It was Friday morning, and the place was busy as usual, with everyone in the house awake. It's a crucial day for all of them, and they all knew how crucial it was.
Leo and Eric were all ready to head out of the house and head to the airport. The visitors from China will be landing there in an hour's time, and it was essential for them to be there before they arrived to welcome them. Mr. McDonell saw them off. He, on the other hand, was going to be at the office for a little while until it was time for the meeting in the afternoon. As soon as Leo and Eric left, he took off with Oliver to drop him off at school first.
That meant only Angel wasn't going to work, as Diana offered last night that the ladies of the house go out on a shopping spree to find themselves lovely outfits for dinner. Angel wanted to oppose it, as she thought it was only meant for the family and that she wouldn't attend. However, Mr. McDonell thought it was a good idea and countered Angel while they sat at the dinner table discussing the issue.
"Don't say that, Angel," said Mr. McDonell. "You won't go to work tomorrow. I'll let Mrs. Lance know so that she can take care of the little details at the meeting place." Angel tried to say something, but he stopped her again. "Not another word from you. If you haven't realized it yet, you and your sister are now part of the family. If you don't come for this dinner, then you would be breaking my heart."
Angel had no choice but to comply, though she did receive a scary stare from Mrs. McDonell and, surprisingly, none from Leo.
"What do you think we should do first?" Diana asked as she, Carly, and Angel sat at the dining table having breakfast.
"I think we should go shopping, and then we can go for the manicure and pedicure," said Carly, who sat next to Diana.
"Shouldn't you be thinking of attending a lecture?" asked Angel, who sat opposite the two.
"Come on, Angel," said Carly, before filling her mouth with cereal. "Let me have this free day too. Besides, I already called my lecturers and told them that I wouldn't be coming in."
Angel rolled her eyes to the side. "If you wish."
Mrs. McDonell came into the dining room and sat at the head of the table.
"Morning, everyone," she greeted. "Ready for the day?"
"Very much," Carly answered.
"Don't get too excited," said Amanda as she came in with Mandy pushing her wheelchair. "With someone around, it might not be such a good day."
"I do hope you aren't referring to me," said Mrs. McDonell as she watched Mandy settle Amanda around the table.
"No, I was talking about the spa Diana will be taking us to. The employees there can be a little messy sometimes when they get absent-minded."
"Now you're just exaggerating, mum," said Diana.
"As always," muttered Mrs. McDonell as she poured herself a glass of juice.
"Today will be a good day," Angel commented before Amanda, who now sat beside her, could reply to Mrs. McDonell. "I wouldn't worry too much about employees at the spa, Amanda."
"Trust me, I didn't really mean them," said Amanda as she winked at Angel.
"Gosh, I knew that-"
"We have a tight schedule, don't we?" Angel asked, interrupting Mrs. McDonell. "Let's eat up so that we can leave. We don't want to be a minute late."
Mrs. McDonell had nothing to say as she looked at Angel, surprised that she interrupted her from talking back at Amanda. Diana and Carly looked on at Angel, surprised that she did that without Mrs. McDonell snapping back at her. Amanda, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile at Angel for her bravery.
As soon as the women were done with their breakfast, they made their way out of the house. Bill was the one to be taking them out, and they were going to use the family SUV. Mrs. McDonell took the front seat while the others sat at the back.
"Where are we going to look for clothes first, Diana?" Amanda asked as soon as they left the McDonell premises.
"We thought of going to a few malls before going to the complex where my massage parlor is," said Diana. "I want us to try a certain boutique. I hear there are lovely dresses there."
"I'm so excited," said Carly. "It's like a girls' day out."
"I know, right?" Diana couldn't help but giggle. "What fun! We should be doing this more often."
"Some of us are too old for these things," said Amanda. "So count me out. I'm just coming with you because my son suggested that I attend the dinner."
"If you ask me, you really shouldn't be here," said Mrs. McDonell. "We wouldn't like to trouble you since you're pretty old."
"No, the only reason I wouldn't even think about hanging out is because you would make things boring," Amanda retaliated.
