58
58
"You're related to Brian?" I exclaimed, doubting the girl in front of me. She must be messing around and thought she could fool me.
"So, are you gonna get dressed or...?" She completely ignored my question.
"How are you related to Brian?"
"He's my brother, okay? So, how about you shower and get dressed, I made reservations."
"Brother? Hah! He's an only child!" I knew this girl was full of bull.
"Ouch! Was that what he told people? I'm hurt!"
Well, I don't really remember we talked about him being an only child, but if he ever had any siblings, he would've mentioned it, right? I mean, we were friends in college, we talked almost every day, I would know if he had a sister.
"He never mentioned anything about having a sister, I would know, we were very close during college, well, up to now."
I guess?
Boredom is very visible in Audrey's face. Like this conversation and the topic is irrelevant for her.
"Can you just fix yourself? I'll tell you all about it over dinner. I told you I made reservations." She said throwing her head to the back of my couch.
Dinner?
"Didn't you say coffee? I agreed for a coffee, not for an entire meal."
"Oh my god!!!" Audrey groaned.
But before she could say anything more, my phone which was on the center table rang.
"Who is your Boss, really? Was it Al?"
Audrey, who was now leaning over my center table asked.
"None of your business!" I snatched my phone and went to my room, I closed the door before answering the call.
"Hey!" I greeted her.
"Hi!" I could hear the weakness in her voice.
"How do you feel?" I asked her worried.
"Hungry." She chuckled. "Weak but okay, how are you? How was the get-together last night?"
I leaned my back behind my door before speaking.
"It's fine I guess, I mean, I left early so I don't really know how it went." I joked. "Will you be here on Monday?"
"I don't know yet, have to go back to my Doctor tomorrow and see if she'll let me travel. Did you-"
"Cara! Let's go!"
We were interrupted by a loud banging on my door and Audrey's screaming on the other side.
"Who was that?" I heard Alex asking.
"Oh, It's umm... It's one of the interns." I was planning to lie but thought it wouldn't come out right.
"Interns? Did she spend the night there?"
"What? No!" I answered almost immediately.
"Then, what is she doing there?" There was a hint of curiosity and annoyance in Alex's voice. Can't blame her, I was annoyed too.
"We're actually gonna have coffee but I completely forgot about it, she came here to pick me up."
"Ohh."
There was silence for about 30 seconds before she broke it.
"Anyway, go. I'll text you later."
"Alex?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know Audrey? She's one of the interns and-"
"Was that Audrey in your apartment??" The way she asked that, I felt like, she suddenly sat up on her bed, her facial features hardened and if I am to guess, she knows her.
"So do you know her?" I still asked.
"You cannot have coffee with her, Cara! Do. Not. Go. Out. With. Her!!!"
Scared. Is what I felt hearing Alex forbid me to have coffee with Audrey.
"Al-"
"Did you hear me, Cara? I don't hear you saying yes to what I said!"
"Why are you yelling? Don't use all your energy, you're already weak, Alex. And who is she? She told me she was Brian's sister, but that's bullshit, right?"
"Cara, can you promise me you won't go with her? Please?"
I don't get why she was acting like this all of a sudden, it's making me feel like Audrey was kind of a criminal for me to avoid.
"Okay, yeah. I won't, I promise."
I heard Alex sighing deeply on the other line.
"Alex?" I called on her.
Audrey was banging on my door for the second time and screaming for me to get out of the room.
"In a minute!" I pulled the phone a little bit away from me and yelled at her.
"Can you kick her out of your apartment and call me back?" Alex said after a while.
"Okay. Just 2 minutes, okay? Don't sleep yet, I mean, I know you're tired but wait for me."
"I will, just kick her out."
I hung up the phone and opened my bedroom door.
"Finally!" Audrey exclaimed. "I'm starving!"
"You need to leave." I grabbed her by the arm and walked her to the door.
"Wait, what?" I know she was dumbfounded but I got no choice but to throw her out.
"I'm sorry, the coffee or dinner, it's not gonna happen. I need you to leave." I literally brought her by the arm and threw her out of my place, and shut the door to her face.
Do I feel bad? Yes.
Did I choose Alex over her? Of course.
Was I unreasonable to her? Yes.
Do I care? Not really. She was annoying anyway.
I locked the door and went back to my bedroom. I dialed Alex's number, and in just one ring, she answered.
"Did she leave?" The first thing she said.
"Yeah."
"On her own will?"
"No, I threw her out."
"Did you really?"
"Yeah."
The next thing I hear is her bursting out of laughter. I had to wait several seconds for her to be done with her outburst.
"Are you gonna tell me who is this girl?" I asked after she was done laughing.
"Fine, yes! She is Brian's sister. We don't talk about her and we really don't know her. I mean, ever since we were kids, she did nothing but just give headaches to their parents. She used drugs when she was thirteen, went to rehab, then as soon as out, she was back to her ways. She was stealing, even the stuff in their house and she would sell it for her to have money to buy drugs. She was sent to study abroad, but did the same thing." Alex paused for a while, probably giving me time to process all the information she just said.
"She was the black sheep of Brown and Williams Clan. Nobody in our family wants to even be acquainted with her. Not that we're being, you know... It's just that, she has done nothing right. And the main reason I don't want you mingling with her is... She's... Well, she's a lesbian. She was very pretty and even with her addiction and bad ways, girls were throwing themselves at her, and I just, I don't know, maybe I was just worried that you would like her, she could be very charming if you don't know her, you know."
I let it all in.
Brian has a sister that I think even Claire didn't know. It's not that it's a big deal, it's just shocking to learn all this.
"Cara?"
"Yeah, I'm here. Well, you have nothing to worry about, like really. She was annoying, that was the first thing I felt about her, nowhere near charming I tell you that."
I heard Alex sighing again but with relief this time.