Dark City

25.

In case Wattpad didn't update my former draft of 24., I added this to the ending:

Alex turned on her blackberry and texted Lacey.

I want to come back.

____________________________

25.

Alex arranged the pink and yellow butterfly china in the parlor on an antique tablecloth. She decorated a three-tier tray with doilies, scones and petit fours she ordered from a bakery downtown with her mother's credit card. Of course, her mother knew nothing of the tea party. Alex was technically grounded for saying "fuck" so many times. But it was not uncommon for Alex's parents to be away during the day, much of the evening and sometimes for days at a time.

And so the parlor was a vision. The windows were draped with yellow and white pinstriped drapes. In a hatbox next to the fainting couch, Alex set up white gloves and hats. She made the room her own.

The doorbell ringing threw Alex into a panic. This was it. Lacey said she needed to come see if Alex was ready to come back or not. Had she proved herself true to the coven? Alex went to the door, Aethelwulf underfoot. She took a deep breath before opening the door and greeting her guest with the warmest of smiles.

"Hello!" she said.

"Oh my," Lacey said, eyeing Alex from head to toe. "You're wearing my name."

Alex looked down. Her dress happened to be very lacey and it was far too formal compared to her guest's bright green sundress. Lacey came in and fawned over Aethelwulf and his beautiful coat. Alex noticed a glitter-laden butterfly against Lacey's French twist. The whimsical accessory made her feel a little less excessive in her wardrobe decision.

"Doggy!" Lacey giggled. The beast normally didn't instantly take to strangers, but Lacey had him frolicking and kissing her face as if he were a peasant mutt. "What's his name?"

"Aethelwulf."

"Oh my God." Lacey finished ruffling his fur and went into a slow spin as she absorbed her surroundings. She looked all around, awestruck by the house. She gazed at the crown-moulding on the door frames as if they were the bejeweled embellishments at Versailles. Sigh after fascinated sigh, Lacey acted like a farm girl in her first museum. Something about this display endeared her to Alex.

"This way," Alex said, showing her into the parlor.

"I feel like I'm in a BBC Masterpiece series," Lacey said. "Why would you ever want to leave this place?"

"You don't know my parents."

"Hm. Tom sends his love, by the way. He's jealous that you didn't invite him."

"I thought we were going to speak about our mutual friends."

"Oh, them? You're still interested in them? I thought you were interested in Nathan."

"I'm not. I got rid of him. He won't be chasing after me anymore."

"Is that right?" Lacey said. "And how did you do that?"

"I stole from him. Nathan and I are officially over."

Lacey nodded, staring off a little. "It's a shame. You guys were ridiculously cute together."

"The coven is more important to me."

"The coven?" Lacey scoffed. "You mean those wannabes? Whatever floats your boat, little girl. Anyway, I'm glad you reached out to me. I don't have a lot of female friends."

"Really?"

"Have you not seen the way people look at me?"

Alex could see why Lacey might have a problem in Shark River Hills. She looked like a human manifestation of Jessica Rabbit and it didn't help how she swayed when she walked or how she would stand with her shoulders aslant.