Caught Up in the Drama (17 page)

I didn't say anything as I led them to my car. Yes, Jasmine was being a bit extreme, but I guess I deserved her cold shoulder.

We headed to St. Pius. Luckily, we'd gone there a couple of times with Alexis, so we knew where the school was located. We were just worried because it was after four. Since school was out, we didn't know if anyone would be around to help us.

“Good, we're in luck,” I said as we pulled up in front of the school. “The cheerleaders are still here.”

I eased into the no parking zone at the front of the school, and we all jumped out of the car. The cheerleaders stopped in mid-chant and stared at us racing toward them. The looks on their faces told us we weren't exactly being welcomed with open arms.

“Sorry to disturb your practice,” Jasmine said, “but we
were wondering if you guys know a girl named Alexis Lansing.”

They looked at each other before the tallest girl in the group responded. “Yeah, she used to go here. Why?”

“Have you all seen her?” I asked.

“No, we haven't seen her since she transferred,” the tall girl answered.

“Didn't she like transfer to some hood school?” a red-haired girl standing next to her said.

“Yes, can you believe it? Left St. Pius to go to some school in the hood,” some girl in the back chirped.

“Maybe it was her way of trying to get in touch with her people.” That came from the only black girl on the squad. I don't know if she was trying to be funny, but she looked real stupid.

I was worried that Jasmine would say something to her, but luckily, she stayed focused.

“Look, we're just trying to find out if anyone has seen her,” Jasmine said.

“What about the twins?” I asked. “They go here and they're supposed to be rich.”

“Everyone who goes here is rich,” the tall girl said, not bothering to hide her arrogance.

“They're friends with Alexis,” Angel added. “They used to hang out with her before Alexis left St. Pius.”

“Oh, you mean Marlee and Mari,” one of the girls said.

The tall girl elbowed her. “Look, we don't know you guys from paint,” she snapped.

“We're friends of Alexis's, and she's missing. We really need to find her, and we think the twins may know where she is,” Angel said.

“Well, we don't know you, and for all we know, you could be trying to kidnap or jack them,” the tall girl snidely remarked.

“Girl, I don't need to jack anybody,” Jasmine said, taking a step toward her.

“Jasmine . . .” Tyeesha reached out and took Jasmine's arm.

“Naw, Tyeesha. They got me messed up,” Jasmine said, snatching her arm away.

“
Tyeesha,
” the tall girl said, looking at the other cheerleaders before bursting out in laughter. “And let me guess, your name is Uniqua, Dominiqua and Hermalinda,” she said, pointing at each of us.

“Okay, they are so asking for a beat down,” Jasmine warned.

“Guys, let's go,” I said. “Forget it, they're not gonna help us.” I gave them a scornful look. “I saw some people on the football field. Let's go over there.”

I gave them one last disgusted look before walking off. We'd just reached the car when the black cheerleader came running toward us.

“Hey,” she said, “look, sorry, we get a little carried away sometimes.”

None of us responded.

“Well, anyway,” she continued, “Marlee and Mari graduated last year. But they teach a Pilates class from four to five at 24 Hour Fitness on Westheimer.”

Bingo, we'd hit the jackpot. “Thank you,” I said as we got back in the car. She raced back over to her squad mates, who didn't seem at all happy that she had come and talked to us.

“So,” I asked, firing up the engine, “anybody need to work out?”

Camille

Anticipation filled the car. None of us knew what we would do if we couldn't find the twins, or, worse, if they didn't know where Alexis was either.

Once we pulled up in front of the gym, we just kinda stared, as if to say,
What now?

“Should we go in and ask them if they've seen Alexis?” Angel finally said.

“No,” Jasmine replied. “Because if they're anything like those girls we just left, they're not going to tell us anything.”

“Okay,” I said. “Let me go inside and just make sure they're here.” Everyone seemed okay with that idea, and I left the car running as I headed inside.

“Excuse me, where's your Pilates class?” I asked the perky
young girl behind the front desk. She seemed like she was deep in a phone conversation, but she moved her cell away from her ear.

