Chapter 33

09/03/2022

Election is over. Celebration is not. No crowds are dancing on the streets but there are people dancing to the music in Central Park as if they're celebrating the New Year. Everyone looks happier. Jen obviously is; She's showing off her roller blading skills on her fully healed sprained ankle. Coming here is her idea since she too is sick of staying home for more than a week but it seems that she has another reason for wanting to come out. They broke up? She did say Leo won't be coming but she didn't say why. This explains it but what's she talking about? She's the one who suggested going to a strip club. So for her to say Leo enjoyed it a little too much made it sound like she's like those people in Arizona who demanded the election workers to stop counting when they realized they weren't going to win if they continued. Unreasonable! If her motive for suggesting it was to see what type of person Leo is, then

"I hate to tell you this but you're not going to find any straight guy who's going to say no to that." Oops. Hope she doesn't suspect Cole. He did feel uncomfortable but he didn't say no.

"That wasn't your first time, was it?"

Huh? What does this have to do with me? There's no reason to deny it though since she probably noticed.

"Do you think that was his first time?"

Ohh. Leo wasn't as nervous as Cole was but he was excited. "Could be…but even if it wasn't, it doesn't mean anything unless he watches porn, then you made the right decision. If you don't know, I think you should give it a little more time…if you still like him." She probably does otherwise she wouldn't be talking about this but "What's so funny?" No answer is given but another reason is given for the breakup and it's not because she thinks he liked the strippers a little too much, it's because she didn't realize how selfish and cowardish Leo is until that night in the strip club. If getting separated unwillingly while trying to leave is considered selfish, then everyone is that night. "You can't blame him for that. Cole couldn't hold onto my hand either." That's a good explanation so what's that look for?

"Was he holding onto another woman's hand and didn't realize it wasn't you until he got to his car?"

Jen talks very fast sometimes. This is one of those times so the brain needed a few more seconds to process. It's wrong to laugh but that's just too funny. No wonder Leo didn't mention it. How did she find out? Regardless, that's not selfish or cowardish. He made a mistake. "I can see how it can happen. It was dark and she's probably wearing a mask."

"You believe that?"

"Why would he lie about it?" He admitted to being stupid and he's not that type that would.

"He thinks she stole his car, it was still there after he got out. That wasn't a short walk from the backdoor so how could he not notice for that long?"

Ohh. He's still trying to figure out who it was that took his car. He might be right. She's right too. It does seem like he's making it up to explain the fact that he left without her but calling him a coward is unfair. It was a dangerous situation. "It wasn't safe to go back inside. Cole did the same."

"Cole is not your boyfriend."

That's true but "What could he have done? Everyone was trying to get out."

"He cares more about his car than me."

Laughing again is sso wrong but that's because it's a ridiculous accusation. "I'm sure he would've if he could." It seems that this relationship can't be saved since she's comparing Leo to the one who saved her. Hope is more courageous than a lot of guys but she's definitely no angel. There is something mysterious about Hope but she's not the type to hang around with so why is she still asking for Hope's number when she knows we're not that close.

"Where is she?"

"Don't know" That's not a lie. Hope left, for a week now. Don't know if or when she'll be back. "The next time I run into her, I'll ask her if she's gay. If she is, I'll let her know you want to hook up." Brie said but didn't get the response that she thought she would. It was just a joke to get Jen to stop talking about Hope because anyone who doesn't want others to think they're gay would. It didn't work but it got Jen to open up. She didn't say she is but what she said made a lot of sense. To this day, there are still many women who think their job is to cook, clean and obey. It's because they're uneducated, indoctrinated and taught to think in a certain way at a young age. Many women still don't know who they are. That's why it took so long for women to be allowed to vote. Changes happened because of those who think outside of the box and those who don't care what others think. Without those people, women today would be treated like farm animals, like a chicken whose only purpose of existence is to breed and make eggs until they can't. She's right. Women today wouldn't have control of their own life, their own bodies if not for those who's not afraid to speak up but she's definitely wrong to think that Hope is that type of person that can make a change. Just because she's different and more courageous than others, it doesn't mean she wants to be involved in a feminist group or any group.

"Can you ask her?"

"If I run into her again" Brie said, hoping this would end the conversation.

"Ask her what she thinks of me."

What? Does she mean it the way it sounds? Did Leo affect the way she thinks about men? "You're joking, right?

"Did you not learn anything from the class?"

