Future

Chapter 5

Adeline grabs my hand and rushes into the room. She peers around casually. And I remember about the cameras. She lets her hand fall and she walks over to the window bed. Looking around. "So this is where you seen the watch?"
"Yeah. I kind of fiddled around with it." Then a lightbulb goes off in my head. "Wait a minute! I dropped it! Like right next to the window. And it fell on the floor." Adeline and I drop to the ground rummaging around for her watch. When someone opens the door.
"Girls, what are you two doing?" I know that voice anywhere. Anastasia. The same woman who smacked Adeline in the face with a mean, crucial, personality I had mistaken for niceness. "Adeline, I thought Grace ran off? Did you find her?"
"Yes'm. I did. She was looking for her clothes in the laundry room."
"Alright then. So what are you ladies looking for?"
"Oh! Grace dropped her wristwatch and we can't quite find it." Adeline is such a great liar. I wonder if I used to be better...
"Is this what you're looking for, Grace?" I looked over at Anastasia's small hand that held a brown leather wristwatch. Dangling it back and forth. With a smug grin on her face.
"Yes. That's mine. Thank you for finding it." I say.
"Hold up." Anastasia's voice rises with dignity and power. Just like it sounded in the bathroom. She looks around the watch and rolls it around in her palm. Clicking button after button after button. Waiting to see what the watch will do. Adeline and I look at the watch and then back at Anastasia, waiting for her to go back in time. And our cover become blown. The watch does nothing of what Adeline and I thought it would do. Anastasia drops the watch on the floor and looks at me. "I'm watching you Miss Grace. You too Adeline." She walks over to the door and pushes herself through it, then slams it shut. I look over at Adeline. A smug grin appears on her face.
"I really love to see her mad." We both laugh. Then Adeline gets up and grabs her watch off the floor. She gives it to me and smiles. I start to speak and say that it's hers. But then I remember how she lied and said it was my watch. I grab the watch and buckle it around my wrist. It's smooth leather brushes against my skin. It's scent smells old. I thank Adeline and walk to the bathroom.
"Hey Adeline! Can you come start me a bath?" She looks at me with her eyebrows raised. Then nods and follows me. We walk to the door and shimmy through it. Closing it softly behind us.
"Grace what is it now?" Was I that obvious? Oh well at least she understood what I was saying.
"I just think that I should keep this watch in your possession. I mean they already know about me... Don't you think they'll be a little suspicious?"
"Grace. After that little 'incident' that we pulled... I'm pretty sure my cover is blown. And since you can't remember stuff... I guess I thought I could give it to you. For now." I nod and Adeline starts a bath for me and I undress. I watch Adeline squirt soap and suds in the tub. The bubbles rising very slowly and makes me feel calm. I always feel calm around Adeline. She truly makes me feel safe and secure. She takes her fingers and mixes them in with the soapy water. Then looks at me.
"Well. What are you standing there for? Get in!" Adeline grabs my hand and shoves me in. And I laugh, so does she. I rub the soap all over my stomach and talk to Adeline about herself, and who I used to be. I wish I knew. The way she describes me... It's incredible. I'm this girl who fights bad guys everyday. And almost died on this mission. I watch Adeline's lips open and close. I can hear her voice faltering and quivering. Until she starts sniffling in the middle of explaining about who I used to be.
"Grace, it just breaks my heart that my childhood best friend can't remember all these memories we shared. The ones in the orphanage, the agency, high school, all of those. How could these people do that to the nicest girl that I've ever met?!" Adeline's breaths starts to pick up and I unplug the drain of the tub and get out. I grab a blue robe with the letter A embroidered on it. Then I put it on, it's soft, fluffy fabric brushes against my arms and legs. Then I look at Adeline and put my hand on her arm. I pull her into a hug. The real ones. The ones from the only friends you have left.