Chapter 21: Alexandra Explodes
The streets were crowded and thriving with people and carriages. The laughter of children at play mingled with the clap of horses' hooves and creaking of carriage wheels. People yelled and cursed at each other for getting into their way or for making them drop their goods. It was all a splendid sight to see. I wove my way through this maze as I made my way towards the blacksmith shop. I couldn't wait to tell Daddy what Roland did to me. Revenge was on my mind and nothing would stop me. Although I knew that I looked absolutely ludicrous running down the streets with a blue coat tied around my waist, I was too overjoyed at the possible punishments Daddy could give to Roland to mind.
Colliding into the door and bursting it open, I yelled, "Daddy! Guess what Roland did to me!" My father must have skipped a heartbeat because he looked up from his work in a shock, his eyes wide.
"Astrid!" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Never mind that," I said. "Just look what Roland did!" I turned around and pointed to the coat tied around me to cover up the "damage," but Daddy did not seem to understand my point.
"What did he do?" he asked, setting his hammer down and walking towards Adam and me.
"He stepped on the back of my dress and it tore off, revealing my undergarments to many sailors at the harbor!"
"Did he now?" said Daddy, already reaching for his coat to go out and fetch Roland. "Where is he?"
"Most likely still down there," I replied.
"Come on. We're going to find him, and your Mum and I are going to give both of you a well needed lecture."
"What!" I yelled. "Why do I need a lecture?"
"Need I to remind you of your rude behavior during dinner yesterday night?"
"Oh," I said miserably. Daddy turned to Adam, eyeing him a little coolly.
"Is that your coat around her waist?" he asked.
"Yes. I didn't look at anything though. Honest," said Adam quickly, realizing why the question was asked.
"Very well. You are welcome to come along if you'd like." He turned to me, a slight frown on his face. "Who escorted you into town?"
"Adam," I said.
"Really? Because as I passed by the tailors earlier today, I saw him in there and you were not with him."
"Damn," I muttered. "Why do parents always have to know the truth?" I wondered.
Not even the servants or mice that could have been hiding in our house walls made a sound as Roland and I sat on the couch in the living room, waiting for Mum and Dad to begin their lecture. Both of us had our hands folded in our laps and our feet were tucked neatly behind the other. We were behaving for two reasons. We knew we were in terrible trouble, but we behaved for another reason, or at least I did. I tried to behave as properly as I could to show that Roland deserved more punishment than me, but I had a bad feeling my plan would not work.
"Astrid Jacqueline Turner," Mum said strictly. I could feel her glare on my cast down head. "Roland William Turner," she said, just as rigidly as before. "I am certain that the two of you both realize the reasons as to why you are here, sitting in shame on this couch in front of your father and me." Our heads bent down even more at that. Shame. She said we were a shame.
"We won't lecture you until you state what you think are the reasons as to why you are here. If you realize your wrongdoing, then all that will be left of our lecture is scolding you for your mischief," added Daddy. I lowered my head more, feeling sorry for myself and for Roland. I wondered how many more things my parents could say to us in order to make us have our heads so low we would practically be bowing on our knees to them. Of course, I don't think they'd mind that.
"Astrid," said Mum, "being the oldest, I want you to go first." I let out a sharp sigh through my nose and finally spoke.
"I know that throwing my wine at Alexandra and causing a disruption at dinner yesterday night was wrong and incredibly rude. I need to learn how to control my emotions in a more polite manner, although I would never have shouted at her if she did not interrupt my conversation with Roland." I grew bitter at the memory and gritted my teeth.
"I want you to apologize to her," said Mum. At that, I thought I felt my heart stop, and a horrid image flew into my brain. Apologize to Alexandra? Was my mum mad? That would only make Alexandra more conceited than ever, now that she knew someone like me was apologizing to her.
"If I apologize to her," I said, looking up at my parents for the first time since the lecture began. "Then you have to let me go on the ship with Roland this coming spring." Mum and Dad's eyebrows rose at my statement.
