With the Enemy

Chapter Four

"Ohemgee! That cannot be Danielle Harper!" A voice squealed behind me as I emerged onto the street about fifty metres down the road from the coffee shop I worked in.

Oh no, I did not have the energy for this.

"Keke?" I said turning around, mustering as much fake-excitement and energy as possible into the single word. Kelly Oswald-Price was stood in front of me. She looked no different from the last time I'd seen her at some ridiculous sorority thing three years ago.

"Ohemgee, it actually is!" The girl ran towards me, arms open and pulled me into a hug. "It has been so long! We, I mean to say Swifties, hasn't heard from you since ... when was it? Oh yes, the Alumni Ball, two years ago."

"Right." I asked.

"Gosh, babes, where have you been? You didn’t even come to the Alumni Ball last year!" She laughed.

I raised my eyebrows. I could not believe I had been in a sorority. I couldn't believe I had been 'BFFs' with Kelly and many others just like her.

"And Dee, you haven't stayed in touch with any of the Swifties! How do you expect to get invited to the best stuff if you’re not around?" Before I even had chance to reply she continued. "So, anyway, are you going to tell me where you've been? Darling you don't just leave the Swifties without a serious reason. There were rumours of course, tell me the truth, were you really in rehab?"

"What? No!" I insisted.

"Sorry, I had to ask, the sisters have been dying to know," Kelly was definitely one of those people I would love to punch in the face. "The last thing we heard about you that was on our monthly newsletter was that you'd married some super rich technology dude-"

"What?" I interrupted. "That's not true."

"Oh," She paused. "I thought so, I mean, as soon as I saw you I was like ohemgee, there is no way that girl is super rich. She would so not be wearing that get-up if she was."

I looked down at my clothes and looked back up at Kelly with raised eyebrows.

"Oh! Not that you look bad or anything. I mean, everyone struggles with money from time to time; it's not a bad thing. It's just, um..." She looked mortifyingly embarrassed.

I glance down at my watch, the one I'd bought at Argos for a tenner, and faked a gasp. "Oh, is that the time? I really have to go. It was so nice seeing you again Keke." I smiled and started to turn away.

"Wait! Dee, the Alumni Ball is coming up. Everyone is invited. You have to come! You need to catch up with everyone." She dug in her bag and pulled out an envelope with the Swifties logo as a seal on the back. 

"Oh really Keke, I can't, I'm so busy at the moment." I started to say.

"I'm not taking no for an answer Dee!" She handed the envelope to me. "As a member of the Swifties Alumni, I hereby invite you to the Swifties Legacy Ball."

"You didn't say you were official alumni." I said, holding the invitation in my hands. 

"Did I not? Well, I only just received the honour. First Class of course! Thanks to this new building here which my amazing husband is building. I designed it you see." She explained, pointing at the half-built department store. My mouth dropped open. "My initiation was last week." She actually looked like she was about to choke up. "You have to come, Dee, otherwise there are going to be serious rumour about you."

"Okay, okay, I'll see if I'm free." I couldn't believe I'd let her beat me.

"And bring a date," She advised as she turned away from me and started to walk up the street.