She's right. I haven't. That's because I've been sick for the past week so listening to the lecture online with a numbed mind was difficult but even if I wasn't, what does this have to do with the women's studies class? "What did I miss?" Whatever it is, it seems to have changed Jen in a positive way since she's smiling and spinning in her roller blades with her arms extended like someone who just got out of prison, like she's been…freed.

A lot of people feels that way too now that the election is over. Noel was that night but she doesn't seem to be now. I should've stayed with Jen a little longer. This would not be happening if I did. Only her eyes can be seen but it's not hard to tell what she's thinking since she's looking up at the elevator lights, then at the lady who's carrying 2 bags of groceries back and forth. It's almost there. Her anxiousness can been seen. It's here. The lady got off but who the hell is that guy? Oh my god. He's not coming in, is he?

"(cough cough) (cough cough) I'm not sick. (cough cough) I just got back from the hospital (cough cough)..." Noel continued coughing until the elevator door is closed, then realized Brie is feeling the same way as the guy who didn't want to come in since she's standing in the far corner of the elevator and covering her already masked face. "I'm not"

Hand signal is given. Noel understood since she's stopped talking but it seems that she misunderstood the reason for the 'stop talking' hand signal since she immediately apologized after getting off the elevator. There's no need to apologize. There's no need to explain either.

"I was holding my breath. Gross." Now she understands. It is funny. That guy looked like he just came out of the shower except that wasn't water. As good looking as he is in his tank top and shorts, he has to be out of his mind to think that others wouldn't be disgusted by his sweat. Noel's performance was unexpected but convincing. Who knew? The self taught makeup artist/medical school dropout is not the typical serious type after all. If Jen were here, she probably would ask her to join the feminist group because of her quick thinking and "What?" Noel was speaking with the mask on. Now she's not. There's no need to repeat the reasons for fake coughing since it could be heard the first time although it is a little surprising to learn that it's not just because the guy stank and he wasn't wearing a mask, it's because she noticed his private part area wasn't looking normally as it should which was the cause for concern. That's funny but that's not the most surprising part.

"Never get into an elevator alone with a guy. Didn't she tell you?"

The surprising part is she learned it from Hope and that's not the only thing she learned. What happened to don't tell Noel anything? Ughhh. It's time to go before she asks more questions. It's time to go anyway since the phone is ringing but first "I'll let you know when she gets back." Noel might not have asked when Hope will be back this time but she did before so she's probably waiting for the right moment. It was obvious. Hope said this. Hope said that. Everyone uses security cams these days. How is that less reliable than a paper clip? "Hey" Brie said after picking up the call while wondering why Cole doesn't text like everyone else. "I'm home." Almost…if I can just get this stupid key in. Sounds like he has a good reason to call instead of texting. It's not because it would take too long to text. It's because he's too excited. "Really?" He might not look like one but this will prove he's a genius if it works. "okay, tomorrow at 1, bye" Brie locks the door, immediately regretting picking up the phone afterwards. "uh" If Noel were here, she would probably say this is why putting a paper clip in the slit of the door before going out is necessary.

"sshh"

If Noel were here, she would probably say this is why a mini tazer won't be enough but a pepper spray might. "What the fuck!" Brie said after getting the one behind her to release the choke hold. "How did you get in here?!"

"I told you don't go anywhere."

It's still pounding. Calm down. Calm down. She's not going to care even if I said I didn't go out alone. She's going to say I put Jen's life at risk. She's not going to care even if I said I was going crazy. She'll think I'm exaggerating. No reason would be good enough. This is part of her plan. She left without saying when she'll be back. She did this to make her point but this is so unnecessary. "I could've hurt you!"

"You would've been dead."

"Then I would rather die!" Shouting is unnecessary but she's not getting it. This is a nice place. Many wouldn't mind staying inside a luxury apartment for months. She should know I can't. She might not know why I need a bodyguard but she should know staying here isn't my choice. She should…what's she doing? What's that? Hope just tossed something on the couch…and keys, probably copies of mine. Why is she putting on her shoes?

"Do whatever you want."

What?...Nno…wait. Brie said in her own mind while knowing what would happen if she actually said it. Hope will want an apology. She will think she's in charge. She will think I need her. "I don't need you!" The door is already closed but she should still be able to hear. "fuckin crazy" Brie said, taking a moment to calm her pounding heart until she saw the black object that Hope threw on the couch. Whatever it is, she's not sure but she's sure of one thing. The bedroom door is not locked. "She better not go thru my stuff." Brie quickly got up and went to the bedroom, then realized it's too messy to tell if Hope touched anything.