"Astrid, I am not asking you to apologize to Alexandra. I am ordering you to. And as an order, there is nothing I will do in return," said Mum firmly.
"But you don't understand how wicked and awful she is to me!" I yelled, rising from my seat. "If you make me apologize to her then I will run away! I'd rather be gone and away from Port Royal than apologize to that wench!"
"Astrid!" Mum shrilled. "You know the rules of this house and if you do not obey them, then you will be sent away. Not to a ship, but perhaps to a finishing school far away from here."
"Even if I ripped up your dresses and chopped down this house with an ax, you still wouldn't let go of me!" I screamed. "Even when all I wanted was to go out into town for a walk, you can't even let me do that on my own! I must always have an escort! A stupid escort to follow me everywhere! Never leaving me alone! Never making me feel free and independent!"
"Astrid," said Mum and Dad simultaneously.
"Calm down," said Dad. "You've proven your point. So it's true that we have become very protective of you and Roland… you especially."
"But why?" I asked, feeling like a six year old girl again. For some reason, I felt my eyes burning and welling up with tears.
"Because we don't want to lose you," said Mum softly. I looked at her and I realized that she had cried before me and I didn't understand what could have made her weep. Suddenly, I felt awful, and all I wanted to do was have my parents carry me again, as if I was a little girl. Now I regretted saying I wanted to run away because now I didn't want to anymore.
"I'm sorry," I said. "Forgive me. I'll apologize to her. I promise." I said the words weakly because I was too ashamed to raise my voice again.
"You're excused," said Dad. I gave a quick curtsy to both Mum and Dad before heading back up the stairs.
When I arrived at my bedroom, I noticed that my window was still left open, but my rope made of bed sheets was gone. In fact, they were neatly folded on my bed. I approached my bed slowly, surveying my room. The air was a tad bit drafty, and I went to close it. "I'm sure you told your parents what you did today," came a voice. I froze and turned around, meeting Maggie's all-knowing face.
"How did you get in my room if it was locked?"
"Hairpins, Miss" she said. "Did you tell your Mum and Dad?"
"I left that part out," I said quietly.
"You know they'll find out sooner or later and when they do they'll give ya another good lecture," she said, waving her index finger at me.
"If I tell them now, they'll increase my punishment."
"Well, sometimes you have to increase your punishment. Otherwise, you'd never learn not to do it again."
"My punishment does not need to be enhanced. It is already far too hideous," I said.
"Suit yerself, Miss," she said. She grabbed a bundle of my dirty laundry and stepped out of my room.
As soon as she was well down the hallway, I closed my bedroom door, my back sliding down the smooth wood until I hit the floor. I felt miserable and sorry for what I had said and done. I had made my own mother cry, and that was a dreadful thing to do. I felt the strong need for independence, but I didn't think that my fight for it would hurt the ones I love. I didn't realize how much my parents really loved me.
I refused to cry, but I trembled from inner sobs. Usually after being scolded from Mum and Dad, I'd go up to my room or somewhere out of sight and eavesdrop in their lecture with Roland. I didn't have the heart to this time. It was wrong to listen to his punishment, and I already wanted to repent for my wrongdoing because of the piercing guilt inside of me. I began to doubt if I would ever find it comfortable on the sea because I'd end up missing my beloved parents and home. "Wonderful," I said to myself. "As soon as I am in the prime, perfect years for leaving to go on the sea, I realized the things I must give up to reach such a dream. Now I'm going to have to choose. My life here or a new more exciting one out on the raging blue ocean."
After a night of thoughts and prayers of repentance, I was pretty well rested and less tense after yesterday's lecture. To please my Mum, who kept her distance from me for some odd reason that day, I did not ask to leave the house, and merely entertained myself by talking to Lisa in the kitchen or reading a book I found in Grandfather's office in the garden. By late afternoon though, I was stuck in my room again, staring outside my window, longing for the sea.
