Chapter 14, Friends and family

*~~Eleanor~~*

She had been forced to attend yet another one of her mother’s garden parties. Being forced into cute dresses and wearing a mask of politeness was tiring. And besides, she hardly knew half of all the guests. Some she knew lived on the same street, some she had seen or met before, some she just knew by name and some she didn’t know existed. Many seemed to know about her though, “She has showed me loads of pictures of your beautiful face!” “I have not seen you since you were this big!” “Oh, she always talks about you!”.

Eleanor stood in the midst of everything, hoping no one would care to talk too much to her. But of course they did.

“You have such long, beautiful hair!” The woman of never ending empty compliments said.

“Thank you, but I do think your hair is very good, too.” That was a lie. That hairdo looked like something Leslie, her dog, had puked up.

“And that face! The boys compete for you, I believe.” Eleanor forced herself to laugh a little.

“No, they do not, I assure you.”

“Oh, you just have not seen them!”

“How can they see me when your daughter looks like a princess?” That was a lie. The daughter only looked average. The woman didn’t notice though, she just laughed.

“Joanne, I must take Eleanor away from you, we have not talked in ages!” Mrs. Lark snuck up behind the woman’s back, and the plump little woman laughed and walked away to hunt people who she thought would like her empty compliments. Eleanor didn’t know who she disliked the most, the plump woman or Mrs.Lark, her mother’s friend. Well, frenemies would be a better word.

“That hair is growing out beautifully!” Mrs. Lark said. “I must say, I sometimes wish my own hair to be like yours!” That was a lie. Everyone knew how proud she was over her own hair.

“Oh, no, Mrs. Lark!” Eleanor had to answer. “Your hair is much prettier than mine.” That was a lie, too. Her hair had the same color as feces. Mrs.Lark didn’t fool anyone with saying it was the same color as chocolate.

In Eleanor’s world, everyone trashed talked everyone. Though they didn’t call it trash talk or gossip, they said they were only discussing. Either way, you could be sure that everyone knew and talked about everything you did. When school started and Eleanor wouldn’t follow the neighborhood’s kids, but instead go to the same school as “normal” kids, she and her family would be on everyone’s lips. It was a miracle that she had been able to persuade her parents, in the first place.

She sat down on one of the sofas. The memories of Rurica hadn’t faded a bit, some nights she dreamt vivid dreams of running towards a big door, but not getting forward, while she heard screams from the room behind it. If she hadn’t met up with the other girls to practice, she would’ve had thought everything had just been a dream. She was glad it wasn’t. Yes, they had nearly died and she had never been that scared before and yes, they had screwed up, but the feeling...She loved it. Everything. Hopefully they would be sent away again soon. It was better than doing things like this. Pretending. She hated it. Loathed it. She wanted to get out of the horrible dress. She didn’t want to look at or eat the cupcakes anymore. And all these smiles and lies and empty compliments…She wanted to learn how to cook, too. She had cooked once before, but then her mother had found out and the servant had been fired on the spot. She had liked that servant, he let her be independent. She liked when people let her be independent.

She had made a great progress with her powers, now she could transform both her arms and lower body fast. Soon she would probably be able to transform fully. Scary thought, but, oh, so tempting. Then she could transform into a cat or something and sneak out of the house, always coming back, of course, otherwise her parents would get too worked-up.

Another woman interrupted her thoughts when she began to compliment Eleanor, the house and the garden. Of course, Eleanor smiled and thanked and complimented back, but in the back of her head the thoughts kept going. Repeating over and over and over again:

Next time will be different.

*~~Natalie~~*

Her mind drifted to Raenton for the twenty-fourteenth time. And of course her face felt like fire. She didn’t want to think about him. Well, okay, she did. But at the same time she didn’t. Every time she thought of him she got this warm, fuzzy, wonderful feeling. And she knew what that meant. She also knew that they could never be together. Never ever. And besides, he probably didn’t want to talk to them after what had happened. Limbs couldn’t grow back. Not even they could grow limbs back.

“Natalie!” Someone said and snapped their fingers in front of her face. “Hello?” The two girls and the café came back to her.

“Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean, too…”

“’Course not.” Sophie said. “We haven’t met in such a long time and now when we’re finally able to see you, you space out. That’s so you.” Natalie laughed a little, she didn’t know what to say, but it was true that it was ‘so her’. Laura nodded in agreement next to her.

