A day before the dinner party at Lily's grandparents' house. I saw Lena at her company, which wasn't so bad.
After I talked to Athena about my encounter with a famous producer, she was thrilled. She decided to take a paternity test for the results of her baby's father. I have never seen my sister look as nervous as ever, which was rare coming from a sister who could speak her mind.
"Now, who's sulking?" I retort the words on my own to Lily, who today isn't in her best mood since that night.
We are at our usual hang-out, and Lily doesn't seem hungry.
"You haven't touched your food."
Lily stayed in silence, staring off into space. I know that look. I had that look. I invented that look. Well, actually, no, but I was in that state.
When she and I went to that dinner party, her grandparents' host. They introduced us to the Naval family, the groom's family. Then during dinner time, Seema, Lily's grandmother, was introduced along with her husband Vishal Haasan with the rest of the guests. The way they saw me was priceless. Although I had myself covered from above my shoulders down to my toes, they saw my scars. And the first time in my life, I wasn't ashamed or worried about their thoughts. If one person thinks my injuries are beautiful, that is all I need.
Meeting the Haasan and the Naval was quite awkward, especially when I got close to them talking about myself, but Lily was in her little world, avoiding eye contact with Kareem.
I took one glance at him and immediately thought of a real-life Aladdin. This dude was dashingly handsome, with dark comb hair neat, the same height as the twins, beautiful copper skin, and his aura screamed Prince Charming. A guy like Kareem would have the whole female Indian population falling to their feet. I felt like my best friend of Rachel in Crazy Rich Asians, which was the BEST movie I ever saw. Lily and I saw it right after school before we practiced our lines.
Vishal and Seema Haasan, Lily's grandparents, were welcoming and... friendly. Just nice. They weren't kind or funny people you wanted to be BFFs with. What I see in them is nothing but judgment. Besides my scars, I wore their traditional dresses, and they didn't seem too happy about some California girl wearing them. The way they looked at me as if I was dressed naked.
The Haasan entertained the guest with laughter and chit-chat. I was then introduced to the Naval family, punctuate, sophisticated, and educated with wealth. In their aura, I see the family of totality. From what I hear, Aamir Naval owns his hotel resort in Mumbai, India. Natali, Kareem's mother a famous fashion designer and model. With her slim stick figure, she has fitted both a beautiful, elegant red dress.
Everyone else was dressed so richly and appropriately. Lily and I felt out of place. But these are her people. Not to sound racist, but it's true.
During dinner, Lily stayed quiet, and I mean reticent that she had gone both mute and deaf. Whenever Seema mentions her family line of farmers as they rose to become top agricultural manufacturers owning whole acres of land. Lily didn't care. All she cared about was something troubling her mind.
I don't know what was wrong with her. She was fine yesterday when I talked to her, but the next day to Meet the Haasan had turned for the worst.
"Lily," I sighed with exhaustion that may reflect how she felt with me when I was sulking about Logan. Then it hit me. "Are you acting like this because of Liam?"
Her body jerked and had me right on the spot. She didn't say a word.
"You know, Liam was acting weird yesterday. Logan couldn't figure out what was up with his twin."
The silence was a habit for both of us.
I looked at my phone and saw it was almost time to see Odin at the library. "Lily, I know you took my crap when I was bitching of pushing people out of my life, but if this is about Liam, I could go talk to him-"
"I slept with him." Her voice was faint, but I heard it well among the crowd of people at the mall.
"Slept with who?"
"Liam."
My brows shot up. "Oh, that's great!"
"No, it's not," Lily sprang like a bouncy house and bolted from the food court.
I caught up with her grabbing her arm as we both entered the lady restroom. "Lily, what is wrong?" I eyed the last lady as she walked out. Now it was just the both of us. "Come on, go inside," I said, shoving her inside the more oversized stall. "Okay, spill, what is going on between you and Liam? Yesterday, your mind was adrift like your mad."
Tears fell.
Lily hugged her stomach as if in pain. My eyes grew wide. "Are you pregnant?"
"No," she whispered.
"Well, that checks off." I sighed in relief. "If you're not pregnant, then what? Lily, if you don't spill-"
"I'm a virgin! Okay!" She barked. "The day before going to the Haasan summer home, I saw Liam at the small cafe with another girl." She clenched tighter. "I got so mad. Jealous was overcoming me, and I spilled water all over Liam as if he cheated on me."
"I know that feeling," I snort.
"We argued and fought and asked each question why are we avoiding each other. That's when we made out in the nearest alleyway and did it."
I blinked at her.
Her face went red. "I know it was unsanitary, but I didn't care."
