Chapter 18

"Hello?" She answered after the second ring, she sounded tired.

"Were you asleep?" I asked.

"No I am just really busy with school paper works and..." She paused for a while. "Bella?" She asked like she just realized who she was on the phone with.

"Yeah it's Bella."

"Oh my gosh!!" She exclaimed. "I thought you had been wiped off the face of the earth." She yelled sounding fully awake.

"What could possibly do that to me?" I said beaming with smiles totally forgetting what just happened for a sec.

"Don't know..." I could imagine her scratch the back of her head. "... You've been out of coverage for over two weeks what do you expect me to think?"

"That I was grounded." I said nonchalantly like it was a usual thing in my life, well it was.

"Yeah I should have figured but I didn't expect it to be so soon." She sighed. "So what did you do?"

"Well I forgot to pick George from school."

"Seriously gal you've got to get yourself together, how did that even happen?"

"Not important." I shrugged. "Anyway you'll never guess what just happened." I said changing the subject when I remembered the reason I called in the first place.

"Hmm... Let me guess you got grounded again but since you said I'll never guess then that's probably not it." She said.

I face palmed myself then began telling her about what was happening.

I told her about Maurice and all and how my parents let her stay for over three days, as expected she was shocked. I further told her about other things that had been happening, the mysterious Chris and the letter under my pillow.

"There's no way a person can have two different heights." She said when I asked if it was possible.

"I know right, anyway I plan on ignoring him forever." I confessed.

"Whoa that's intense, sure you can do that?" She asked.

"Come on Jenny of course I can,easy pesy." I shrugged. "So tell me, how have you been?"

"I've been alright, you remember Charlie right?"

"Of course I do, how can I forget my childhood crush."

"Yeah about that..." She trailed off.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"Well he asked me out." She said sounding nervous.

"Oh my gosh he did?!" I exclaimed. I didn't feel bad or jealous, I was actually happy for her, if there was anyone in Oklahoma that was worthy Jenny then it was Charlie.

"I know I shouldn't have accepted but he was so sweet and I just couldn't say no." She said trying to explain.

"It's fine Jenny, I'm not angry, I'm happy for you both, you've got to send me a couple photo soon." I said genuinely.

"Really?" I could hear the excitement in her voice that I approved of their relationship.

"Really." I was really happy that my best friend was doing well even though I wasn't there.

I heard mom call me down for dinner so we said our good byes and promised to talk later.

I thought dinner would be weird due to the fact that we had a new guest but it wasn't, it was rather like a normal family dinner. Dad was very lively, he was talking about his workplace and all that. I had been trying to get dad to say a single word for a while now but he didn't and now just with the presence of Maurice, he was acting all awesome and happy. George, well he still has his normal attitude, he despised Maurice cause she was my friend and that was that.

"Did the mayor's secretary actually ask you that?" Mom asked suprised by what dad had just said. Dad worked as the PA to the mayor's secretary, his duties weren't much but his pay was quite high.

"Dad why have you been acting depressed for the past few days?" I had zoned out of the whole conversation they were having, my mind had trailed off to his demeanor for the past few days and I couldn't help but ask.

The whole room went silent, just a few seconds ago the room was filled with chatter from all sides but like a silent bomb my question made everyone go dumb.

"Darling why did you ask such a question, your dad is fine now you should be happy about that." Mom said in a soothing voice like she was talking to a child.

"I just want to know is that so wrong?" I asked staring intently at dad to catch his expressions.

"Could you not be like this right now?" Mom pleaded, her tone almost going back to the mom I know.

"Don't pleas with her mom, she is a killjoy just like always." George snorted.

"George if you have something to say to me say it besides you can't tell me you aren't curious as well." I retorted.

"I am of course but unlike you I respect others feelings." He fired back at me.

I knew that if we kept going back and forth like this he would bring up past wounds that I wasn't ready to heal. I needed to get out of this and fast, Dad had been quiet all through the bickering so I decided to throw the light back at him.

"Dad aren't you going to say anything?" I asked. Mom stood to probably send me to my room but Maurice who had been as silent as a ghost barely even making a sound with her breathing spoke up.

"I feel like I am becoming a burden to you." Maurice said sounding terribly guilty.

A normal friend would have felt sorry and apologized but ooh, if there's one thing I know about myself it was the fact that when I get annoyed I don't feel guilty about anything.

"Oh no dear, she's just going through a phase we're so sorry." Mom said. "Bella to your room right now." She ordered.

Like come on I was arguing with George but only I get sent up just beautiful.

I got out of my seat to head up to my room but I didn't miss the eye contact between dad and Maurice. It was like he was feeling guilty and blaming it on Maurice but why was that.

"Maurice will join you Bella!" Mom yelled at I ran up the stairs.

I changed into my nightdress and cuddled up in my bed before Maurice came in. After a few minutes I heard the door open, I didn't speak to her for fear of what I might say out of anger or was it jealousy that another person was able to make my family lively when I couldn't. I guess that was it so I pretended to be asleep. I expected her to call out to me but she didn't rathe she quietly climbed on the other side of the bed, after some minutes I felt her breathing become steady then I turned over and watched her for a while before falling asleep as well.