“Right there,” she said, pointing at a large room on the side of the gym. “Are you a member?”

“Actually, I'm here to see the twins,” I said.

“Oh, okay, go on back.” She turned her attention back to her phone call, and I made my way over to the Pilates room.

I peeped in the window just as the twins were dismissing the class. I recognized them immediately from the few times I'd met them.

I hurried back out to the car. “I saw them,” I said, jumping back into the front seat. “It looks like they're wrapping up.”

Sure enough, two bubbly, perfectly tanned girls came bouncing out a few minutes later. They were laughing as they climbed into a white Range Rover.

“What if they aren't going home?” Angel asked as I pulled out to follow them.

“We follow them until they do,” Jasmine replied.

They drove for ten minutes before pulling into the drive-thru at Starbucks. We waited patiently until they pulled back onto the access road. We followed them for ten more minutes, when they pulled into a residential area.

“Oh, no,” I groaned when I noticed the huge wrought-iron gate in front of their massive house. “Now what?”

We sat for a moment before Tyeesha pointed. “Now we go in.” The twins had driven into their driveway and left the gate open.

“These girls are a disaster waiting to happen,” I said. Not only had they not paid any attention to the fact that they
were being followed but they'd also left the gate wide open for anyone to come in.

I pulled into the driveway. I had barely turned off the car when one of the twins swung the front door to the house open. Her sister was right behind her.

They were standing there in matching outfits looking like Thing One and Thing Two.

“May we help you?” Thing One said.

“Yeah, we already gave to the homeless,” Thing Two added. Then they giggled like they had said something really funny.

I ignored their sarcasm. “We are friends of Alexis Lansing. Have you guys seen her?”

They looked at each other, faking confused expressions. “Mari, do you know anyone named Alexis?”

“No, Marlee, I don't.”

“Sorry, can't help you.” Marlee shrugged. It was so obvious they were lying.

“She's lying,” I said, deciding to call her on it. “I can see it in her eyes.”

Marlee raised her right eyebrow. “Sweetie, the only thing you see in my eyes is thirteen-hundred-dollar Lasik surgery.”

Okay, I thought the girls at their school were bad. These chicks took the cake.

“How 'bout we call the cops and ask them to ask you where Alexis is?”

“How 'bout we call the cops and ask them to have you escorted off our property?” Mari replied. “You're trespassing.”

“Forget this,” Jasmine muttered, peering over their shoulders. “Alexis!” she yelled. “Are you in there?”

“Excuse me, hel-lo. This is not Cuney Homes,” Mari said, referring to a housing project.

I started to respond when I looked up and saw the blinds in an upstairs window quickly close. “Someone's up there,” I said, pointing.

“Move,” Jasmine said, pushing Mari aside so hard that she fell down.

“Marlee, call nine one one!” Mari screamed.

“Alexis!” Jasmine yelled again.

“Are you all kidnapping her?” Angel asked.

Mari pulled herself up off the ground. “We don't have to kidnap anyone. Alexis is here on her own free will.”

Marlee looked at her sister and groaned.

“Oops,” Mari said, her hand going to her mouth.

Jasmine shook her head at them as she bogarted her way inside. We quickly followed her.

“Alexis!” Jasmine called out. “Everybody's worried sick! Where are you?”

As soon as we stepped inside the gigantic foyer, Alexis appeared at the top of the stairs. “Would you guys chill with all the noise?” she said, making her way down the stairs.

I had never been so relieved to see someone. We all ran over and hugged her.

“Girl, you had us scared to death!” Jasmine pushed her shoulder. “Don't you ever do that again.”

“Yeah, Alexis, why would you do that?” Angel added. “You know that girl from our school came up missing after running away. They found her body. I was scared that might have happened to you.”

Alexis looked worn out, like she hadn't slept for the last few days. Her hair was pulled back in a scrappy-looking ponytail, and she wore a pair of gray sweats.

Mari and Marlee were standing behind us looking like two pit bulls. “Hey guys. Gimme a minute,” Alexis said to them.

