Into the Velvet

Thirteen Days Until

It was far past midnight, and I was far from tired. I was hot and tense and close. Building to something that would shatter me. My fingers were shaking as I reached for the buzzing phone by the coffee table.

"Bianca!" I greeted her, overenthusiastically, trying to hide my shortness of breath. "What's up?"

Bianca sounded pleased to hear my voice, considering how long she'd been trying to reach my mobile. "Hey. Do you still have Mrs. Tucci's key pass to the school? I left my purse in my locker."

I swallowed and tried to find my words. Trying to think through the fog in my brain. It wasn't working.

"Yes! God, yes. It's on my... in my..."

Henry must've overhead Bianca's words. He jerked his head up. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the fabric of my skirt still bunched tightly between his fingers. "Alaine gave you her key?" he whispered. "Why on Earth would she do that?"

"So I can set up for school events," I mouthed back. "And because she trusts me and thinks I'm great."

"I think you're great too," he argued, just above a whisper, "but I wouldn't give you my key if you pissed on it."

Okay. This was neither the time nor place for that. I huffed, yanking my dress back down and scrambling off the couch. "Bianca, are you still there?" I asked. I left Henry shaking his head and muttering what sounded like "raging hypocrite", hair all tousled and wild, as I turned towards the kitchen.

"Yeah dude," she replied. "What's with all the whispering?"

"It's nothing," I lied. "I'm out—just, uh, drop by my house and tell my mom what you're after. The keys should be in my bedroom. Top drawer."

Inquisitor Bianca was quick to find holes in a story. "Okay? So... where are you now?"

"Looking at colleges. I'm on the train home." I crossed my fingers behind my back.

"Huh." She sounded unconvinced. "Then I'll just wait till you're back."

"No!" I cried, then realised my mistake. I coughed. As far as my mother was concerned, I was staying over at Sami's place. I couldn't risk blowing my cover. My blundering attempts at deception were backfiring.

Bianca's silence was deafening.

This had to be rectified — fast. "Okay, or you could wait." I laughed, trying to diffuse her suspicion. "Maybe tomorrow? I'll bring the key to you."

"No, Louise. I'm heading to Chicago tonight. The rich mom I've been babysitting for asked me to watch her son while she goes back to work. Round the clock pay, baby. Don't you remember me mentioning it? Multiple times?"

"You're babysitting again? Since when?" I asked, instantly regretting it.

There was a pause on the other line. When Bianca spoke again, she sounded curt. "Since a month ago. Since October. Actually, on second thought, I think I'll be fine. Thanks anyway."

I closed my eyes and banged my forehead against the wall where a photo frame once hung, in several successions. Where were all of Henry's pictures? Didn't matter. I was the worst kind of idiot — I was a selfish one. "Sorry Bianca. I'm sorry I forgot. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye." The disconnecting tone was swift to follow. I sighed.

A rubber object caught the corner of eye, left abandoned on the hallway floor. Green and circular. The missing piece of a toy.

"Want me to fix you a drink?" said the person hovering over my shoulder.

Earlier on, Henry and I had kicked off the rest of our night with a home cooked meal. And that meant that I had to teach a fully grown man how to preheat his own oven, and how to tell when the pasta was ready.