The Golden Rule 2: The One That Got Away

Afternoon of Friendship

" Thanks, Ronald, " Ari told their family driver before jumping out of her father's sleek black Mercedes Benz.

She quickly ran up the Sebastian's massive front steps and then rang the doorbell. A maid in white and blue uniform opened the door and Ari quickly greeted her.

" Hi, good afternoon, " Ari said politely. " I'm here to see Melissa." 

" You must be Miss Ariana, " the older woman smiled and her inside the Sebastian's mansion.

" Please just call me Ari, " she politely told the woman. " Ariana sounds so formal. "

The older woman nodded and she led her to the spacious living room where Ari seated herself on the plush beige couch.

As she waited for Melissa, Ari's eyes wandered around the house.

She glanced at the high ceiling and looked at the grand chandelier hanging in the middle of the room. It was grand but nothing compared to the three massive chandeliers hanging in her mother's living room.

Ari noticed that the living room was divided into two parts, each corner held an L-shaped beige couch with bright colored asymmetrical designed throw pillows arranged neatly on top of them. There were two identical silver and glass coffee tables sitting between the sofa sets. One table held a tall vase of white calla lilies while the other had a pile of magazines spread out in the centre.

Ari's attention then shifted to the walls where two life sized etched mirrors were hung. It wasn't the intricate floral carving that got Ari's attention. It was the huge family portrait hanging between the mirrors that piqued Ari's curiousity.

" Ari! " Melissa suddenly exclaimed when she entered the room. " I'm so happy you could come. "

Ari peeled her eyes off the family portrait and stood up from where she was seated. " Hi Iza,"

Melissa quickly took her hand and led her to a room past the main hallway.

" Everyone's here and we've just started watching the movie, " Melissa said in an excited voice. " We could just replay it so you can watch the beginning of the film. "

" You don't have to do that, " Ari told her new friend. " I can pretty much guess what happened. "

Ari didn't tell her that she had already seen the movie two weeks ago when it premiered in Los Angeles. She even has a photo with the cast lying somewhere in her room.

" Hi everyone! " Melissa announced pushing the door to the den open.

She switched the lights on and people inside the room groaned loudly.

Melissa marched in front of the massive screen with Ari in tow and took the remote control to pause the film.

" I'm sure most of you know Ari, " Melissa went on ignoring the protests around her. " She's in several of my classes. "

Ari forced a smile as she stared at the group in front of her.

" Ari, meet everyone. Most of the unfamiliar faces here are my brother and sister's friends from school. You've probably seen them around, " Melissa explained as she gestured to the small crowd with her hand. " Everyone, meet Ari. "

Ari scanned the sea of faces  before her and saw that there were about twenty kids in the room. She recognized half of them from her classes. She saw Mia and Lana among the crowd beaming at her. Plastering a smile on her face, Ari's eyes caught a movement from one corner of the room and realized that the crowd was a mixed of boys and girls. Several familiar looking boys were looking at her quizzically and Ari wasn't certain where she'd seen the group before.