Page 64 of House of Bass

“It’s in two weeks!”

“Okay, okay, okay I don’t care enough about the technicalities,” Harley said trying to put an end to the squabbling, she’d dealt with enough fights for one night. “Does your sister know you're here?”

“Not really…” Anastasia mumbled, her face crestfallen. Looking at her pout and doe eyed expression, eerily similar to the one Annabel did when she didn’t get her way, Harley couldn’t help but feel bad.

“I’m sure it'll be fine,” she said reluctantly. Another squeal escaped the younger girl. Harley was very lost as to where in that lithe body she mustered all this energy from. Stassie jumped up and down, giving Harley a hug. She wasn’t really startled by the affection as Annabel was the same way but still her hands hung awkwardly in the air. She gave her a robotic pat to the back and pulled her off her.

“Fab! Let’s go!” Anastasia grabbed Harley by the arm in a tight grip and pulled them inside. Just before they got in, she stuck her tongue out at Daniel, happy she’d won what seemed to be the cause of their little tirade earlier but he only rolled his eyes, blowing out an air of what seemed to be relief.

MJ, who had been the one to usher Scarlett out, was standing by the door. She noticed them from afar but seemed to be more interested in what was going down on her phone rather than any of us.

“Have you seen Annabel anywhere? I couldn't find her after chasing that” she started to say but Harley’s glare stopped her in her tracks. “Girl. I was going to say girl.”

“Look who we found crawling outside,” Daniel said, pointing to Stassie to which MJ finally takes note of the person next to her.

“Annie is going to lose her shit,” she said, her jaw dropped.

“It’ll be fine, can everyone just take a deep breath and vibe,” Anastasia replied.

They all turned to glare at her, and she all but grinned not taking a single one of their worries to heart.

She took out a lollipop from the small white purse she was carrying and put it into her mouth, nodding her head to the music. Harley took note just then that she was dressed as an angel, she was treated like one too as every passing person smiled and waved at her, wanting to take pictures. They were stopped immediately by Daniel’s glare, in his Devil costume, where he stood behind her like a bodyguard. If she didn’t know better she would’ve thought they were matching on purpose.

The moment Annabel stepped back into the room, her presence was noticeable. She came down the stairs from the other side of the house, her face lighter than it was when they first departed.

The anger that had previously dissipated rumbled back to the surface at the sight of her. Harley thought she’d gotten over how Annabel’s ability to do too much always seemed to affect her but here she was back to where she had been an hour ago.

MJ ran up to her talking briefly and that was when Harley noticed Arden coming down from where Annabel had just come from. Nobody else seemed to realise it, they were all too consumed by Anastasia’s presence to watch him slither his way into the conversation like he’d always been there.

After the night at the comet viewing she had guessed something was up between the two but this confirmed her suspicions. However, she wasn’t going to get involved.

“Someone please get everyone out of here, like, now!” Annabel damn near yelled, visible panic rising from her face, in hysterics. Daniel and Arden took charge at once, ushering people out of the house. Moans and grumbles were heard but ignored.

Harley didn’t move an inch from where she stood letting it play out. She glanced at her watch; it was nearing three a.m. anyway. She rolled her neck, trying to ease the ache that had settled in, exhaustion running through her from head to toe.

Annabel’s eyes darted around in the midst of her panic, and in one brief moment locked with hers. They stared at each other for a moment, saying a thousand unspoken words in that single glance.

I’m sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out. Please forgive me.

But despite it all, Harley turned on her heels and walked up to her room, hoping the slam of her door gave the impact of the words she intended and didn’t say.

24

ST. ANNABEL

“How is she?” My mother asks on the other end of the line, the exhaustion clear from her voice, worry peeking through. I guess she hasn’t utterly lost her fucking mind after all.

Stassie has her legs crossed on the couch as she pesters Arden with unnecessary chatter about tennis, discussing the game she’d last watched and whether or not they can play together. He hadn’t been bothered by the whole thing. He nods when required and gives a response when it seems fit.

The two of them have always liked one another, he has held a soft spot for her ever since she came into both our lives. That is the thing when you lose a friendship, everyone around you feels the loss too.

I am glad to have had the help of my friends after last night, the panic attack took me by surprise. Likely an amalgamation of the events of last night building up and the surprise was the final nail in the coffin.

Thinking about last night has me remembering the moment that I shared with Arden in the room. My eyes find his , like the gravitational pull of the earth to its core. My father always said that the eyes were a window to a person’s soul, and for me my eyes reflect Arden. He is my soul.

And every inch of me wants to be near him, like a calling. Yet, my eyes briefly strays to the other girl sitting by his feet. Knowing I’d already betrayed her trust and years of friendship.

MJ is wearing one of the spare pajamas she keeps for whenever she comes over, her hands are wrapped around Arden’s leg with her head resting on it as she speaks to Dan. I can’t even find it in me to be jealous.