One Last Chance

Five: Everything, but love

Pascaline

My phone's ringtone wakes me up and I groan as I struggle to reach for it. I hang up because I'm still sleepy and I don't want a distraction.

The caller doesn't give up though, because immediately I hang up, the person calls again. I pick it my eyes still closed.

"Hallo?"

"Why am I the last person to know you're back?"

Tiffany. I mentally slap myself. I knew those journalists would go publishing how I'm back in the country.

"Hello sister?"

"But seriously why didn't you tell me you are coming back."

"It was supposed to be a surprise." I lie because she will keep nagging me and I just want to sleep some more.

"And I'm really surprised, so are we meeting or what?"

"Of course, we should meet up for lunch. I'll talk to Seline."

"And I'll call Angie, you just don't know how eager I am to see you." I smile when she says that.

We've grown so close, I never thought we would get along, given that she found out she was the legal child and I was an impostor. In fact she said she cared less about that and that she wouldn't ask for any other sister.

Honestly, I feel the same way about her. The one that was supposed to be my real sister is my sworn enemy and the other one I was accused for her murder. So Tiffany is the only sister I can count on.

"Are you still there?"

"Of course, where else would I be?" I sacarstically ask her.

"I was saying, I'm not sure if Angie will come, she has been avoiding us for a while."

"She will, I'll talk to her instead." I tell her and hang up after that.

It's normal for them to grow apart, I was the only one that linked them together because I knew the three of them personally but without me, each one of them just focused on their own lives.

I check the time, it's almost eleven. I overslept. I was so exhausted last night. I'm tempted to get back to sleep but I have a lot of things that I'm supposed to do so I get out of bed and head for the shower. I take a moment to look at myself in the mirror. My eyes are a little swollen from all the crying, but it's nothing make up can't hide.

I sort of cried myself to sleep, but I promised  myself one thing, that was the last time I was ever going to cry over Trevor. I let it all out, the anger and pain, the heartbreak, and I swore I wouldn't let whatever he does with his life affect me anymore. I'm going to focus on making my life better. He doesn't matter anymore. After all I won't be here for so long. I will focus on making everything in my life better, but not Love. That's a chapter I closed off four years ago.

Once I'm done with the movie business and the clothing line, I will be out of this place, if I stay away I won't get hurt. Sometimes leaving helps in the healing process and making one forget. It was helping, until I received the news of his marriage. But I've made a decision not to care anymore. He doesn't care about me, so I shouldn't.

After a warm shower I put on a white and brown summer dress and a pair of matching flip flops. It's a sunny day so this will do just perfectly. I won't be having any meetings until tomorrow, so I can spend today catching up with old friends. I do minimum make up, and since my hair is fully grown I always go natural.

When I walk downstairs, the smell of pancakes hits my nose, it makes my stomach grumble. The last time I ate was in the plane, so I'm very hungry. Seline is in the kitchen with her headphones on as she dances to something. She's flipping the pancakes happily. She seems to be happier than normal.

She yelps when she turns and finds me looking at her.

"You scared me." She says as she takes off the headphones.

"Good morning."

"It's past morning." She says as she flips the pancake. It smells so sweet.

"Not yet." I walk to the fridge and pour myself a glass of juice.

"I see you've woken up looking good." I nod.

I know I looked like a mess last night so she didn't expect I would get out of bed looking this hopeful.

"I realized that, it's me that matters most and I need to take care of myself. I don't care about what happened in the past. Or what my ex boyfriend is doing with his life."

"Good."

"So, tell me, why are you so excited?" This is so unlike her. I pull out the seat and sit comfortably.

"Nothing." She quickly replies which makes me eager to know what it is.

There's definitely something.

"Come on Seline, share the good news."

She looks at me and the grin on her face widens.

"Charlie proposed!" She shows me her ring finger and I'm on my feet jumping and screaming in excitement.

"Oh my God!

Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"When did he propose?" I hold her hand and scan the ring admirably. It's golden and I must say, it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen.

"Last night, we met for dinner after you slept off and he proposed, I'm so excited."

Not as excited as I am. I can't believe that finally they are getting married. This two have had the craziest of all relationships and how they managed to make it work is what still surprises me.

I always thought Charlie would leave her but every time he left, he always sought a way of getting back together with her. Theirs is the only toxic relationship that I've watched survive.

They really do love each other.

"I'm so happy for you." I pull her into a hug.

There's nothing as good as watching your friend get engaged, it's one of the best feeling in the world.

