2. The Party

16th July 2027

THE NEXT DAY:

The mansion is decorated in a way, one might call 'Boring' because everything is somehow related with the 'Lawyer stuffs'. But that isn't what matters. What matters is the majestic beauty of the mansion. Well, majestic is not the word I would use to describe it, since it's a large building mainly consisting of glass. But any way, it is beautiful. Jos lives there with her fiancé Ben. Ben is the CEO of BATT Beauty products while Jos is the heir to her father's management, VOICE Management. Their families are in good terms, since there children had a thing since high school. Unlike her family, mine and Kate's are different. Kate is an Airhostess. Kate didn't actually have much of a dream. Her dream was to be a Lawyer, just like me. And so was Jose's. But things didn't work out. At the end, somehow, Kate ended up becoming an Airhostess to our country's Airlines agency. While I, am an independent Lawyer.

By the time it is dusk, the place is already swarming with people. Every single person I can remember from high school come up to me and congratulate me on my success. All I can do is just take everything in. we stand in a circle, me, Jos, Kate, Ben, and Ben's friend Charlie.

Now here's a thing about Charlie. Charlie and I dated during high school for only for a few months when one day, I saw him with another girl. Without asking for an explanation, I made a fool of myself by thinking he was cheating on me. Crazy me. A week passed and I kept ignoring him until he learnt the truth from Kate. At first he laughed, saying he would never do such a thing. And like the fool I am, I made myself think it was TRUE LOVE and we started again but not long had we started, Charlie dumbed me through Kate, saying her to tell me that he is a bad boy, and that he flirts around with many girls and what not. It broke my heart, thinking about what he told me about never going to betray me and all the TRUE LOVE stuffs. Only then did I realize what he actually meant. He didn't mean that he would never LEAVE me. He just meant that it was not in his character to cheat or two time.

Cliche story isn't it? Only the truth is, it's not the real story. I just made that up. it was way more terrible than you can imagine.

So the moment right now is quiet awkward, with both of us standing face to face, just Ben, Joseph, Jos and Kate as our barrier. Ben wants to know about the case. So that's what I do. I tell him, but Charlie listens too. Music spills from ahead. Joy and Lucy, my former band mates in our high school music group perform a song I have long written.

"This one's for you, Roselyn Arahoz!" They call and applause breaks out. They sing 'Walk Over', the song I wrote when I loosed my first debate competition. Even though I didn't lose my case, the song still fits, because the meaning is the same.

"Wow! I didn't know they would be here too!" says Kate, watching the two dance and sing on the stage. "Why would you think something like that?" asks Charlie.

Kate just shrugs and answers, "They really aren't the type who would come just because they remember someone, you know. Especially not Rose."

I don't know why she had to say that.

"Maybe they thought it will be there chance to get famous, cause I bet they came her just to perform. Oh, how attention seeking!" Jos says, shuddering. We all laugh.

"Well then, let's see how many guests we have," I say and at once, we begin counting.

We see our class president, Ryan and his buddy's, Paul and Rob.  We see the mischief makers, the nerds and others of Ben's batch.

"Who's that?" I ask, when I notice a girl with black dark curls, standing all by herself. "Who?" asks Jos. I point to the girl and Jos notices. A frown crosses over her face.

"Who's she?" Just then, the girl notices us and starts walking towards us. Oh boy. We all look from one to another in hopes that one among us will recognise her but the more closer she gets, the more our senses decrease.

"Hello!" she says, reaching us at last. "Hey." I reply sheepishly. The others avert their eyes. Bloody hell.

"Congratulations on your success!" she says shyly. "Yeah, thank you." And that's all I can say.

Where the hell are we going with this?

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a half drunken Ryan pops out. He holds onto the girl for balance, his hands around her shoulder. The girl stares at him in surprise.

"Wowww… look who it izzz! It's Rozzalyn Arahozzz! Congratulationzzz!!"  He sputters. "Thanks, you already said it." I mutter under my breath.

He chuckles drunkenly and turns to his companion, the girl he's holding. "Oh! You again! Seriously who are you really? And how did you get here?"