A gentle tap on my door grabbed my attention and I answered it. Maggie stood in the doorway, a new dress in her arms. "Why must I change?" I asked, believing that there'd be no guests at our house to see me in such an untraditional manner.
"Your mother requests it, Lady. You be good now and stop your questions. Go on now. Head over to the dressing screen." Reluctantly, I obeyed and waited for Maggie to take off my dress and trap me the new one she had brought. The dress was rather large, and I took it that it was one of the new ones Mum had ordered for me with yet another new set of measurements.
The color of the frock was a pale, spring green, its hem a few inches below my feet, making it pool slightly at the bottom. "Why couldn't I have grown taller instead of wider?" I wondered. As soon as Maggie was done pinning the back closed and smoothing out the wrinkles, I realized the dress was actually a very fine fit, not counting the awkward low neckline. It was amazing what that woman could do with a dress.
"There, Miss," she said. "You look dazzling."
"Thank you, Maggie," I said weakly. "Why must I be dressed again?"
"You have guests coming over. Missus has invited the family of your suitor over to bid his father a good voyage on the sea. The Westleys are also invited on account of Mister Roland."
"Great joy fills me," I said sarcastically. "You cannot even imagine how enthralled I am by the thought!" I said, mocking my words with a laugh.
"Now, Miss Astrid," said Maggie, pointing her finger at me. "You behave. You and your brother have already gotten in enough trouble already. One more mistake and your parents will request you two spend a day in the town jail."
"That's not very parent-like if you ask me," I said plainly.
"They do it not to torture ya, but because they love ya and want ya to be raised well. Now run along while I clean up this mess of yours you left."
"You won't tell them I went out yesterday, will you?" I asked as I headed out the door.
"Not a word, Miss. I'm your maid and it's my duty to serve your needs." I smiled, thankful that my dear maid had my side on everything.
"You're not just my maid, Maggie. You're a superb friend as well." With that, I sprinted down the stairs.
My pace only quickened on the way down when I heard a knock on the door. Our doorman was present to answer it, but I was still eager to get down there. Before it was too late, I tripped over the elongated hem of my dress and tumbled the rest of the way down, landing on the floor in a loud, solid thud just as our doorman let our visitors in.
"Miss Astrid, are you all right?" asked our dear doorman, leaving our guests and helping me up.
"Yes, of course I am," I replied, standing up and dusting my dress off. Missus DeWitt's long hours of teaching me to walk, talk and look like a fine lady were not proving their worth. I had not yet caught a glimpse of our visitors, and I planted a smile on my face, just as Mum had always done, to welcome them. When I turned around to face them, my smile faded.
Who else could it be but the wretched Westleys.
"Oh, Astrid, you need not get excited at our presence," said Alexandra, pride oozing from her poisonous mouth. "Here," she said, dropping a box into my unprepared arms. "It's a gift for the Locke family," she added, her mind already elsewhere. "Where is Roland?"
"Your future husband's location I do not know," I said as courteous as my tongue would let me. "And if you'd like to find out, you'll have to search for yourself." After her departure came her brother, who, I hated to admit, was quite dashing. He was tall and surely did not have the adolescent boy frame anymore, with a hard, chiseled face and blue piercing eyes. He was dressed finely in a deep red coat and spotless white britches, with his shiny black boots stopping at the bottom of his knees. For a moment, I had forgotten who he was related to.
"Good afternoon, Miss," he said, taking my hand and kissing the back gently. I felt a shiver run up my spine. I had never felt such a strong attraction for a man, not even with Adam. I was always myself around him, but with Alexandra's brother, I could not be myself because I had forgotten how to function my own body.
"You…" I lost the rest of my words. What was I going to say again? "Oh, yes. You may sit in the living room until my father and mother arrive," I said, pointing in the direction of the room. He nodded gratefully at me before leaving, my eyes trailing his figure.
As soon as he was out of sight, I remembered my manners and I greeted their aged father, Mister Westley, in and told him to wait in the living room as well.
