When Aunt Vicky left to the basement, I thought about leaving the house to avoid being confronted about Frank again. I didn't want her to push me into doing unnecessary things.
I quickly dialed Jessica's contact in order to ask where she and her friends were at the moment so I could go and meet them. However, it rang without anyone picking.
I had to dial the contact again, and this time around I was lucky. She picked the call and asked if everything is okay. The way she sounded, it was as if she was busy doing something strenuous.
"Yes, everything is fine. How about you? You are panting, Jessy" I uttered.
"Yeah, actually, it's nothing..." she said as someone chimed in,
"Come on babe, let's finish this before those bitches come looking for you" It was a strange voice, not Jack's and certainly not Fred's. In fact, I had never heard of it before.
"Jessy, who's that and what's going on there?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Nothing, I mean... no one. It's just a..." she paused, "Reade, please stop it. Can't you see I am on phone?"
"Okay babe, do hurry up... 'cause I am starving!" The stranger said.
"Jessica, who's Reade and what exactly is going on?" I asked again, this time around I laid emphasis on my words for her to know how serious I was.
"I already told you, it's nothing"
"Nothing? But who was that guy and what was he saying?" I bellowed.
"You know what, Laura? I think you are transgressing your limits" she said rendering me speechless, "If you called to ask where we are, well, my friends are taking pictures in Downey's Clothing Store. Go meet them there"
"And you?"
"They will tell you where they left me, but I don't expect to see them soon... so don't go there and start asking questions about our conversation on phone or whatever you think you heard on the background. I am fine and comfortable, okay?" she said and ended the call without waiting for me to utter a word.
Like seriously? Sometimes I used to wonder the kind of a child she was. Was that how she was brought up? Well, Aunty Vicky is to blamed since she couldn't train the poor girl the right way. Jessica even had the right to go clubbing and come back drunk in the night.
Talking about going clubbing and coming back in the night, what was she doing with a guy? The guy whose voice I heard on the background while talking to her on phone. Who was he and what's up with the pecking sound and persistence? Was it what I was thinking?
I quickly wore back my costume and headed out of the house. If Jessica's friends were in Downey's Clothing Store then the store was that way! I huffed and began heading towards the direction of the store.
Even though Jessica warned me not to ask questions about her whereabouts, I was willing to do that because I was worried. I didn't want anything bad to happen to her, what if she was being deceived? You know how men can be, deceptive and unpredictable. They know how to fool a girl or make her submit herself to them.
If my hunch was right, then I would probably deal with the guy or take his picture and report him to Aunty Vicky. She might be okay seeing her daughter drunk or partying, but not laid or f*cked. I was sure about that. And the guy, well, whoever he may be would surely go to jail when I finally expose him. Why would he take advantage of such a poor girl?
When I arrived at Downey's store, I searched through the glasses while standing outside but couldn't find Jessica's friends. They probably left, I thought to myself about leaving when Shirley came out of nowhere and waved at me. "Laura, is that you?" I read her lips.
The rest also came out of hiding the moment I pulled off my mask, were they hiding or something? I wondered. One surprising thing was that the girls had all taken off their costumes, now wearing the gowns they obviously took off from the mannequins.
What the f*ck? I muttered to myself.
"Welcome, Laura" Shirley opened the door for me, "I never knew you were coming out again"
"I changed my mind" I muttered.
"Hey Laura, try this gown!" Suzanna threw an Italian gown to me.
"Huh?" I glared at her.
"Just try it, I know it's definitely gonna fit you" she winked at me.
"No, I am not trying anything here" I threw the gown back at her, "Guys, this isn't right. What if we get caught?" I tried talking senses into their skulls.
"Caught? You mean like this?" Fred sarcastically said as he got hold of Shirley romantically. Wow, what did I miss?
"Hmm, you guys aren't scared of what's gonna happen after this festival, huh?" I glanced at them all, "You went to the Jewelry store, tempered with their things, and now you are here"
"We only took pictures, Miss!" Vivian rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, and after the pictures we returned all the ornaments to their glasses. Nobody stole anything" Shirley elaborated.
"Okay, fine. But I still don't think you guys are free from the problem you've got yourselves into" I said, and before anyone of them could utter a word I continued, "I mean, what if another group or some maniacs decides to rob the store later? I am pretty sure the CCTV footages will implicate you guys"
"Wow, wow..." Jack clapped, "Just wow! It seemed we have a detective here among us, Laura have you been deputized?" he sarcastically uttered as the rest burst into laughter.
"This isn't funny, we should leave before someone finds us and..." I said as Fred cut in,
"Okay, we will leave. But let them finish taking pictures first, okay?" he said. Finally, someone understood my point. I just hope he wasn't making jest of me the fact that the rest were looking somehow, trying to hide their smiles.
Few minutes later, they pulled off the gowns they wore and returned them back to the mannequins. Sadly, while returning Vivian's the gown was torn by the force she applied. "Guys, I think I am in trouble" she said prompting us to run towards her.
