Clandestine

epilogue

-julia-

I slip my cell phone out of my pocket, "Hello?"

"I'm running late." Diane says.

"You aren't ever on time."

"Pick me up the caramel hot chocolate, please? I don't think I will survive this meeting without it."

I grin in my phone, "Already picked it up."

"You save my life everyday. Be there in ten."

She hangs up in her infamous hatred of small talk. I pull into the Assembly building and take the elevator up to the highest floor, carrying my cherry tea and Diane's hot chocolate. I enter the meeting room and Henry greets me. I give him a rushed smile and sit down at my chair, the same one my mother used to dominate for years.

Diane storms into the room a few minutes later, grabbing the hot chocolate and taking her own seat beside me.

For a while it was difficult. I lived with Diane, Kristy, and Andrew while all my finances were sorted out and the investigation of my mother's death ended. It was decided after a long trial that I acted out of self-defense and would not be punished.

I've kept the family home just in case I gather the courage to move back into it, but I currently live in a small apartment downtown. Diane hopes to someday join me, once she gathers the courage to leave Kristy and Andrew. She's grown more attached to them than she would ever admit.

The meeting is called order and we discuss a tax bill. Diane argues hard to raise it for the rich, for us, but she makes good enough points to get people to agree with her.

It took a while to convince people to let Diane on to the Assembly. It's kept hushed, but most people are glad that my mother is gone. She was rude and took control. While she was here, it was more of a dictatorship than an Assembly. Though no one would say it outloud, we all knew it. They added Diane and another more powerful family to the Assembly to keep it at an odd number. So far it's been working well, and I feel as though we've made a good change for the country.

After the meeting is over, Diane and I go to meet with Carlotta and Rosalina for lunch. We chatter over smoothies and burgers. Rosalina is planning her wedding dress for the ceremony with her fiance, soon-to-be wife and Carlotta is still pumped after winning the national title on her dream team.

Diane and I share a grin as Carlotta and Rosalina bicker over who's going to pay the bill. Diane eventually steals it from them and pays for it herself.

After lunch, I say, "What do we do now?"

Diane says, "Plan A."

It's become a joke between us now. Whenever we don't have an answer. we announce that we should follow 'Plan A'.

"Alright, Plan A." I say.

We don't have everything planned out, yet. I don't know who I'm going to marry. Diane's dated a nice, respectable man for a year and is looking towards a future. I don't know if I'm going to be a politician for the rest of my life. While I thought I would hate it, when I do it my own way, I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'm going to move back to my old house or ever have the courage to visit my mother's grave.

But I'll just keep moving forward, enjoying every day as it comes, until I do figure out my plan.

Until now, Plan A.