Directly after setting our guests off to wait for my parents, I decided to stay in the living room with Mister Westley and his son. As much as I wanted to find Roland and break him away from that witch for just a few moments, I stayed in the living room, staring from face to face with no words to start a conversation. "You've grown quite into a woman, Miss Turner, since last time I saw you," said Alexandra's brother. "How have you occupied yourself in the two years young Roland was gone?" It took a while for me to process the question because I was so enchanted by him. I did not even know his name and yet I felt as if I was floating on a cloud.
"Oh, well, I just continued lessons with my governess," I said plainly.
"Really? You did not attend any parties? Gatherings?" he questioned, clearly interested in my life.
"I did go to some festivities, but they were of no interest to me. There was no point in them but to find a young girl her man," I said, even though I ended up having a "suitor" after attending one of those parties. He looked at me with a face that by itself asked, "And did you?"
"Alexandra never had the opportunity to attend one of those parties. I remember mine quite well. But I don't think she needed to go to any. She is, after all, quite attracted to your brother," was what came out of his mouth. My eyelid twitched at the mentioning of Alexandra and Roland as a couple, but I hoped that he didn't catch the movement.
"Yes, they are quite in laughable love, aren't they?" I tried to keep a smile when I said that, but my face would not cooperate with me.
"Who's in love?" came a voice. Roland and Alexandra poked their heads into the living room, both of them grinning from ear to ear. I noticed Roland's messy hair and his unkempt shirt. Not to mention that he was quite red in the face.
"And where have you been?" I asked, getting up from my seat. I wouldn't have been surprised if he answered that he and Alexandra just had a quick romp that was not in anyway playful but rather more on the intimate side, in his room.
"Upstairs," he said, refusing to elaborate. My lips grew thin as I glared at him. If only Mum and Dad knew how naughty their beloved son had become.
"Alexandra," said her brother. "Did you give Miss Turner our gift to the Locke family?"
"Of course, Stephen," she said, dragging Roland to a sofa, which, coincidentally ended up being the loveseat. "Must you always ask if I do something? If you want to see something accomplished, then do it yourself," she whined.
"You've learned nothing, even after spending two years on a blasted ship," he sighed. Alexandra turned to her father, her eyes deceiving and false.
"Daddy," she said gently. "I have learned a lot from staying on that ship. It was a wonderful experience. Tell Stephen to stop making me feel so low," she pleaded.
"Perhaps he does that because it's true," I whispered to myself.
"What did you say?" her soft voice erupting. She had better hearing than I thought.
"Nothing," I replied, pinning my lips closed. I was extremely fortunate, as there was a knock on the door after I spoke. "Now, if you can excuse me," I said, grinning. "I must answer the door."
The doorman had opened it before I arrived, but I stayed to welcome the Locke family. It was a rather large family. A total of eight, including the gracious Mister and Missus Locke, and excluding Adam's sister in England.
Mister Locke appeared both young and old at the same time. He had a youthful smile and fresh blue eyes, just like Adam, but his face was just a tad bit aged and serious. Around him was an omniscient aura, and I believed if anyone knew the sea, he knew it the best.
His wife was a beautiful brunette woman with pale green eyes like the sea, and a smile as brilliant as my own mother's. She was pleasantly plump from her long years of being a mother and birthing a total of seven angelic children, but her face was still bright and soft despite her probable age. Beside her stood her eldest daughter, I supposed, or at least, the eldest daughter living with her. I remember Adam told me that he had a sister living in England. She was my height with light brown hair and her father's blue eyes. By the look on her face, she was most likely a little older than me, or the same age as me, but her eyes lacked my stupidity and confusion. She curtsied slightly at me and I managed to the do the same in reply.
In front of her stood two twin girls, both with blonde hair and round rosy faces. They grinned at me as if they were one, showing their tiny, square teeth. Beside them stood a small boy, at most seven years old. He was like a miniature version of his father, but with light brown hair and a less serious face. He looked as if he had the urge to start a rousing game with his obedient siblings. Next to him stood another boy, most likely eleven or twelve. He had a sharp nose and big feet, but he, too, had his mother's radiant smile. He looked at me kindly, with a hint of timidity, me probably being one of the very few young women he had interacted with, but I was sure he'd have girls flocking to him in no time.