"Ding duong"

Forgot something? "She's going to get it." This is what happens when the mind is angry. It can't think of any other possibility. Hope wouldn't ring just once. It's Noel and she looks like she's surprised since she's standing frozen for two seconds too long. "What's up?"

"umm…do you have this?"

Does she expect me to know what that blue round thing is? "scotch tape? I don't have any."

"no, plumber's tape. It should be where the hammer is, bottom drawer, under the medicine cabinet."

"What?" What Noel said isn't as confusing after she said Hope said but it's surprising. Hope is at her place? Helping her change the showerhead? Does this mean she's not suspicious of Noel anymore? It must since she's sending her over here. When did she buy all of these? Batteries, light bulbs, candles, flashlight, silicone, carbon monoxide detector, smoke alarm, toilet fill valve? It seems that Noel isn't just here to get the tape. Why is she talking like she's defending Hope when she doesn't even know what happened? Hope must have said bad things about me. "Does she need duck tape? It goes well with her beard." That's mean. Noel might not understand but would probably agree if she knows what happened but there's no need to tell her. There's no need to open my refrigerator either.

"Did you open it?"

Open what? Where did that come from? The box inside the frig isn't opened but it's not hard to figure out what's inside. "Is her birthday?" Who buys themselves a birthday cake? Now is obvious Noel came for more reasons than one. Home cooked meal sounds good but not today.

"For me, okay?"

It would be rude to reject again since she's been so kind especially last week. Without her suggestions, the vertigo could have lasted more than a week. Looking at Hope's face for an hour won't be that bad. Besides, maybe she'll apologize. She didn't but coming here isn't a mistake. Yelling at Hope earlier wasn't either but now it's hard not to feel a little guilty about it. It's not Hope's nor is it Noel's birthday. It's mine? So she knew about this all long? They set this up? That's what it seems like until Noel said she had no idea but knows where Hope got the cake since Hope had once asked which bakery has the best cakes and which kind. She was surprised by it too so she took this opportunity to make the spicy sweet chili chicken which tastes pretty good considering it's only the third time she made it after learning it online. That's a good reason but that might not be the only reason she said it's for her. Most likely, it's also because she doesn't want to eat alone. Her enthusiasm shows. Her smile after getting compliments shows. Her laughter after telling Hope about the incident in the elevator shows that she was either too busy making dinner so she forgot or she has been waiting for this moment. Most likely, it's the latter since she managed to turn Hope into a totally different person. She's laughing…like a normal person. Maybe she had a little too much to drink…or maybe she was pretending just to please Noel since she turned back into usual quiet, serious self every time Noel left the room just like now. "I"

"sshh"

What? Noel isn't here. There's nothing interesting on tv. Just an old video. She can rewind that. "I was just"

"sshh"

Ughh. "I was just going to say I appreciate it." Brie said in one quick breath. Appreciation is not an apology. It seems that Hope too is unwilling to apologize since she's still looking closely at the tv which is odd since she doesn't even look like that type that's interested in music, certainly not this type of music. She's smiling? It's not the music. It's the one singing. Hans has that effect on all genders of all ages and types. This isn't the place to continue since Noel just came back. There's no need to stay then. There's no need to take the cake either. As good as the strawberry mango filled cake is, there is still a lot left over and that's too much for 1 and too fattening. "I'll just take a small piece." Clearly, Hope has no plans on leaving yet. Fine then. No wonder Riley refused to apologize to her. Now it seems that whatever happened between them might not be Riley's fault. "ughhh…so damn…unreasonable." Brie said to herself after closing the door to her apartment. Only Noel can stand her. Noel's behavior seemed odd too. She's always been understanding but today, she seems more…apologetic when there's no need to. It's not her fault she didn't know my birthday is actually on that day when everyone was celebrating on the streets after the results of the election was announced. There's no need to apologize for not getting a gift either. So what was she really apologizing for? Does she know

"ding duong ding duong ding duong"

