章 9: "I'm Sorry"

When Maria left the hospital she couldn't believe her shitty luck. The scene at the hospital kept running through her mind. Maria made her mind up to go home and cry in front of her father. She hailed a cab and left. She couldn't tell what but something felt off about the way Ella interacted with Xavier. Maria was overcome with panic, her chest felt full and she struggled to control her breathing.

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Ella left the hospital and made her way home. Xavier had told her to take his car. Ella couldn't help but smile when she thought about the drama queen at home.

She knew that Maria was waiting at home for her to display her acting skills. Ella was not even afraid anymore. As Ella sung her heart out to the radio her phone rung. She looked at the phone screen and gloom washed over her face. It was her high school best-friend but because of Maria, Ella had cut ties with her.

Maria had accused her best friend of only befriending Ella for money & using her to better her status in her family. Ella couldn't help but recall how she had ignored this call in her last life, only for Alice's body to show up in the river the night before her wedding. Speaking of which, that was in a fortnight. Ella pulled up on the side of my he road and answered the call.

Silence filled the space upon Ella answering her phone. Ella heard sniffles & her heart broke just a little bit more. She remembered how this girl had protected her from bullies. How, when the upper class little misses would exclude her, calling her names, and playing horrible pranks on her, it was Alice who would fight them. Now that Ella thought about it, funny how Maria was always nowhere to be found during these attacks. Ella knew that those fights had cost her friend her father's acceptance and possible love as he felt she was useless. She remembered how she saw burn marks on her friends inner thighs but she'd always say he'd dropped either coals on herself when she was cleaning out the fire place or that it was nothing. When Ella cut ties with Alice, Maria did all the talking but Ella never defended her friend.

Guilt enveloped Ella like a winter blanket during a snowy July night. "Hey Alice, what's going on?" Finally, Ella asked in the calmest soft voice she could master. She had never seen nor heard this girl cry. Alice came from a middle-class family. A product of an affair her father had with the maid. She was treated terribly by her father and his family, and her mother had fled alone in the middle of a night and left her behind or so they said.

Alice did not respond. She quietly sniffled. "I'm sorry Alice, I know you are the only friend I have ever had but I let Maria lie about you. I'm really sorry." Ella said.

Alice choked and gave a cough. "I'm sorry too, I only called to say goodbye & to thank you for alway being my sunshine on all those cold years. I alway knew you'd come around and I forgive you." She said.

Ella couldn't hold her panic in anymore "Alice tell me where you are! We can talk about this, please don't talk like everything is final. Alice, I don't want your forgiveness if you won't even be at my wedding." Cried Ella.

" I can't sweets!" Said Alice with a self-mocking smile. "My father has finally thought of a use for me and it's repaying his gambling debt as a prostitute. Ella, you know I've always said I'd save myself for my husband. All these years I have never dated unlike Stephanie. I have never even been in a room with a male unsupervised besides my father. For my husband I wanted him to be my first, to know that I waited through all the pain, I waited for him, but he will never know that. He will never know that my own father sold me instead of his precious company because they can't afford to lose their luxury lifestyle." Sniffled Alice.

Ella felt like her body had just been submerged in ice. "Tell me where you are, I'm coming to get you. My father can protect you. Please Alice you haven't even given me the opportunity to show you how sorry I am. I promise i can protect you." she pleaded.

"Do you remember after Xavier left the country? How we found our haven? where we used to go to hide from those seniors who used to bully you? If you don't remember, then I guess we were never friends." Said Alice then hung up.

How could Ella forget. Xavier had just left Country F for the prestigious medical university in Country A. All his senior admirers took their revenge on her for him ignoring them throughout their schooling years. Ella quickly messaged Xavier the location coordinates nothing else. She was glad Xavier gave her his car.

Ella sped through suburbia; all her earlier happy mood had disappeared. All she felt were ice pricks in her chest. The world was cold, she had never known that, but now she does. She could hear her phone ring constantly but all she wanted was to reach Alice on time. She remembered the news had said she'd been dead at least 7 days when they found her Ella thought back.

Finally, she came into view of an old run-down house. She parked the Audi A7 without even turning the engine off and ran towards the garden. Ella and Alice had spent their free time planting flowers here & by the looks of things, someone still tended to them. Ella didn't have time to appreciate their work of art. She found Alice sitting by the tyre swing they'd painstakingly put together.

Ella kneeled before Alice & kowtowed "I'm sorry I am late friend," said Ella. Alice couldn't believe Ella had come. She stared at Ella as if seeing a mythical creature. Ella couldn't help but notice the difference in her friend. Her friend used to be filled with hope for her future, she had plans to leave the Jamiesons after she finished high school. Ella couldn't think of why Alice had remained in that family after high school. Guilt continued envelope Ella as she looked at her friend's lifeless, hopeless & helpless eyes.

Alice put her hand on Ella's face and through her tears smiled & said "you never were good with keeping appointments." The two girls laughed while crying and hugged. Ella heard rushed footsteps, she felt Alice's body tense up. Ella whispered "don't worry I sent for backup. It's probably Xavier."

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