The Memory

Part 6

I walked into the house and almost ran into Cass. "Where's Astora?" I exclaimed hurredly. She pointed me to the kitchen. I took my shoes off at the edge of the living room and rushed to the kitchen. I almost ran into Astora, holding a huge, blue cake. She almost lost her balance, but caught herself at the last moment. The cake was over my head and I was crouched down. I slowly stood up, careful not to hit my head on the bottom of the cake. I stepped back and the nervous energy flooded me again. "Can Juliette come over later?" I asked her, bouncing slightly on the balls of my feet. She set the cake down and turned to me. "Who's Juliette?" She dusted her hands off on the flowery apron she was wearing. "She liives next to us to that side." I pointed to the left, in the direction of Juliette's house. She sighed. "I suppose so."

I squealed, something I hadn't done in years, and ran up to me room, skipping steps. I took off my bookbag and threw it on my bed before rushing to the window and opened it to wait for Juliette. She appeared a couple minutes later with obvious excitement. She opened her window and spoke so quickly I couldn't understand her. "Icancomeover!" She exclaimed. I sighed and motioned for her to talk more slowly. She took a few large breaths and exhaled slowly before she spoke. "I can come over!" I understood her this time, thankfully. "Astora said it would be fine too." I smiled as I closed my window and started my way downstairs. I stopped at the door and opened the door to see Juliette standing with her hand raised to knock. She smiled at the same time as me and I led her through the kitchen, introducing her to Astora and Cass, who had appeared in the kitchen while I was upstairs.

I then lead her up the winding stairs to my bedroom. I closed the door behind her and flopped down on my bed. She carefully took off the satchel she had on her shoulders and dispached of her shoes. She flopped down on the bed next to me. She turned and leaned on the headboard before speaking. "So what do you want to talk about?" She asked me. "You have been a little jumpy, like you want to tell me something." She smiled as if saying 'You know what I'm talking about'. I sighed. All my feelings came out at once. "It's only my first day of school, and I have a best friend, an enemy, and a guy who seems to really like me when I'm not even over my last lover and I get the feeling he isn't either." I sighed. I hadn't meant to say that last part.

I broke down, forgetting how to keep my feelings down I thought about Jake. Juliette patted my back. "So why did you come here if you really didn't want to?" She looked at me, waiting for an answer. I grabbed her arm and dragged her into the closet before closing the door and whispering my story to her.

"I used to live in Goldsliver, Colorado, where I grew up." She nodded following my story, but not yet realizing my distress. "I grew up with my best friend, Jake. I went to school and had a normal life. One month, my life changed, possibly for the better. My friend Marcie's ex-boyfriend broke my wrist and the next day, Marcie was kidnapped by him. Jake and I got her and this boy, Nick: who she'd kissed, out of there and I don't know where they are today. The following night Jake and his parents came over to my house for dinner with his parents. I live with just my mom, so it wasn't much trouble for them to come over."

She frowned for a moment then she aparently reconsidered and decided Cass was a friend of Astora's. Then she smiled as if she knew what was coming. "They came over that night and Jake said he had to talk to me. We walked up to my room and sat on my bed. He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in my hand. I opened my hand and saw a small locket. I smiled and put it around my neck. Then we heard three gunshots downstairs. I started as Jake pulled me into my closet. I started to freak out, but then Jake leaned down and kissed me. I was so surprised. I hope he's okay. I heard a creak outside and pushed him into the clothes, behind him. The door swung open in front of me and Astora and Cass were on the other side of the door. They grabbed my arms and dragged me downstairs and passed the bodies of Jake's parents and my mother. They were all three shot in the back. I tried not to cry, being forced away from my home town."

She looked at me incredulously. "That couldn't have really happened." She snorted into laughter, but stopped as I pulled out the locket. She gasped and went into shock for a few moments. Then I tucked the locket back into my shirt. "That locket is mezmerizing," She finally managed to choke out. I nodded slightly. It was a beautiful necklace. Then she seemed to notice the curtained french doors behind me. She stood up shakily after sitting on the floor while I told her my story. She walked over to the curtains and pulled one back. She gasped and threw the curtains open. Then she carefully opened the french doors and stepped out onto the balcony. I stepped out next to her and we both took off our socks and stood barefoot on the balcony. We leaned on the edge and she laughed as she took her hands of the rail and tried to look like the little mermaid. I joined her in laughing.

Then a man, her dad I was guessing came around her house calling for her. She giggled and yelled to him. "I'm up here, dad." He noticed her and waved. Then he saw me too. You must be one of our new neighors." He smiled. "Welcome to the neighborhood."

I smiled down at him. "Thank you!" He turned his head to talk to Juliette again. "Can you come back over to the house? You're cousin just called. He wants to talk to you." She groaned and walked back in to collect her things. I stepped back into the house and closed the french doors behind me. I turned to close the curtains. "So tell me about this cousin of yours." I turned and raised my eyebrows at her.

She turned her socks in her hands. "Well, I suppose he used to be a little cute. His parents were murdered, apparently, and no one can figure out who killed them, not even the best detectives in his state. So, he is coming to stay with us until they either clear his case so someone else will take him, or until he misbehaves to much and they have to send him to an adoption center. Then again, I haven't seen him in about three years, so I don't know what he will look like, or what he will act like. I'm actually kind of excited to meet him again." She smiled slightly. She left the closet to sit on my bed and pull on her socks and shoes. "Just warning you, he starts school tomorrow and he is in our grade." She then grabbed her satchel and hugging me before she left.