Coming into the house I spotted Arthur getting ready to leave and go into town. I hurried up stairs to get ready for the party tonight. My phone started to ring and I pulled it out of my back pocket.
"What do you want?" I hissed in the phone.
"Hey, hey sis, calm down. Just wanted to know if you can announce my arrival tonight" Jade said in her perky voice...Or my voice only more perky. Was my voice perky?..ugh. I sighed and went through my dresses in the closet as I kept talking to jade.
"I don't know. Why tonight?" I asked. Should I wear green or red?
"Because I really miss everyone" Jade wined on the other end. I sighed as I pulled out a white and dark blue dress. The blue was silk and the White was Lace. I laid it on my bed and smoothed it out.
"Fine, I'll see what I can work out" I said.
"You did tell my parents right?"
"Yes, they keep doing things to get out of the house. And they're trying not to look me straight in the eyes. I think they're still a little shocked about the whole thing may even not believe me" I told Jade. She murmured something to herself, not paying attention to me.
"Ok well I'll see you tonight" Jade said then she hung up. I groaned into the dead line. I felt kind of sick. My stomach kept churning and I didn't know if it was excitement or horror. I hurried and put on my dress twisting it to fit comfortably.
I heard the front doors open and Liz's voice "I'm getting ready I'll be back in a second." They were home from there hunting trip. My bedroom door opened and Ian burst through.
"Can you knock? I could have been putting my clothes on" I said. I went to my dresser and started to put my hair up.
"Sorry" Ian said. Then Liz busted in the room. All ready for tonight wearing a small green colored dress with black bows. She was fast.
"Hazel!" Liz said. I smiled as she went over to me and gave me a hug.
"Almost ready?" Liz said started to admire my dress and touching the fabric of lace and fabric, tugging lightly on the sleeves to fix it.
"It's time" I said. Liz raised her brows at me. After a minute she pierced her lips then she shared a look with Ian.
"Ok" She whispered and then we went out. When we got downstairs there was Arthur sitting in one of the sofa chairs. He was reading a small piece of paper and Katerina wasn't in the room. Arthur lifted his head.
"Hi" I said. He was glaring at me like I did something wrong.
"What do you want?" He asked with a harsh tone. He was so mad at me for some reason. Is it my dress? Did I do something wrong? Is it the jade thing?
"Oh I just wanted to let you know I'm announcing the announcement tonight" I said. He stood up and walked next to me looking me straight in the face. Why was he so mad?
"I got that" Arthur said then he put the small note he had in his hand in mine. He was gone then. I looked in my palm. I read it. My mouth already starting to hang open as I finished and read the name at the bottom I froze more horrified.
"I didn't write this" I whispered to myself my voice cracked at the end and I could feel myself ready to burst into tears. I clenched my teeth together to stop myself from the sobs that held my heart.
"What is it?" Liz said tugging on me. I was scowling at the paper in my hand as I started to hand it over to Liz. She took the paper delightedly and then started to read. Her face started to fall within seconds.
"Jade wrote this didn't she?" Liz asked. I nodded afraid if I opened my mouth I wouldn't stop myself from the tears that compelled me. Liz was speechless she just looked up at me with her big black eyes. Her mouth parted a bit and as she looked at my face she pulled her hand in mine.
"I Know how it feels, Hazel. Jade did that to me too. I can help you through this. Youâre not alone." Liz said. I looked down at Liz who was trying hard to put a warm smile on her face. Her hand felt cold, but warm at the same time.
"I just...Don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't want anyone mad at me and I hate the feeling tonight when I announce her presence everyone will be happy and not mad" I said. Liz blinked slowly.
"Me too" Liz said. The doorbell rang and I hurried to get it. I wiped my eyes and tried to clear my head. I opened the door to see Fallon and his whole family. The twins and the Cinderella chick. The father smiled and gave me his coat. I almost glared. I wanted to shout "I'm not your coat hanger!", but I took his coat and put it on the coat hanger in silence.
"Hey are you alright?" Fallon asked when his family left. His sisters did wait a little behind though. They stood out of hearing range but their arms crossed there chest and they seemed concerned.
"I'm fine" I said. I didn't want to look in his eyes.
"Look, I'm sorry" Fallon said. Confusion swept over me.
"What?" I asked.
âI said. I'm sorry for doing the things I did. OK. I wish I could explain more, but you wouldn't let me explain earlier on the phone-"
"Wait -what?" I asked.
"I said you wouldn't let me explain earlier on the-"
"I know what you said, but I didn't call you today" I said.
"Yes you did. You told me about how you think I only hang out with you because I'm still in love with Jade and how you have been crying all day...?" He looked confused now. I slapped my hand on my forehead almost ready to cry again.
"I want to tell you that's not true Hazel, when I'm with you I only think of you. Itâs the one time I don't think about jade. That's why I like you. Because youâre...you. I understand youâre not like Jade. Youâre different. That's why I like you. That's why I hang out with you. I care about you Hazel. I don't care about Jade anymore. I know now that she isn't coming back" Fallon said. I sighed because he had no idea how wrong that last part was.
"Fallon, that wasn't me who called you. It wasn't me. And I want you to know that no matter what happens I always cared about you too. I'm nothing like Jade. But youâre wrong about something. Jade is coming back. And I'm going to be gone before you know it." I said. The ending of that sentence was a little off, but I started to walk away. I couldn't let him see me cry. So I hurried up to my room. Liz didn't follow this time. She must have just stayed there in shock. When I entered my room I heard my phone ringing on my bed. I went to pick it up.
"What?" I snarled.
"Howâs Daddy?" Jade asked
"Youâre playing a very dangerous game jade" I told her. She laughed then stopped.
"I hope you can handle me" Jade said then she hung up just after her laughter started.
----
When I entered the ballroom and my crying was done and I was cleaned up everyone stopped doing something and turned their heads toward me. The slow piano music stopped and all the chatting was done. Was I ever going to stop having these reactions every time I entered a room?
"Ohh...Hi, since I have all of your attention....again I guess, I have an announcement to make" I said. I walked and stood up on a chair near the door. I saw Fallon in the crowd and he looked in shock and when our eyes met he put his head down.
"Hi, Everyone. It's such a nice evening tonight. So uhh...Funny thing is... A couple nights ago when everyone went hunting...We had some workers here and they fixed the place up. It looks nice right? So yeah one of the workers got hurt and blood was spilled over the wood floor in the back." Everyone gasped.
"Yes where Jade died" I continued "That night after everything was cleaned up when Ian, Lucas, Liz and I were sitting down relaxing in the living room, we heard a noise. That noise happened to be the wood floor boards in the back of the ballroom. When we looked Jade's body was no longer there. We found her upstairs taking a bath" I said. Everyone was staring at me as if I was speaking Spanish.
"You mean....Jade Trinian is alive?" A lady in the crowd asked.
"Yes, Jade Trinian has come back from the dead!" I announced and as soon as I said those words the ballroom doors slowly started to open and there was Jade. Her arm was looped around Lucas's and she had on her Black and white gown. The gown I wore the first dinner Reunion. Everyone gasped and chatted to themselves. Everyone wanted a look at her, go to her, and ask her things. I quickly got off the chair.
"Thank you Hazel. For everything" Jade said smiling at me sweetly. I tried hard not to glare. I saw her mouth the words "Good luck" I smiled showing teeth (clenched). Good luck jade because your head is coming off.