"I'm not boring!" Mrs. McDonell turned in her seat to look at Amanda behind her.
"Okay, you two better break it up," said Diana. "I can't have you fighting in the car like this. You're going to distract Bill while he's driving."
Bill didn't say anything as he tried not to laugh. Fights between Mrs. McDonell and Amanda never get old.
"But she started it," said Amanda. "You should tell her to have more respect for me. I'm her mother-in-law."
Both Carly and Angel shook their heads, knowing they were going to have a long day.
"How can I respect you when you don't respect me?" Mrs. McDonell asked.
"Oh, goodness," said Diana, wishing she had taken her car instead. "Is it too late to take the bus, Bill?"
"I can stop by the nearest bus stop if you want," Bill answered.
"Hold up," said Angel. "There will be no need for that, Bill." Angel turned to Mrs. McDonell and Amanda, who sat next to her. "Now is not the time for this, please. If we want this to be like a girls' day out, fighting each other isn't going to do us any good. Don't forget, we have an important dinner tonight. So for today, can you make peace until this is over?"
Everyone in the car was silent. They probably didn't expect Angel to speak up like she did when Diana tried and failed. Bill couldn't help but smile, somehow. Though he did feel a little disappointed that Angel had to stop the two women from fighting, it was better for the two to be quiet. He did need to concentrate at some point with his driving.
Mrs. McDonell huffed as she turned around to look straight in front of her. Amanda, for a moment, folded her arms, and she looked like a child who didn't like to be told what to do. However, she sighed and dropped her arms, looking at Angel.
"As you wish," said Amanda. She turned to look at her daughter-in-law, who still sat silently. "Let's try not to get into each other's hairs today, alright, Bertha?"
Carly and Diana watched on, waiting for Mrs. McDonell to respond. Bill took a quick glance at her in fear that she would end up snapping at him. In the end, she turned around in her seat to look at Amanda.
"You've got a deal," she said.
Diana and Carly almost cheered in excitement but stopped themselves when Mrs. McDonell flashed them a look. It's like she knew they were about to do that. Carly, who sat next to the window, looked out, pretending to have seen something interesting. Diana smiled at her friend, assuring her that all this was for the better, even if it was only temporarily.
They reached the fashion boutique in one piece as Bill parked right in front of it. He and Carly helped Amanda out as Mrs. McDonell walked in. She was friends with the owner of the boutique and planned to have a quick chat with her before they got started. Angel and Diana waited for Carly and Amanda by the door of the boutique when Diana turned to Angel to talk.
"What you did back in the car," Diana started, "was really brave of you, Angel. Thank you."
Angel vigorously shook her head as she said, "There's no need to thank me, Diana. I was only trying to ease down the tension."
"Yeah, and you did it with ease." Diana chuckled. "I can't believe that Bertha listened to you when she's so stubborn. And also, I know she isn't too friendly with you."
"Oh, I know. I thought for a minute she would snap my head off in there."
"You didn't seem the least bit scared. You did the right thing, though. If you didn't tell them to lay their arguments aside, we weren't going to do anything."
"That is very true," said Amanda, as Carly pushed her wheelchair towards them. "You were very brave to tell us off like that. We're acting like children in there."
"You always act like children, mum," said Diana.
Amanda hissed at her. "I'm not a child. Watch what you say to your mother."
Carly laughed. "She didn't mean it like that," she said.
"Come on, Carly, take me inside," said Amanda, looking upset with Diana.
"You heard the lady," said Carly. "Move aside, people."
Diana rolled her eyes at her mother, while Angel chuckled. They both moved aside for Carly and Amanda to go up the ramp to the door. Billy, who watched on, announced that he would be waiting in the car. Angel and Diana followed Carly and Amanda into the boutique.
There was a certain ambience the four women felt when they first entered the boutique. The place looked exquisite, as did the beautiful clothes that hung out for display. Amanda and Carly couldn't help but 'wow' at every dress they looked at. Diana and Angel looked cool and collected as they looked around. Soon enough, a young woman with blonde hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, dressed in a white blouse and black skirt with heels, came over to them.
