Lies After Lies After Lies

SEVEN: Shadow

SEVEN: Shadow

Chapter Three

Lies After Lies After Lies

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“Nell… I can’t tell you anything” Izumi said in a low voice, turned, handed me the clothes, and walked towards the door. “Sorry, I’ll be back in a minute” she mumbled before leaving without another word. She only acted like this when she can’t lie and chooses to leave instead.

Keep a cool head. Don’t panic. Wait for answers.

I tried to keep my thoughts from going crazy.

Try not to break down. This isn’t the time or place for it.

I looked down at the clothes. I recognised them as Izumi’s. She’d worn them to university before. A pair of black ripped skinny jeans and a worn-out AC/DC shirt… She didn’t give me any underwear… and I don’t know where the bathroom is… I didn’t even have my phone to text her…

And it was as if she knew what I was thinking because she soon opened the door, a little out of breath, and pointed across the hall.

“That’s the bathroom. There are fresh towels on the shelf. You can have the new pack of underwear in that drawer. There’s a sports bra that might fit you” she said in a rush before disappearing again.

“That was weird” I muttered to myself but walked across the room to collect the undies and the bra… it was definitely going to be too small, but it would have to do. I checked the hallway for any of the handsome guys before flitting across the hallway to the bathroom.

It was a rather large room that looked more like a public bathroom than one in a house. There were several cubicles instead of open toilets and showers and everything else was shared. Dark blue counters, some with sinks, lined the far wall that was entirely mirrored.

Lockers with name tags were along the right-hand wall between the toilets and the sinks. Clean white flooring and dark grey walls. Recessed ceiling lights lit the room since there were no windows at all.

I immediately locked the door behind me and walked over to the mirror… I looked a right state. My hair was all over the place and matted with blood and mud. My drained looking face was paler than usual and also looked like I’d been in a war zone. I peeled my damp and dirty clothes off of me and dumped them in a pile.

After a long and hot shower, making double sure I wasn’t injured anywhere, I finally got out and dressed. It made a whole world of difference! Wrapping my hair up in a towel, I made my way into the bedroom and sat at the desk with the mirror. While I was in the shower, Izumi had got out a hairdryer and a brush.

She really was my best friend!

After drying my hair as best as I could, I sat on the second made up bed and waited… was I allowed to walk around their house without permission? I could smell the food for breakfast, but should I go down before it’s ready? So many questions… and like before Izumi came bustling into the bedroom in a rush.

“Come down, breakfast is almost ready” she smiled, and we walked down together… I was very nervous! At the table sat Taehyung, Jimin, Namjoon and Hoseok. Seokjin, Yoongi and Jungkook were bringing steaming food to the table… all food I didn’t recognise…

“Oh, um, this is steamed eggs, tofu soybean stew, rice and kimchi” Jimin pointed to the various food in front of me. It was like he could read my thoughts… Each of us had a bowl of soup and rice but the steamed egg dishes and kimchi were shared. Definitely not a full English but smelled delicious.

“We’re originally from Korea” Namjoon revealed, taking a sip of his stew. His accent sounded fluently American; you’d have never guessed he was from Korea!

“We also make English food sometimes. But we were feeling a little homesick” Seokjin explained. He, like Jimin, did have an accent… it was rather cute…

“It looks great, thank you” I thanked shyly and dipped my spoon in the bowl of soup… It. Was. So. Good! We ate mostly in quiet; it was very awkward… I tried to keep my eyes on the food but every time I looked up, I found eyes on me… very… very awkward…

“I’ll help clean up” I offered after we’d all finished eating.

“No, you’re a guest here. I can take you back home when you’re ready. You need to get some things for while you’re staying here” Izumi took my shoulders firmly and walked me to the big metal doors.

“Huh? Staying here? But…” I tried to talk back but she firmly walked me out the doors into a large garage with three cars. The royal blue Mini Cooper I’ve seen Izumi drive, a sleek black Mercedes van and a dark silver BMW.

“Everything will be explained later, but we do need to be quick” Izumi said while opening the Mini and getting in. I hesitated. But followed her. The drive to the house was very quiet and I didn’t recognise where we were before getting into the town centre. 40 minutes after leaving the dorm we got to the house… the door had been fixed… and my car was gone…

I unlocked the door… it had been completely cleaned and looked just as it had before yesterday. No broken wall. No blood. Nothing. I looked at Izumi, but she rushed forward and ran up the stairs to my room. I wasn’t going to get anything until later, and that was frustrating!

