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Description
Fooled
By: Glarification

She hadn't been expected for at least another week. Yet there she was. Her dark curls bouncing around her face, her smile glowing straight on at the three of them.

Malissa, the most out going (other then Gardenia of course), stepped out in front of the other two girls and reached out to hug the new arrival. She laughed a bit taking in the warmth of her long lost friend and noticing the new scent she seemed to carry.

"Mmm, what's that smell?" She said giggling and stepping back to let Gardenia in.

"Oh, it's rose water." Gardenia said simply as she walked past Malissa and the others and into the living room. "So, which room will I be in? I want to just put my bags away first." She said with a wide smile.

"Oh, umm... It's up the stairs, next to the bathroom and the second door from the steps." Adriana answered as she fixed her shirt.

Adriana couldn't tell what it was, but she knew there was definitely something wrong with her old friend. There was something in her eyes, a dullness that made her look less somehow... Just, less.

Gardenia nodded then turned on her heels, her yellow coat tails swinging around her legs and dragging behind her as she made her way up the steps. Her red bags balanced off her bright red jewelry (which included earrings and matching bracelet) and lipstick. All together she looked like a sun floor with drops of blood on its outer petals.

The three girls just stood at the bottom of the steps in silence for a moment. They knew their friend to be out going, but never had they seen her in such an attention grabbing ensemble. They then silently made their way back into the living room, making sure to pour an extra cup of tea for Gardenia.

* * * * *

It was about three hours later before they had even heard the clacking of Gardenia's red heels on the floor boards again. They all stopped their laughing looking at the stairs as she came down, almost gliding, into the hallway in a fluffy yellow dress. The kind you'd only see in some 1940's house wife's magazine.

"Siana?" She called as she made her way into the opposite doorway and walked into the kitchen.

It took the blond a moment to realize she had been called but when she did she quickly stood. "Oh, um... Yes, Gardenia?"

"Could you be as sweet, as to get me a drink?"

"B-But... But your already in the kitchen Gardi..." Siana stumbled confusedly.

"Oh, I know... I just think it would be rude to go through someone else's fridge."

Siana looked at the other two girls then made her way into the kitchen as well. A moment later both women came back and sat down side by side on the powder blue couch.

"We poured you some tea, Siana." Malissa said with a laugh.

"Oh, but I already have a drink, thank you." Gardenia said with a smile and took a long sip from her drink.

The room grew awkwardly silent.

True the girls had not seen each other in over a good three years, but it couldn't possibly have been long enough for such a big change in their friend could it? True as it was, that the change itself wasn't any kind of drastic change, there was still something.

Something in the way that she moved. In the way that she spoke. The way her dark eyes looked at you from over the brim of her cup and you felt like she wasn't even seeing you. Like they were seeing someone else, something else.

Gardenia cleared her throat then looked at the other three girls. "So, how have you guys been? I haven't heard from you in such a long time I thought I would never see you again." She laughed gently then placed a soft hand on Siana's leg in comfort.

But it was no more of a comfort then a rattlesnake curling up your arm.

Malissa was the first to speak, "Well, I guess it's a lot harder keeping in touch then we thought. I mean with all of us having to travel all the time that is. I'm surprised that Siana even found the time to get us all the together."

The group laughed awkwardly, the sound of Gardenia's rather high voice chiming higher then the rest. "Well, you know how it is... Being a traveling writer isn't all it's cracked up to be though. I honestly don't know how you do it Malissa, I mean. it's hard enough being a writer with time to myself, but what about you? Your always being followed by some kind of paparazzi." She teased.

Malissa shrugged. For some odd reason she couldn't find a response to Gardenia, but luckily she didn't have to as Adriana spoke up.

"Yea, I think we really owe it to Siana here for getting us all together in the first place." She looked at Siana trying to urge her to speak, "Seriously Siana, what's it like under the sea? Your all alone with fishies and all you have is your assistants and machines?"

"Well, I'd hate to say it, but it does get kind of boring after a while. But...You guys don't get it though, you never have. I've always loved the ocean and actually since I've been gone these last few months... I'm kinda starting to miss it." She added with a shrug and a apologetic smile.

Malissa laughed, "Trust me alone with 8 people in the sea is much better then thirty people jumping over each other trying to get you in the perfect light." She rolled her eyes and sat back.