And lastly, was Adam, seeming most like his father than any of his other brothers. His golden blonde hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail and his blue eyes shined brightly. A smile that he tried to keep as proper and polite as he could was fixed on his well carved visage. I had to admit that he looked positively smashing, and all I could do was smile widely and happily at him.
"You must be Miss Astrid," said Captain Locke, nodding faintly in my direction. "Adam has told us a lot about you." I gave them an honest smile, feeling very needed at the fact that their son had mentioned me and curtsied low for them all. "You look exactly how I picture you to be: beautiful."
"Thank you very much, Mister Locke," I replied. "Your family is also very attractive. Please, please, come in. Let our doorman show you to the living room where you can wait while I tell my parents you are here." Again I curtsied as they filed into the house, and I even kept my curtsy when Adam passed by me. I had the doorman lead them to the living room with the Westleys, but Adam stayed behind with me.
"You should be going with your family," I said. I didn't think he heard me because before I could have recoiled from him, he stepped forward and kissed my cheek. Then again, I think he was aiming for my mouth, but I maneuvered my head just in time.
"That, is a better greeting than a simple curtsy, don't you think, Astrid?" he said, smiling.
"You're right, it is," I said, playing a long with him. "Much better. Just remember that every time you greet me that way, I will move my head." He chuckled and took my hand, kissing the back of it, making him the second man to do that to me that day.
"At least you don't move your hand away," he said. I laughed and looked at him wondering if he would really make me happy. Immediately after that thought, I shook my head, realizing that it was far too early to even begin to think about such things.
"I… I…" I stuttered, surprisingly lost for words.
"You?"
"I… n-need to get m-my parents," I spluttered. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I scowled in jest, as I headed up the stairs to retrieve my dear old Mum and Dad.
By the time the sun had set below the far horizon, all of our guests chatted lightly with each other in our living room. I was in there with my Mum and Dad, but it appeared as though I was the only one not enjoying the scene. In fact, I was rather uninterested in the talk. The beautiful little children of the Lockes were busy playing together and wandering around my house, and the older children joined Alexandra's older brother, talking about courtship and marriage and other things that I was not ready for. Adam was the center of attention between my parents and his own, most likely because he had discovered me and was now supposedly courting me. They didn't bother to ask me how I felt about the whole situation, but I didn't care much if they did or did not. I was perfectly fine not telling any of them anything.
I took my survey of the room every few minutes to see where everyone was heading in their conversations with each other. Eavesdropping was a wonderful skill of mine, and I listened intently to each person's words. In the party of little ones, they were busy discussing who was leader in their game. Typical of children. With Stephen Westley and his companions' talk, I discovered that they were telling their stories of their first courtship with anyone, another thing typical of their kind. At one moment when I sat in a place positioned closest to them, Stephen beckoned for me to join them, but I declined the offer with a blushing face. At last, I turned my ears to the conversation between my parents and Adam and his parents. They were talking about us in general and how "far" we had gotten in just a matter of a few days, a typical topic of parents.
The end of my eavesdropping session only bored me more. Although prying in other people's business kept me occupied, it did not keep me away from realizing that Roland and Alexandra were not in the room… again. "I am so eager to catch them being naughty and revealing them for the slobs they are," I thought. With a mischievous grin, I got up and left the living room, my mind set on finding young Roland William Turner and Alexandra's hiding place.
"Just where do you think you're going?" said a voice behind me. It nearly made me jump, for I had assumed that no one had seen me leave the place. Turning around, I faced the being who had caught me escape. I was not surprised at their face. Who else could it have been but Adam.
"I thought you were speaking with my parents?" I asked, changing the subject.
"I ended it, seeing that you were leaving. You must have been bored to death," he said, taking my hand. I watched his arm, making sure he didn't pull some move on me.
