Seven: Malice.

"Hi granny, hey Lizzy", I greeted my grandma and Lizzy.

"Hello, my sweet heart", she would have kissed me, either on my forehead, or, my cheek, or, my head, but since she was eating, she could not, and she gave me a chicken wing Instead,

"care for some?", She asked me to confirm,

I nodded in reply and she handed it over to me,

"thanks granny", I said excitedly.

I turned my head to the other and looked at Lizzy, who also faced another direction and pretended not to have noticed my stare.

She knew what I wanted, I expected her to do the same thing, my grandma just did.

"Lizzy", I said to gain her attention again, and she turned and pretended to have just noticed my presence,

"Hey Eunice, what's up?" She greeted me with a false smile,

"the sky", I replied to her and we both busted out laughing, which drew unwanted gazes from the people eating on the dining table. I dared not to look in my mom's direction, she would kill me.

I guess I will get scolded later for this.

Just then I locked eyes with Hale for about three seconds, before he shifted his attention to Lizzy,she looked away from him and towards my direction, the very moment their eyes met.

l also turned my gaze towards grandma, the moment Lizzy turned her head towards my direction as revenge for looking away when I joined her and grandma,

She started it.

I remembered that I and grandma have some unfinished discussion, I grabbed the opportunity to talk to her about it,

"grandma", I said to gain her attention,

"Yes dear, a minute please", she said and swallowed what she was munching, she was munching on a biscotti.

To be honest, watching grandma munch her biscuits makes me hungry, I just swallowed my saliva.

She wiped her mouth and pushed the plate that was in front of her aside, she took a sip from three of her glasses of water, juice and red wine.

" Eunice dear, what is the problem, I am all ears now", she said and adjusted her dress.

"It is about J.J, you saw him about two days ago right?" I asked her to confirm,

"Yes, I saw him, but it was not about two days ago. I saw him two days ago, the day before yesterday", she said and shrugged to push me a bit and smiled and raised her brows and winked at me.

' Is she trying to flirt with me?' I pondered,

"okay, what did you tell him?", I asked her.

"I will not tell you, it is a surprise for you?" She said to me

, "a surprise?"

"Hmmm, if you say so. I believe you, I shall wait and see. Can you not just tell what you said to him, or what he said to you. Preferably, what you guys talked about, please?" I tried pleading with her.

"No darling, it is confidential, do not worry, I did not mention you, ok", she said to me.

"Uh huh", I said and nodded at the same time.

I was not satisfied with her reply and so, I was disappointed and that made me lose interest and I decided to not ask her any further questions concerning J.J.

I decided to shift my attention to Lizzy, I am dying to know what is going on between her and Hale.

"Hey Lizzy, say hello to your boy, he is over there", I said and was about to point at Hale, but then Lizzy quickly brought my hand down.

" What the duck is wrong with you?" She asked me in a low tune, "have you not had enough embarrassment?" She asked me with an evil stare, rolled her eyes and then let go of my arm.

"Nothing, I just want to know what is going on between you and Hale. I thought we were best friends, why are you hiding stuff from me?" I asked her and pouted.

"I have told you before, we will talk about it after the party, I promise", she said to me,

I guess she was trying to assure me.

"I do not want an assurance, I want an answer, a reply. Come on", I said and was hoping she would oblige for just this once.

"I said I will give you an answer later", she almost yelled at me, her voice was raspy.

A tear was rolling down her cheek and she quickly stood up and began to rush out of the room.

I stood up to follow, but she looked over her shoulder and said, "please, do not follow me", and she finally walked out of the room.

I just sat down back, I glanced at Hale, he quickly looked down the moment our eyes met, I decided to look at my mom's direction, she was not even paying any attention to me, she was just talking and laughing with Mike.

I glanced at Genevieve, she nodded once and smiled at me and then at grandma, she smiled at me and pressed a kiss on my forehead,

" Do not worry, everything is going to be okay", grandma assured me before pressing another kiss on my forehead, stood up and left the room too.

Grandma walked back into the room with Lizzy at about seventeen to twenty minutes later.

Lizzy was looking much better now,but I do not know if she is okay now.

I hope she is and she was facing down while walking towards her seat, she was walking hastily.

Hale was staring at her the whole time.

Grandma gestured for me to move to her seat, I did, but I was closer to mom now,

"What is going on between you kids?" Mom asked me, but I pretended not to hear her,

"Eunice, I am talking to you", my mom said again and there is no way I would pretend not to hear her this time, because she was loud,she did not yell though.

