Never As It Seems

Chapter 18

Dessa was almost frantic with excitement. Three days after the attack on her father, Amber and Jay were putting their plan in motion. They had arrived at the hospital in the early afternoon. When they walked into the room, Amber distracted her friend while Jay took an envelope from his pocket and put it on the table by the window. He then came to the bedside and winked at Dessa's father.

"Honey, could you get me some water please." He addressed his daughter.

Dessa obliged and headed for the table where the water jug and the note were, the others all smiled at each other knowingly.

"What's this?" Dessa asked, picking up the envelope addressed to her.

They all played dumb, pretending they didn't know. She sat on the chair closest to her and opened the envelope while the group of conspirators watched on.

"Oh my gosh! It's from... it's from Rob Foxx! I don't... how did you...?" She looked up at Jay and then Amber.

Her father gestured toward the note. "Who is Rob Foxx? What does it say?"

In a shocked daze, Dessa looked back to the note. "He's in Keeper. He's invited me to the arena, to go and meet the band!" She looked back at her now grinning friends and her father.

"Come on then." Jay said heading for the door.

"What now? I can't! I need to change and do my make up!"

"Got it all sorted." Amber said as she pushed the almost hyperventilating Dessa towards the door.

"Have a great time sweetheart." Her father called after them. "You deserve it!"

And she really did. Amber had been so proud of the way Dessa had handled the last few days. She was been continually questioned by the police and had been asked to pick out her father's attackers from a line up. Amber couldn't imagine how hard that must have been. She also had to deal with the awful reality when her father confessed that the men were debt collectors and that he was in big trouble financially. Dessa was pretending to be brave but Amber could tell, every time someone called to her house or walked behind her a bit too close, that she was living in fear of a second attack. The police and her father had assured her there was nothing more to worry about but she was still understandably jumpy. She knew she couldn't make it all go away but Amber hoped that for just a while, Dessa could put it all behind her and smile.

In the car, Amber handed her an outfit and her makeup bag.

"Ah you're amazing. This is exactly what I would have chosen." Dessa enthused. "But how did you get it?"

"Your Dad gave us the keys." Jay called from the driver's seat.

"Oh man I can't believe this! I feel sick!" She continued whilst trying to change her clothes in the back of the car. She let out a squeal as they turned the corner into the enclosure behind the arena. Amber wasn't sure whether the squeal was one of excitement or because the sharp turn had caused Dessa to rocket across the back seat, squishing her nose against the window.

Jay turned to Amber as he undid his seat belt. "She does know they're just people right?"

Amber smiled "I'm not sure at this stage."

"You know I can hear you." Dessa's voice chipped in from the back. "And yes I do know and you don't need to worry about me, I will be the epitome of calm and maturity... Oh wow! Is that the tour bus?!" She exclaimed and laughing they both turned to look at her. She pursed her lips and then furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm just nervous."

"Come on." Jay jumped out of the car and opened Dessa's door for her.

When Amber arrived on their side of the car, Dessa grabbed her arm, holding on a little too tightly as they followed Jay toward the bus.