"Good morning, ladies," she greeted them with a wide smile. "What can I help you with?"
"Ah, Julie!" came a voice behind the young woman. Julie turned to see Mrs. McDonell and a woman in a sky blue suit approach them.
"Yes, ma'am," said Julie, addressing the woman in the suit.
"This is the McDonell family, and I want you and Alicia to attend to whatever they need," said the woman in the suit. She walked past Julie towards the others.
"Nice to meet you," she said, addressing Amanda and the others. "I'm Helena, the owner of this boutique. I'm very good friends with Bertha, and I'm glad you thought of coming here to shop for your dresses."
"Hello," said Amanda, who was bold enough to speak first. "I'm Amanda, her mother-in-law. This is my daughter, Diana, and these two are the Barclay sisters, Angel and Carly. Thank you for having us."
"The pleasure is mine. Please, all of you feel free to take a look around."
Amanda and the others all thanked Helena as she went to join Mrs. McDonell, who spoke briefly and quietly. Julie went on to turn to the other women.
"Can I suggest some dresses for you, ma'am?" she asked Amanda.
"Yes, please. I'm not good with things, so I would really need your help," said Amanda. "Will you accompany me, Carly?"
"Of course," said Carly. She went on ahead to push Amanda's wheelchair as Julie led the way.
"Well, that leaves the two of us," said Diana as she looked at Angel.
"I thought someone would be joining us," said Angel.
"She'll find us; that's if Bertha wants to have her." Diana took Angel's hand and started to drag her to the side. "Come, let's look at the dresses over here."
Angel had no choice but to comply as she followed. Mrs. McDonell had finished talking to Helena when she saw Diana drag Angel with her to the other side of the boutique. She didn't mind much as the other girl, Alicia, came over to assist her.
It took a while for Angel to get into the mood of looking for a dress. It took a little probing from Diana as she presented a few dresses to her. As fun as it was seeing and commenting on which dress to wear, they also had a few talks about their personal lives. Diana had even asked how life was before Angel and Carly came to live with them. Angel wasn't shy about revealing that they had been struggling as they tried to make ends meet.
"Life was hard," said Angel as she looked in a navy blue sparkling dress. "It's even harder now without her."
"I can only imagine," said Diana, with her back facing Angel. "I lost my husband when Oliver was still very young. It took a toll on Eric and me. That's why my brother offered that we stay with him."
Angel turned to look at Diana. "I didn't know that," she said. "I'm sorry. Eric has never talked about his father before. Moreover, he seems so outgoing. I didn't know he also lost someone that close to him."
"Oh, he's always been like that," said Diana with a chuckle. "Moving in with my brother was the best thing that I could've asked for. Eric went back to his old self, and I managed to get back on my own two feet. Oliver grew up in a home without feeling that he ever lacked a father since my brother took up the role. I'm really grateful for that."
"I'm also grateful for what he has done for us. He's like a father to me too. I grew up with mine, and he proved to be useless."
Diana turned to look at Angel. "Why? Did he treat you and your mother badly?"
"Not exactly." Angel took a pink glittery dress from the hanger. "He loved to drink a lot. Moreover, he was never there when you really needed him. Whatever money mum made to provide for the family, he would squander it through gambling and alcohol. Mum chased him out of the house one day, and he never came back."
"I see. He wasn't worth having around. Your mum did the right thing."
"Yeah, she did." Angel put back the pink dress and pulled out a black one. "This one looks too revealing."
"I know," Diana agreed with her. "And our visitors mind dressing and being etiquette."
"I wouldn't be too comfortable in this, anyway." Angel put the dress back on the hanger.
"Okay, enough of the bad stuff," said Diana as she joined Angel, looking at a set of clothes on the hanger. "Tell me, has Eric asked you out yet?"
Angel's heart almost jumped. "What?" She looked at Diana with wide eyes.
"Relax; I'm joking." Diana giggled. "Look, people are looking at you."
"You really need to learn how to joke around, Diana." Angel held her hand to her chest as her heart continued to beat so fast.