Ryan's rudeness is sensed by all of us. Mentally, we all face palm ourselves. The girls face reddens and she turns to us for help, thinking we might shut him up. Oh no! Please don't! We don't even know for ourselves who you are. The girls face falls when she realizes we don't know her too. Perhaps that's why she has been standing all alone, because nobody recognised her. Guilt will not let me see her in the eyes. Not now.

"Am Lara. Lara Ahdiaur." We all look from one to another, trying to remember if we know a Lara Ahdiaur. And that's when the answer slaps me right on the face.

Lara was the quietest, most distant and the most invisible girl of our class. One would barely know if she was even present. Nobody paid her any attention. Any new student who came would first be her companion, and when finally they would find suitable friends, they would leave her. Lara never caused any trouble, that's why she was barely known among the teachers too. And now that she's here, I completely forgot we had a Lara back in our days.

The rest of them make an 'Ah' expression, finally realising the truth themselves.

"Oh Lara! It's so good to see you after so long! I didn't even know you would come!" I say and then I wonder, how did she know we are having a party when none of us can recognise her? Did somebody else tell her? Maybe she came along with one of them. I shrug and toss the thought away. Lara says nothing but just stares at the floor, biting her lower lip. Damn I feel so bad for her.

"Excuse me for a minute." She says a while later and then turns back and walks away. She fades into the crowd until no one can see her, just like she has always been.

                                                   

                                                        ***

                                                     

"Hey I got to go to the washroom. I won't be a minute." Jos says and excuses herself. The rest of us four stand and gossip on until a while later, Kate gets a phone call. "Hello! Am sorry what? Now? Really now? Umm… ah… yeah ok, I will be there." And with that, she hangs up.

"What's the matter?" I ask. Kate sighs and says, "Its work. They say I have to come over right NOW. Seriously what could be so important that they have to summon a mere air hostess in such an unusual time?"

"Do you really have to go? I mean, look around. We haven't had such a reunion in a long time." I seriously didn't want her to go, not when Charlie is present. kate sighs again, running her fingers through her hairs. "I know girl, I know. And it breaks me to say that I HAVE to leave. I'm sorry girl. Tell me how it goes ok?"

I nod slowly and she gives me a peck on the cheek, waves to Ben and Charlie before pecking Joseph on the lips and is off.

"Hey, you should let Jos kno-" but she's already gone, and so my words are left hanging in the air.

The four of us stand in awkward silence. Ben tries to start a conversation, only to later stop it in the middle. We all know how awkward it is for me and Charlie. Ben stares from one to another, from me to Charlie and our awkward silence. At last, he says, "I will go find Jo-''

But before he can finish, I blurt out, "I will go look for Jos. You guys enjoy." And with that, I speed away before anyone can stop or object.

Things are quieter in the second landing. Not much people come here since the party is mainly on the first two floors. This is where Jos room should be. I call for her but no one appears. This whole place is like a maze and I can't actually figure out which one is her room since I never came here. I open doors and close them again when I see there is no one. She must be here somewhere. At last, I come to a room where the door is half ajar.

"Jos?" I call out but no one replies. I push open the door and just as I do, I sink to the ground out of terror.

What in the name of heavens?

My heart beats as if it would just explode and even if it did, I won't care. I;m ready to die after what I have just seen. I can barely move a muscle.  I want to cry but my tears won't just come. For I can't breathe and my whole body is frozen in place. So I do the only thing I can.

I scream. I scream as loud as possible and with that, everyone arrives.

"Rose what's the mat-''Charlie tries to say, but the sight in front of us just simply silences him. "Oh my god." He murmurs and so do the others. Only Ben remains silent. He stares at the sight in front of him.

Before me hangs the lifeless body of my friend Jocelyn from the ceiling, a suicide note on the dressing table. With one swift motion, the rope holding the body snaps and Jocelyn falls on the bed with a thud, unmoving. And that's when my voice gives away and tears start streaming down my eyes, unstoppable.