The smell of burning food, pulls us from our happy moment and she runs to turn off the cooker. We both laugh at the smoky kitchen.

"This calls for a celebration." I tell her as I walk to the cabinet and pick the finest wine she has and two wine glasses.

"I called the girls and asked them to meet us for lunch, we can celebrate my engagement as we also celebrate your coming back."

I pour her a glass of wine and do the same to mine.

"A toast to your engagement." I make to toast my wine glass with hers but she stops me.

"No, we should toast to happiness." I can't agree less. All we want is some happiness.

"To happiness." We click our glasses together.

***

Tiffany is already at the table when we walk into the restaurant, she is always good at keeping time. That's one thing I learnt from her while we were growing up. Anytime dad asked for a meeting she would get there thirty minutes earlier than the stated time.

She stands up and hastily walks to hug me when she sees us. She doesn't look so different, she still has her small beautiful body.

"Early bird ha?"

"My weakness."

She hugs Seline and we both sit down.

"Where is Angie?"

"She isn't here yet, said she's still on her way." I know I always come late for my meetings, but Angie is worse than me.

Tiffany keeps staring me and I have to ask her, because she is making me feel uncomfortable.

"Why are you staring me?"

"You've changed." I chuckle at that. I know I haven't changed one bit.

"How."

"You've grown thicker, what in the hell are you eating?" Seline bursts a laughter when she says that.

This people don't mean I'm fat, I admit I've grown to love food, especially French dishes, but I also work out so, they shouldn't tell me that. They are worrying me.

"Seline doesn't think I've grown thicker."

"Actually honey, you have, you're almost looking like your ex boyfriend's daughter." My heart does a skip when she mentions that but I quickly brush off the feeling.

He doesn't matter anymore

I remind myself, the promise I made to myself.

"Sunshine." Tiffany cuts in.

"Yea, that one."

"That one is obese, I've gained just a little weight."

"Your cheeks are chubby and well, generally you're fat." I swear I feel like punching Tiffany right now. She is having fun but I'm not enjoying any of it.

I stretch my arm to smack her just when the waiter walks in to take our orders.

"I'll have a milkshake and fries." I make my order while Seline and Tiffany order fried rice. That's the worst meal someone can eat in a restaurant.

"Now I know why you're growing fat, it's because of junk food." Tiffany says and Seline laughs even more.

Honestly there is nothing funny about one gaining weight.

"Seline you don't think I'm fat, do you?"

She eyes me funnily before she takes my hand in hers.

"To be honest, you've grown thick." I snatch my hand away and smack her. She laughs, she was supposed to be on my side.

"But you didn't tell me last night." She should have noticed the change when she saw me last night.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings, besides you weren't in the mood." She's actually right, but I know they are joking. They should be joking.

I frown and pull out my phone. I'm not going to entertain their jokes.

"She's mad at us." Tiffany tells Seline who chuckles.

"That was supposed to be a joke."

I can't tell the sigh breath a release.

"But you look different. Different good."

"What she means to say is that, life has been good to you." I smile when they tell me that. That was such a relief. Nothing against being thick, but I love my body more.

The waiter walks back in with our orders just when Angie also walks in. If this people thought I had changed, Angie has changed totally. She's glowing. She is in a ripped pair of blue jeans and a white tank top. Matched with a pair of white heels. She looks so elegant.

"Hey ladies?"

"Hey Angie." Seline and I reply but Tiffany is quiet.

"Why are you so late?" Tiffany ambushes her, the moment she's seated.

"Traffic." She answers her lightly. Like she doesn't even care.

"I called you early and told you about the meeting, you should have come earlier." She raises her voice at her.

Okay, what's up with Tiffany?

It's not like she's that late, besides we also came in late.

Seline and I both look at her surprised, I totally don't understand what is going on right now.

"I'm sorry I came late, it's not like I expected Pascale would be back in the country, you guys should have told me earlier."

"And I did that." This two seem to be having unresolved issues.

"Okay guys what's going on?" Seline asks.

"Angie should tell us where she really was, you were with him weren't you?" That question is so accusing.

"Who is, him?" I turn to look at Angie and she is giving Tiffany a warning look.

"Tell us Tiffany, the guy you've been screwing behind our backs."

Whoa!

This is more than I thought it was.

"Why would the person she screws be our business?" Seline asks absent mindedly.

"When the person happens to be very close to one of us, in love even, then it should be our business." When Tiffany says that it catches my attention.

"Who is this person we are talking about?"

My eyes are so focused on Tiffany.

"Joe."

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