"Okay, relax." Diana rubbed Angel's back gently. "The only reason I ask is that Eric has had his eyes on you since you two met. And if I can recall correctly, he never missed a day to visit you in the hospital."
"Well, he was only trying to be nice," said Angel, "since Leo wasn't there."
"Yeah, Leo can be a pain sometimes. Nevertheless, he's a good guy. I see the two of you are slowly starting to get along."
Angel looked at Diana with a questioning look. "We are?" she asked.
"Well, I haven't really seen it for myself... maybe a little. However, Eric told me what happened yesterday at the candy shop. So, yeah."
"Was it pretty obvious that we didn't like each other from the very beginning?" Angel couldn't help but blush as she asked.
"I don't think a lot of people were paying attention. I get that you were upset with him because of the accident, and he didn't get to apologize. Then there's that pride that he has. I bet he gets that from his mother."
Angel agreed with her, though there's more to the story than that.
"It's good that the two of you are getting along," Diana continued to say. "Now that you are working together, you've got to put aside your differences to grow the business. It looks like I have nothing to worry about."
"Don't be rest assured just yet," Angel said as she continued to eye the dresses in front of her. "There are times when we almost act as if we're like Mrs. McDonell and Amanda."
"Yeah, Eric talks about your little fights. But the way I see it, you two seem a little better than those two."
Angel chuckled, feeling relieved. "That means a lot, thanks."
"Yeah, just don't go grabbing each other's throats."
A little too late for that, Angel thought to herself as she remembered how she wanted to lay her hands on Leo the first time they met.
"I know the two of you aren't close," Diana continued to say as she pulled out a black dress, "but is Leo seeing anyone at the moment?"
Angel felt like the whole world shook beneath her feet as she stood still, trying her best not to fall over. She was overreacting, she told herself. It's not like Diana knew who it was.
"No, I don't think so," said Angel as she turned to look at Diana. "What makes you say that?"
"Oh, no reason. I thought he found someone, you know. When he called off the wedding, we all thought he did that because he fell in love with someone else."
"Well, Leo's love life isn't really my business." Angel went back to looking at dresses. "It's sad that he and Kim aren't together. He must have his reasons for doing so."
"Yeah, you're right. To be honest, I don't think he and Kim were a good couple to begin with. However, you know how his mother favors Kim. Anyway, I hope he finds someone he truly loves."
Angel did her best not to comment as she looked at Diana, who continued to look at the black dress.
"You should try it out," said Angel. "I'm guessing that it will look good on you."
"You think so too?" Diana asked. "I'll take your advice."
Diana quickly left Angel for the dressing room, making Angel breathe out a sigh of relief. Talking to Diana was fun and all, but as soon as she started to ask about Eric and, most especially, Leo, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She had to warn Carly and Leo to be careful with how they meet each other in the house. The last thing she needs is for people to start to think otherwise. If they do decide to be together, then they'll have to find a way to break it to the family. Which also means lying to them about when they fell in love with each other and what not.
"It's just lies built on more lies," Angel said to herself as she thought it over. She wondered when all of this would ever end.
Diana finally wore the black dinner one-sleeve dress she had picked, showing it to Angel. Carly and Amanda came over to look as she got out of the dressing room. Carly had also found an aqua blue strapless dress that glittered at the bodice and the hemline. When she tried it on, she looked like a fairy tale princess. Everyone commented on how pretty she looked.
"Haven't you found anything to wear, dear?" Amanda asked Angel.
"No, not yet," Angel answered, shaking her head.
"Well, that makes the two of us." Amanda laughed aloud.
Julie appeared behind the two. "I think I found a dress suitable for you, ma'am," she said.
Amanda and Angel turned to see Julie with a cream-white dress in her hands. Angel couldn't help but notice pearls in some areas of the dress. Moreover, it looked like a fitting dress for Amanda, and she approved admirably.
"Good work, dear," said Amanda. "This will do me just fine."
Diana had come out of the changing rooms as she was back into the clothes she was wearing earlier with the black dress in her hands. She looked at the dress Julie had chosen and approved. She and Julie helped Amanda in the dressing room to help her try to put it on. Angel stood outside the dressing rooms as Carly was still in one of the rooms, changing out of her dress. Wondering where Mrs. McDonell was, Angel decided to go look for her.