She just made sure I heard her loud and clear.

"Am sorry mom, what were you asking?" I asked mom,

"What is wrong with Lizzy?" She asked me again.

"I do not know either. It is Lizzy, I tried asking her what was wrong, but she wouldn't say,but I think it is because of Hale" I replied to her.

"Why not hear from the horse's mouth Instead" mom said.

"I have been thinking about that for a while now and I will if I get the chance.Maybe I will ask him for a dance later", I said to mom.

"Great plan, good luck with that and tell me the result later, okay?" Mom said to me,

I nodded and said "okay".

Mike stood up, lifted an empty wine glass and struck a fork against it.

"Hello, noble Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for joining us and coming early to assist in making sure this party ends happily and successfully. The party is about to begin and I urge everyone to go to the garden, thanks for your attention", he said and helped mom to stand up, and they left the room together.

About two hours later, the party had almost come to an end, as some guests were already leaving.

Mom and dad had done all the necessary stuff and rituals, of course, dishes had been served and it was dance time.

This is my only chance to get to speak with Hale, I must dance with him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to put on your dancing shoes. Please, give a standing ovation to the celebrants, Mr and Mrs Mike as we welcome them to the dance floor. It is a free world, but it would be more appreciated if the guests, family, friends and well wishers join the celebrants in the dance floor", the Master of ceremonies said and also joined in the dancing.

Just then, Hale walked up to me and said,"Eunice, please, I need your help, we need to talk. Let us dance, come on", and then he pulled me up.

"What the hell is going on between you and Lizzy, she has been avoiding this question. What's up?" I asked Hale,

"it is a long story Eunice, I fucked up big time, this time. I need you to help me talk to her, please?" He said and was already teary.

"You have not answered the fucking question I asked you, what the hell happened?" I confronted him,

" I just told you that it is a long story, I will tell you everything, I promise, but you have to help me talk to Beth first. I will tell you when everything is over", he assured me, but I am not buying that. I am not dumb,I know Hale, he will not and never talk about it again if I should talk to his Beth.

"Ugh! You know I am not buying that right?" I asked him.

"Please Eun....." He tried pleading with me again, but I cut him off on time.

"Uh uh, I will not help you except you tell me what happened. How do I plead for you when I do not know anything. She is not talking and you do not want to talk too. You have been saying you messed up or fucked up rather. How in goodness's sake did you fuck up?" I asked him and hoped he would talk this time around.

"Okay if you insist", he said,

" yes, I fucking insist", I said to him and was staring at him as if my eyes would slice through his skin.

"Are we going to stand here to talk about this?" He asked me,

"It is okay by me if it is okay by you too", I said to him.

"Of course not, it is not okay with me. Come on, let us go look for a quiet place to sit and talk", Hale said to me,

"Okay, after you", I said to him and we left the dance floor to only God knows where.

We searched for a place to sit, but to no avail, everywhere were occupied, even inside my house.

I think all the guests that I thought have been leaving were still around, both around the house and inside.

The only quiet place I could think of at this moment is my room.

Oh God!

This is not good, I do not know what Lizzy would think if she finds her boyfriend inside my room, this is worse than before.

Damn it!

"Shit! Everywhere is bloody occupied, where do we stay now? You see? Let us talk about it later", he said and was waiting for a reply.

I have one, but it is a crazy one, it is out of this world.

Hale is my friend too, but it is still complicated, especially now that they are not on good terms.

"Wait, I have an idea, but it is a crazy one. I do not know if you will be willing to comply", I said to him."

Tell me, I love crazy ideas. Half bread is better than none", he said to me.

what an idiot he is.

"It is not good", I said to him.

"Still", he said.

"The only quiet place that we can talk in right now, is in my room, upstairs", I said and hoped he would buy it.

It is also fine if he does not.

"Of course, your room should be upstairs, who has rooms downstairs these days?" He said jokingly and grinned.

"This is not a laughing matter, is this fucking funny to you?" I asked him.

I was upset, he is being annoying right now and I feel like kicking his ass.

"It is not funny to me, I promise", he said to me with a naughty face expression.

"Who cares about your stupid promise?" I asked under my breath.

"It is truly a crazy idea, but what if she finds out, I hope she does not. Let's make it quick, I do not want to add fuel to fire", he said.

"I do not want you to stay in my room for more than five minutes either", I said to him.

"Okay, five minutes it is,I promise. After you please", he said and made way for me to pass, as we climbed the stairs and I led him to my room.