“Grab some clothes, pyjamas, toothbrush, a few toiletries. Enough for about three days” Izumi told me while sitting on my bed and looking out the window. I grabbed my overnight bag from above my wardrobe and began packing. But as I was packing my toiletries, the door opened, and Abbie’s voice called out.

“Nell! I’m back! How come you didn’t answer the phone!?” she yelled up the stairs and Izumi walked quietly into the bathroom to hide. But before she went inside, she pointed to my desk where my bag, phone and keys were laid on. I picked up my phone as Abbie came in.

“Are you wearing Izumi’s clothes?” she immediately looked down and recognised what I was wearing. I tried to come up with something but all of a sudden Izumi came out the bathroom carrying my favourite towel.

“Hey” she casually greeted Abbie who stared at her in surprise. “Oh, Nell lost her house key. I just so happened to be driving past when I saw her getting drenched, so I picked her up and she stayed at mine” she came up with the excuse effortlessly and without any tell she was lying… and Abbie bought it.

“Ohhhh! Why didn’t you call me, silly” Abbie turned to me and sat on my bed, next to my almost fully packed bag. “Where are you going?” she said, noticing it.

“She’s staying at mine for a couple of days while you have Hyangmin stay over” Izumi winked at Abbie who flushed.

“How did you know I was going to ask if he could stay over?” she looked at her like she’d found the location of Atlantis.

“I heard you while we were walking into town” she smirked and packed my towel for me… for someone who can’t lie… she’s doing a really good job at lying to Abbie.

“Well… his lease is up tomorrow… and he didn’t want to move to the house alone…” Abbie blushed further. After a quick chat about Abbie and Hyangmin’s plans, I packed everything I needed, and we walked down to the car. A quick goodbye later and we drove quietly back to the dorm where Jimin and Jungkook were waiting to help carry my things, which weren’t a lot, up to the room… we were also notified that Imani was on her way.

“Do you have the tea ready?”

“Yeah, where are the good pillows?”

“Can someone move these weights?”

“Sorry, I was working out earlier”

“Hyung! We don’t have any food to give her!”

“I’ll make sandwiches! Just get out the way before you break something again!”

The dorm… was very chaotic… and I’d never seen human beings move as fast at they moved. Zooming around at blurring speed, trying to get the dorm ready for the important guest.

Jungkook was flitting up and down the stairs with random things that Namjoon immediately said no to and sped away to put it back where he found it. Jimin and Taehyung were sorting out the coffee table with hot drinks and freshly made sandwiches, both made by Seokjin who was busy in the kitchen with a tired-looking Yoongi. Hoseok was sorting out some important looking document folders into order and filing them away in a filing cabinet hidden behind a movable bookshelf.

After getting dressed in my own clothes at a very normal pace, I sat down in the living area, watching bewildered at the inhuman people. But then they all stopped dead! Like they heard something I couldn’t…

Namjoon moved first, whooshing across the room in a matter of seconds, ready to open the door. I looked around at the others, but they were already sat beside me and across the other sofa. He opened the door and the most beautiful looking woman I’d ever seen walked in with absolute grace and flawlessness!

“Mrs Imani Afia, this is Nell who we told you about” Namjoon introduced me to the gorgeous woman. She had clear, caramel coloured skin. A mane of thick jet-black curls framed her strong face. Large hazel eyes with long curled lashes. Full curved lips and high cheeks.

She was tall, full-figured and looked to be in her late 20s. She was dressed in flowing bright red trousers and matching blazer, a white blouse with tie detail on the neck. Expensive looking black high heels that clicked loudly on the floor, echoing off the brick walls.

Without talking, she sat down on an armchair and looked at everyone, before finally settling on me.

“Nell. Well, first things first we need some of your blood” she said with a honey-smooth voice…

… huh???

… my blood???

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AUTHOR'S NOTES

THERE WAS NO UPLOAD LAST WEEK SINCE IT WAS MY BIRHTDAY AND I WAS DRUNK OR HUNGOVER FOR A FEW DAYS ^w^ ALSO I HAVE CHANGED THE CHAPTER NAME SINCE IMANI DIDN'T COME INTO THE CHAPTER UNTIL THE END :)

ANYWAYS, I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER! I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PROOF READ IT SO I APOLOGISE FOR ANY SPELLING MISTAKES :D

MONDAY 9TH MARCH: CHAPTER FOUR - IMANI AFIA

-- ANSWERS ARE FINALLY GIVEN TO NELL --

-ESTELLEKPOP

xx

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