She went to the other side of the store, where she saw her last, and found her with the other attendant, who, one at a time, held up a dress for Mrs. McDonell to see. Mrs. McDonell was on the phone, and she shook her head at every dress Alicia presented to her. At some point, she would hold up her hand to stop Alicia so that she would look at the dress and feel its texture, and then she would signal Alicia to pick the next one.
Angel walked over, and at a certain distance, she couldn't help but hear Mrs. McDonell's conversation over the phone.
"I wish you could come over for dinner," she said as she shook her head at a white dress Alicia held up. "But it's more of a family thing, and who knows how Leo would react again?"
Angel raised an eyebrow and knew that Mrs. McDonell was talking to Kim.
"If you ask, it would be the perfect time for the two of you to bond... Yes, I know there will be guests; it's nothing but a business dinner. It would be nice to have you around to try to persuade him to get back together with you. I mean, those two sisters are also going to be there, and they aren't even family… I think you're right. Maybe another time."
Angel slowly continued with her approach. Even when Mrs. McDonell mentioned her and Carly, it didn't seem to bother her. It's the fact that she's still pushing Kim towards Leo that annoyed her. It's not that she had fully accepted Leo dating her sister, but the fact that Leo is free to choose whomever he wants. If his mother continues to do this, it won't end well for the both of them.
Alicia held up a maroon dinner dress, and Mrs. McDonell gave her a thumbs up. "I just picked out a dress, darling," she said over the phone. "I'll call you later."
Mrs. McDonell cut the call, and with her other free hand, she took the dress from Alicia. As soon as she turned around, she saw Angel standing there.
For a moment, the two women looked at each other. Mrs. McDonell thought of walking past Angel when Angel opened her mouth to speak.
"I'm sorry if I'm going to sound rude, but don't you think you shouldn't try to bring Kim and Leo back together?" Angel asked.
Mrs. McDonell looked back at Angel, her look slowly turning into a glare. "What does it matter to you?"
"It matters because he is your son."
"I don't need advice from you. If I say Kim is good for him, then she is."
"Is that why you're desperately trying to bring them back together? If you do that, you're only going to make things worse. You do realize he knew that you sent Kim to have lunch with him the other day, do you?"
Mrs. McDonell's face grew flustered. "So what if he knows? I'm only looking out for his best interest."
"Your best interests don't align with his, Mrs. McDonell. The time you realize that, it might be too late."
"What? You're going to start advising me now?"
"You don't like me, and that's fine. If you don't want to listen to me, that's fine too. But if you really care about Leo, then you wouldn't do what you're doing and let him live his life."
"You sound just Diana. I hope you two weren't talking about this when you were out there looking for clothes."
Angel chuckled. "Now you're being paranoid. No, we didn't talk about this. I wouldn't have brought this up if Leo hadn't told me that he went to have lunch with Kim the other day, and I so happened to hear you talk to Kim over the phone some seconds ago."
Mrs. McDonell didn't even guess for a second that Angel was lying. There was something about the way Angel portrayed herself that made Mrs. McDonell convinced that she wasn't. Angel continued to look straight at Mrs. McDonell without flinching.
"That's all I wanted to tell you," said Angel. "You can give me that death stare that you like giving me so much. Like I said earlier, I don't really care."
Mrs. McDonell huffed as she started to make her way to the dressing rooms, walking away quickly. Alicia, who watched the whole scenario, looked on at Angel, stupefied to say anything. Angel smiled at her before speaking.
"Sorry about that," she said. "I hope you didn't take things the wrong way."
Alicia shook her head. "Not at all," said Alicia. "Mrs. McDonell is a regular customer, so I know how difficult she can be. To go up against her is pretty brave of you."
"I'm just lucky today," said Angel, scratching the back of her head. "I know I'll get the silent treatment when we get home."
"Hey, Angel," said Carly as she came from behind. "I saw Mrs. McDonell talking to you, and she looks like she's about to blow a fuse. What did you say to her?"