"I was, but I found a way to entertain myself. That's why I am leaving.""To go where? Tell me all," he continued. I was reluctant to answer, deciding in my head whether I should declare my plot to embarrass Roland and his lover, or not. In the end, I decided to, wondering how sharing the scheme would feel.
"All right, I confess," I began. "I plan to find Roland and Alexandra, wherever they may be, and if I catch them in an act of misconduct I shall unveil their deep secret to my parents and all other eyes, or otherwise, if I do not, I shall just spend the rest of the time before dinner irritating Roland to the point where he explodes." Adam looked quite surprised at my speech, his blue eyes wide and a confused smirk on his face.
"Well," he said, most likely burdened with trying to find any words to say. "That's… an unorthodox way of entertaining yourself," he finished.
"If you stay with me longer, you'll find me very different from other girls."
"I'm already quite convinced," he chuckled.
"Good. So are you coming with me, or not?"
"I will not let a chance to embarrass Alexandra pass, Astrid. Lead the way." I grinned with satisfaction, and just to make him uncomfortable, I kissed his cheek.
"All right then. Let's go."
The first spot we went in to search for the two hidden lovers was in Roland's room upstairs. The room was dark, with not even a small candle to shed some light in. I questioned if that was done on purpose. "Search the closet," I said. "It's a rather fitting place for Roland and his admirer. I'll poke around his bed." As Adam and I left to go our separate ways, I circled the unkempt bed, which made it obvious that that was where he and Alexandra were before. It was lumpy and the feather pillows were tossed aside. Very carefully, I lifted the bed sheets and gave a look. Nothing. "Damn," I whispered.
"I take it you didn't find anything," said Adam from the other side of the dark room.
"No," I said sadly. "Did you?"
"Nothing," he replied. "I can't even see in this place. It's pitch black!" Shortly after that, I heard a rumble of moving or falling things in the back corner of Roland's bedroom.
"Did you fall?" I asked stupidly, knowing for a fact that Adam indeed fell.
"Yes," he yelled. "You really must tell Roland to be neater." I laughed at that and tried to move my way around in the dark to find Adam.
"He has his maid to clean his room, but it still manages to stay untidy." I waved my arms back and forth in front of me as I walked to make sure I did not run into anything. I spotted a flash of white ahead of me, and knew it was from Adam's flawless white trousers.
Stopping before him, who still tried to get the stuff he tumbled into off himself, I kneeled and grabbed his shoulder. "Do you need help?" I asked, seeing that he was tangled in a rope of some kind. "What the hell is a rope doing in Roland's room?" I thought, as I tried to free Adam from it.
"Wait, don't pull that end, it will just pull the rope tighter," said Adam urgently.
"Why not? A rope works both ways," I retorted, getting frustrated with the damn thing.
"Astrid, don't. I feel where the rope is actually wrapped around me and if you pull" I never let him finish. I grabbed the end of the rope I had and pulled with all my might on it, and Adam let out a horrifying scream.
"What!" I screamed back. "What did I do?"
"I…" he whispered, still in pain. "I… told…you…" He paused now and then as he had winced in agony. "Not… to pull… that end!"
"But why?"
"I said why!"
"No, you did not!" I yelled, slapping his head.
"Astrid! Didn't you know that that damn rope was wrapped around my upper leg and my… my…"
"Your?" I asked, still not understanding where he was going with his angry speech the treacherous, painful rope.
"My…" his voice still trailed off.
"Your what!" I screamed.
"The thing that makes a man a man!" he screamed, letting out a cry of pain, as he curled up on the floor.
"Oh," I said, laughter bubbling inside of me. "Sorry," I said, giggles erupting from my mouth. I soon fell to the ground too, laughing hysterically at the situation. My eyes grew warm from tears because of the immensity of the laughter in me. Adam refused to laugh at me as he sat up and finally got the rope off himself. Even when he was finished, I was still laughing.
