Three

Three

"Wake up, Hailey!"

I groaned angrily, rubbing my sleepy eyes as I stared bleary-eyed at the smug face of my best friend?

What kind of best friend wakes you up in the middle of the night or before morning?

Right, Susie.

Rolling my eyes I glared at her. "What?!"

"Shush!" She placed a finger on my lips, and I attempted to bite it off. She was quick to withdraw her hand, giving me a questioning look.

I shrugged. "A girl's gotta do what she can to survive."

Susie shot me a glare before giving me a sweet smile. "Granny is asleep."

I rubbed my eyes again, yawning, "I know but why's that relevant?"

Susie grinned from ear to ear, "It's time to go."

I stared at her, still looking confused. "What are you talking about right now?"

Susie facepalmed. "It's ten days to your wedding and we made a to-do list to remember."

Suddenly alarm bells went off in my head. I remembered a to-do list but that was like when we were kids.

Warning bells went off in my head and I eyed her suspiciously. "Yeah? What happened to the list?"

She rolled her eyes at me, "Let's go live our best life!"

I clamped my hand over her mouth. "Shut up, you're gonna wake grandma up."

After what feels like forever, Susie finally calmed her excited nerves down. "Mmm Fpt kkgh."

I grinned as I removed my hand from her mouth. "Thank you!" Susie huffed glaring at me.

I smirked. "I like you better when you're mumbling."

Ignoring my smug comment, she gave me a bone-chilling smile. "Hailey, don't you need someone to accompany you to go see the Priest later this morning?"

I eyed her warily, "Yeah?"

She smiled, "I could accompany you."

I nodded, still trying to know what she was saying, "You could?"

She smiled at me, way too bright if you ask me. "Do you want me to?"

I smiled genuinely, forgetting I was supposed to be suspicious of her. "Awww that's so sweet of you. But grandma is going with me so there's no need."

Susie frowned. "Oh!" Then suddenly her frown vanished. Looks suspicious to me though, "You know Anna?"

I furrowed my brows trying to remember who she was referring to. "Anna Simmons?"

She smiled. "Yeah, that's her."

I frowned, "What about her?"

This convo was getting way too suspicious for my liking and I don't understand what she's talking about. I know she's my best friend. I ought to know her well but this bestie of mine is way too complicated to understand.

"So, you know how she was supposed to get married last month," Susie began. I nodded, still eying her, "You know she wasn't allowed to get married."

Oh! That's new. I didn't hear this news.

I shook my head not trying to hide my surprise at all. "You should come out and socialize more often," she said frowning then continued, "well the Priest refused to wed her because she was pregnant and none of her female friends accompanied her to see the Priest."

Wow! Interesting but why was she telling me all this I'm not pregnant.

"Thanks for the news update," I told her with a smile, "But you don't have to worry I'm going with Granny."

Giving a "hmph" sound she pulled the covers and went back to bed. I frowned.

What was going on with her I mean it's sweet of her to offer to go with me but grandma already has plans of going with me. This sleepover was not going as planned. Shrugging it off, I went back to bed.

The next morning, I awoke—like a normal person while Susie continued glaring at me and well she did a lot of other things that involved her just lying on the bed.

Quickly doing the dishes, I went into the bathroom and had a quick shower. I was excited and nervous at the same time. This was going to be my first official appearing before the Priest and the council of Elders. I just hoped everything goes according to plan then I'll be married to Duncan.

Stepping out of the shower I saw Susie still lying on my bed, a smile playing on her lips. The kind that said 'I know something you don't know.'

I ignored her and dressed up in my knee-length floral gown matching it with a pair of pink sandals and my black handbag. Staring in the mirror, I smiled. I looked perfect.

"Granny, I'm ready!" I hollered from my room.

When I didn't hear her reply I went straight to her room. She still wasn't there. "Grandma! Grandma!!"

I finally stepped back into my room and a secret smile was playing on Susie's face. I grabbed my phone to call my granny when Susie decided to talk.

"Oh, I'm sorry you're looking for granny right?" She asked me with a smirk.

"Duh!" I rolled my eyes, "isn't it obvious?"

She gave me a small smile, "Granny said you should find someone to accompany you, she had an impromptu meeting she couldn't miss."

