by Amanda Agu
“Oh thank the lords!” Tia shouted happily.
“Shhh!” I said, pointing at Harper and Jonas in front of the open locker.
“So what are we gonna do with these cameras?” Tia asked in a questionable remark.
“Toss em,” I said with a large smile on my face.
Tia began taking out her camera, ready to toss it to the side. My eyes widened and I shout whispered the word ‘STOP’ to Tia.
She immediately rearranged her position and put the camera in the bag beside her.
“Sorry,” Tia said squeezing her face and shrugging her shoulders. I looked at her and rolled my eyes letting out a small giggle.
I turned around, deciding to get back to work before the bell rang. As I peered behind the wall, I saw what I needed all along. The footage, the bear had caught it all.
I faced towards Tia quickly raising my hands in celebration.
“We got it!” I said loudly hugging Tia.
“Shhh! It’s all done.” She replied as the bell rang for class.
Chapter 19
The school day was over and I was on my way to McDonald’s to get a few things to eat.
I drove past Tropicana W and Sandy Road, making a left. There on the corner was the McDonald’s
“Thank gods and goddesses,” I said aloud.
Tia was on the passenger side of my car tapping away at her phone.
As I drove up to the drive-through at McDonald’s I saw a familiar face.
Nic.
My stomach twisted at the thought of breaking his heart when he saw the video (I cared, but not truly). I quickly rolled up my window and drove up to the order machine.
“Hello, welcome to McDonald’s, how may I help you today?” A man’s voice beamed through the machine, sounding a little Southern.
“Yeah, please, could I get a 20 piece chicken nugget, large fries times two, and two double cheeseburgers?” I said politely.
“One second,” he mumbled back as the items began appearing on the main black screen of the machine.
“What about me?” Tia whispered to me pouting like a god.
“You get the chicken nuggets and the large fries, I get the other fries and the burgers,” I replied.
“Oh,” She said, “fabulous!” She semi shouted, before looking back down at her phone.
What could be so interesting on that device? Golly! Oops, well at least now I know how my parents feel.
“Your total is $12.64 at the next window,” he said loudly, “have a nice day.”
I drove up to the next window with a $20 bill in my hand. The man standing in that small room with the microphone over his mouth opened the window.
“$12.67,” he said a dull tone.
“Oh! Sorry!” I said as I handed him the $20 bill.
He pressed a few buttons on the screen in front of him. He gathered the change and printed my receipt.
“Have a great day,” he said with an I hate my life smile.
“Thanks,” I said back as I grabbed my change and receipt, driving up to the next window.
At the next window still a tall male, I couldn’t tell who it was because he was standing backward.
He turned slowly, only to reveal his face.
“Here you go love,” the boy said as he handed me my bag of food.
He closed the window and turned around only to turn back around and re-open the window.
“Tia? Coy?” He said.
“I literally wondered how long it would take you to realize who you were talking to Kingsley!”
Tia looked up from her phone and gulped air.
“Hey, Kingsley!” She said laughing.
“Hey, so girls, I have this mad story to tell you. I was in a plane right-!” He was cut off.
“KINGSLEY!” A big bulky man shouted.
“Gotta go!” Kingsley said as he closed the window and ran to attend to the big man who seems to be his manager.
Tia and I laughed and I drove off.
Chapter 20
Tia and I sat inside my room eating McDonald’s and scrolling through social media.
“Where is the burner phone?” I said to Tia as I took a large bite of my burger and stuffed fries in as well.
“Here,” Tia said as she threw it at me, dipping her nugget in BBQ and throwing it into her mouth
I took the phone from where it had landed and placed it by my side.
“Okay…” I inhaled and exhales dramatically getting a stare from Tia.
“Sorry,” I said laughing.
I reached under my pillow and grabbed my MacBook Pro. I open the screen and type in my passcode.
I fiddled with the mouse and finally got the courage to click on ‘live and recorded footage’ in the corner of my home screen.
As I opened the program, the videos of Harper and Jonas started appearing. My chest at this point was pumping faster than ever
‘100% download complete’ the computer program pop-up said.
I clicked ‘okay’ under the message and we get reviewing the footage. I saved it to the library on my computer and cropped out the desired parts.
“Happy six months and happy birthday Harberry!” Jonas said hugging Harper and pecking her on the cheek.
“Thanks, baby, you too!” She said, “ what did you get me?”
Jonas picked a small box from the side of his trousers and opened it up.
Oh my god…
“Oh my god!” Harper shouted in the footage, causing me to jump a little.