"Astrid, that's enough. It's over. I feel fine now." I replied with a cackle. "Astrid, come on. Let's find Roland." I only giggled more. "Astrid!" he yelled, nearly laughing himself. The laughter never came out of him though because we heard the door to Roland's room 'click.'
Immediately, I sat up, hushing myself. "That's probably him."
"Quick. We'll hide in the closet." Before I had a chance to protest, Adam grabbed my arm and dragged me to Roland's closet, closing the door to the point where only a small crack was left for us to spy on Roland and Alexandra.
Honestly, I was more interested in my position with Adam rather than what was going on between my brother and Alexandra, because he stood so close to me. Plus, my back was against the closet wall, and Adam stood in front of me, his arms on both sides of my head. To make things worse, the closet space was small and compact, so we had to stay extremely close to each other, his face resting against mine in order for us to stay out of the crack he left open for us to spy out of. "Don't move or say anything," he whispered. I didn't answer because two people had walked into the room.
One of them held a candle, and in the light it shed around the room, I found that it was indeed Roland and Alexandra. Roland was the one holding the candle, while Alexandra clung to him. I narrowed my eyes on them, forcing myself to focus. Adam holding me so closely in the dark was also another distracting matter.
Roland set the candle on his nightstand, while his wicked lover stood beside him. What happened next would give me future nightmares. He grabbed her and kissed her, and she gave a false, light moan. I wanted to vomit. "Disgusting," I whispered, shaking my head back and forth. "Filthy."
"Shh," said Adam, putting a finger to silence my big mouth. Displeased and nearly sick to my stomach, I bravely took another peep at Roland and Alexandra. They had not broken from their kiss, and now my ears were hearing disturbing moans of happiness.
"Great God," I whispered. "I think I'm really going to vomit."
"Astrid, be quiet," said Adam, as softly as he could. But the sound of his voice was too loud.
Roland broke away from Alexandra, peering around his room suspiciously. "Did you hear that?" he said.
"No," she replied simply. "Come on. We'll be called to dinner soon." She tugged on his shirt.
"I'm certain I heard something, Alexandra," replied Roland. He gave one last look around his room before returning to her. Needless to say, once she was in his arms again, they began to spoon madly.
I turned away, tired and regretting that I ever decided to spy on them. Now, all I desired to do was burst out of the closet and breathe some fresher air in a cleaner scene. "Bloody hell," I whispered. "I will never look at Roland the same again."
"Astrid, for the last time, be quiet," replied Adam, trying his best to not grimace and the very clear acts of love.
"That's difficult to do," I said, the sounds of Roland's and Alexandra's love session making me twitch uncontrollably. My stomach felt uneasy and the feeling of sickness and faintness was overwhelming me. "Plus, here we are watching them, so uncomfortably close to each other!" I hissed.
"See! There it is again!" said Roland, causing Adam and me to shut up.
"You're right," said Alexandra. "I heard it that time. It sounded as if it came from… from over there." She pointed directly at the closet.
"Damn," I whispered.
"Astrid," Adam growled.
"Sorry."
"You're right, Alexandra," said Roland already on heading towards the closet, his face grim and suspicious.
"He'll find us," Adam whispered into my ear.
"Of course he will!" I replied bitterly.
"Then what do you suppose we do? If he finds us and realizes that we were spying on him and Alexandra all this time, he'll kill us."
"Of course he'll kill us," I said. "The thing is, I don't want to die this early."
"Neither do I. What are we going to do?" I thought over the unfortunate situation we were in. If Roland discovered Adam and I were spying on him, he'd surely give us a hell of a bloody beating, but if somehow we were able to create a scene to convince him that we were not spying, then perhaps Adam and I would come out of Roland's room alive and free of bruises.
"Here's what we'll do," I whispered. "We'll pretend that we were having a romp in Roland's closet," I sputtered.
"What?" said Adam, bewildered and embarrassed. "He won't believe us. If we would even ever do that, we'd be in your room, not his." I was quick to make a reply as Roland and Alexandra advanced on the closet in slow, cautious steps.