"You were always meant to be a model Malissa. Your honestly too beautiful for words." Gardenia chimed in with a lifeless wink.

Once again Malissa simply smiled letting someone else take control of the conversation.

"Well, what about you Adriana? Any sign of stopping soon?" Siana asked with a smile.

Adriana had been on an around the world mission to spread the word about STDs. Considering her father's bank account could feed a whole continent for a year, it was no surprise she had chosen such a low paying job.

Adriana blushed a little bit, "I don't think I can stop. Not until people, all around the world, get it through their thick heads you know?" She laughed softly pulling her feet up beneath her on the seat.

"What about that cutie I saw you with in that article, huh?" Malissa teased.

Adriana started to blush and opened her mouth to deny Malissa's statement, but was suddenly cut off by a long, annoyingly high pitched yawn.

"Well," Gardenia began. "I'd like to stay and talk, but it was quite the long flight down here from my cottage in Ireland." She giggled as if what she had just said was perfectly understandable."I'll just be off to my bed now."

Without a single word she made her way back to the steps and up the stairs. Once again, leaving the three girls to watch in wonderment.

"What is wrong with that girl?" Malissa muttered, then turned back to her friends with a raised look.

"I have no idea, maybe it was just a long flight?" Siana said with a shrug and grabbed the empty cups on the coffee table.

"Trust me, that would not have mattered to the Gardania I knew."

"Well... Money changes people sometimes." Adriana said with her eyes lowered and helped Siana.

Malissa shook her head, "Whatever, hopefully she's better by tomorrow."

The three girl spent a few more hours talking about their journeys. But soon it was late, and they made their way to the their bedrooms.

~

The next day Malissa didn't wake up until about two the next afternoon. She stepped out of her bedroom, rubbing at a stinging pain she felt in the back of her neck.  She went through her usual morning routines, then made her way down the stairs and in to the kitchen.

She hadn't notice just how eerily quiet the house had been until then. She walked around the empty kitchen, the nerves running along her spine like mice. She wondered if she had slept in late? If the rest of the girls had all left for some kind of shopping?

That was silly though, why would her friends leave without her?

She asked herself that same question as she made her way up the steps with her fresh cup of coffee. She then heard an odd thump come from the direction of the room that she knew Adriana was staying in, and suddenly felt comforted. They hadn't left, they had just all slept in late. She sighed and stepped back into her room.

~

Malissa took some minutes to throw a fresh shirt on and same jeans she had on the other day. Because what was a few missed showers between friends anyway?, she thought to herself with a soft laugh.

She slipped her feet into a pair of slippers shaped like frogs, then grabbed her coffee mug and stepped back into the hallway again.

From out in the long hallway she felt a slight slicker of loneliness creep through her mind. There were no windows that let in any light, so the thin ray coming from the crack in her doorway was all she had to use until she flicked on the hallway's lamp. She stepped quickly towards the red orb and reached beneath the thick red shade.

Suddenly she yelped and brought her hand back to her mouth. A loud thump came form Adriana's room once again, and Malissa called an apology out towards the girl's door.

"Sorry! I'm okay, don't worry about." She said quickly and clicked on the lamp.

A small currant had passed between her and the light, leaving a red dot in the center of her pale finger.

"Damn it," she whispered to herself, then brought the finger to her lips and began to suck on the wound.

She looked up and down the hallway. Adriana's room was diagonally to the left of hers, but Gardenia's was just across from her. She still hadn't heard a thing from the girls room, but then again, there were weirder things going on with Gardenia lately.

She looked at the door just in front of her. Siana's room.

She hadn't heard anything from Siana's room since the other night. Which was odd, because both rooms were joined by a thin wall. She knocked on the door softly.

"Siana?" She asked with a gentle voice.

No answer.

She tried turning the knob, but it was locked. It was Siana's home after all, and she deserved privacy, but usually when your having your closest friends over for the first time in three years, you'd think the girl would be more open.. Malissa made a mental note to check back on the girl at a later time, until then she walked back into the bathroom.

She grabbed a towel and started a hot shower. While everyone else was busy sleeping and doing who knew what else, she decided she would just relax. While flying hadn't left her mentally insane, it had left her tired. More then usual, she thought to herself as she undid her hair. She ran a thin hand through the long red strands, then turned to go back to get some new clothes from her room.

