A Deceitful Kiss

It was cold out. The cobblestone pathway was sleeked with ice. It made running an issue. But I was late. ‘Damn, this cursed weather’, I whispered under my breath, smoke escaped my mouth. I shrugged my coat closer to my body and walked faster. I reached home, the familiar red roses that edged the path to the door greeted my presence, and they too were covered in ice. The lights were darkened. This is did not alarm me. I was late and so my mother gave up waiting. It couldn’t have been long ago though; I could see the flicker of fire through the window. It had not turned to ashes yet. I reached the door and turned the handle. The house seemed eerily quiet. It was usual to hear my sister climbing through her window. It always surprised me that my parents never heard her clomping around, she wasn’t one for subtle. Yet, I heard nothing tonight. Not a strange occurrence, she was probably still out. I saw the fire burning away, smoke climbed the chimney. Slowly, I walked up the dark-stained, wooden staircase. The hallway was dimly lit by the moonlight through the windows. I could just see my door at the end of the corridor. I turned the handle, its familiar creak made me feel at home. My room was small, not that I minded. It made it feel cosy and warm despite the chill outside. It was still quiet, which didn’t make me feel good about the morning. ‘I am going to be yelled at’. My voice sounded louder in the silence. I took off my jacket and hung it up. My feet were sore. And as I took off my boots, I could feel the ache the cold weather brought to them. I lied down on my bed and pulled my throw blanket over me. My eyes were tired.

My eyelids started to droop when I heard a loud thump, like huge books falling from a shelf. I went out to inspect. I saw a silhouette stalking in the gaps where the moon didn’t hit. I grabbed the umbrella resting against the hall table and held it up to the intruder. Suddenly, they spoke, ‘What are you doing, tart?’ I lowered the weapon and sighed, ‘I thought you were an intruder. What are you doing tip-toeing around anyway? You’re as loud as a moose, you’ll wake Papa’. My sister huffed. ‘My window was stuck; I had to thump it open. And now, I’m getting a drink, if that’s okay with you? Anyway, what are you doing awake, Lily? Or did missy goody two-shoes stay out late too?’ I rolled my eyes. I walked back to my room; I could hear my sister following me. Her footsteps sounded like hooves on concrete. ‘Sssshhh, Anne! Do you have to stomp?’ Everyone called my sister Anne, despite her name being Adrianne, it was just easier. ‘Oh, get over it. Mama and Papa haven’t heard anything in the last two years, what makes you think they’ll start now?’ I sat down on my bed; my sister beside me. ‘Where did you go tonight?’ she asked. ‘Nowhere,’ I replied, no way I was telling her, she’s not exactly known for her keeping secrets. ‘Oh, come on’, she insisted. I lied down and curled up in my blanket. My sister stayed silent, probably sensing my reluctance to talk. Eventually, I felt weight lift off the bed. She wasn’t mad with me for not telling her. She knew I would at some point; I couldn’t keep things from her. But this time, I wanted to keep this to myself. ‘Goodnight, Lily-Bear’, she whispered, and the door closed behind her. Only she could call me that. Nobody else could, not even Mama. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.

I woke to the sun on my face. The sun illusioned me into thinking it was no longer winter. A chill rolled over me, and I sighed at the realization that it was in fact still winter. I went over to the window and shut it. I heard rumbling downstairs and assumed my parents were waking. I dreaded what awaited me. I went to my bathroom and undressed. As my dress hit the floor, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I turned the shower on and felt the water splash from the floor over my toes as I waited for the water to turn hot. I got in, and let the water fall over me like rain as I remembered some of last night.

