Lily
Couple days have went by fast as Cindy and I were kept busy at our task.
Miss Maribel needed the dresses as soon as possible making my deadline closer. I'm so glad I decided to do it way before the deadline and didn't save it to last minute because I would be losing hair right about now.
Miss Maribel is a famous designer and she has fashion shows annually. It's so popular, celebrities come to it.
I was a giggling mess when she noticed my work and ask me to be part of her fashion show and to be my mentor. Me. A girl from a small town. She wanted me. I of course jumped at the chance.
Apparently she had seen my work before, one of my college teachers being a friend of hers and wanted to meet me for years. I was on the moon. Seriously. I don't think I smiled so big in my life.
I have heard stories about miss Maribel. Some say she's a snob. Some say that she is overrated and rude. I think she's just too honest. If your work is crap, she will tell you straight and that's why I have been one of her biggest fan.
Miss Maribel is a short lady, in her late fifties. Born in France and is career driven. She was single until she met her now husband Kevin in London. I have met Kevin briefly and he seems like the one to ruffle her feathers a bit. Or as Cindy says it, remove the large stick up her butthole. You have got to love Cindy.
Cindy and I woke up really early today because miss Maribel wanted to meet us before the sun was up.
"We should have rented a car"Cindy says squeezing herself into the back seat of the taxi with me.
The taxi is tiny and really uncomfortable.
"We don't know the roads properly"I points out.
She raises one of her perfect eye brows.
"Girl. You ain't fooling no one. You catch on go things real fast."she says
"I promised my parents I won't drive. That was the deal of allowing me to leave home. Apparently I'm a bad driver"I tell her.
"You are a bad driver. I always think I'm going to die in the car with you"
"That's why you always call you parents and tell them you love them"I almost gasp.
"Yes"she states.
Ouch.
"Then why do you want me to drive?"
"I never said I wanted you to drive. I said we should have rented a car. I would have drove and you would have directed me."she tells.
I snort.
"What?"she looks at me from the corner of her eyes.
"You have road rage"
"Excuse me?"
"Honey. You get really angry when driving. You say words I never heard from you mouth. Words I don't even know"
"It's the idiots I share the road with. They don't know how to drive. They just get me so angry and I never lose my cool"
"Of course. You're right!"I tell her.
"So where are you guys going?"the man asks in french accent.
I tell the taxi man the destination and it is a quick drive. 30 minutes later we arrive at Miss Maribel studio.
"Lilly my flower"she greets giving me air kisses on both side of my face.
She lets me go and notices Cindy is with me. Her smile vanishes suddenly and she gives Cindy one of her cold greeting.
"Cindy"she nods.
"Miss Maribel you look wonderful this morning"Cindy says pasting on her fake but pleading please stop hating me smile.
"Nonsense, I look amazing every morning"she replies.
"I'm done."Cindy says giving up.
I hold back my laugh.
"Miss Maribel, Cindy made you a scarf"I nog Cindy.
She understands me and begins to retrieve the scarf from her bag.
"A scarf? What would I do- ohhhh this is beautiful"she whispers practically snatching the scarf from Cindy.
Cindy looks at me with wide eyes.
I give her a big grin that says I told you so.
"I need 15 of this"Maribel says suddenly drawing Cindy and I from each other and focus on her. "I need 15 by Tuesday"
"BY TUESDAY!"Cindy yells.
"Stop shouting! I'm old. And yes Tuesday. Can you do it"
No.
"Yes"Cindy says.
My head snaps to her. Is she insane?
Maribel walks off and I turn to my best friend. She turns to me with her panicking eyes.
"I can't make 15 of that by Tuesday. That's like six days away"
"Ya think!"I snap at her.
I hold myself back from flicking her forehead.
"Oh come on. She smiled at me. She practically said she loves me"
"You're insane"I tell.
"Yes. I am. But you love me anyways"
"That's debatable right now"I tell her holding back a growl.