“Anyways, as I was saying when someone spaced out,” It didn’t sound like a joke. “Anthony and I are going to go to my family’s summer house, and I want you to go, too.” Her family owned a pretty big summer house by the sea. And the house wasn’t something normal people could by. If they hadn’t won a huge sum of money, like Sophie’s dad had done.

“Me too?” Natalie said. She wasn’t usually invited to things like that. Sophie sighed.

“’Course you’re coming, too. You two have to share a room and sleep in a bunk bed, though.”

“That’s fine, but I’m taking the top bed!” Laura said and laughed.

“Of course.” Natalie just said and smiled. She knew better than to say anything, Laura was used to get what she wanted.

“Geez, you’re so weird sometimes, Natalie.” Sophie said and then turned to Laura to discuss the latest episode of a TV-show they watched and Natalie went back into her head again. The first image that appeared was Raenton’s face. She looked down so her friends wouldn’t be able to see her face and ask questions she didn’t want to, or could, answer. The next thing was Tegon. She felt so ashamed every time she thought of him. The betrayal was still fresh in her memory, but she just wanted it gone. She had apologized to the girls and they had said it was fine, but she knew some hadn’t forgiven her. And she couldn’t blame them.

“Natalie? Hi! Didn’t think I’d meet you here.” Natalie turned her head and saw Miranda standing next to the cafés fence.

“Who’re you?” Sophie asked with hostility.

“A friend of Natalie’s.” Miranda asked, but she didn’t turn to Sophie and Laura when she said it. “You haven’t forgotten about todays ‘meeting’, I hope?” Meeting? “I’m heading over there now; if you want to we can go there together.” At first she didn’t answer, she hadn’t heard anything about a ‘meeting’ today. She must have missed it. She excused herself and went to Miranda.

“Natalie! HEY!” Sophie screamed after her. “What meeting?”

“Sorry, I’ll explain later!” She had no idea how, though.

When they had walked around a corner Natalie dared to ask about the ‘meeting’. Why hadn’t she been told? No, she was sorry to have missed that it was today.

“Oh,” Miranda laughed. “I thought you understood, there isn’t anything today, but you looked so uncomfortable that I thought I should help you get away. Were those two the friends you’ve been talking about?”

“Um, yes, they are. But uncomfortable? I-I wasn’t. They’re my friends.” Miranda looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“Oh. Then I’m sorry.”
“Ah, it’s okay,” 

Awkward silence. Natalie should say something.

“What were you talking about? They seemed happy.” Miranda said.

She was relieved Miranda had asked such an easy question to answer.
”Yes, they were happy. I’m happy too, actually. Sophie, the one with dark brown hair, invited us to her summer house. I’m happy because I usually don’t get invited to things like that and…”

“What? You’re usually not invited? I thought you were best friends?”

Natalie didn’t answer at first, she had to choose her words carefully so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.

“Yes…but those two are better friends, and I usually find out that they have gone somewhere when they’re talking about it later.”

“They even have the nerve to talk about it in front of you?” Miranda sounded really angry. Natalie understood that it could seem mean, but if they wanted to go just the two of them, they could. It didn’t matter much. And who could stop them to talk about it later? “I’m beginning to wonder why you’re still hanging with them. Not that I’m one to talk, but still.”

“Why? But it’s not like they’ve done anything wrong. And they’re not mean.” Miranda looked at her with raised eyebrows again. “Sorry.” Natalie mumbled. She didn’t understand Miranda. Did she really seem to be uncomfortable when she was with Sophie and Laura? Did everyone think she felt that way? And in that case why? Miranda looked at her without saying anything. It made Natalie wondering if she had said something really wrong. She looked away and began to fidget with her t-shirt.

“If you say so.” Miranda said at last. “Well, I guess I can treat you to some ice cream, since I made you leave your friends and come with me.”

“Thanks, but it’s okay.”

When she came home later that day, her head wasn’t filled with memories of Rurica or Raenton or Tegon. It was filled with doubt. She thought about what Miranda had said. Was Natalie really not comfortable around Sophie and Laura? “I’m beginning to wonder why you’re still hanging with them”, she had said. Natalie had never thought about that. She had thought she liked being with them. Sure, sometimes they could say some hurting things, but that didn’t happen often. Or did it? She wasn’t sure anymore. And they had been friends since they were little kids. Well, they had met Laura later, but they had still known each other for such a long time. They would surely like to meet her tomorrow. To ask about Miranda. For the first time, Natalie wasn’t sure if she wanted to meet them.