"Wait, you and Liam, alley, sex?." She nodded. "Your not a virgin anymore?" She nodded again. "But aren't you getting married-" I paused and shaped my lips into an O. "Shit."
Lily nodded one last time and lowered her head. "I don't know what to do," she whined. "I'm supposed to be a virgin until I get married."
"But I thought you hated the whole idea of marrying Kareem."
"I mean, in general; I want it traditionally." She hit her back against the tiled walls of the restroom, then sulked herself down. "The engagement was getting to me. I'm about to marry someone I don't love, and the guy I wanted so bad doesn't want me." Lily pulled her knees against her chest and hugged it dipping her head in between.
Lily has been avoiding Liam since she laid her eyes on him, but she knew they weren't meant to be from the start. Lily is a straight-A student with a GPA higher than mine and would probably be valedictorian. Liam is handsome and hot, from the island of Paradise, where his brothers were also born from there, and he has been with plenty of girls that he could not even count with just ten fingers. That means he needs more fingers, and just thinking about it grossed me out.
"Lily," I crouched as I soothed next to her. "Did he wear a condom?"
She shook her head. "No, but he pulled out."
"Well, you can't be sure about it," I said. "Why don't we head to the drugstore and buy a pregnancy test."
Lily lifted her head, eyes watery from crying. "You will stay with me."
"Of course," I helped her up, and we both left the restroom exiting the mall. I drove her car, which was weird because I hadn't driven since I got my license. Athena thought it was a good idea to obtain my driver's license, but I couldn't operate without a car and was too afraid to drive alone.
I started the car, placed my hand on the wheel, and froze.
Hearting palpitating, and my hands were getting sweaty. I was so nervous about driving that I couldn't think straight.
"Effie, you okay? I could drive if you want."
I blink a couple of times before getting my head into gear. "Oh, no worries. I can do this. I might be rusty; I'm a tin man with no oil to moisten me."
"Well, don't get us killed."
"Wow, even though you're down in the dump, you are still making jokes." I scoffed.
"I'm not making jokes. Seriously, be careful. You told me you couldn't drive because of what happened to your parents. By the way, how did you pass?"
I put the stick shift in reverse. "Let's just say I have a photogenic memory and Athena taught me only once." Shift into drive.
"You never told me that."
"Well, I thought it wasn't vital to discuss."
Lily sat straight up in her seat. "Then, on that day when you slept over, you were flipping through without reading it. You mesmerize the whole play?"
"Yeah," I told her bluntly as I made a turn on the street.
"What the fuck!" She exclaimed. "How? When? What? But then you didn't know Heather."
"I won't bore myself of looking at people when I was a loner, Lil."
"Yeah, but you read the whole play in one day." Lily sounded astonished, and then in shock, I could remember a whole play.
I never really talked about it because it wasn't a big deal. I always get good grades in exams with a straight-up of 100 percent.
I relaxed in my seat as I drove us up to CVS to purchase a pregnancy test. At the counter, the lady looked at us oddly, thinking but never said a word and rang it up. When we got to my house, she had gone to the restroom. Lily didn't want it at her home with her home, stayed dad there, and my siblings were out. It's just me and her alone.
I waited by the bathroom door and watched the hallway clock tick. I don't know how long pregnancy text works, but I have a hunch that Lily is nervous about the outcome.
Ten minutes passed as the door opened. "So?"
She sighed. "I told you I'm not pregnant." She held up the test, which showed the result of one line.
"Well, just to be sure." I looked at the clock once more. "Oh, I got to meet Odin."
"I don't know why you are having a date with an old man," Lily put the test inside a brown paper bag purchased at the drug store and crumbled it up before throwing it. "Didn't you mention he was a stalker?"
"Yeah, but he only followed me because I reminded him of someone, then he apologized."
We walked out of the house, and I locked the door.
"I don't know, Effie, I mean, he sounds suspicious, but his name somewhat feels familiar. Like I heard it somewhere."
"He was from London and moved here after his wife had died last year."
"Is that what he told you," Lily hopped in the driver's seat, starting the engine. "You don't want me to take you?"
"No, I'm okay," I paused, looking at her. "Lily, if you like Liam, you have to tell him. Also, I won't mention your engagement with an Aladdin, but you need to do what Elsa would say, let it go."
"I sing that song when I'm taking a shit, Effie."
"I don't need to know what you do in the bathroom," I laughed. "No, seriously, Lil, you and Liam need a one-on-one talk. See you at school tomorrow."
Lily nodded, then left my front yard. With my backpack on my shoulder, I walk to Starbucks for my black iced tea with half, a half, and eight classic pumps.