Blaire stood on her tip toes and looked at herself in the mirror. She searched through her duffle bag of old clothes to find something perfect. She finally settled on a short black dress with a grungy floral print. She threw on a cardigan nearly 3 times her size, a pair of dark tights, and a pair of dirty oxford shoes. She'd spent an hour perfecting her hair, taming the mess and making it look presentable.
Addy had helped her in the kitchen baking zucchini bread. She'd even made sure Addy didn't spit in the food.
Everything needed to be perfect.
Blaire took a deep breath and hustled down the stairs. She swooped up the wrapped zucchini bread she'd hid out of Addy's reach. She left the jail of a house she'd been cooped up in for the past few days and gracefully walked over to the house. She knocked a few times on the door, then stood and waited.
When the door swung open, Blaire was face to face with who she assumed to be Mrs. Harmon. The day Blaire first arrived, Constance spent nearly all evening telling Blaire how much she despised the rats in the Harmon family. Of course, Blaire didn't believe her. Constance's love for exaggeration and gossip wasn't new to Blaire.
Mrs. Harmon was beautiful, even as she stood cautiously in the frame.
"Hello," Blaire offered first, with a smile. "I'm Blaire Stafford. I just moved in next door. I thought I'd come by and introduce myself."
"Next door?" Mrs. Harmon questioned. "I didn't know there were any houses for sale…"
"There aren't," Blaire clarified. "I'm staying with Constance until I can find a place of my own. She's an old family friend."
"Oh. I see."
Blaire held up the plate, "I made you some zucchini bread. It's all organic, I hope you don't mind."
"Thank you," Mrs. Harmon smiled. "I'm Vivian, by the way. Would you like to come in?"
She accepted with a nod and followed Vivian through the house. She walked in a quiet stupor, amazed by the gravity the house had on her after all these years. She was still mesmerized by every inch of every room. When they got to the kitchen, Vivian offered Blaire a seat.
"Thank you for inviting me in," Blaire said. "I've been trapped inside Constance's house. Spending more than three minutes with that woman makes me crazy, so you could only imagine how I've felt lately."
Vivian chuckled. She was slicing up the bread. "Oh, I know. Want a piece?" Blaire nodded. "So, do your parents not live around here?"
"My parents are dead."
"Oh," Vivian frowned. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Blaire shrugged it off. "It happened a long time ago. My Mom… she shot herself when I was 8. My Dad didn't take it very well. He started drinking. His liver couldn't handle it. Just a few years ago, he passed away."
Her father didn't die while she was alive, but she couldn't tell Mrs. Harmon that.
"I'm so sorry, Blaire," Vivian said genuinely. "That must've been really hard for you."
"We weren't very close- my father and I. I was actually travelling when I heard the news he passed away. I was in Italy, actually."
"You don't look that old. You couldn't have travelled alone."
"My aunt went with me," Blaire lied. "My family is originally from Florida. She really wanted me to move down there with her and her husband, but I really wanted to come back to California."
Vivian nodded and leaned against the counter, "I hope this isn't too forward of me, but you seem like a wonderful girl. I cringe at the thought of you spending all day with Constance. Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"I'd love to," Blaire smiled. "The less time I spend with Constance, the better."
Vivian and Blaire spent the better part of the afternoon together. It was the bonding time Vivian never got with Violet. Vivian coaxed information out of Blaire, and for the most part, Blaire was honest. She went into the house thinking Vivian was a bitch. Ten minutes with her reassured her that she shouldn't trust Constance's judgment.
As the day progressed and both women's stomachs grumbled, they headed off to the organic market. When they arrived back at the house, Violet was in the kitchen with her head hidden in the refrigerator.
Vivian set down the bags on the counter, "Violet, I want you to meet someone."
Violet turned. She tried to hide her surprise as Vivian introduced Blaire.
"I've heard so much about you," Blaire smiled as she gave Violet a lifeless stare.
"Yeah. Okay."
"Violet, be nice! Blaire is a guest in our house and our new neighbor."
"Not my problem," Violet grunted. She rolled her eyes one last time before stalking out of the room. The sound of her heavy boots hitting the stairs drifted through the house.
"I'm sorry about that," Vivian apologized. "She is a little moody."
"I was her age not too long ago," Blaire shrugged. "I know what it feels like. I think Violet and I have a lot in common, actually. I'd love to get to know her a little more."
"Good luck with that," Vivian chuckled.
"Where's your bathroom at?" Blaire asked, even though she knew the answer.
Vivian gave her simple directions, and she excused herself. She walked up the stairs and passed the bathroom. She checked the bedrooms until there was only one left. She opened the door without knocking to see Violet lying on the floor. The Smiths played in the background.
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" Violet cursed, jumping up to her feet and stomping over to Blaire.
Without blinking, Blaire grabbed her by her shirt and pushed her up against the wall.
"Listen here, you little slut. You may hate your shitty life, but I hate it even more. I'm not going to let you get in the way of my plans. If you ever act like that around me again, I will make your life miserable. More miserable than it already is."
Blaire gave Violet a hard punch to the stomach making Violet let out an unwanted cough of air. She was left speechless as Blaire dropped her and calmly walked back down the stairs to resume cooking with Vivian.