When she looked up at the doorway she was greeted by a pair of dull eyes. Eyes that looked as if they were looking at someone else,  something else.

"Hey," Gardenia said simply.

"Gardenia!.. H-Hey...I didn't hear you wake-up." Malissa laughed nervously.

"Yeah, well.. I heard you." She said stepping back and allowing the girl to walk past her.

Malissa smiled wirely and then stepped around the odd woman. She was wearing another one of those puffy dresses like last night. A pure white one with a dark ribbon across the waist and baby blue lace on the collar. She looked like a porcelain doll.

Her tan skin shiny in the light that the bathroom window had to offer the dark hallway, and her lifeless eyes just watching Malissa walk back to her room. It left an odd feeling in Malissa's mind, but she it shook off as she slipped into her bedroom, and locked the door.

She let out a shaky sigh and shook her head. Whatever was wrong with Gardi, she hoped would be over before the week together was finished. Suddenly Malissa jerked her head at the sound of yet another loud thump came from the hallway.
Her eyebrow rose in curiosity. She crept toward the doorway, then peered into the hallway. There was the full figure of Gardenia's dress, dragging a bag into the bathroom.

A hand slapped against Malissa mouth. It wasn't a bag... A limp arm fell away from the rest of the bundle, then rolled across the floor leaving blood on the wooden panels. Malissa could feel a scream burning in her throat.

It was the sickening sound of Gardenia sliding the body across the floor that made her bite into her own hand as she tried to keep herself silent. She felt blood drip onto her lip as she watched in horror. Gardenia took the t-shirt that Malisa had left in the room to wipe the mess on the hallway floor away as best as possible.

She watched with wide eyes as Gardenia made her way back into the Adriana's bedroom as if it were nothing. Why would she have done that? Why kill one of closest friends? Why just leave her in the bathroom like it was a dirty towel? She thought to herself feeling the hot tears burn at her eyes and slide down on to her hand. As the salty tears mixed with the thick blood of her finger the answer came to her, Because she wanted you to find it.

"No," Malissa whimpered to herself repetitively. She pulled the door fully closed, then rushed around her room searching for her phone. Realizing she had left it on the coffee table the other night, she cursed herself.

She looked at the doorway. If Gardenia was standing there, then she would just fight her way past. If she was still waiting for her to find the body in Adriana's room, then she would have a free run all the way to the neighbor's house.

She took a deep breath and grabbed for the nearest deadliest thing she could find. Her bedside lamp.

She opened the door and swung without looking. It hit nothing. There was no Gardenia. She  gathered her strength and dashed towards the end of the hallway. She fumbled down stairs dropping the lamp and heard the creaking door from upstairs. There were thunderous bangs from the floor above as Gardenia made her way towards the stairs.

The fear of having the murderous girl on her tail added new force to her run. She dashed past the living room, into the entrance and out the door. Never once did she turn back around to see the dark unfeeling eyes of her once upon time friend.

Malissa raced across the large expanse of yard and through the hedges. She never slowed, and finally banged as hard as she possibly could on the neighbor's doorway. Her yelps for help reaching down the block, and her fist leaving large bloody spots on the white door.

~

Two days later Malissa stood at the hospital morgue with Adriana and Siana's family. They all waited as the hospital forced the two women's parents to except the mutilated corpses as their daughters. But with a sick feeling Malissa couldn't even begin to believe that all of this had happened. She had lost her friends to her... friend? She let out a sharp breath as she thought about the last word.

It hadn't been Gardenia... how could they have been as so dumb as to believe it had been? She slid down the wall feeling her tears sliding down her face into her gauze covered hand.

"Malissa!" Yelped a crying voice.

A familiar voice.

She looked up and screamed when she saw the girl's loose curls framing her youthful face, "NO! Get away!" She jumped up and ran towards the smaller girl in her black dress and black hat. She wasn't about to fool her with her false mourning, "I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" She roared and pounced forward. A rush of hands held her back.

"It's me, Malissa!" The girl pleaded, "Me, Gardenia! Please..." She cried stronger tears and fell into the arms of an older woman nearby.

Still Malissa was not fooled, not even after the years she spent in her white room after that day. No, she could never be fooled again.

