21 Secrets and Lies (2/2)

”Hey, you left the door open!” said a woman's voice from the outside.

”Yeah, sorry! It doesn't really catch anymore. I think the lock's broken too!”

Hunter and Ash stared at each other as the voices continued to talk just outside the open door. The passing seconds seemed to stretch into hours as they waited behind the boxes. At last, the door was slammed closed and the sound of talking voices receded until they could no longer be heard.

The two sat facing each other on the floor, listening to the sounds of the night. When they were sure that the staff were no longer there, Ash dusted off her sweatpants and got up.

”I think we should pick this up some other time,” she said.

”Yeah, tomorrow then.”

As Ash reached for the door, Hunter caught her hand. Ash looked back at him, thinking that he just wanted to say goodbye. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

”Don't tell your friends.”

Ash nodded quietly in response and slowly opened the door.

Hunter watched her leave. He stood alone in the dark room for a while, giving Ash time to walk away and put a little distance between them. On the off chance that someone was around, he didn't want people to see them leaving together as it would have looked bad for Ash.

It wouldn't have bothered Ash, but Hunter wanted to protect her anyway.

***

”Hey, have a nice nap?” Celia asked Ash as she sat down with them at the cafeteria.

Ash noticed that Celia and Izzy had changed out of their jogging clothes and were both wearing lounge wear. She knew from the question that Celia was trying to catch her in a lie. She sat down beside Celia and looked straight at her.

”I couldn't really sleep so I went out for a walk,” she said, casually.

”You must've been walking a long time. Did you run into anyone?” Izzy asked.

Ash felt her stomach turn. Was Izzy trying to catch her in a lie too? Ash couldn't tell if she was just being paranoid, but Izzy's questioning seemed suspicious. She decided to play it cool.

”No, it was just me. The other girls still don't like me.”

”Oh, well, that's their loss, isn't it?” Izzy responded.

There was a tension between the girls as they quietly ate dinner. Hunter's words echoed in Ash's head [Don't tell your friends] and she worried that they suspected her and Hunter of being monsters. Celia and Izzy for their part suspected that Ash and Hunter were having secret sex behind their backs and they were upset that Ash was keeping it a secret from them.

”You wouldn't keep any secrets from us, would you Ash?” Celia asked. Celia didn't have the patience for mind games. When she wanted to know something, she was blunt and just asked outright.

Ash knew this about Celia, and yet, she couldn't tell her friends anything. Hunter was her people now, he had said so himself. And she had to protect him, even if it meant lying to her friends.

”No, I wouldn't keep any secrets from either of you, Celia,” Ash said.

Even as the words fell from her mouth, Ash knew that there was no taking it back.

It was a mistake. All three girls at the table knew that Ash was lying.

And the lies were just beginning.