Lies & Deceit

Chapter 2 - The Daze

  The five eventually moved to the living room, half the food ready gone as they got distracted talking in the kitchen. Settling back down Hera and Verena were hogging most of the food. Blankets and pillows scattered all over the floor between the couch and TV set up. The center table had been pushed to the right wall a week ago. It stayed there with board games and closed up snacks piled separately. As messy as it looked, Verena needed some kind of organization and had ordered it all by colors.
  
  The last 27 minutes of the movie played with Verena smushed in between Mason and Zilene and munching on a basket of french fries. When it ended Hera and Love decided to play some music while they played another round of uno to bring the mood of the miserable movie up. It neares 11:00 at night, half an hour before Loves guardians arrive back home. They had been out running errands all day.
  
  Love's eyes wander to the clock aimlessly then widen in shock of the hour it shows. "Shit! Shit.shit.shit." She tossed her cards to the ground, face down, and jumps to her feet. Her friends flinch at her sudden energy and look to one another in amusement. Love grabs the trash from the living room and tossed it into empty crumbled McDonald's bags. As she moves to the kitchen hurriedly, Mason and Zilene decided to get up and help her without question.
  
  Having stayed at her place too many times to count, the group assumed it means her mom and grandmother would be home soon and she forgot to clean up.
  
  At the same time they got up, Hera's phone began ringing. The SpongeBob theme song plays loudly along with a vibration. She perked up and started tossing blankets and pillows around to find it. Verena stayed seated clutching a pink pillow to her chest until she got hit in the face with one. Shocked she looked at Hera who seemed to not pay any attention to her. Verena face turned into a playful pout and she stood up holding her pink pillow that flew down to smack Hera at the back of her head. A loud thud was heard and Hera's movements halted, her eyes caught Verena's and the brunette stuck her tongue out. Hera picked up the closest pillow to her where her phone was also hidden under.
  
  She threw the pillow at Verena while simultaneously answering the phone not needing to look at the caller ID. Every night at the same time, the twins and Zilene's parents call to check in, rotating through the three teens. Tonight was Hera's turn for the phone call. Long story short, a few years ago Zilene's parents adopted the twins. Who were also at the same orphanage as Vernea who got adopted by other parents. And Zilene and Love met in a sandbox and have been best friends since forever. That is how the five teens became a little family. As Hera attempts to get full sentences out over the phone, Verena smacked down a pillow on her repeatedly and chased her around the couch.

  Hearing the chaos Mason and Zilene finish up cleaning and lean against the kitchen counter to watch them. They mumble bets to each other of who would win the pillow fight. Though it was quite obvious Hera was loosing for once. Which was probably fair since she was still on a phone call.
 
  Love speedily exits though the side door to take out the trash. It's nearly pitch black outside with a singular light pole halfway down the street. She holds her phone in her hand to illuminate ahead of herself. Tossing the trash bag away she shuts the top and sighs in relief for cleaning in time. Love's hearing suddenly fades in and out. Putting one hand over her chest she breathed slowly in and out.
 
  Over the last few days this would happen. Her hearing goes out and she feels herself in a sort of daze. She hasn't told anyone, not wanting to worry them. Plus it only lasted a few seconds and then she was fine. She didn't think it was anything to make a big deal of. Letting out a long breath her heartbeat pounds in her ears. Looking down at her phone she only sees a black screen. Clicking the power button over and over again it stays off.
 
Then a flickering light to her left catches her attention until it goes out. Moonlight is the only things that allows her to see dark shadows of houses, cars and trees. But it's hard to see even a foot infront of her as clouds roam in and cover the moon. Confused Love stays in her spot for a moment before holding onto the brick wall of her house and using it to get to the door. She strains her eyes to see and let's out a shaky breath. Rain drops fall, the cold water making goosebumps raise on her exposed arms. It falls harder and harder within seconds, her clothes feel heavy as they become soaked.