Hush, Hush

Room 209. I stared at the red wooden door and nervously glanced back at my car where it was parked. Out here, it didn't stick out like a sore thumb. I was thankful that there were a couple of convertibles and even a Porsche; my poor car wasn't going to get ogled at, that was for sure.

Before I could calm my nerves, I remembered that dad was the one who bought it for me because I turned eighteen and had graduated. It must have cost him his life and that made me feel perturbed.

These people probably bought it with their pocket money, I thought miserably. They could afford practically anything, I was certain. This apartment, I realized, was probably way too expensive for me.

No, it was definitely out of my budget.

Before I could back away and enter the confines of my car, I heard the lock unbolt and the door swing open, revealing a blonde-haired beauty. She had dark eyes that were examining my exterior and I couldn't help but hold my chin a tad bit higher. She seemed to have trouble meeting my gaze but when she did, a smile bloomed on her lips.

"Hey. Chloe I'm guessing?" she asked politely, eyeing the bag I had slung over my shoulder. It wasn't anything fancy, I knew. I got it at a thrift store and it was on sale. It matched my clothes well and I thought I looked pretty good.

The expression on her face made me doubt my choice.

"Yes. Yeah, that's me." I replied, tugging self-consciously on my shirt. It was light blue and matched well with the faded jeans I was wearing. I didn't see what was so bad about it.

I liked it.

"Great. Hannah told me you were on your way. I made breakfast!" she said enthusiastically, motioning towards the kitchen.

Hannah was my best friend of eighteen years. We grew up together and I have known her all my life. She was probably the only friend I had and when she left last year, I was heartbroken.

See, she was a year older than I was so she had graduated the previous year. She promised she'd visit me but I knew better. No one would come back once they've gone.

I didn't blame her one bit.

She made up for it though by calling up her cousin and asking around for places on rent. She said it was her graduation present. I was euphoric when I found out I already had a place to go; it made things a whole lot easier, let me tell you.

I followed the girl in and couldn't help but gasp as I looked around. The place was gorgeous. I mean, it wasn't some rundown apartment that I was mentally preparing myself for.

The place was neat and tidy and the furniture was in one piece. It wasn't too girly but it wasn't plain either. To be honest, it was perfect for my liking. I almost felt like a famous movie star or something.

That was it; I knew I couldn't afford this. It must cost more than my life. What was Hannah thinking when she reserved this place for me?

How am I going to get myself out of this mess?

I sat down on the stool she offered me and as I thought up of ways to save my ass, a steaming plate of pancakes stacked one on top of the other and covered with maple syrup was placed before me. My mouth watered and I was afraid that if I opened it, a fountain of saliva would spew out.

I kind of figured that wasn't the best first impression you could make.

"So, do you have any plans for today?"

I brought myself back from my thoughts and looked up at the girl, while making sure there was no saliva in my mouth when I spoke.

"Not really." I shrugged my shoulder and then looked at the sole bag I carried. "I didn't bring much with me so I don't need to unpack much."

The girl pulled a drawer labeled "Spoons & Forks" and grabbed a baby fork. Wow, her drawers were labeled. This girl was weird. She handed it to me and I gratefully took it and dug into my food. The pancake all but melted in my mouth and I couldn't hold in the moan that escaped me.

"It's good eh?" she said, smiling widely. I nodded my head in agreement.

"That's breakfast everyday. Enjoy."

She took a seat on the stool next to me and watched me as I ate. When I was done, I picked up my plate and headed over to wash it. But then a hand grabbed my arm and took the plate out of my grasp.

"You just got here, silly. Let's go out and do something fun!"

She dumped the plate in the sink and, her hand still firmly holding my right arm, dragged me out of the door. She grabbed her shoulder bag hastily and then shut the door behind us.

"Wanna drive?" she asked me as she fumbled for the keys to the apartment. She kept pulling out weird items from her bag and I tried not to judge.

I had my own tastes.

"Uh, no it's okay. I don't know where we're going anyway."

I stared at my car and wanted nothing more than to get in and drive away. I wondered which belonged to her and as I raked the parking lot with my eyes, I came up with only two potential cars that would fit her persona.

It was either the red convertible or the Porsche; the rest of them were too boyish, I was sure.

"Oh, right. I'm an idiot. Okay, to my car then!" she said, taking the stairs two at a time. For a girl in high heels she sure was fast. My torn Levi's tried to catch up and I almost fell down but caught myself just in time. I wasn't surprised when she pulled open the door to the Porsche.

Should have known, I thought, sliding into the passenger seat. We sat and stared at each other for a few seconds. It was starting to get awkward. Never one to willingly opt for silence, I decided to break it before it got worse.

"So…uh," and that's when I realized I didn't even know her name. Boy, she must think I'm rude for not asking. She knew my name without me telling her and I didn't even care to ask for hers. Maybe she might not want a rude person to be her roommate, I thought hopefully, wanting to get myself out of this with my dignity still left in me.

"Chelsea." she offered, putting the car in reverse. She grabbed the back of my seat and with one swift move, turned the car around.

"Chelsea," I repeated, smiling a little. I've always loved that name. Well, not really. It was just better than mine.

"Where are we going exactly?" I tried not to sound scared but I was in a Porsche for crying out loud. We were probably heading to some expensive place and I was going to get laughed at for not even having a $100 bill.

I kept reminding myself to kill Hannah* when I got the chance.

"It's a surprise, silly." she replied, putting the gear in shift. She checked her mirrors and then turned to look at me. A strange purr sounded and I fearfully watched as the meter moved from one side to the other. I swallowed audibly when her eyes focused on the road with such concentration you'd think her life depended on it.

I tried not to think about how my life was in her hands at the moment.

"Hold on tight." was the last thing I heard before the world flew by.