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“She’s not?” Claire then asked incredulously.
“No. So you think I’m a monster?”
“I don’t know what you are.”
“I’m your sister and I didn’t kill your friend. She’s fucked up, but she’s good,” Charlie continued to lie.
The look on Claire’s face spoke something odd to Charlie. Her little sister was bugging. Did she really believe that she didn’t murder Melanie? If so, Claire was funny-farm crazy. But Charlie went along with the program. She was willing to do and say whatever it took to bring some life back into Claire and to get her eating and drinking again.
Little by little, Claire started to eat and drink something. Charlie continued to keep her little sister company, mostly monitoring her every move. Claire reached for the remote control and turned to a movie on HBO. After a while, the crazy delusion she had sold to Claire seemed to be wearing off.
Charlie wondered when Claire officially lost her mind. Was it the cheating scandal? Was it the fact that she pretended to be someone that she wasn’t for all those years? Were the clues somewhere in their childhood? Claire had a case of Kanye West, spewing to everyone how much of a genius she was until she got exposed.
Either Claire would prove to be a crazy genius like Van Gogh, or she would become a psycho bitch and hurt those around her like Charles Manson. Whatever the outcome of Claire’s state, Charlie was still going to get paid and do her.
Chapter Nine
The city was alive with the early afternoon sunshine on what was turning out to be a beautiful October day. Chanel climbed out of the cab on Amsterdam Avenue on the west side of the city and took in the scenery. It felt good being outside and not having to look over her shoulder anymore. She was in that part of town to meet with Mecca. Chanel wanted her life to get back to normal again, and that meant seeing Mecca in public.
Mecca had gotten a full scholarship to Columbia University, and everyone was extremely proud and happy for her, including Chanel. She always knew her friend could do it. She had what it took to succeed. Mecca had a stable home environment. She was focused and smart, and she knew what she wanted out of life.
The two decided to meet up at a local eatery close to the university to catch up on things. Chanel walked into the quaint restaurant with a full bar and mostly undergraduates taking time out from their studies. Chanel joined Mecca at the outdoor patio, knowing warm days like this were becoming far and few between.
“Hey girl!” Mecca excitedly hollered at Chanel.
The two girls hugged for a moment and started to praise each other.
“You look good, Chanel.”
“Thanks. And so do you.”
“I’m so glad that you finally came out.”
“Shit. I needed some time out. It feels good,” said Chanel.
“I know it does. But I got you, everything’s on me.”
“No, that’s not right—”
“Listen, after everything you’ve been through, it’s the least I can do,” Mecca said with finality.
Chanel smiled. She didn’t argue with her friend. They took a seat at the round table and ordered some drinks. Right away, the laughter, the gossip, and the enjoyment of seeing each other took over. Mecca started to tell Chanel about her experiences in college.
“I love it here, Chanel. It’s perfect for me.”
“I bet it is.”
“And I’m thinking about joining a sorority,” Mecca said, taking a sip of her Coke.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, they have connections, especially after you graduate. Girl, I can’t wait for you to enroll into college. Maybe we can join the same sorority,” Mecca said with enthusiasm.
But Chanel didn’t feel the same enthusiasm in attending college and joining a sorority like her friend. She wasn’t ready to get back into the public and focus on college yet, not until Mateo was better.
“You’re gonna love college, Chanel. You’ll see,” Mecca added.
“Your major is communications, right?”
