Shadow Protection

Chapter 9

"Omg MJ. Jesus you look like you're gonna shit yourself. I was just joking." Celeste said with a laugh after seeing my face. I didn't realise that my facial expression showed the fear that I felt inside hearing her say that.

"Oh I-I-I knew that. I was just playing along." I said with a smile hoping that this time it masked how I felt inside.

"Well I guess that is another one of your talents." Celeste said.

"What? What is it?"

"Acting. Mary Jane. Keep up with the convo. I'm not switching topics that much am I?" Celeste asked.

"I'm sorry. My mind is just a bit all over the place." I said looking down on the floor and it wasn't like I was lying about that.

"That's a normal thing Mary. Nothing to be sorry about. It must have been hard transferring school in the middle of your last year." Celeste said while walking to her room. I walked in and sat on the blue bean bag she had in the corner. Celeste came in and was cleaning up some things around her room. Unlike the rest of the house Celeste had a bright pink and blue colour scheme in her room.

"I didn't really have many friends back at home but I do miss it. I feel kinda out of my ele--- What is that?" I asked Celeste who was standing in front of something that caught my attention.

"Oh this." Celeste said and turned. "Oh that's just my crime board I guess. Just news pieces that sparked my attention." Celeste said, turning to the board with a proud smile.

As fate would have it or maybe this wasn't faith at all maybe this was planned. Could Celeste have known who I was all along? Was I that easy to read? No it made no sense. There was nothing pointing me to her. There was nothing connecting Mary Jane to Victoria. But right there in the middle of Celeste's crime board was me.

A picture of Victoria at last year's cheer championships with her red hair in a high ponytail holding the trophy. The gold of course. That day was one of the happiest of my life. My mom and I had no arguments that entire week, that was the day I planned to lose my virginity to that cheating ex and I won gold for the second time as captain. That week of the cheer championships I thought that this was it, my life was completely set. Everything in my life would be perfect from there on out. That smile I wore in that picture wasn't the doctored perfect one that I had mastered over the years, it was a true smile. A smile of pure joy and happiness. I had such confidence that nothing could go wrong. Yet everything did.

"Why do you... why do you have that picture?" I asked in a low whisper. Unable to find the voice or strength to speak louder. Celeste turned to look at me with a look that I couldn't figure out. Was she wondering if I was lying? Did she really know the truth? Did she think I was playing dumb? Did she think I was playing her for a fool?

"You don't know who that is? Like are you for real right now?" Celeste asked in surprise. It was hard to figure out if this was genuine, you live under a rock surprise or are you still trying to lie to me surprise.

"Um no I-- I dont." I said carefully by now I was already standing and ready to make my escape if I needed to.

I watched as Celeste fell silent and walked closer to me. I was sitting up straight in the bean bag, senses heightened for whatever may happen next.

"Unbelievable. You definitely lived under a rock before you got here." Celeste said with a sign and I laughed.

The anxiety I felt the minute I came through her doors completely vanished and the only way my body could release all that tension, the fear just everything was through laughing. Celeste thought my response to what she said was crazy; she had no idea it was a laugh of relief.