I froze.
My whole brain went totally blank. I couldn't figure out the right word to say to her. Like Damian, she wouldn't understand why I also kept the truth from her.
"Lisa, I can explain..." Was the only cliche thing I could come up with.
"Explain?. You really want to explain why you've lied to me for years!". She fired.
"Technically, I didn't lie"
She shook her head in disappointment. "You're unbelievable"
She walked out.
"Lisa..." And she shut the door in my face.
Raking my fingers through my hair, "Dammit"
💦💦
Lisa's POV
I was furious.
We are friends and she had the audacity to keep the truth from all these years. I felt betrayed and so stupid. I tell her literally everything and she was comfortable keeping her identity from me.
I wiped the tears that escaped from my eyes as I walked into my house. My parents were around, I noticed. I hoped to God they hadn't gone to my room and found anything they weren't supposed to find.
"Welcome Lisa. How was your day at Kenzy's?" My mum greeted as she saw me walk in.
She was in the kitchen cooking something. I couldn't really tell by the aroma.
The mentioning of Kenzy's made me burst into tears.
"Oh my, what is it?" She walked up to me.
I could only keep crying. She engulfed me into a hug. I wrapped my arms tightly around her. Just what I needed.
My mum. For once I loved her. She made me feel comfort for the first time.
"Why does everyone I love disappoint me?" I cried.
"It's okay dear. Cry it out, mummy's here"
Yeah. It wasn't a fairytale. She was really here and I couldn't deny that I was happy.
"Tell me what went on at Kenzy's" she said after the hug that had exceeded almost 5minutes which was pretty long.
"She lied to me, mum. Can you believe that?"
"Kenzy?"
I sniffed. "I just feel so betrayed, mum"
"Did both of you have a talk?"
I shook my head. "I was so angry to listen to whatever she had to say"
Mum sighed. "I think you should talk to her. Listen to what she has to say. It might make you less angry"
I nodded and hugged her again. "Thanks mum"
"Go to your room and freshen up. Dinner would be served soon"
💦💦
Vandi's POV
I sat beside Julia on her hospital bed staring at her pale body. She is very pretty, you know. She always kept a short hair and styled it in Bob, sometimes she'd dye the tip which my parents hated but she'd still do it anyway. She was stubborn and reckless. I guess I got it from her.
But ever since she'd been in a coma, her hair had grown pass the normal length.
She was still in a coma. The doctors said she would wake up soon but it was so hard to trust doctors since that's what all the doctors for the past have years assured me. I want to believe these doctors though since they're the most advanced in the state.
Yes. I did what my parents wouldn't do for their daughter. God knows if I hadn't intervened, Julia would be dead by now.
I rubbed my thumb softly on her forehead and sighed. She looked very peaceful yet it was the kind of peace anyone would want. I just want her to wake up and catch up on the life she'd missed for five years.
A life without her parents.
She's lost a lot of years already to coma. I wasn't going to let her spend the rest of life wishing she hadn't woken up.
But she had to wake up first.
Tears trickled down my cheeks. I kissed her forehead.
"You have to wake up for me Jules" I sniffed.
"Please".
💦💦
Lisa's POV
I didn't speak to Kenzy throughout in school. I ignored her during chemistry and I didn't seat at our regular lunch table because of her. My mum was right; I needed to hear from her but a part of me wanted her to come through first.
I wasn't the one with the secret. The fact that it was okay for her to live with that sort of lie was worth baffled me the most. Why would she fake her identity for years?. Where people after her and her brother?. Knowing Kenzy, she was one to keep a secret, I mean, her brother didn't even know she was in a gang because, according to her, she was trying to protect him.
So many questions I didn't even know where to start asking. If I wanted answers, I would have to get it from Kenzy herself.
Next stop. My best friend's house.
💦💦
Kenzy's POV
I was going to work late at MnM today. Vandi's order.
Vandi was nice to me and all at work but regardless, I had to respect her decisions as long as it had to do with work.
Putting my glasses on, I made to leave. Luckily, Damian wasn't around to delay me.
I headed to the door and pulled it open revealing my best friend who had been ignoring me since she found out my secret. She had every right to feel whatever she felt and I did owe her an explanation.
"Hey"
💦💦
Lisa's POV
"I'm sorry Lis..."
" Are you going to let me in or what?"
She pulled the door wide opened and shut it behind us after we both entered. I knew she had work but I needed my answers.
"Why didn't you tell me?. All these years you've been my bestfriend and you couldn't let me on to this secret. What happened to 'no keeping of secrets'?"
I didn't even know when I started crying. My emotions affected hers as drops of tears escaped from her eyes.
"My parents were also secret agents" she started. "Between Damian and I, I was the only one that knew what they were. We always told Damian they were just security agents. We were living in South Philadelphia at that time my parents were working with the Italians"
She paused. Take your time.
"We were happy and safe until we started receiving anonymous threat notes. We were wanted for murder. Italians and Americans tried to wipe out my family. I was ten, Damian was six. That was when we changed everything we used to be to this and moved here".
Another pause. She sniffed and dabbed her eyes with the back of her palm.
"We went low-key for a year until one day, my parents were sent on a mission and that's where they were murdered"
" They were set-up?" I asked.
She nodded.
" And you don't know who set them up?"
"No but I'm going to"
I held her wrist and rubbed the back of her palm softly. "Hey, I'm sorry" I started, "You've been through a lot and I didn't know. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you"
"You have every right to be. I should have been honest with you. Wait here, I have something to show you"
She went into a room and came back in no time with a photo album. She handed it to me. I opened it. First picture was a red haired youngling probably eight or nine years of age in beach outfit, smiling at the camera like nothing really mattered. The red haired was very pretty and looked nothing like Kenzy but since it's her album I'm guessing it's her.
"This is you?" I asked.
She smiled a little. "It's Veronica Hales. I was nine..."
"Your eyes are brown but how come your eyes are black in this photo?"
"Changing one's identity is a lot, Lisa. It's an ICL?"
"A what now?"
"Implantable contact lenses. It's permanent"
I opened the next page. It revealed two pictures. One was a photo of a young lad in blonde hair. His eyes was also black but the Damian I knew now had black hair and grey eyes.
"What was his name?"
"Cameron"
"Okay hot"
"Ewwww Lisa."
I laughed. We were back. I was no longer mad at her.
"I just told you my biggest secret. You have to swear never to bring it up or call me Veronica"
"I swear to anything dead or alive".