"You going to help me?"she asks me as if she didn't know the answer to that already.
"Do I have a choice"
"Thank you thank you. I will bake you cookies"
"You trying to kill me too?"
"Hey!"
"Woman how many times do I have to tell you that you can't bake or cook!"
"Gee fine I will buy your cookies"
"Chocolate chip. Chucky"
"Got it"she says with glee and attacking me with a hug. "Have I told you I love you"
"Not today"
"Well I love you"she says planting a big kiss on my cheeks before letting me go.
--------------
"You know when I saw Chris wood from the other show, I thought he was hot. I can't believe I'm saying this but I really hate Kai. He's evil. Dangerous. And not like hot dangerous like klaus and Damon. People love them because they have that vulnerablity that makes them seem a bit human. This guys is bad dangerous. Like he needs to be locked up."
"Poor Damon. My baby can't catch a break."Cindy sobs.
I turn to her "are you actually crying"
"I just love him so much. Every time he gets the girl, something happens"she cries.
"It's a drama tv show, that's happens all the time."I tell her.
"I know!! But it's so sad"
"You hated Damon when we started watching this?"I remind her.
"Yeah because I loved Stefan and I still do but Damon never gets the girl and he finally got her and and and oh my... I really hate Kai"
"Cindy! This is our third time watching this series. We know the end"
"Why do we watch this again and again?"
"Because we like torturing ourselves"I tell her dryly.
"And because they are hot and they don't make them like that no more"I add.
She blinks"that makes sense."she agrees.
I shake my head and pull her to me.
You just can't help but love Cindy. I just need to tell myself this hundred so I don't end up strangling her for the extra job she agreed to.
"Lils"
"Mhm"
"You are kinda...hurting me"she chokes out
That's when I realise that I'm hugging her too tightly. Any tighter, I'm afraid she would have passed out.
"Sorry honey"I let her go.
"For a skinny girl. You really strong"she says rolling her shoulders.
I'm not skinny.
"Thank you?"
She looks at me. Blinks couple of time and I start getting nervous.
"I want Ice cream"she blurts.
"Me too. Let's go and get some"
"Petals we are in our pjs"she tells me this slowly.
"So?"I ask getting up.
She blinks again then shrugs.
"After the day we had. And only making two scarve-"
"New rules don't say the S word"I tell her.
"You're a dork"she snorts.
"That I am"
--------------
The thing is scarves like Cindy is class. This means it takes time. Lots of time. Time we don't have. We committed to this so we have to find time. So we did. This also meant no sleep. No sleep means zombie Lily and zombie Lily is mean Lily and no one likes her. Zombie Lily is what I am in the morning when I don't get my eight hours sleep.
I love my sleep. Sleep loves me therefore without it, I am not me. You can't hold me accountable for anything I say while I am zombie Lily.
"It's Sunday and we only done 9 scarves"I moan.
"Make that 10"Cindy says throwing her scarf on the table.
"I hate you"
"Gee I know you told me that hundreds times today and if I didn't know that you love me already, I would be really hurt right now"
"We need sleep"I tell her.
"Yes me-we-us do"
"You're broken"
"Are not"
"Are too"
"You win. I don't want to have this argument with you anymore"she says leaning back on her chair.
"We are not having an argument!"I snap.
"Girl. Love you. To the moon and back. But you real B word when you don't get your sleep so I'm going to let you rest and I will finish it"she says.
Zombie Lily is mean. But she still has a heart. Seeing my girl looking tired and telling me to go to sleep didn't sit well with me.
I told her I would help and I should do it without complaining.
This is a lesson learnt for both of us. Her, don't agree to things that she can't do. Me making sure that she doesn't agree to things that she can't do.
"I'm sorry"I say.
"Love you Petals"I hear her whisper.
"To the moon and back?"I whisper back.
"Always"
"Even when I am being the b word?"I tease.
"Specially then"
"Liar"I whisper leaning back.
