"Hey kids." My parents say as Edwin and I arrive at our house. "Where have you been?" Dad asks concerned.
"We went to get frozen yogurt." I say happily.
"It's 8pm." My mother says raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, we went to Connecticut to get it." Edwin says.
"Ooh." Mom says looking down. "We need to talk. Sit." We did as we were told without a word and I start to panic. "I don't know how to say this."
"Well, your best friend is at home with her family. You can go visit if you want." My father says smiling. Right then and there I feel as though someone had shot me on the chest.
"What?" I ask. "H-how?" I start to have mixed emotions. "She was pretending?"
"No, she wasn't pretending she has recovered." My mom replies.
"I can't believe this." I say walking out my house. I didn't hear anyone call out for me but I know they did. As I walk down the street in the setting sun my brother is the one to come out of the house to follow me. I stop at the corner.
"Need a ride?" He yells. I nod running to his car.
"You never told me what happened back there." He says while driving.
"It's not worth talking about. It was just a stupid little fight." I say.
"What do you mean stupid little fight?" He asks.
"It's...nothing Edwin just drive please." I say avoiding the conversation. "I really don't want to talk about it."
"Fine." He says and we don't speak for the rest of the ride.
When we get there Edwin knocks on the door and I hide behind him. I'm afraid of how Mimi's parents might react. Took them a while to answer the door but when it does open...
"Hey man." A voice says.
"Sup bro." My brother says leaning in to slap his "bro's" hand. I peek from behind my brother's enormous body.
"Hi Matt." I say sweetly giving him an awkward smile. I remembered the way I acted when I went to visit Miranda. Her family probably thinks I'm as crazy as she was.
"Hi Liz." He says trying to smile back. Lizzy what have you done to yourself. "Come in." He steps back to make room for us to enter. I quickly get inside and see my best friend watching tv in the living room. She looks at me squeals and runs to hug me. I hug her back tightly and don't let go. When we separate she says.
"Come." She grabs my hand and drags me to her room. "Oh my fricken gosh!...we need to talk." She says. I'm just so taken back by how she's acting. It's like she was never...sick. I don't reply to her. We just stare at each other for a full minute...awkward.
"Did you pretend?" I finally ask.
"Yeah." She whispers.
"You crazy bitch." I whisper back. "Why?"
"Because I didn't wanna go to jail. You heard what my dad said. And I know you couldn't visit me. I'm sorry I was just scared."
"I was worried about you. You were all I could think about. And you were just...just scared? Unbefreakinglievable." I frustratingly cover my face.
"I'm sorry. What was I supposed to do, Liz? I just handled the situation my own way just like you. I wasn't brave. I couldn't call my dad like you. You saved us from getting our asses thrown in jail."
"I didn't save us, Miranda your dad did. I only called him cause it was the right thing to do. Why did you suddenly decide to 'get better' now?" I ask anxious to know.
"That's why I said we have to talk." She whispers. "I heard my dad say they have a lead on Chase. They were so close in catching him." She says.
"Already? Everything is happening so fast." I reply.
"I know. But the murder weapon is a fake." She frowns.
"How do you know?" I ask trying to keep my voice low. Then the door bursts open and we both jump.
"Hello, Elizabeth. Your brother told me you were here so I'm just checking on you girls." Miranda's father says smiling. He almost gave me a heart attack.
"Dad! Knock next time. Liz and I are having private girl chat." She whines. Did I forget to mention she's a daddy's girl?
"Right, sorry princess." He says closing the door. We wait for him to be long gone listening to his footsteps fade away.
"I heard my dad say that the prints on the murder weapon don't match chase's." Miranda finally whispers.
"What? You think he's trying to frame someone else?" I ask.
"Most likely." She says.
"No this can't be happening." I say.
"We're witnesses of him killing the girl though that has to count as something."
"Yeah, he probably doesn't know we told the police it was him."
"He's an idiot if he actually believes that." She says. "His threats don't scare us."
"Right."
"Wait. You're not actually scared are you?" She asks with a small chuckle.
"No!...n-o...he can't do anything to us. Your dads a detective and he has a cop car watching over my house."
"Whoa you have cops watching after you?" She asks wide eyed.
"I guess." I giggle. "I like it. Makes me feel important. Hey, how are things with you and Zach?"
"He knows I faked the whole thing. He visited me a lot. He's a nice guy actually and I like him...a lot."
"That's good for you." I say smiling.
"Yeah. I heard you and the new city pool lifeguard..."
"What?"
"Got down and dirty in the city pool." She finishes saying each word slower than usual. I reach behind me and swing the pillow so that it smacks her on the side of her head.
"OW! You whore!" She laughs and tackles me. I turn so that we both fall to the floor. Then we just lay there dying of laughter. "No but seriously. I heard Carter really likes you." She teases.
I giggle. "Stop. We haven't even gone on a second date. And the first one didn't end with a cherry on top."
"You know what?" She says standing up and grabbing her phone. "I'm texting Zach. We're going on a double date tomorrow night."
"Where to?" I ask excitedly.
"You'll see." She says.