"If he asks that, I'll tell him that my maid was in my room and we couldn't go in." My face was getting so red with humiliation and I was speaking so quickly, that I feared Adam would not understand a word I said.
"But then… couldn't he tell your parents that you were the one who was… doing all of that?"
"They won't believe him. I told them for a fact that I am not ready for any of that, and they already know he and Alexandra have been courting for quite some while. Don't worry."
"If the door opens, what are we going to do?" I tapped my foot impatiently on the ground, trying to think of a plan to escape Roland's wrath but also to save some of my own dignity. In the end, I had to give up my dignity.
"Once the door opens…" I hesitated to answer. "Kiss me."
"What?" said Adam, getting red in the face as well.
"Kiss me if the door opens! You've tried to spoon me before, so here's your chance!"
"But… but…" he stuttered. "I didn't want to kiss you in this way."
"Well, that is how it's going to be!"
No more words were said; Roland pried open his closet door, revealing Adam and me inside it. On instinct, Adam let fly our flawed plan and kissed me. I parted my mouth slightly to make it more convincing. When I opened my eyes again I saw Roland and his lover watching us. His eyes grew massively and his jaw dropped. Alexandra squawked in disbelief, shrilling at the sight of us. "Astrid?" he screeched.
"Yes?" I replied as brainlessly as I could. I pulled Adam closer to me and grinned.
"What the hell are you doing in my closet!" yelled Roland.
"Nothing," I replied innocently.
"What do you mean, nothing!" screamed Roland, stomping his foot. "You and Adam were spooning in my closet! That's disgusting!"
"That's why you could have kept the closet door shut," I responded smartly, about to shut the closet door to make the scene play out more smoothly. I felt Adam's body shaking with laughter. "And, may I remind you, that we heard you and Alexandra snogging in the dark as well." Alexandra gasped, covering her open mouth were her hands.
"Wretch!" she screamed. "You were spying on us this whole time, weren't you? You weren't kissing. If you were, we would have caught you in the act, and that kiss I saw was rather rushed, don't you think? You were spying on us to get back at what Roland did to you, weren't you? Weren't you!" I gathered my courage and stepped away from Adam, now that we were free to move about and confronted Alexandra.
"All right," I said. "I confess. Adam and I were not spooning in Roland's closet. We were, in fact, spying on you, and I must say I could not have been more shocked in my entire life. I never thought I'd see the day Alexandra Westley would become so caught up in what a man had to offer." Her eyes blazed and let out a scream that shook the earth.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!" she shrieked. "If anyone is the whore, it's you! Taking all the attention from the lads for yourself!" When she said that, I only became perplexed. Since when had I stolen the attention away from her? "Ever since the day I met you, you took away what I always wanted! You befriended Roland in a way I could not! And even now you have taken away he who I have been watching since I laid eyes on him nine years ago!" She turned furiously to Adam, her eyes flooded with tears. "I've tried being nice to you ever since I met you! I fancied you since the day we met, and you found no interest in me whatsoever. Instead, you give your heart to this pathetic form of a young woman!" she screamed, pointing a taut finger at me. "You don't fancy me, the one who has been so loyal to you since she met you. You find Astrid attractive, even though I have done my best to make you like me! Instead I'm stuck with Roland!" My eyes turned to Roland, and he bit his lip, his hands balled into tight fists. If she said another word, he would explode as well.
"Alexandra, I…I…" said Adam, amazed at her confession. "How can you expect me to know all of that?" She didn't answer him. She just stared at us, her face wet and her eyes red. "I'm sorry I don't return your affection, but you appeared happy with Roland. No boy would get in between you two."
"If you admired me enough, then you would have!" she screamed.
"Well, I don't!" yelled Adam harshly. Alexandra looked as if she was shot when he said the words because her face became impaled and all motion fled from her. She stood still, weeping silently, staring at Adam with dead, unblinking eyes. Suddenly, she turned sharply away, and ran out of the room, past Roland. And to my surprise, he did not even take a double glance at her leave.