I met Judy at the park. Her short, blonde curls were blowing in the wind. A scowl overwhelmed my face, I had always envied her. She had bright, blue eyes, and despite her hair colour, her skin was the perfect olive that only Spanish or Latino women inherit. But she was neither. She grew up right here in London with me. We’ve been friends since primary school. I quickly changed my grimace into a smile as I approached her. ‘Lily! I almost thought you weren’t going to show,’ she said with a smile. ‘It was harder than I thought convincing my parents of where were going’. ‘Or where we aren’t’, she said with a wink. I smiled. It was hard lying to my parents, but there was no way they would let me go otherwise. They never really liked Judy. She was known for going to parties with boys or skipping school. And my parents believed she was a bad influence on me, since the time she convinced me to kiss Billy, the boy who used to live next door. After that my parents kept a close eye on me whenever she was around. Which is why saying ‘I’m going to a party with Judy’, just wasn’t going to cut it. In the end I told them I was hanging out with another friend from school, one whom my parents wished I was friends with, when in fact I’m not. That would be Shelly; her mother is friends with my Mama. I practically grew up with her. That doesn’t mean she’s not the world’s biggest dork, and that I’d rather die than be friends with her. There was one time where a voodoo doll with Judy’s face on it fell out of Shelly’s locker; it had pins stuck into its heart. Shelly swore up and down that it wasn’t hers. But we all knew. She was into that stuff. A complete freak. Yet, even though I am not friends with her at school, doesn’t mean I don’t tell my Mama she is, just for such occasions like this.

Judy and I walked along the street, flakes of snow filled the air, but the pavement hadn’t become treacherous with ice yet. We were going to a party at Angela Castle’s house. She lived past Ridgewood way in a mansion-like home. Her parents were rich because her dad owned an oil company or something. Angela doesn’t like me much. It is because I am outspoken and not under her thumb like everyone else at Ridgewood Private. Judy has told me to try to get along with her, so she could invite me to parties, and I had tried. But that girl is impossible. This was going to be a big party, so Judy thought I wouldn’t get noticed if I hid amongst the crowd and stayed away from Angela. We reached the house or mansion, whatever one wants to call it. Already, pretty much everyone was drunk. Daniel from art class was passed out on the lawn. Judy and I went inside, immediately Judy disappeared into the sea of boy’s arms, and I was forgotten. That typical of her, once a guy caught her eye, she would even forget her own mother’s name. I wandered out the backyard, or should I say football oval. It could house my little cottage of a home five times over. I sat in a beach chair by the pool. It’s clear, blue waters shimmered under the mood light and I found myself in a trance. I heard muffled voices, but ignored them. Then someone tapped me, and I almost fell out of the chair. An arm grabbed me so I stayed put. I looked up and stared straight into dark, brown eyes. ‘Hey, sorry to startle you. I said hello, but you didn’t respond, so I assumed you might be catatonic’. His hair was dark and slicked back, and not much taller than me. I’m not bragging about my height, but I was taller than most girls my age. ‘Are you okay’, he asked when I didn’t respond. ‘I’m fine’, I said finding my words. He was about to say something else, when we heard yelling. I dragged my eyes away for his long enough to see Angela stomping, in a drunk sort of way, over to him. ‘Aden, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be manning the bar, people are thirsty – ‘, she was about to say something else, or demand him to go to the bar at once. If it was either I wasn’t going to find out, because at that moment she recognized who he was standing with. Her brows furrowed. ‘What are you doing here, Willy?’ Yes, it’s a classic nickname. I didn’t mention she was a brains trust. ‘Ahh, um, huh?’ I was lost for words, mostly because I wouldn’t really think of any quick enough before she said, ‘I didn’t invite you! Get out of my house!’ She turned to Aden then and said, ‘what are you doing hanging out with this trash? Did you invite her?’ Before he could respond, she stormed off, no doubt to find another bar manager. He turned to me, and once again I met his eyes. The wind swept through his hair, made me think he could’ve been a model. He was gorgeous, and Angela’s brother. So I immediately hated him.

The shower water turned cold, and I was shocked back to the present. I stepped out and looked into the mirror, and prepared myself for what I was about to face downstairs.