“Those are the Pandora 22K rose gold scented earrings I wanted!” She hugged Jonas tightly. “I love you,” she said as she and Jonas kissed.
Perfect.
I cropped the footage and sent it to the burner phone, which took 5000 years to do.
I switched back to live footage and left my computer playing while I finished my food.
“What’s in the eye of that bear Harper?” Jonas said. (Unfortunately, my dumbass didn’t hear any of this).
“What do you mean?” Harper replied.
A hand covered the camera on the eye and plucked it out.
“A cam!” Jonas said as he looked directly into the small, almost invisible lense.
Jonas dropped it on the floor and smashed it. The footage ended there.
But for me, the Mcd's eating maniac was enjoying my food a little bit too much to notice.
Chapter 21
It was a new day. Everything felt brighter and more clear, but something, just something wasn’t feeling right.
I pushed aside the thought and continued scrolling through social media. The previous night, I had sent the footage to Nic using the burner phone while Tia checked that everything in the plan, went according to plan. After everything was done, we disposed of all, and when I say all I mean ALL the items bought for the plan. Oh except for the cute Polaroid cameras.
After scrolling through Instagram for a while, I decided to get up. It was hump day after all. I put on a black dress that stopped right above my knees, put on my black converse, and tied my hair into a ponytail.
I ran downstairs and open the fridge, grabbing a large ice cream jar and a bowl to make cinnamon toast crunch.
I finished getting all my food, and preparing them, so I sat down at the main table and began eating.
Took one scoop of ice cream, followed with one scoop of cereal.
God this is good.
I unlock my phone and opened up the app Snapchat. I looked at a few friend’s stories, but took interest in a few people, a.k.a. Nick and Harper.
My heart increased in speed, and it took all the courage I had in me, but I clicked Harper’s story.
The first picture I saw was halfway smiling with Saf, Grant, Jonas, Carol, Nadine, and Sam.
I tapped and saw the next post which read, “friends, friends, inspections begin today.” I tapped again, “who can I even trust?” I tapped a third time and a picture of Harper smiling but it looked like she had been crying, “free. at. last.” it read.
I clicked out of Harper story and proceeded to Nic’s story.
His first post was an effortless, and shirtless, mirror picture, featuring his hand in his hair.
I admired the picture for 10 minutes (not literally) then clicked to another post. My heart fluttered and my face filled with joy. It read, “Free to go for her, the one I truly want.”
I clicked off button on my phone and fell back in my seat.
“Oh my God,” I said as milk squirted out and near my bowl.
I picked up my phone again, but this time to make a call. I went to my contacts and dialed the number.
“Hey,” the person on the line said.
“How are you,” I said back.
“I’m okay what do you want, Coy?” she replied.
“Harper I wanna know what you meant by when you said you are…”
“Nic and I broke up and with Jonas. I think Saf set me up or Grant, but you and Tia are off of my suspects list. Just pretend none of this ever happened.” Harper cut the phone.
My heart was pounding fast, but I wanted to stay calm and enjoy my day.
How did Harper know someone set her up?
I ran to my computer in my room and opened up the security camera program.
Oh. No.
The deactivate button was still red, indicating we had never turned it off.
The live footage was just showing the floor, and in the corner I could see a bear leg. The camera was just showing the floor, and in the corner I could see a very long leg. The footage looked cracked and dirty, probably indicating someone had taking it out from the bear and stepped on it.
I quickly pressed deactivate and slammed my computer screen shut.
“ I’m done for. I’m so done. for dad I’m obviously done.” I said as I waddled down the steps.
I went back to the table and turned on the television, switching to Disney channel. That's so Raven was playing. At least something could provide peace in my life.
As I continued eating my food and watching TV, my phone began to ring.
I peered at the screen and saw the name Tia. I let it finish ringing, then I put my phone on ‘do not disturb’ mode.
I finished my food and went to the couch to get a closer view of the television. As I watched I dozed off and fell asleep.
Chapter 22
It was Saturday, meaning I survived the week without Harper’s wrath. The whole week, well what was left of it, I had been avoiding people. I didn’t want to seem suspicious, but with Nic on the loose, and Harper on a killing machine, it’s better I stayed clear of them.
I sat in my car, driving to a nearby fast food place called In-N-Out. Their food was like heaven. So, when I wasn’t in the mood for my regular McDonald’s, I would go there.
I parked in front of the building and climbed down from my jeep, shut the door of my jeep, and made sure the doors are locked.
