?”
“Just five minutes ago,” I said. I turned to Amelia, who was smiling at me. She looked pretty (well, what do you expect from a model?) “Hi, Amelia. It’s been a long time.”
“It was,” she said, flashing me her perfect teeth. “Are you married?”
I laughed nervously. “Not… yet.”
“A boyfriend?” Mrs. Peterson suggested.
“Well, you can say that.”
“I bet you’re the next one who’s getting married,” Melissa said with a smile. “When will Garret pop the question?”
I shrugged uncomfortably. I forgot that they don’t even know that we broke up. “I don’t know.”
Amanda immediately came to my rescue and let out a forced chuckle. "Let's mingle with other guests, shall we?"
I smiled at her gratefully. "I'll just get some drink. I'm pretty thirsty."
"Dinner would be served in ten minutes," Mrs. Peterson told me.
"Okay, thanks," I replied and then turned to the table where the juice was located. I grabbed a plastic cup and then poured myself some orange juice. I gulped it down and then sighed.
"Excuse me?"
I turned around, expecting someone who I don't know. But when my eyes locked to hers, my eyes widened. Why was she here?
"What-what are you doing here?" I stammered.
Fiona just smiled. "Isn't it obvious? I'm attending a bachelorette party."
"But--"
"I came without anyone knowing," she interrupted me. Then she grabbed her own plastic cup and poured orange juice in it. "I just... crept in."
"What do you want?" I asked quietly. I don't want to make a scene. The others doesn't know what we really were so it's better if we just talk... like normal friends.
Fiona took a sip of her juice and then crossed her arms. "I'd like to know why you don't know about the document."
I frowned at her. She wants to know why I don't know about the document? Why would she like to know? "Why do you want to know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "And if it matters, I do know about it now."
"Your parents obviously kept it from you," she said, taking another sip from her juice. "But you know now, hmm?"
I nodded. "If I were you, I wouldn't do anything about it," I warned her. "My parents will do everything to stay in the throne."
Fiona chuckled softly. "Oh, Melanie. You're so innocent, aren't you? I'm the rightful person in the throne. I should be the Queen."
"My parents are the people who should stay in the throne," I retorted. "You're not worthy."
"But it's the law, isn't it?"
"Who cares about the law? And if you really think highly of the law, then why are you doing bad things? Like... killing Tim?"
"Well, in my defense, Tim should really die. He was on my way."
I turned to her in anger. "How dare you! Do you know that he has a family to feed? Now you've killed him, what happens to his wife? His children? Are you really that selfish to have the power you always wanted?"
Fiona shot me a dirty look. "It's my rightful throne."
"Why did you do it now? Why didn't you do it at the past?"
She sighed. "I wasn't that powerful then."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She smiled evilly at me. "I have more power than before, Melanie. For five years, I've mastered sorcery and dark magic."
I almost dropped the plastic cup that I was holding. "Excuse... me?" I managed.
Fiona placed her plastic cup on the table. "I was right. You really are innocent. Don't you know that vampires are capable of learning magic? Your parents never told you, eh?"
I didn't reply and just continued staring at her blankly.
"So, if I were your parents," Fiona said, still smiling at me, "they better give up. Or else they would face something they never even dared to dream."
She turned around and left quietly, as if she was a normal person.
As if our conversation never happened.
_____
I am such a terrible person. I didn't update for two weeks and this is what I give you? A very short chapter?? I just want to dieeeeeeeeeeeee
I'm sorry if this was such a crappy chapter. School's been hectic but in the bright side, my scores in my tests are higher than before. At least my hard work has good results. I promise I'll make the next chapter fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And if I wouldn't, you're free to kill me.
Hope you liked this chapter (I'm sorry again)!
- Bella, xoxo.
PS: I don't even know if there's a bachelorette party. If guys have bachelor party, then there would be a bachelorette party, wouldn't it?