Description
Fooled
By: Glarification

She hadn't been expected for at least another week. Yet there she was. Her dark curls bouncing around her face, her smile glowing straight on at the three of them.

Malissa, the most out going (other then Gardenia of course), stepped out in front of the other two girls and reached out to hug the new arrival. She laughed a bit taking in the warmth of her long lost friend and noticing the new scent she seemed to carry.

"Mmm, what's that smell?" She said giggling and stepping back to let Gardenia in.

"Oh, it's rose water." Gardenia said simply as she walked past Malissa and the others and into the living room. "So, which room will I be in? I want to just put my bags away first." She said with a wide smile.

"Oh, umm... It's up the stairs, next to the bathroom and the second door from the steps." Adriana answered as she fixed her shirt.

Adriana couldn't tell what it was, but she knew there was definitely something wrong with her old friend. There was something in her eyes, a dullness that made her look less somehow... Just, less.

Gardenia nodded then turned on her heels, her yellow coat tails swinging around her legs and dragging behind her as she made her way up the steps. Her red bags balanced off her bright red jewelry (which included earrings and matching bracelet) and lipstick. All together she looked like a sun floor with drops of blood on its outer petals.

The three girls just stood at the bottom of the steps in silence for a moment. They knew their friend to be out going, but never had they seen her in such an attention grabbing ensemble. They then silently made their way back into the living room, making sure to pour an extra cup of tea for Gardenia.

* * * * *

It was about three hours later before they had even heard the clacking of Gardenia's red heels on the floor boards again. They all stopped their laughing looking at the stairs as she came down, almost gliding, into the hallway in a fluffy yellow dress. The kind you'd only see in some 1940's house wife's magazine.

"Siana?" She called as she made her way into the opposite doorway and walked into the kitchen.

It took the blond a moment to realize she had been called but when she did she quickly stood. "Oh, um... Yes, Gardenia?"

"Could you be as sweet, as to get me a drink?"

"B-But... But your already in the kitchen Gardi..." Siana stumbled confusedly.

"Oh, I know... I just think it would be rude to go through someone else's fridge."

Siana looked at the other two girls then made her way into the kitchen as well. A moment later both women came back and sat down side by side on the powder blue couch.

"We poured you some tea, Siana." Malissa said with a laugh.

"Oh, but I already have a drink, thank you." Gardenia said with a smile and took a long sip from her drink.

The room grew awkwardly silent.

True the girls had not seen each other in over a good three years, but it couldn't possibly have been long enough for such a big change in their friend could it? True as it was, that the change itself wasn't any kind of drastic change, there was still something.

Something in the way that she moved. In the way that she spoke. The way her dark eyes looked at you from over the brim of her cup and you felt like she wasn't even seeing you. Like they were seeing someone else, something else.

Gardenia cleared her throat then looked at the other three girls. "So, how have you guys been? I haven't heard from you in such a long time I thought I would never see you again." She laughed gently then placed a soft hand on Siana's leg in comfort.

But it was no more of a comfort then a rattlesnake curling up your arm.

Malissa was the first to speak, "Well, I guess it's a lot harder keeping in touch then we thought. I mean with all of us having to travel all the time that is. I'm surprised that Siana even found the time to get us all the together."

The group laughed awkwardly, the sound of Gardenia's rather high voice chiming higher then the rest. "Well, you know how it is... Being a traveling writer isn't all it's cracked up to be though. I honestly don't know how you do it Malissa, I mean. it's hard enough being a writer with time to myself, but what about you? Your always being followed by some kind of paparazzi." She teased.

Malissa shrugged. For some odd reason she couldn't find a response to Gardenia, but luckily she didn't have to as Adriana spoke up.

"Yea, I think we really owe it to Siana here for getting us all together in the first place." She looked at Siana trying to urge her to speak, "Seriously Siana, what's it like under the sea? Your all alone with fishies and all you have is your assistants and machines?"

"Well, I'd hate to say it, but it does get kind of boring after a while. But...You guys don't get it though, you never have. I've always loved the ocean and actually since I've been gone these last few months... I'm kinda starting to miss it." She added with a shrug and a apologetic smile.

Malissa laughed, "Trust me alone with 8 people in the sea is much better then thirty people jumping over each other trying to get you in the perfect light." She rolled her eyes and sat back.

