Sudden invitation

STEPHANIE HAD EXPECTED TO visit her friend's place again but surely not in such a sappy mood. The sun was down, leaving darkness of the moon in its place and she knocked on the door in hopes of her still being awake as she often took an early sleep.

"Elise?  I brought back John's car. " She called, her lack of energy and frustration evidented in her quiet voice. "And well your purse and your dress. There all here."

After a few times knocking and waiting, the door eventually opened. Elise came out tying a robe around her slender body and fixating the glasses she put on over her sleepy eyes. "Steph? Its so late, why are you outside, I'm so sorry, come in." She paused to examine her friends face, "What's wrong? Did something happen to you?"

"Its my Granny Elise she's…she…"

"Its okay, its okay." Elise wrapped her arms around her, massaging her back. "Come inside and we can talk, okay?"

Stephanie followed her inside and took a seat on the couch, slouching into the soft material as she tried to count her breaths.

"You want some tea?"

"No I'm fine water will do, thanks Elise."

Elise disappeared in the kitchen and came back out with a cold glass of water, "Here. Drink all of it." She sat next to Steph and place a hand on her knee, "Now tell me why you're upset."

"Granny's selling the house."

"Linda's what?" Elise asked shocked, "She wouldn't do something, she loves that house. I can never picture her agreeing to sell her home, she just won't…right?"

"She won't." Steph shook her head, finishing the glass of water and held it in her palms, twirling the ice inside, "But she will for me. She thinks its for best. She says it time for me to move on, to live myself without her. She says I'm not happy and thinks that I would only be so if I buy a house with the money and the rest that she has."

"Now its starting to make sense. Linda is selfless when it comes you, Steph, and I happen to think that she's right. Listen, you've been isolated for so long, always trying your hardest. I'm your best friend and I barely see you, Steph. I hate that?"

"I know that she's right but she agreed to stay at nursing home or at her brother Pedro's house. Pedro's a great man of course but he lives in Los angles. That's so far away and I won't be able to see her anymore." Stephanie thought about all those years she have known Linda and didn't want to picture life without her.

"You're worried because you're afraid of missing her." Elise eyes then skimmed to the fireplace burning in front of her, "Y'know when I left my parents I didn't think I would ever to be able to make it on my own. Sure mom and dad were divorced but I still hung on to that. I still tried to be a loving daughter to them, an understanding one but failed. I couldn't take it, being all together was just drifting us apart more so I moved on. I moved here to New York, went through multiple men, trying to feel something but I didn't know why my relationships kept failing until I met John and realized that they did because I was searching for the wrong feelings all along. Every guy I was with, I had a fear in me that they would leave like he did."

Stephanie went silent for a while, squeezing Elise's hand for reassurance before she spoke again, "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

Elise blinked, "This conversation has gotten awfully depressing, haven't it? How about this—"

"Actually Elise I think I will be heading home."

"What? Why would you do that, you haven't even heard what I'm going to say yet."

"That's why, love. I don't want to hear what ever crazy thing is going to escape from your mouth. You have that look on your face and I know it too well to sit here and let it shine through."

She rolled her eyes, "Come on it would fun I promise." She stood from the chair and walked to her television stand, lifting a small card and waving it. "Tell me what you think?" She dropped it on Stephanie's lap, swaying excitedly. "Pick the paper up, Steph!"

"Geez, alright." Stephanie remained nonchalant even as she read the paper with a party invitation, "What is this?"

"Its fun, Stephanie, fun-nuh!" She drawled out, "And you're gonna my date. Isn't it exciting." She then snatched it from her hand, "You're not really giving me any sort of feedback, Steph. Have you even read it all but if you did you would've read that its said to be one of the biggest events yet. I mean can you believe that this club is almost newly invented yet holds the crown of being the best out of all the others. They're holding a celebration tomorrow over the won title."

"Yet we've been invited how, exactly?" She asked, "Only rich people goes to these things and I'm sure the owner is some rich jerk as well. I mean seriously, it sounds like a scam."

"Maybe they're inviting at random."

She snickered, 'Surely her friend was insane.'

"Places like those don't invite by random."

"Shh." She placed a finger on her friends lips, "It doesn't matter. What happens is that we've been invited and we're going." She pouted, "Please, Steph."

Stephanie contemplated for a while but then actually thought about it. "Since it would be a good distraction from Granny…"

"Yes!" Elise raised both her thumbs, a wide grin on her face, "It would definitely be a distraction." She said slyly.

"Babe? Did you find out who it is yet." A tired John walked out of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes to adjust to the light, " I've been waiting in bed for you for a while now." He then blinked and narrowed his eyes, his face irritated when they landed on Stephanie. "Right…you. You're the only person who manages to hold her attention other than me. Should've of expected that."

The girl strached her neck, her lips folded between her teeth, "Sorry for taking her away from you, John. You seemed…busy." She looked away from his bared chest quickly and stared at the fireplace, nodding.

"Its nothing like that." Elise laughed nervously, staring back to forth from her best friend and her boyfriend standing under the door frame with a towel around him.

"Right, nothing like that at all." He agreed, "You made sure of that, Steph."

"I didn't plan to come this late, John, but I really needed to speak with her."

"Goodnight, Stephanie." He stepped inside the bedroom, holding the door but before he closed it, stared daggers at her.

"Sorry!" She shouted after he slammed the door and sighed, "Well that's my cue to get going."

"But its already so late you should sleep the night and you won't have to take a taxi to drive back here in the morning."

"If you say so but before you go back in there, just keep in mind that your friend's a light sleeper and staying on a couch right outside your bedroom door."

Elise smiled, "I'm gonna pretend as though I don't know what you're talking about." She took the folded dress that Stephanie brought back and skipped to her room, "There's pillows and blankets in the basket at your side,  kept them there for whenever you feel like gracing me with your company." She said with a yawn, "God night, Steph."

"Good night, Elise."