"I'm not!"she states quietly.
"Are too"I whisper again.
I'm going to take a little break. Just close my eyes a bit. So I do. I end up falling asleep.
This doesn't do well in our tight schedule.
****
I jump up in a startle, this makes Cindy who is sitting opposite me jump too.
"Ow."she moans rubbing her elbow.
"We fell asleep!"I snap.
"Yeah. We are humans. We need to recharge"she tells me.
"We got a tight deadline"
"Got that honey. Also got that we are beat. I need sleep to function and you need sleep in order to be nice"
"I thought you said you love me when I'm being a b word"
"I lied"she says dryly.
Oh oh. My nastiness is rubbing on her.
"That's it!"I snap. "I'm calling Miss Maribel and telling her that we need extra days"
Where was my phone?
I try to remember where I last used it and remembered that my brother texted me. I checked it in my bed. After that I don't know. I fell asleep with it in my hands. It must be on the floor, probably under the bed.
I rush to my room and find it underneath my bed. I quickly pull out her number and dial her. I didn't check the time.
"Ms Maribel"Maribel answers the phone.
"Maribel"
"Lily darling"
"Listen Maribel. The deadline you gave for the scarves is tight. We need more time"I tell her.
"I was meant to call you dear"she starts " I looked at your designs and I don't think the scarves are going to suit it so we don't need it anymore"
I feel my heart stop. Could also feel the angry growing inside me.
"Not Cool Maribel"
"Pardon me?"
"How on earth can you forget to let us know"
" I didn't forget dear. I was just busy"
"Not cool"I snap.
"Lily listen"
"No you listen here. My girl is there getting no sleep so she can make the scarves for you. Free of charge. Cindy is sweet like that. She's ain't getting sleep because she's working overtime for you. To make you happy"
"Lily"
"You remember what I said when I started working with you?"I ask.
"Ye-"I cut her off.
"Said I respected you. Ignore all the words people said about you. Thought you were clean. Thought you were good. So I trusted you. That respect I spoke about?"
"Lily-"
"You lost it. You can keep my designs. You can even ignore our contract and remove my name from it. I don't want to be associated with you. I don't want anything to do with you.
"My dear listen-"
"Cindy is a good girl. Got good heart. Did nothing to you.-"this time she cut me off
"She's rude and-"
"She didn't kiss your ass. That's your problem with her. She didn't get out of her seat when you demanded it"
She went silent.
"She made you a scarf to mend that tiff you had. She agreed to make you scarves. 15 in six days. She done that because she's sweet. And you don't deserve her sweet. Good day"
"But the contract"
"I done my part. Gave you the designs."
"Lily"she's starts again.
"Looked up to you. Respected you." I tell her.
"Dear"
"Make sure you keep Kevin close to you. He's the only good you got in you"I tell her before hanging up.
I block her number. I realise I don't have to repeat my conversation with Miss Maribel because Cindy was behind me.
"I'm sorry honey"I say.
She shrugs and gives me a small smile.
"It's cool. I can sell these online. Make money from them."
I turn my attention to my phone again and remember that I had a text from my mum.
Lily baby. Time for you to come home. Cameron found his mate and so far not so good. She's sweet. Beautiful. Human. A human that didn't know about us. Think she needs a pal. Someone that is her age and doesn't have a penis. Come home honey. And help your brother before he loses her!!!!!
Sent three weeks ago.
Three bloody weeks ago.
My head snaps to Cindy.
"What?"
"I have got to go home"I tell her.
"Sweet. Get to see where you're from"she grins big.
Now how do I tell my best friend that she can't come with me if she wants to keep her sanity.
I stare at her blinding smile and decide that I don't have the heart to tell her no. No she can't come with me. No I can't tell you why. So I do what I had to do.
"So what do you know about werewolves?"I ask.
I watch her smile fade and her face turn into one I would define as confusion. My face lit.
This is going to be a long day!