"I'll tell you about it later. I still have a dress to look for."
"Oh, yeah. But if we can't find anything, we can go to the boutique Diana mentioned that's within the mall where her parlor is."
"Let me help you out," said Alicia. "There's a special collection of dresses that just came in, and I think I know one that will look great on you."
Alicia led the way to the section close to the counter. Angel and Carly followed, and when they were shown the collection of dresses, they couldn't help but admit that the dresses were more unique than the rest. After helping her mother in the dressing room, Diana came to join them in helping Angel pick a dress. So did Amanda and Julie.
"Gosh, should finding a dress be this hard?" Angel asked as she continued to look around.
"Don't worry, you'll find it," said Amanda. "It's best you find a dress right here instead of going to many stores just looking." She drew aside a few dresses when she suddenly said, "Ah, this will suit you, Angel. Come take a look."
Angel came to join Amanda and pulled out a red velvet dress.
"I agree with my mother on this one," said Diana as she saw the dress. "This one looks gorgeous, elegant, and sexy. Wow."
Carly came behind her sister and looked at the dress. "This is a dress to kill," she commented. "Like Diana has pointed out, it's elegant and sexy. Let's hope no one falls head over heels for you wherever we're going."
"It looks like I still have some good taste after all," said Amanda with a huge grin on her face. "Go try it on, dear. We want to see how you will look."
Angel made her way to the changing rooms when Mrs. McDonell also walked out of one of the rooms in the dress she had picked. The off-shoulder maroon dress looked lovely on her as it came down with a flare, and there was a beautiful white rose dress piece on the left side of her chest.
"The dress looks lovely," Angel commented. "Do you plan on getting it?"
"Yes, I will," said Mrs. McDonell, who forced herself to answer. She already noticed Diana and Amanda behind Angel, giving her a glance. The last thing she needed was to make a scene in front of them.
"I'll be going in to try this dress," said Angel, and she passed Mrs. McDonell to go to the dressing room.
A few minutes later, Angel came out wearing the dress. She got everyone waiting for her off-guard, as the women were engaged in a conversation before Amanda noticed Angel first.
"Oh, my, Angel," said Amanda. "You look so lovely."
The rest turned to look at her, and they gasped at how beautiful she looked in the dress. Mrs. McDonell, who stood alongside Diana, who had already changed out of the dress she picked, looked on without passing a comment.
"With proper make-up, you'll look like a goddess," said Diana.
Carly chuckled. "That's something Eric would say," she said.
Angel couldn't help but blush as Julie and Alicia also commented on how the dress looked beautiful on her. Angel thanked everyone and soon after went to change out of the dress. Diana was relieved that they didn't have to go elsewhere looking for dresses.
After purchasing the dresses, they made their way to a fancy shoe store, where the women all found matching shoes to go with their attire. They went to the mall to have lunch before going to the spa to get themselves a manicure and pedicure. During that time, all five women sat in white bathrobes and chatted amongst themselves. Mrs. McDonell pitched in a few times in their conversation, even when she didn't feel like it.
Afterwards, Mrs. McDonell suggested that they pass by a saloon first to do their hair before heading back home. The others received the suggestion openly and went to have their hair done. By the time they got back home, it was late in the afternoon. There was still time for them to get ready for dinner.
"Okay, ladies, we've got to start off from this place at 6:30," Mrs. McDonell announced as she made her way up the stairs to her room. "So, I advise we rest up a little, or if any of you feel like it, get yourselves ready."
"Does anyone want their make-up done?" Diana asked before she could also go up the stairs, turning to look at the others.
"I do," said Carly.
"Not me, thanks," said Amanda, shaking her head. "I'll just powder my face and put lipstick on. I'm too old for make-up."
"Angel, I need to work on you the most," said Diana, pointing at Angel, who stood behind Amanda.
"Okay," Angel answered with a bit of hesitancy. "But not too much, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'm a professional," said Diana. "I'll be right back. I need to check up on Oliver and get the make-up kit." Diana rushed up the stairs.
"I'll rest up a little," said Amanda.
