Fool Me Twice

The next day, the pair walked silently up the stairs. They had both had a long night, though different things kept them up. He, the drinking, while she stayed up the whole night long, thinking. Now as they mounted the steps, anxiety filled her body and she felt sick with nervous energy. She felt worse seeing him walk in front of her, utterly calm. And he hadn't seen them in years. It was always her getting nervous and worrying, a change since her childhood.

They stopped suddenly in a long hallway; she hadn't even noticed that they had stopped climbing. As they stood in front of the door, she could feel her heart catch in her throat. He looked down at her, and she nodded, before knocking on the door. When it opened, she couldn't help but a little gasp slip from her mouth.

"Joey! Haven't seen you in ages!" The woman said, her face was taken up by the large smile. Joey smiled in return and hugged her. His companion couldn't help but stare at him. Joey? She thought and gazed at him through curious eyes. He just shrugged at her and she knew, it was jus another name.

"Jesse," The woman said over Joey's shoulder. "Nice to see you again." Jessica's face exploded in happiness as she saw her.

"Maddie!" Jessica shrieked and pushed past Joey, who frowned but briefly. Maddie ignored him, embracing her cousin. She hadn't seen them in years, not since she had moved away from the farm.

"Jessica, what did you say?" Another voice asked. Maddie instantly recognized it and found Kali had stepped into the doorway.

"Kali." Maddie gasped, Jessica was still squeezing her. Kali grinned and opened the door wide.

"Come on in you two, we have much to discuss." She said, taking a large step away from her shy persona.

As they sat in the living room sipping tea or coffee, they had managed to catch each other up. Maddie sat back, happy that "Joey" had found her cousins. But "Joey" seemed to be a little uncomfortable.

"Well I'm glad to hear you too are dating again." Maddie said, although she hadn't caught the names. Either they didn't say, which wasn't unlike them, or she wasn't paying attention, which wasn't unlike her.

"This is great, us seeing each other, but we actually have the wrong apartment." Joey said. Maddie stared at him, unsure of what he meant.

"Well, who are you looking for?" Jessica asked. Joey stood and knelt by her ear and told her. This was all part of the surprise; he wasn't letting Maddie know where they were going. When Joey stood upright, Jessica rolled her eyes and told him where they lived. Same apartment, just wrong floor. Joey excused them, to Maddie's dislike, and promised to return again. Jessica and Kali bid them goodbye, saying that they'd make plans for later in the week. Joey then led Maddie out of the apartment and toward the stairs.

"Where are we going?" She asked, taking his hand.

"Up." He answered tersely. And away they went.