Reflections of Shadows

Chapter 6: The Visit

SIX

It was about two days after what was known as The Huxley Incident and a Friday night. Huxley was recovering and we kinda had pushed the event to the back of our minds. It was weird, but waiting it out would be best.

At the time, I was perched on my couch in the midst of a full out texting war.

Me: Shut it Mitri! Kayla is not that bad!

Lydia: Yeah the worst she ever did was break up with Jorge. And that was four seasons ago!

Dimitri: But what about that one time when she was talking to Yasmine!

Bella: please tell me you're not talking about the soap opera on ABC. Again.

Dimitri: Foxy Academy! What is better than watching stuck up pretty girls yelling at each other for two hours? It is QUALITY TELEVISION!

Bella: maybe for fifty year old ladies with a bunch of cats and a box of tissues!!

This conversation was broken up by my mother yelling.

"Gwen, go put something nice on, people are coming in ten minutes."

PEOPLE? I thought in horror.

"Wait what!?" I yelled rather loudly.

"Me and your father are having some friends over from outside the base."

My heart about stopped. My parents rarely had visitors and especially not from out of the base.

"Why...."

"Because I said so Gwen. Now go get yourself put together a bit."

I reluctantly got up from the couch and went to my room. I shoved aside a pile of books and locked the door. I peeled my sweatpants off and put on a pair of skinny jeans and a grey graphic t shirt with a big Eiffel Tower on it in black. I pulled a brush through my hair straightening it out a bit from its original rumpled form.

I went downstairs and into the kitchen where my mother stood. She looked quite put together with her blonde hair in light curls that danced midway down her back. Her eyes were lined in brown and she was wearing her black v-neck top that had the little diamonds at the shoulders and a pair of dark jeans.

"Okay, now can you tell me who....."

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Darn it, they're early." Mom said, looking at her watch. She did a half-run half-jog to the door. I stayed where I was so the guests couldn't see me.

"Hey!" My mom said. "Come on in!"

"Are we too early?" A hard edged female voice asked.

"Oh no." My mom said. "Of course Louis isn't back from work yet but he'll be here soon."

"Well of course. It's great seeing you again, Cecelia."

"Oh yes, it's always funny how these things turn out."

"My, you've certainly changed since college!"

"Yes, I know, and funny how we've been living so close by, our kids going to the same school this whole time! And we never thought to get together."

"It is funny isn't it? Speaking of kids, this is my son Luke."

Son?

There's a boy in my house?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not boy obsessed. I don't fangirl and now before any guy who comes before me. I have a lot of guy friends. It's just, like any girl, strange guys make me nervous. Paranoid. Retarded.