"Everything is gonna be fine, okay?" Jack tried to calm Vivian, while everyone else wore back their costumes.
"Laura was right, we shouldn't be here" Vivian said, already getting emotional. "Now we've fucked up" she added, almost bursting into tears.
"We? No please, count me out" Suzanna rudely uttered, "Nothing happened to the gowns I wore, you should pay for spoiling yours!"
"Come on, Suzanna. Do you have to always put salt in one's wound?" Fred scolded her.
"Maybe this isn't any wound, and maybe we should be getting out of here right now before we cause more damages to Downey's expensive gowns" Suzanna said left the store.
"I am going too," Shirley announced, "We should be going, all of us... please. There is nothing we can do to the torn gown, I am off" she left the store too and stayed outside with Suzanna.
Vivian burst into tears, she was remorseful but there was nothing we could actually do but to leave. "Guys, we should leave too" I said but seeing how reluctant they were I shook my head and left. I did warned them but they didn't listen. If only they'd listened to me right from the start.
"Do you think she's gonna be fine?" Shirley asked concerned while glancing at Vivian through the store's glasses.
Suzanna heaved a sigh, "She will, as long as she move on and pretend as if nothing happened" she said.
Her words didn't sit well with me, hence I objected, "I will be glad if she accept her mistake"
"She already did, can't you see how crumbled she is?" Suzanna muttered.
"I see. By the way, where is Jessica? She told me to meet you guys here, mind telling me where she is?" I asked.
"We left Jessica in the motel, she promised to come and meet us here but I guess she's changed her mind" Shirley chimed in.
"Ohh, okay but who did you guys left her with? Do you know someone by the name, Reade?" I curiously asked.
"Reade?" Shirley gave me a surprise look.
"Yeah, I heard her calling a guy – Reade when we talked earlier on phone. Is he her boyfriend?" I bespoke.
Shirley was quiet.
"Talk to me, Shirley. I know I can trust you" I tried persuading her.
"Look Laura," Suzanna came in between us, "We have no idea what you are talking about, all we know is Jessica is single. She broke up with her boyfriend some months ago, and his name is Mike not Reade"
"Okay, but who did you guys left her with in the motel?" I asked, one more time in order to be clear about the matter. If they didn't know who they guy was, then it would be up to me to find out who he was.
"We didn't left her with any one," Shirley said and continued, "she told us she wanted to see her friend in room 12 and that we should get going"
"Yeah," Suzanna took over from where she stopped, "and we don't know who she went there to see. But don't worry, we are heading there now"
"Guys, we should leave!" Fred said as he walked out of the store together with Jack and Vivian. "We should go to Jessica, I guess she's still in that f*cking motel" he added.
"What is she still doing there, I thought she said she would meet us here in a jiffy?" Jack asked, cluelessly.
"I think we should call her" Shirley suggested.
"Let me do that!" Fred pulled out his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed her contact. The phone rang for some time but unfortunately nobody picked the call.
"We should just head to the motel" I said and began leading the way. It wasn't as if I knew the location. In fact, I'd never been to the place before but I believed it was around the 2nd Main Street... just before the hill.
"Where are you heading to, Laura?" Shirley called me back and told me I was going the wrong way, "It's over here, the 3rd Main Street" she pointed at the direction.
"Oh, my bad!" I gulped and walked back to them. "Thanks, Shirley" I said, getting hold of her hand.
"You are welcome" she said.
While we trail behind the rest, I decided to ask her about Fred. He had been turning to us, probably checking on her. "Have you guys confess your feelings to each other?" I asked.
"What the..." she lowered her voice, "Laura, please!" she scolded me.
"What, lover girl?" I sarcastically uttered.
"I don't know what you are talking about" she pretended.
"You don't know, huh? Well, let me remind you. Fred held you earlier in that store, and that makes me wonder if you guys have already sprout your feelings out. Have you?" I giggled.
"Oh Laura, at least lower your goddamn voice" she said in what seemed like a whisper.
"Okay, are you ready to talk now?"
"Yes, but don't expect much!"
"Alright, go on" I cleared my throat, "I am listening"
"Okay" she huffed and began explaining, "While taking pictures earlier in a jewelry store, he made a captivating comment about the jewelries I wore. I pretended as if I didn't like it though, but deep down I wanted more of that comment. That was what happened"
"Just that? Does that mean you guys are now..."
"Come on Laura, it takes time! And I don't want to look cheap, I am also scared of being broken again. My last relationship didn't end well, it took me years to finally redeem myself" she lamented.
"Sorry about that but, why didn't you say anything when he held you earlier?" I curiously asked.
"In Downey's store? Well, I didn't want to embarrass him. Plus he was just demonstrating something, nothing more" she responded.
"Yes, that's true. Well, I am looking forward to seeing you both jumping into a relationship soon. Do you know why?"
"Why, Laura?"
"Because something's telling me you guys are meant for each other"
