Ann had a bad cut on the right of her forehead right above a black eye.
She looked really tired and her eyes were all puffy and red as if she'd been crying.
Ann at first was stunned to see Kate at her doorstep but that quickly changed to anger.
-"what are you doing here?" she asked coldly, ignoring Kate's question.
Kate snapped out of her stupor and shot back at Ann, getting right to the point.
-"why are you doing this to Stacey?"
-"would you just stop your charade already?!" shouted Ann.
"I know about you two!"
-"what charade?" asked Kate in confusion.
"and what do you mean about us two?!"
-"I don't have time for this."
-"then just tell me what you mean!"
-"I saw you! Alright! I saw you at that coffee shop hugging and kissing in broad daylight!"
-"What!? Oh!" Then Kate understood what she was talking about and couldn't help but laugh at the whole misunderstanding.
Ann shot her a murderous look.
-"that's the last laugh you and your girlfriend are going to have at my expense."
-"no, Ann wait. You don't underst.." started Kate.
-"just fuck off!" and Ann slammed the door in her face.
Kate stood there staring at the door for a few seconds and then decided that Ann just wasn't going to listen to her.
Kate went back to her car. This explained a lot. Ann must've been passing by the coffee shop when she and Stacey were hugging and when she had turned her head and kissed her on the cheek.
She understood how someone would think they were actually kissing if they saw them from a certain angle from outside.
Ann must really love Stacey to get all jealous like that, thought Ann with a tender smile. But it didn't explain why Ann had that black eye and that bruise on her forehead.
Kate drove back to Staceys house. She rang the door bell and was about to knock forcefully in order to wake her sleeping friend, but her mom opened the door.
-"oh, hi Mrs. Morgan."
-"hi dear. If you want Stacey, I just checked on her and she's sleeping."
-"yeah, but she told me to pass by and wake her up anyways." Fibbed Kate.
-"oh, okay then." Said Mrs. Morgan letting her in.
"you know the way."
-"thanks." Smiled at her Kate and tried her best not to run up the stairs.
She went into Stacey's room, switched on the lights and closed the door behind her.
She sat on Stacey's bed next to her and gently started shaking her.
-"Stace..."
She didn't answer her.
-"Stace." said Kate a bit louder.
-"mmm.." moaned Stacey from under the covers.
-"wake up. I have something to tell you."
Stacey just groaned and stuck her hand out from under the covers and waved for her friend to go away.
-"it's about Ann."
-"Kate, please. I can't right now."
-"I went to see her."
At that Stacey removed the covers from over her face and looked wide eyed at her best friend.
-"you did what?!"
-"I went to her house and I talked to her."
-"Kate!" started Stacey with a frown.
But Kate stopped her and continued:
-"first the maid answered so I said I was a friend from her school cause I knew she wouldn't answer otherwise."
Stacey now looked at her with interest.
-"Ann came to the door and she had this shiner on her eye and a nasty bruise on her forehead, and.."
At that, Stacey suddenly straightened up.
-"She what?! How did that happen?!"
-"I don't know, but.."
Stacey quickly jumped out of bed and started putting on her shoes.
-"what are you doing?" asked Kate in surprise at her odd behaviour.
-"I don't care if she's not talking to me. I have to see her." She definitely wasn't going to stay in bed when the girl she loved was hurt.
-"okay, but let me tell you what she said first."
-"tell me later, Kate." said Stacey as she lunged for the door.
-"she thinks that you and I are lovers."
That made Stacey freeze in her place, hand on the doorknob. She turned to Kate and gave her an astonished look.
-"she saw us hugging at the coffee shop and thought we were kissing."
-"what? That's stupid."
-"I know." laughed Kate.
"But tell your jealous girlfriend that."
-"so that's why she was acting that way." realised Stacey.
"That's wonderful!"
-"huh?"
-"You know what I mean. Ok I gotta see her now. I can't wait any longer." And she ran down the stairs.
-"Stace, wait!" Kate ran after her.
-"mom, I'm going out!" she shouted to her mother and stormed out the door.
Mrs. Morgan stuck her head from the kitchen door and saw Kate waving goodbye to her as she followed her daughter out the door. Mrs. Morgan waved goodbye back with a surprised look.
Wondering what those crazy teenagers were up to now.
-"Stace wait!" panted Kate.
-"not now, Kate" said Stacey as she walked hurriedly, almost running along the sidewalk.
Kate stopped to catch her breath and yelled after her.
-"let me give you a ride there! It's faster!"
Stacey stopped in her tracks.
-"good idea." And she retraced her steps, going back to Kate's car. She passed Kate who was leaning on a fence, panting.
-"come on Kate. Let's go"
Kate just rolled her eyes and followed her.
******
-"do you want me to wait for you?" Kate asked her friend as she dropped her off at Ann's.
-"no, it's ok."
-"what if she won't see you?" asked Kate.
Stacey turned and looked determinedly at the impressive mansion and said.
-"oh, she will." And she headed to the front door, barely hearing Kate wish her good luck before driving off.
She got to the door, took a deep breath and rang the door bell. As expected the maid answered.
-"could you please tell Ann that Stacey's here to see her?."
-"just a moment miss." And she disappeared inside.
After what seemed forever for Stacey, the maid finally returned and not to Stacey's surprise said:
-"I'm sorry, but Miss Ann isn't home right now."
-"I see." simply said Stacey.
-"I'll tell her you stopped by, goodbye." Said the maid and closed the door.
Stacey backed up a bit and looked up at the mansion. It was big and majestic but it sure wasn't going to keep her away from her Ann.
She went around the back and searched for Ann's bedroom window which she knew was on the second floor.
She located it and saw that the lights were on. There was a huge tree right in front of it. Stacey saw it and an idea formed in her head.
This is where all her athletic abilities will come in hand. She went closer and studied the tree and without a moment's hesitation started climbing.