They shot us hateful looks before spinning and leaving the room.

Alexis sighed, her face filled with regret. “I know, I wasn't thinking. You guys don't understand everything that's been going on in my house. I just needed to do something.”

“And you thought this was the answer?” Tyeesha said. “We talked about this.”

“I guess I wasn't thinking.” She lowered her head.

“Well, get your stuff and let's go,” Jasmine demanded.

“I don't have any stuff, and I'm not going anywhere,” Alexis said, making us do a double-take. “And if you all are my true friends, you won't tell anyone you found me.”

“Come on, Alexis, don't ask us to do that,” I said.

Alexis rolled her eyes at me. “Trust, I'm not asking you to do anything. Why are you even here?”

That stung, but Jasmine, of all people, came to my defense. “She's here because we were all worried about you. But don't ask any of us to do that. You know you're our girl and all, and we always got your back, but we cannot help you hide out. That's major.”

“Do you know your parents were at the school? I've never seen your mother as messed up as she was,” Angel added. “Every time I've ever seen her, she's been classy and together. She didn't even have on any makeup.”

“What?” Alexis asked in disbelief. “My mom came out with no makeup on?”

“Exactly,” Jasmine said. “Even your dad looked like he'd been crying.”

She hesitated before saying, “Well, maybe this means my plan is working.”

“What plan is this, Alexis?” Tyeesha asked.

“I don't know, I just kinda want them to bond in their grief or something,” she said. That had to be the stupidest thing I'd ever heard, but I remembered hearing Jasmine say that while Alexis's actions might not make sense to the rest of us, they did to Alexis.

“How long do you think that will last? And why would you want them to stay together if they're unhappy?” Tyeesha asked. “I told you, it may not seem that way, but sometimes it's better if parents break up. You said yourself you were tired of the fighting. If they stayed because of some sort of bond, sooner or later their true feelings would come out and they would just start fighting again. You don't want that.” Dang, that girl was good. I made a mental note to give Tyeesha a chance—that is, if they would give me another chance.

“I know your heart was in the right place,” Tyeesha continued. “But at best, this will just delay the divorce process. At worst, things at home will be even more miserable than before.”

Alexis sighed. “You know, I am ready to go home. I heard what everyone was saying, but my heart wouldn't let me accept it. I have to talk to my parents one last time, just to make sure they are really getting divorced.”

I could tell if the divorce happened Alexis was definitely going to need her friends. And I planned to be there, whether she wanted me to be or not.

Alexis

I couldn't help it. I knew I had scared my parents half to death, but watching them in Miss Rachel's office right now, my father's hand resting on my mother's shoulder, gently massaging her aching muscles, brought a smile to my face. He used to do that all the time when I was little. It was his way of calming her down.

“Why are you standing here at the door?” Miss Rachel asked, walking up behind me. Camille had called her as soon as we'd left the twins' place. Miss Rachel had gotten in touch with my parents, who'd shot straight over to meet me here.

I was sure Miss Rachel was going to start lecturing me.

“Don't look at me like that,” she told me. “We're going
to have a long talk, but right now you need to get in there to your parents.” She motioned toward her office door.

I nodded, then eased the door open. My friends were waiting in the church sanctuary, like they were scared I'd take off if they left me alone. Camille claimed they just wanted to make sure I reunited with my parents, but whatever.

I had barely stuck my head in when my mother jumped out of her chair and raced over toward me. “Lexi! Oh, my God. I was so worried.”

“Alexis!” My father was right behind her. They both squeezed me so hard I thought I would snap in half. “Oh, baby, I am so happy to see you.”

“Where were you? What happened?” my mother fired at me while she grabbed my chin and examined my face. “Did anyone hurt you? They didn't tell us anything except that you'd been found. Please tell me you weren't hurt.”

“I'm okay,” I said, relishing the closeness.

“What happened? Where have you been?” my father asked. Surprisingly, he didn't sound mad, like I'd wasted his precious time. He just sounded relieved.