7 yrs, Gone and Forgotten

Chapter 3: Sneaking Out

      The sun coming through the window came way to early when I opened my eyes inviting it in. I laid there for a few minutes taking several deep breaths trying to calm myself. Although I had slept, and I hadn’t been bothered by anyone after going to bed, I still felt off from the person I had been the morning before. Something was off and I couldn’t put my finger on it, however as much as I didn’t want to admit it, for the first time in seven years I was starting to feel like the person I was meant to be, the person I had been, and I wasn’t sure if I was excited or scared, but it didn’t take long to decide that I would never admit it to anyone, at least not until I figured out exactly what it all meant.

      The door cracked open, and I rolled over to see a dainty little arm stuck through and waving a white handkerchief that made me laugh.

      “Come in Mandy.” I giggled as she slowly opened the door and stepped in shutting the door behind her. I sat up and patted the bed beside me. “I won’t bite, come sit.”

     Like a little kid she bounced across the room and lunged around my neck embracing me in a hug. “I am so glad you are better this morning.” She squealed.

     Before I could say anything, she sat back and grabbed my cheeks looking me in the eyes, “Whoa, what happened to you?”

    I placed her arms down and shook my head, “What do you mean?”

    She waved her hand up and down as if tracing me from head to toe, “This, I mean your eyes are sparkling, your skin is glowing, and even your hair looks full of life and wild.”

     “Well, I just woke up, if that’s what you mean.” I laughed as I climbed out of bed and made my way over to the mirror. I starred deep into my eyes before looking myself from head to toe, maybe she was right, “Well maybe I just feel good, you know the seven-year cleanse or whatever.” I looked even more alive than I had before I went to bed, and my scars were even lighter.

     “I don’t know what it is, but you look alive, you look happy, and if the seven-year cleanse can do that, I can’t wait seven years.” She joked as she approached me from behind and turned me slowly to face her. “What happened last night? I mean we all know you aren’t one to be run over, but you also usually don’t confront people like that, you usually just walk away. You full on went hulk mode or something last night. Scared the crap out of Scott and Theo, I swear they never seemed so blown away by anyone, even some of the most dangerous men they have encountered.”

     I shrugged my shoulders, I know I didn’t scare them that bad, she was just making me feel good. “No idea what you mean. I just said what I meant, and no way can they make me do what they want.” I pointed to the bathroom, “Now I am going to go get ready, I believe we have a shopping trip in order for today before dinner tonight at the mansion.”

      “That we do, but don’t think this conversation is over with. And I have a surprise, we are sneaking out without the boys.” She whispered.

     “Oh, not again Mandy, you know what happened last time, and you made me promise we wouldn’t do that again.” I sighed.

     “Wish wash, we only live once, and we are two young girls in Paris who want to go shopping in broad daylight, what more could happen?” She laughed as she ran out of the room shutting the door behind her, leaving me to get ready.

     Thirty minutes later we were standing on the balcony of my room looking down at the small vacant alley below. I had a bad feeling about this, but Mandy was persistent and who was I to ruin her shopping day. I made sure to lock my bedroom door and turn the radio on, so it sounded and looked as if we were locked in my room. To us it was believable, but I knew that we were going to get caught.

      Mandy went down first, scaling the old lattice work that ran up the side of the building, once she was on the ground, I swung my legs over to grab the lattice and followed her down. Once we were both securely on the ground, we clung to the walls like two criminals as we crept out toward the back street where the guards wouldn’t see us. I couldn’t help but laugh when we entered the taxi that was already waiting on us because Mandy had called ahead of time.

     As soon as the car pulled out Mandy grabbed my phone, “Hey wait.” I tried to grab it from her hands.

    “Nope, they have trackers on our phones, we have to turn them off.” She said matter of fact like as she turned it off and handed it back to me. “Now mine.” She said as she followed suit with hers. She then leaned up to the cabby, “Now to the pavilion please.”

     He shook his head, and I squeezed her hand gaining her attention, I really had a bad feeling now. “We can’t go there.”

     She leaned back and smiled at me, “Oh we can, and we are. Look its daylight, there will be lots of people, and we will be fine. Besides I go places all the time by myself and nothing ever happens, and you always have twiddle de and twiddle dumb on your tail.” I opened my mouth to speak, and she placed her finger over my lips, “Nope, now last time we were without them was like what three years ago and a fight broke out, it wasn’t our fault, we can’t help it when guys flirt with us and we tell them no and they don’t listen. We aren’t going to be with any drunk guys today so there should be no violence.”

      I don’t know why but a feeling of self-confidence washed over me, I suddenly felt like I could do it on my own, I didn’t need anyone to protect me, and that was exactly what we were going to do, we were going to do it on our own. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.”