Perfect timing, as impatient as ever…and rude. Double O Eight, nicknamed by Jen, just let herself in after the door is opened as if this is her place. What did she forget? How could it be in the same drawer as where the plumber's tape was? Oh. Batteries. Duck tape? That's it? Clearly it is since she's leaving. "Is this it?" Clearly she said everything she had to say since she's not responding. "Wait" Hope didn't wait not even after the second time but she did after learning what she's looking for has been found, as expected. "Guess where I found it?" Looks like she doesn't care since she's putting her hand out. "Vacuum cleaner" Still no thank you? So rude. Does she really expect me to give it to her without asking for more information? "It's not yours, is it?" She did say she changed phones so why wasn't it in the new phone? SD cards don't pop out by itself. "Say you're sorry, I'll give it to you." Hope looks tough as a woman. She looks even more intimidating now as a man with the rolled up sleeves and the visible tattoos on her forearms. "What're you doing?" Now it's obvious. She's going to look for it herself. "Hey!" That didn't stop her from going inside the bedroom. "I don't have it!" That never works without a good explanation. "It's damaged! I gave it to someone to fix it." She's not listening. Now it's necessary to pull her back before she takes everything out from the closet which didn't seem like a bad idea until it is. "oww" It's not the same spot but getting hit on the cheekbone by her elbow hurts more than the last time. "You just love hitting me, don't you?" Brie said, walking away from Hope to look at herself in the dresser mirror. There's no bruise now but there could be one tomorrow.

"Where is it?"

"I thought it belonged to Noel. I didn't know that's what you were looking for." Does that sound believable? It's true, partly.

"Where is it?"

"Promise me you won't" Brie didn't continue since Hope isn't listening but that's the only reason, it's because something just dropped inside the closet. "It's not in there." Getting close to her was a bad idea. It still is but it's the only way to stop her from looking at things that she shouldn't be looking at. Too late. The contents from the box are scattered all over the floor inside the closet. "Don't touch!" It's too late for that too. She's holding one of the pictures. "I'll give it to you, just give me a sec." It's the only way to get her to back off since it has become clear she's going to flip this place upside down until she finds the SD card. "Don't touch anything." Brie said after putting all the contents back into the box. On a second thought, "Put it all back." She took all the clothing out. She should hang them all back. She doesn't need to know where the SD card is hidden. She's not even close to finding it. Why would she think it's in the bedroom when the computer desk is in the next room? She's not going to be able to open this. "Here, if you can't get it to work, I know someone who might be able to." Brie said after giving her back the SD card while expecting nothing from her. That's exactly what happened so that means nothing has changed. "Hope" This time, Hope did wait surprisingly. "Did you tell Noel you're my bodyguard?" Does she not understand what I just said? Even if English is not her first language, that shouldn't be difficult to understand.

"Did you?"

That means she didn't but if she didn't, then why did Noel say she felt safer with Hope, kind of like having her own bodyguard? Maybe something happened when they went out? "Promise me, don't tell her. Don't tell anyone." Making her promise wasn't necessary before but now is because like Jen said, you don't know what someone is like until something happens. Just like a moment ago. The hit might have been an accident but the mess she made showed what she is willing to do to get the SD card back. And just like now. What's there to think about? She got what she wanted. Did she have too much wine? Why does she have the same look as before? Oh no, "you told her about us?" No verbal response is given but that's not a nod. That's an obvious head movement from right to left two times along with a look of confusion. Oh thank goodness. That is a stupid assumption but it seems that she also did the same because why would she ask if I was forced to that night? "no"

"She threatened you?"

Force, threaten, what's the difference? "nno"

"You can tell me."

It seems like she's looking for a reason to do something to Riley. She might not have said it but the seriousness on her face shows. Both of her hands are already rolled up into fists. "She didn't." It seems that those 2 words aren't enough. Those eyes and lines around her eyebrows haven't moved as if she just realized she was lied to so before she decides to go beat Riley up to get the truth and she just might, it's necessary to get that thought out of her head. "I wasn't forced. No one threatened me." Okay. That does sound silly. Sounded like I was forced to say that. "I am not a prostitute. Okay? That night was a mistake. So just forget it ever happened. Don't tell anyone...Please." Please don't ask why. Please don't ask anymore. She didn't and surprisingly, she apologized before leaving which seemed very strange since she refused to do so earlier. The was a soft, weak, regretful sorry. The way she was standing at the doorway for a few seconds before apologizing while looking down didn't look like she was apologizing for scaring me or for hitting me. That looked like she was apologizing for…"Ohh Hope. It's not you." Should I have said we both got what we wanted that night? Would she believe it? It's too late now. Nothing will convince her she's not responsible for that night because it is. She asked for it. She paid for it. But none of this would happen if it wasn't for him. Without him, I wouldn't be here. Without him, Brooke would still be alive. (sigh) "You would've liked her." Brie said while looking down on the picture inside the box until she heard a message notification from the phone but decided not to answer since it's not the one she's been waiting for.

It's not him.