"You were always meant to be a model Malissa. Your honestly too beautiful for words." Gardenia chimed in with a lifeless wink.

Once again Malissa simply smiled letting someone else take control of the conversation.

"Well, what about you Adriana? Any sign of stopping soon?" Siana asked with a smile.

Adriana had been on an around the world mission to spread the word about STDs. Considering her father's bank account could feed a whole continent for a year, it was no surprise she had chosen such a low paying job.

Adriana blushed a little bit, "I don't think I can stop. Not until people, all around the world, get it through their thick heads you know?" She laughed softly pulling her feet up beneath her on the seat.

"What about that cutie I saw you with in that article, huh?" Malissa teased.

Adriana started to blush and opened her mouth to deny Malissa's statement, but was suddenly cut off by a long, annoyingly high pitched yawn.

"Well," Gardenia began. "I'd like to stay and talk, but it was quite the long flight down here from my cottage in Ireland." She giggled as if what she had just said was perfectly understandable."I'll just be off to my bed now."

Without a single word she made her way back to the steps and up the stairs. Once again, leaving the three girls to watch in wonderment.

"What is wrong with that girl?" Malissa muttered, then turned back to her friends with a raised look.

"I have no idea, maybe it was just a long flight?" Siana said with a shrug and grabbed the empty cups on the coffee table.

"Trust me, that would not have mattered to the Gardania I knew."

"Well... Money changes people sometimes." Adriana said with her eyes lowered and helped Siana.

Malissa shook her head, "Whatever, hopefully she's better by tomorrow."

The three girl spent a few more hours talking about their journeys. But soon it was late, and they made their way to the their bedrooms.

~

The next day Malissa didn't wake up until about two the next afternoon. She stepped out of her bedroom, rubbing at a stinging pain she felt in the back of her neck.  She went through her usual morning routines, then made her way down the stairs and in to the kitchen.

She hadn't notice just how eerily quiet the house had been until then. She walked around the empty kitchen, the nerves running along her spine like mice. She wondered if she had slept in late? If the rest of the girls had all left for some kind of shopping?

That was silly though, why would her friends leave without her?

She asked herself that same question as she made her way up the steps with her fresh cup of coffee. She then heard an odd thump come from the direction of the room that she knew Adriana was staying in, and suddenly felt comforted. They hadn't left, they had just all slept in late. She sighed and stepped back into her room.

~

Malissa took some minutes to throw a fresh shirt on and same jeans she had on the other day. Because what was a few missed showers between friends anyway?, she thought to herself with a soft laugh.

She slipped her feet into a pair of slippers shaped like frogs, then grabbed her coffee mug and stepped back into the hallway again.

From out in the long hallway she felt a slight slicker of loneliness creep through her mind. There were no windows that let in any light, so the thin ray coming from the crack in her doorway was all she had to use until she flicked on the hallway's lamp. She stepped quickly towards the red orb and reached beneath the thick red shade.

Suddenly she yelped and brought her hand back to her mouth. A loud thump came form Adriana's room once again, and Malissa called an apology out towards the girl's door.

"Sorry! I'm okay, don't worry about." She said quickly and clicked on the lamp.

A small currant had passed between her and the light, leaving a red dot in the center of her pale finger.

"Damn it," she whispered to herself, then brought the finger to her lips and began to suck on the wound.

She looked up and down the hallway. Adriana's room was diagonally to the left of hers, but Gardenia's was just across from her. She still hadn't heard a thing from the girls room, but then again, there were weirder things going on with Gardenia lately.

She looked at the door just in front of her. Siana's room.

She hadn't heard anything from Siana's room since the other night. Which was odd, because both rooms were joined by a thin wall. She knocked on the door softly.

"Siana?" She asked with a gentle voice.

No answer.

She tried turning the knob, but it was locked. It was Siana's home after all, and she deserved privacy, but usually when your having your closest friends over for the first time in three years, you'd think the girl would be more open.. Malissa made a mental note to check back on the girl at a later time, until then she walked back into the bathroom.

She grabbed a towel and started a hot shower. While everyone else was busy sleeping and doing who knew what else, she decided she would just relax. While flying hadn't left her mentally insane, it had left her tired. More then usual, she thought to herself as she undid her hair. She ran a thin hand through the long red strands, then turned to go back to get some new clothes from her room.