Walking into the In-N-Out, I was enlightened by the smell of fries and burgers. Food, the only thing that could make a girl happy.
“Hello, what can I get for you?” A man at the cashier named ‘Lan’ said.
“Um, just a cheeseburger and fries, my usual,” I said with a faint smile.
“Your total is $7.98!” He said as I gave him a $10 bill.
He handed me my change and in less than two minutes my food was presented to me.
“Have a great day!” he said with a smile.
“You too, Lan!” I hollered back.
I carried my tray and went to sit down at the nearby empty, but clean, table. I sat down quickly and picked up my burger with a few fries and began to stuff bites into my mouth like a maniac.
A voice beamed from the front of my table.
“Oh hey mind if I join?” the voice uttered.
I picked up a napkin and wiped my mouth before looking up. Oh, and who else could it be? Nic fucking Reed. I closed my eyes and rolled them then I looked directly at him with a non-teeth smile (not trying to ruin my image anything with the piece of meat in my teeth).
“Sure,” I murmured unenthusiastically.
Nic pulled out a chair, I guess he been sitting out before coming over to my table and sitting down beside me.
“So how are you, Coy?” Nic said weakly rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.
It must be a signature move for him, his hand is always somewhere on his head.
“Could be better, uh, you?” I said through a half stuffed chewing mouth.
“Really great!” he said smiling for no reason.
I looked down at my burger and fries, back up at Nic, then back at my food. As I reached for my burger Nick uttered another sentence.
“So, uh, Coy, you know that school dance on Friday night right?” he asked shyly.
“Yeah,” I said eating a few fries.
I was so oblivious I couldn’t tell he was trying to ask me out. I might have seemed rude or disrespectful on my behalf, but I was fed up mentally and physically.
I looked down at the floor and reached for my phone, I pressed the home button, then began typing in my code.
“Look, Nic, if you’re trying to say something—,”
Nick grabbed my chin and smashed into mine. I was in heaven.
Resisting from temptation and coming to my senses, (which was awful because it would or will lead to the ending of a perfect kiss) I pulled back opening my eyes wide.
“Will you go to the dance with me Coy Clent?” Nic said as he gasped for air silently.
“Sure,” I said casually as I picked up my things and my tray, threw it away, turned around, and exited the fast food place.
I unlocked my car door, and opened it up, jumped inside with the biggest smile on my face, and drove off.
Chapter 23
“You make me feel like a dangerous woman, something ‘bout, something ‘bout you, makes me blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah!” I sang as I danced around the closet in my room.
“We get it Coy, you love Africana Grande’s song. Now stop before you burst my eardrums!” Kingsley shouted from the corner of my room.
“It’s my choice!” I shouted back and continued, but this time humming.
I flipped through my hangers with clothing and brought out a black cropped top with a hugging skirt, that ended right above my knees.
I hopped like a bunny as I put each leg into my skirt. Following that tragedy, I slipped into my top and began walking to my bed.
“Kingsley!” I shouted like an angry grandma.
“Yes, mother!” he replied back, as he walked towards me and sat down.
“I gots to tell you something…” I said in a low tone and peered over at the door.
My mom was home, and she is a mother tracking bot. As in nothing goes unknown in this house. It used to be a lot worse, but after the death of my brother, Asher, and the divorce going on between my mom and my father at the time, she was forced to calm down and live a calmer life.
“Oh, okay, I understand…” Kingsley said smiling as he closed my room door before coming to sit back down near me.
“Spill it girl,” Kingsley said leaning in as if I were going to whisper in his ear.
“Well, I was at In-N-Out,” I said in a low tone.
“Bomb as fuck,” Kingsley said back.
“Yeah, I know. Well anyways, I was eating and then Nic came up to me saying he had a question to ask me. Then he kissed me and asked to go to the lover’s dance on Friday.” I said gasping for air.
“But no big deal!” I said smiling.
Kingsley’s mouth dropped open and he let out a big gasp/
“Oh my god,” Kingsley said as he stood up from the bed and began walking around the room causing me to be dizzy.
“Could you stop that please,” I said politely as I looked at Kingsley.
“Yeah, sorry.” He said as he came back to the bed and sat down.
“I thought he and Harper were still doing that odd thing they considered a relationship,” Kingsley said through furrowed brows.
>
“Oh yeah, you’ve been a little out of the loop, Tia and I sabotaged Harper because she was cheating on Nic, so he left her and now Harper is dating Jonas publically.” I said out of breath yet again.
