Hi! It's me again. I know the story is going nowhere but patience! I'm trying to make it as exciting as poss. Anyway, thanks for those who have sent reviews.

Here goes the story…

Chapter 6: Kill me, Baby

Strange, I've never seen it before… Hilary thought. Suddenly it moved! Hilary let out go of a shriek. She turned to run away but slipped and fell down the stairs to the creature.

"Ouch!"

Hilary recognized that voice.

"Mariam? What the hell are you doing here?"

The moonlight shone on the young girl's face. She was strangely dressed like a ninja; small beads of sweat ran down her forehead as if she had run a mile.

"I…" Mariam was speechless.

"What on Earth are you all hiding from me?" Hilary shouted. "Don't think I didn't notice but you and Salima always stop talking abruptly each time I approach you. What does this villa conceal? Those portraits! They never turned their gaze away from me… And…. And Kenny! Why is he always making strange gadgets? Why, huh? Why?"

She paused for breath. Both of them looked as tired now. Mariam was still speechless.

""So…. Are you going to tell me or not?" Hilary went on. "I don't know how many friends you have but friends trust each other! Is it new to you? I'm sick of not knowing anything. I bet old Granger knows a lot too. So why keeping it from me?"

Finally, Mariam spoke,

"I'm so-sorry, Hilary but… But I can't tell you. It's-."

"Fine! This is just fine!" Hilary lost control of herself. "If you don't trust me, I don't see why we call each other friends."

Before Mariam could answer, Hilary stormed off, tears of angry falling down her cheeks.

Next morning, meaning Sunday, Hilary sat in mass without a word to Mariam. The precher's words drifted across the gothic church.

"…Love thy neighbor as thou love thyself…"

Hilary shot a dead glance at Mariam who was whispering with Salima. Again. Isn't she ashamed? Hilary crossed her arms and looked at the front row instead. She could see the master's blond head and the mistress's honey one framing their son's golden hair. Hilary signed. She doesn't have anyone, anyone at all…

"Hilary!" Tyson called the moment she came out of the church.

The other maids were staring at them, giggling. Hilary felt rather hot but set off with Tyson as if she didn't care.

"What is it?" she hissed.

"I think I found something in the garden, you should come and see," Tyson said ushering her towards the lawn.

"Wait! Is it something to do with… you know, the villa's… secret?"

"Just look. Pretty stunning, eh?"

Hilary stared at the marked on the ground. It was definitely a helicopter's print.

"When did you found this?" Hilary asked

"Just this morning, while I was mowing the lawn," Tyson answered, "Wait, there's more. Someone's careless enough to leave this behind…"

He showed her a leather pouch, which could be attached to a belt. The inside bore cuts as if it had been containing something sharp.

"Looks like a ninja star pouch to me," he muttered, "But what is it doing here?"

Hilary's heart sank. She suddenly knew the reason why the pouch was there.

"It's Mariam's!" she gasped.

Tyson stared at her.

"Whoa! Explain to me."

Hilary was reluctant to tell Tyson about her encounter with Mariam but after all he was as much involved in this as her. So she told him.

Tyson stared at her wide-eyed.

"What do you reckon? This villa might be a ninja headquarter and Mariam is one of them! The chief… The chief must be Master Giovanni! And…. And they steal stuff and hide from the police. The robbery at the gallery! I bet it's their work!"

"Hey, wait, Tyson!" Hilary interrupted. " You can't just jump to conclusions! Besides, who on Earth will steal from their own gallery."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. But the ninja thing, do you think it works?"

Hilary signed exasperatedly.

"You're going to make a good detective Tyson."

"Really? Thanks!"

"It was ironic."

"Oh."

She left him afterwards, muttering to herself.

The next day, she was thinking over about the informations she found when shebumped into someone.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"We meet again, 'Joy'" a familiar voice said.

Hilary looked up and came face to face with Enrique. She remembered what Mariam had said but then she was too angry with Mariam to listen to her words.

"I…I… I saw you at the mass," Hilary spluttered. She suddenly felt foolish. What on Earth will he think of her now?

He laughed. Great, he must think I'm a clown….

"I see you all the time… In my dreams…" he smiled as if he was recalling a wonderful souvenir.

"How come you dream about me?" Hilary was so surprised she forgot her shyness.

"Can't you guess?" he asked cheekily.

Hilary blushed.

"Oh, yeah, Mother wants to see you," he changed subject abruptly.

"See me, sir?" the tone of her voice returned to a maid's one.

"Yes, she wants to see every maid in the dining-room. Sorry I kept you…"

Hilary sprinted towards the dining hall. Suddenly it dawned to her that she didn't know which one. Oh, well, never mind, they're not so far from each other.

Fourteen minutes later, she found the right room. The mistress was in mid-sentence when Hilary came in.

"You're late," she stated.

It's because your son was occupying me, Hilary muttered mentally but answered

"I'm sorry, Signora."

"Well, you can get the information off the others. Now where were we?" she turned to the maids gathered around her. "Yes, the bar. Alcohol mustn't pass 50, if some people brought their own confiscate them. We don't want trouble…"

Hilary saw Mariam and Salima together. She was wondering who she'll get the information from if it weren't from those two. Well, time to make some friends…

When the mistress let them go, Hilary caught up with Vittoria Bianca and her friend Giulia Giuseppe.

"Hey, guys, can you… erm…. Tell me what the mistress told you?" That sounded daft.

The two Italian girls giggled and Hilary wondered if they were going to tell her at all.

Finally, Giulia said in a very strong Italian accent, "nex mouz is maszer Enrique's 19z birzday."

"Oh," Hilary realized.

"We've got to dress up," Vittoria giggled.

"Hey, wait! Are we invited?" Hilary's heart sank.

"No, no, no, non, no," Vittotria shook her head, "Iz's ze custom. We, maids musz be dressed up to be decorazione for ze party."

"Like waitresses in zose posh ristorante," Giulia added, "In zemes."

"In what?"

"In zemes!" the girl said impatiently, since Hilary still didn't understand, she turned to her friend saying something in Italian while flicking her finger.

"You know," Vittoria said, "same thing for everry one. Like… like ze uniform but bezzer."

"Oh, a theme!" Hilary exclaimed.

"Yez," Giulia said.

"I'm sorry but I didn't understand," Hilary apologized.

"Maybe our Inglese is not good inough," Giulia huffed then she turned away with her friend leaving Hilary alone.

She signed. Great, a party's coming up. She wondered what it was going to be like. Like waitresses in posh restaurants? That's what they're going to be like? Hilary wasn't sure she liked the idea but maybe a party would be able to get her minds off things. Especially she didn't have anyone to talk to now. And all the queer stuff happening.

Hilary walked back to her dormitory at lunchtime. It's mostly this time when she wouldn't meet Mariam. Instead she found a new timetable for her. The title was 'The Party Preparation'. She scanned it quickly. The party was two weeks away and the villa had to be at its best. There were 4 hours added to her normal working time. Plus the decoration must be put up three days before the party. She picked up another paper. It was about the party organization and what she had to do. Apparently she was serving at the pool bar. She didn't quite like the idea. The party was to start at 4:30am with tea among relatives from Italy. Enrique's friends would only be arriving at six for the cocktail and stay till midnight, so the paper said but Hilary doubted that. She wondered who the guests would be. There was another paper. This one was handwritten.

"I hope we'll make friends again,

Mariam"

Hilary signed and fell on the chair. There were lot of things to think about.