Keeping Myself A Secret

Chapter 11: Marley

I'M SOOO SOOORRRY!!!It's been too long! I feel so bad! Anyway, you're all probably mad at me and just want me to shut up and get on with the chapter. Here you go darlings! xD

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Chapter 11

The music played beautifully through my headphones. The loud vacuum sounding mute and only the faint vibrations of the machines handle going up my wrist to indicate that it was on. I received the headphones last Christmas from my mom. I only used them on rare occasions; just to make sure to not mess them up. That's how precious they are to me.

I whistled along to the catchy chorus while wiping off my dewy brow. I've been up since eight in the morning, making sure the house is extra squeaky clean today. I was frightened to ask mom again if I could go out today with Alice, Charlotte, and Travis, but she just pursed her lips and said the same thing to me on the day of the homecoming game.

Suddenly, I felt my back pocket vibrate repeatedly. I jumped at the out of nowhere sensation. Oh. My hands went straight to my cellphone. Hopefully I'll eventually get used to my cellphone. I looked down a the screen and noticed the familiar caller ID. "Hi Alice," I said politely, but it sounded more like a question. She had told me she wasn't going to pick me up until an hour from now yesterday.

"Open your door. We're here." Alice commanded, clicking immediately after speaking.

What? Curious, I turned odd the vacuum and slowly walked to my front door, sneaking a peek through the peephole. Alice, Travis, and Charlotte were standing behind the door.

I opened the door, the warm air catching me off guard. "Come in, but why so early?" I looked at the bunch, completely puzzled at their early arrival.

"Top of the morning to ya," Alice said with an impeccable Irish accent with a salute with an imaginary hat.

I giggled at that.

Travis said a simple, "Hello," while Charlotte just softly smiled at me. Both of which I replied in the same manner.

Once they were all inside my foyer I shut the door gently. "Your house is . . ." Alice trailed off. All three of them had their eyes wandering around the place. Alice has been in my house before, but we went straight to my room and I forgot to give her a tour of the house.

"What?" I asked curiously as I made a small hand gesture for them to follow me into the living room.

"Did you just move in?" Alice continued.

I found myself blushing for some strange reason. "No. My mom and I have been living here over two years now."

"Oh," Charlotte was the one to audibly respond to the tiny fact.

"Do any of you want anything to drink?" All three murmured a 'no thank you'. "Do you want me to go change?" Alice was being oddly quiet today. "I'm basically done with the cleaning,"

Alice shook her head. "Hope you don't mind, I just wanted a closer look inside your house." She looked at me with a pair of the most innocent eyes.

I blinked twice before bursting out laughing. Travis and Charlotte laughed while Alice stuck out her tongue at me. "You're so silly," I breathed.

"Then how come you haven't introduced me to your mom?" Alice's tone was evident with playfulness, but something about the question made me halt from my laughing fit. Charlotte was the only one that caught on because she stayed silent and her expression looked a little concerned.

Eventually the others caught on, the both of them silencing. It was quiet for one agonizingly slow minute before Charlotte stood up from her seat and walked towards me. She stood on her kness to my eye level and tenderly placed her hands on my shoulders. "It's okay. Just say it," She said in the most soft, gentle tone I've ever heard in my whole life.