When she looked up at the doorway she was greeted by a pair of dull eyes. Eyes that looked as if they were looking at someone else,  something else.

"Hey," Gardenia said simply.

"Gardenia!.. H-Hey...I didn't hear you wake-up." Malissa laughed nervously.

"Yeah, well.. I heard you." She said stepping back and allowing the girl to walk past her.

Malissa smiled wirely and then stepped around the odd woman. She was wearing another one of those puffy dresses like last night. A pure white one with a dark ribbon across the waist and baby blue lace on the collar. She looked like a porcelain doll.

Her tan skin shiny in the light that the bathroom window had to offer the dark hallway, and her lifeless eyes just watching Malissa walk back to her room. It left an odd feeling in Malissa's mind, but she it shook off as she slipped into her bedroom, and locked the door.

She let out a shaky sigh and shook her head. Whatever was wrong with Gardi, she hoped would be over before the week together was finished. Suddenly Malissa jerked her head at the sound of yet another loud thump came from the hallway.
Her eyebrow rose in curiosity. She crept toward the doorway, then peered into the hallway. There was the full figure of Gardenia's dress, dragging a bag into the bathroom.

A hand slapped against Malissa mouth. It wasn't a bag... A limp arm fell away from the rest of the bundle, then rolled across the floor leaving blood on the wooden panels. Malissa could feel a scream burning in her throat.

It was the sickening sound of Gardenia sliding the body across the floor that made her bite into her own hand as she tried to keep herself silent. She felt blood drip onto her lip as she watched in horror. Gardenia took the t-shirt that Malisa had left in the room to wipe the mess on the hallway floor away as best as possible.

She watched with wide eyes as Gardenia made her way back into the Adriana's bedroom as if it were nothing. Why would she have done that? Why kill one of closest friends? Why just leave her in the bathroom like it was a dirty towel? She thought to herself feeling the hot tears burn at her eyes and slide down on to her hand. As the salty tears mixed with the thick blood of her finger the answer came to her, Because she wanted you to find it.

"No," Malissa whimpered to herself repetitively. She pulled the door fully closed, then rushed around her room searching for her phone. Realizing she had left it on the coffee table the other night, she cursed herself.

She looked at the doorway. If Gardenia was standing there, then she would just fight her way past. If she was still waiting for her to find the body in Adriana's room, then she would have a free run all the way to the neighbor's house.

She took a deep breath and grabbed for the nearest deadliest thing she could find. Her bedside lamp.

She opened the door and swung without looking. It hit nothing. There was no Gardenia. She  gathered her strength and dashed towards the end of the hallway. She fumbled down stairs dropping the lamp and heard the creaking door from upstairs. There were thunderous bangs from the floor above as Gardenia made her way towards the stairs.

The fear of having the murderous girl on her tail added new force to her run. She dashed past the living room, into the entrance and out the door. Never once did she turn back around to see the dark unfeeling eyes of her once upon time friend.

Malissa raced across the large expanse of yard and through the hedges. She never slowed, and finally banged as hard as she possibly could on the neighbor's doorway. Her yelps for help reaching down the block, and her fist leaving large bloody spots on the white door.

~

Two days later Malissa stood at the hospital morgue with Adriana and Siana's family. They all waited as the hospital forced the two women's parents to except the mutilated corpses as their daughters. But with a sick feeling Malissa couldn't even begin to believe that all of this had happened. She had lost her friends to her... friend? She let out a sharp breath as she thought about the last word.

It hadn't been Gardenia... how could they have been as so dumb as to believe it had been? She slid down the wall feeling her tears sliding down her face into her gauze covered hand.

"Malissa!" Yelped a crying voice.

A familiar voice.

She looked up and screamed when she saw the girl's loose curls framing her youthful face, "NO! Get away!" She jumped up and ran towards the smaller girl in her black dress and black hat. She wasn't about to fool her with her false mourning, "I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" She roared and pounced forward. A rush of hands held her back.

"It's me, Malissa!" The girl pleaded, "Me, Gardenia! Please..." She cried stronger tears and fell into the arms of an older woman nearby.

Still Malissa was not fooled, not even after the years she spent in her white room after that day. No, she could never be fooled again.