Trust No Bitch: Part 2

Lilly Philipps: Thursday, 5th November, 2015

By the time Lilly, Alice and Gemma arrived at the hospital to see Clara, it seemed as if she'd already had her fair share of visitors. Judging by the sightings of two familiar individuals on their way in and the presence of a third individual, who was already keeping Clara company when they turned up, anyway. The first they passed was Clara's friend, Will Barkley, with the porcelain skin and the unruly eyebrows. He appeared to be on his way out and gave the impression of being somewhat distressed, though when Gemma tried to stop him to ask him which room Clara was in, he acted as if he hadn't heard her. Next, they bumped into Joe Roberts, Clara's boyfriend, in the hospital gift shop. He, at least, pointed them in the direction of the ward Clara was in, but with his brooding expression and shifty behaviour, left a general air of malaise in his departure. On approaching her hospital bed they were greeted by a third woman, sat next to Clara, whom none of them had seen before. Lilly was the first to comment on her being there, quick to point out she would be pretty if it weren't for the severe bags under her eyes.

"All she needs is some Touche Éclat and she's, like, a solid nine, don't you think? Seriously, that concealer all by itself is like, the only argument we need for the existence of God. He's called Saint Laurent for a reason." She'd murmured into Alice's ear.

"Somebody warn Aquinas." Alice had replied irritably under her breath, making what seemed to be a conscious effort to walk ahead of Lilly. The woman looked as if she was in dire need of a good night's sleep, but had a steely permanence about her as if she was prepared to miss another in order to remain by the sleeping Clara's side.

"I'm Holly Khan. I was the one who found Clara yesterday." She said, getting up off the armchair next to the hospital bed.

"Who the hell are you?" Said Gemma indelicately. "Like, yeah, you're Holly, I'm Gemma, glad we've got that out the way but how do you know Clara?" Alice, who seemed visibly pained by Gemma's abruptness, winced and smiled nervously at Holly.

"Thanks for staying with her. We really appreciate it." She said but before Holly could reply, Gemma continued.

"So? Do you go to St. Edmunds or what?"

"Yeah, I'm in third year."

"I've never seen you. What do you take?"

"English lit."

"Well that explains it. Your lectures are on the west side of campus, aren't they?" Alice said kindly. Gemma, on the other hand, continued to scowl at Holly as if enough narrowing of the eyes could reduce her to ashes.

"I have a friend who lives on the west side of campus. I go to their place a lot. And like I said...never seen you." She said, crossing her arms in intransigence.

"Yeah well I don't spend much time around there apart from lectures so..." Holly shrugged and picked up her bag. "It's Alice, Gemma and Lilly, isn't it? Clara was telling me about you. I'll see you girls around maybe?" She said, Lilly, Alice and Gemma frozen in time, unsure of what she was about to do, as without any explanation, she proceeded to bend over Clara's bed. Just as Gemma took a step towards Holly, presumably to waylay her somehow, she kissed Clara lightly on the forehead. "Bye Clara. I'll see you later." She whispered, slipping a scrap of paper into Clara's balled up fist. Then she walked swiftly and noiselessly from the room, the smell of her perfume and the paper in Clara's hand the only indication she'd ever been there.

"Well, I did not see that one coming." Spluttered Lilly before turning her attention to her cuticles.

"Good one, Gemma. You scared her off." Snapped Alice, ignoring Lilly and wheeling round to face Gemma.

"We can't just go around trusting people fucking willy-nilly! Who's to say she isn't the one who caused this accident? No-one! We have to keep our guard up, Alice! You're the one who's supposed to be reminding us of that!"