"Let me take you to your room," said Angel as she took the shopping bags she had, placed them on Amanda's laps, and pushed Amanda's wheelchair to her room.
Carly was just about to go up the stairs when she felt her phone beep in her bag. She realized she hadn't looked at her phone for almost the entire day. She checked it and found she had missed three calls and a message. When she looked at the number, her insides froze. She didn't have to think twice about who it was. When she opened the message icon, she confirmed it was Andre. The message read:
"Hey, this is André. I'm guessing you're busy today and thought of dropping a message to say how much I've missed you. Do you have time to talk? If not, you can call me at whatever time you see fit. Just know that I miss you."
Memories of what happened the night before came flooding back, and Carly wished she had never gone to the party in the first place. In addition, she completely forgot that she gave Andre her number. Apart from the two of them kissing on the deck, nothing else happened that night. She thought he might as well have forgotten her, but the message proves that he hasn't. What was she to do? Should she reply to the message or not?
"Hey, what are you standing there for?" asked Angel.
Carly quickly turned around, frightened, as she found her sister looking at her. Angel raised an eyebrow at Carly.
"Are you okay?" Angel asked. "You look so pale all of a sudden."
"It's nothing," Carly quickly answered, though she felt her throat quickly run dry.
Angel looked at her sister, then at the phone in Carly's hand. She hoped no one sent her a disturbing message or anything. One thing is for sure: Leo wouldn't have sent her anything disturbing.
"What were you looking at on the phone that's got you so worked up?" Angel asked, folding her arms.
"Ah, it's really nothing," Carly said, doing her best not to feel nervous. "I found a few missed calls from a friend at school, and she texted me, saying that I have to study for a test on Monday."
Angel scoffed as she shook her head. "This comes to show you that you shouldn't be missing classes."
"I was going to miss all the fun. It's actually good that I went with you."
"Whatever. I'm so thirsty. Do you need anything from the kitchen?"
Carly shook her head. "No, thanks; I'm good for now."
Angel smiled at her sister as she passed her to head to the kitchen. As soon as she disappeared behind the stairs, Carly looked back at her message. She had to decide quickly. If she does answer his message, won't that make him think they have a chance of being together, even if she lied about herself for reasons she still didn't know? Not to mention that she's dating Leo. She was stuck between two handsome men who were interested in her. What was she to do?
She started to text Andre back, telling him that he would call her later in the evening. Maybe then she could talk to him and try to end things. However, the thought of it didn't sit well with her. The question of why Red Lion introduced them to each other kept playing in her mind, and she realized that she wasn't too sure of Red Lion's true intentions. Why did she feel like she was being used for some reason?
Carly heard footsteps up the stairs, bringing her back from her thoughts. Diana was coming down the stairs with her make-up kit box in her hands. Carly soon realized that she sent the message to Andre, and she had unconsciously pressed the send button before thinking twice about it. Dang it, she thought to herself. There's no taking it back. He had already texted back, saying that he would be waiting for her call.
"Hey. What are you standing here for?" Diana asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh, nothing," Carly replied, putting her phone back in the bag. "You're heading to Angel's room."
"Yep," said Diana. "I'm just going to put the box there, and after showering, we'll go in her room to have our make-up done."
The door to the kitchen flew open, and Angel appeared beside the stairs with a glass of water. She stopped when she saw her sister and Diana with a make-up kit box.
"Don't tell me we're going to put on makeup in my room?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, where else?" Diana asked. "I'm just putting this in your room so that when we come to your room for make-up after freshening up. This is going to be so much fun!"
Diana started to make her way down the hall to Angel's room. With a glass of water in hand, Angel chased after Diana, telling her that doing make-up in her room wasn't necessary.
Carly stood there for a moment before telling herself to go up to her room. She had to shake away the thought of Andre's text and focus on dinner tonight. The last thing she needs is to look absent-minded in front of their guests, especially around Leo. He might suspect that something's up.
"And it won't look good," Carly said to herself. "I'll have to deal with this later."
With that, Carly went up the stairs, already shaking the thought of Andre out of her mind.