Ugly Secrets, Pretty Lies

Five

I lied back on my bed, rubbing a hand on my stomach. Sitting on the floor, Lily giggled a little, looking at me.

 "You act as if you're pregnant," she said. 

I scowled and sat up, then stood. "Shut up," I grumbled, stretching. 

Harper glanced at us."We should get ready for the party." 

"It's nearly seven. We won't get there in time," I said.

 "Ever heard of being fashionably late?" Lily says, standing up. 

"I don't really have any good clothes for a party," I mumbled, avoiding my best friends' eyes. 

Lily looked at me, a look of pity on her face. "You can borrow some of mine's or Harper's." 

Harper nodded. "Let's go to my place," she said, turning and walking out of my room. 

I brightened a little, grabbing my key and putting it in my pockets. "Okay."

We ran out of my house and I locked the doors. Harper's place was just a few houses away so we got there in no time. Harper unlocked the front door and stepped in. Lily and I followed her, me shutting the door after I went in.

"'Harper , is zat you?" a voice called from somewhere.

 "Yes, Mom!" Harper called back. 

I skipped into the kitchen. Harper's mother was there, stirring a bowl of melted chocolate and some other things. 

"Hello, Mrs. Pośey," Lily and I both said. 

Mrs. Pośey swooped over and kissed both our cheeks. Then she said, "I 'ave told you many timez, darlings, zat you can call me Cadence. No Mizzes Pośey from you two."

 Lily and I nodded. Cadence is Harper's mother's first name and she always insisted that's what we call her, but Lily and I would always forget. Guess I'll just have to commit it to memory now. Harper's mother is French and her father is American. Her mother has an accent and it sounds clear when she talks. But she's an awesome baker and I love to eat her goods. 

Harper went over to her mother and leaned up kissing one side of her mother's cheek. "Mama." 

"Sweetie," Cadence said in reply, kissing Harper's cheek as well. 

"We're going to a party tonight, Mama, so we probably won't be back until late. That okay with you?" Harper said. 

Cadence waved a hand airily at her. "Zat is fine, just don't dreenk  too much."

 "You know we won't." 

The oven timer pinged and Cadence went over, pulling on the oven gloves. She opened the over and took out a tray of pastries. The heavenly smell filled the kitchen, filling our noses. I breathed in deeply. 

"Oh, it smells so good, Cadence!" Lily squealed. 

Cadence laughed a little and placed the tray onto the kitchen table. "We still 'ave to decorate zem. Do you want to 'elp me?" She placed several small bowls down on the tray and handed each of us a small spreading knife. 

"You'll actually trust us to do this?" Harper asked her mother.

 Cadence smiled slightly. "Why not?" 

At that, I dipped my knife into the bowl of melted chocolate and started spreading it on a pastry. I very carefully spread it around and on the edges,  asking sure to cover the whole top party. Then I grabbed a small handful of rock sugar and sprinkled it on top of the pastry. I looked to the left of me and saw Lily, with a very focus look on her face, decorating her pastry with different color frostings. The left side has a chocolate spread, next to it is a pinkish spread which I can assume to be made of strawberry, and next to the strawberry icing is a white kind of spread. Probably whipped cream. Lily seems very focused so I decided not to interrupt her. On my right, Harper was decorating her pastry with mounds of M'Ms and rock sugar. I could hear her humming under her breath. Across from me, Cadence was decorating the pastries with speed. Her hands dipped in and out of different bowls and onto the pastries. I love the way she decorates her goods. I also love watching her and admire the way she does everything. 

The silence was broken by the loud slam of a door and stomping. Cadence looked up, her brows furrowed. "Zat must be Lance" she says, referring to Harper's fifteen year old brother. 

Lily sat up, a bit startled, just as Lance walked into the kitchen, still stomping. 

Harper looked up. "Stop the stomping, would you?" 

Lance ignored her and pulled out a chair aggressively, flopping down. He dropped his backpack from his hands and slouched down.

"What's ze matter, cher," Cadence asked, placing a pastry in front of him. It was decorated with melted chocolate and strawberry bits. 

"Probably didn't make the football team," Harper muttered. 

Lance shot Harper a glare. "I did make the team, but I didn't make quarterback. Apparently, someone else is better then me." 

"Oh, cher, what a shame," Cadence says. 

Lance attacked the pastry with vicious bites, tearing a bit of the flaky crust off. Harper snorted. Lance shot her another glare, stuffing the rest of the pastry into his mouth. Cadence moved behind him and ruffled his hair.

 "Just work your 'ardest, Lance. You might make quarterback yet, you know." Lance stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Cadence sighed a little. 

Lily chuckled lightly and took a bite of the pastry she decorated. 

"Looks like someone puked on it," I remarked.

 Lily's pastry, other then the different color frostings, had strawberries, edible pearls, and vanilla sprinkles. She shoved me slightly and I stumbled a little. I shoved her back and she swatted at my hand. 

"You 'ave a party to get to, do you not?" Cadence reminded us.

 "Oh right!" I stood up and dashed up the stairs to Harper's room. I heard steps behind me. 

"We're going to be so late," Harper muttered.

 "Fashionably late," Lily corrected. 

"Same thing!" I shouted, bursting into Harper's room and flinging open her closet.

*

So how do you like everything so far? Do you like Harper's mother? I wanted to make her father Italian but changed to American. Don't ask me why. I don't know why. I'm weird like that. I know it's a lot of chapters before the party and all, but just please bear with me, okay, lovelies? Thank you very much! 

Don't forget to V O T E, C O M M E N T, and F A N!

Thank you!