Two Of Hearts

Friend

There are a few minutes of awkwardness between us, mostly my fault because Sylvia looks very calm and composed sitting on the sofa next to mine. Suddenly, a question that has been bubbling up for the past week comes out of my mouth, "What did you do with the body?"

Sylvia smiles, clearly pleased with the shift in our conversation from the small talk.

"I was wondering when you would ask me that," she says.

I roll my eyes and wait for her answer.

She continues, "I want you to guess."

"You don't have time to be traveling out of town just to dump a body, right?"

"I could, but I would not prefer going out of my way to hide it."

My eyebrows are knotted in confusion as I lift my eyes to meet hers and say, "You and your very vague way of saying shit."

Her smile widens as she pours herself a glass of wine. "I would like you to figure that out yourself, Ivy."

I sigh and lay my head back to stare at the ceiling as I ask another question, "How could you tell that I am- you know..."

"One month into being transferred here, I made sure to introduce myself to every family that is considered the backbone of this community. Yours was one of them, Ivy. I sent you several invitations, but you seemed not interested at all."

"Now that you know me a little, do you really think I would enjoy your fancy parties?"

"You wouldn't. I did presume from all the conversations that your parents held quite an influence in the town."

I stiffen at the mention of my parents and I try to calm myself because I want to get to the bottom of this. I manage to say, "So you decided to see what kind of person their daughter would be?"

Sylvia chuckles at this, which makes me frown, but I try to steady my heartbeat.

"Many people in this town despise you."

"So you have noticed."

"However, there are many that don't, but instead... pity you," she says, a bit hesitant at the last part.

There is a tinge of anger bubbling up inside me.

Sylvia continues, "I have seen the infamous video and there was this insatiable look in your eyes as you continued to punch-"

"Enough," the word leaves my mouth harsher than I expected.

Sylvia regards me with a few seconds of silence and puts her glass down on the table before saying, "Did I overstep?"

"Tell me how you knew I was killing?"

"I was doing exactly that-"

"No, get to the point, Sylvia," I say curtly, and I can tell that she dislikes the way I am talking to her by the narrowing of her eyes.

"I followed you to the city when you killed Jason."

I feel like my breath has been knocked out of me and I am panicking. I look at her like she is out of her mind and say after a moment, "Why?"

"I started seeing a pattern in-"

"That is not what I am asking!" I shout at her.

Sylvia's eyebrows are knit together in confusion as she says, "Ivy, why are you suddenly being like this?"

"You stalked me."

"You are not being fair with your jabs at me. I am not your enemy."

"Then why else are you going around trying to find dirt on me? No, it doesn't make any fucking sense. Why is it that you know all this about me and I don't have a fucking clue who you are!?"