I stared at her in disbelief. Granny couldn't possibly leave me on my own to go see the priest. She knows this is important to me so what could be more important than that?

"I don't think granny would do that."

Susie gave me a sweet smile, "She left you a note," then handed me a yellow piece of paper.

The handwriting was exactly granny's writing and she had told me to go with Susie, she had an emergency to take care of. She had told me to go with Susie but Susie had said I should look for someone else to accompany me. I eyed her suspiciously.

"Granny said you should go with me," I told her blankly.

She smiled, "Oh, I know."

"Then why did you make it seem like I was going with someone else?"

"Cause you are," she rolled her eyes like it was so obvious.

What the hell is wrong with this girl? "Excuse me?"

"I'm not going, Hailey," she stated.

I stared at her in disbelief, "But you offered to go with me yesterday."

"That was yesterday not today. I've changed my mind," she replied with a shrug, standing up to leave.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To my house, I need to leave you to find who you would go with," she offered me a small smile.

I stared at her, unable to understand why she was giving me this attitude. "Susie, you ain't going nowhere."

She smirked, "Try stopping me."

I knew I couldn't. You can't make Susie do anything she doesn't want to do. Sighing, I sat down on the bed, my mind thinking of what would be the outcome of going there alone. It will signify that I'm either a loner or a proud person and that was not a good image for me to have in front of the council. Secondly, I would be suspected of having no friends because of "defilement" which is also not good. Then I would be...

"Get your head and ears out of your mind!" Susie interrupted my reeling thoughts. I looked up and I realized she was still in my room.

"Let me be, Susie, I know damn well I can't convince you to go with me," I said in a resigned tone.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked me.

I looked at her and saw a small smile playing on her lips, "What are you up to, Susie?"

"Aaha! Now you've asked the right question," Susie smiled cheerfully.

"Susie, I have an appointment in the next two hours you'd better start talking," I threatened.

She grinned mischievously, "Plenty of time, my love."

~~~~*

I refuse to discuss the details of my agreement with the devil—that would be Susie of course, she's secretly the devil's younger sister. I just know that I'm going to this meeting with a heavy heart.

"Cheer up, it's not so bad." I stared daggers at the smug face of Susie walking beside me as we trotted down to the church.

She giggled. "You can glare at me all day but we know that you don't have murder in your blood."

I frowned. I hated the fact that she was right, I mean, indeed, my ancestors haven't murdered anyone before but it wouldn't hurt if I am the first to start it.

I quickened my pace to rid myself of the horrible thought before I executed it, still fuming quietly inside my mind.

"Oh come on, don't be so glum." She slung her arm over my shoulder. I gritted my teeth in anger. The things this best friend of mine made me do.

I could see the pinnacle of the church from afar so I quickened my pace once more. I was nervous and excited. I couldn't wait.

"Would you slow down!" My best friend grumbled.

I ignored her and kept my eyes fixed on the pinnacle and soon the big Catholic Church, St. Michaels Parish came into view.

I always marveled at the artistic structure and the wonderful exterior design of the church. The milk-white paint that was used in the church pillars was really beautiful and matched the spotless white tiles used on the floor and walls of the church. The church was so massive I couldn't even begin to describe half of it.

Marching forward with Susie trailing behind me, I stepped into the entrance of the church and like most Catholic churches the first thing I saw was the vestibule.

"Omg! Your church has a swimming pool?" I heard the shrill voice of Susie behind me.

I groaned, "Keep your voice down, you're in a holy place."

"Sure," she said with a snort and an eye roll.

"This isn't a swimming pool either," I pointed out.

"Oh yeah? Why is it looking like one?"

I facepalmed, "If you would just let me explain and shut up!"

She raised her hands in mock surrender, "Okay, grumpy pants."

I glared at her but continued, "This is called a Vestibule."

She glanced at the vestibule then back at me and burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" I asked her, perplexed.

"Vestibule," she chortled, "like we're in the 80s."

I eyed her ready for a comeback when a sharp voice interrupted.

"This church was built in the 80s. 1981 to be exact."

Uh-huh, this is such a bad impression, I thought as I glanced up at the person standing a few feet away from us, his eyes looking very stern.

Way to ruin my image, Susie.