“Hey, today is still on, right?” Bibiana told me during recess. Today was Friday. Did I promise her to do something? Crap. I had forgotten all about the sleepover. Jamie was still in my house. If any of them see Jamie alive, the secret is out to the whole world. I could still tell Sam to pick Jamie up so he could watch over her.

            “Sure,” I replied. Bibiana came to my house to take care of Alice once but Maryanne hadn’t. I had to get rid of the guns and knives in my room before they entered. I made a mental note to hide them in Val’s room.

            I tried to call Sam after the dismissal bell rung. No answer. I tried to call him again. Twice. Thrice. It always ended up with the same result, no answer. What was I going to do with Jamie now? I kicked the bike to life and soon went into a small road that leads to home.

            Valerie was the one who opened the door for me. She must have heard me coming. Jamie must have been still in my room.

            “Val, we have a problem.” I explained briefly as I walked into the kitchen to think of a plan. Jamie joined us. She heard my explanation.

            “So Bibiana and Maryanne are coming tonight?” Jamie asked slowly.

            “Yes, now we have to hide you. I tried to call Sam but no one picked up.”

            Val frowned. “There’s a spare room but it’s in the basement. I don’t like what was down there.”

            “Perfect. You can hide there for a night. I hope you’re not afraid of the dark.”

            Jamie snorted. “I sleep in darkness everyday.”

            I spent the whole day clearing the basement for Jamie. At six o’clock, still no sign of Sam. I rung him again but no one picked up. If he didn’t call me by tomorrow, I will be showing up at his house with a slap, waiting for him. Because of him I had to hide Jamie from her friends.

            Knock, knock.

            I glanced at the clock in the living room. Eight o’clock on the dot. I glanced at Val, who was still having her dinner. Jamie was already in the basement, entertaining herself by reading a book. Alice, on the other hand, was staring at Richard’s portrait, as usual.

            I opened the door and saw Bibiana and Maryanne outside. They were carrying each a small bag.

            “Hello, Sophia,” Bibiana said cheery. Maryanne was looking at the house. It was her first time here so she didn’t know how big the house was.

            “What a big house you have,” Maryanne commented.

            The way she said it was almost like what big eyes you have or what big teeth you have from The Little Red Riding Hood. “The better to live in. Come on in.”

            They shuffled in. Bibiana said hi to Val. Maryanne was staring at the old fashion guns in the living room.

            I walked next to her. “Don’t worry. We don’t have the bullets to these guns,” I assured her. She nodded and looked at Alice.

            “Hi Aunty,” greeted Maryanne. Alice didn’t respond. Maryanne looked at me for answers.

            “She has this disease which is related to Alzheimer’s so she’s stuck like this for who know how long. She started having this disease a few months ago,” I explained. It could be true. She might be sick but she wasn’t that old. Forty was still considered as young to me.

            “Oh. I’m sorry to hear that. Where is Bibiana anyway?”

            “She must be talking to Valerie,” I suggested. We joined Val and Bibiana in the kitchen. Val was done with her dinner so she watched some telly with her mother.

            “Maybe we should study in my room,” I said.

            “I haven’t seen your room yet,” Bibiana said excitedly.

            “Neither do I, so what are we waiting for?” Maryanne added.

            I was already on the staircase, going to show them the way when someone knocked the door. I hurriedly opened the door. Who else would visit at this time if it wasn’t for Sam? The first thing I wanted to say was to tell him to surgically place his phone in his ears so he could answer it at twenty four hours.

            He looked at my friends and gave them a dazzling smile.

            “As you can see, I tried to call you hundreds of times to pick Jamie up because my friends are here for a sleepover,” I told him. I was sure Bibiana and Maryanne couldn’t hear our conversation but Jamie could.

            “Where is the wolf?”

            “Hidden in the basement. For the matter of fact, can you explain to me why didn’t you call me back?”

            “There’s been an emergency. We ran into the pack this morning and someone is injured. My phone batteries were dead too. By the time I bought new batteries, I saw your number on it. Five times instead of hundreds.” He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to one side.

            I grinned. “I think I got it in control. Thanks for dropping by but you’re out of action for the time being.”

            He flashed me an evil grin. “I will be back for the spotlight next time. See ya later.” After I blinked, he was gone.

            I closed the door and lead my friends to my room. I could hear their giggling.

            “What’s so funny?” I snapped at them as I opened the door to my room.

            They looked at each other, hoping one another would explain. Bibiana ended up explaining. “Who was that guy?”

            “His name is Sam and he’s my best friend. Why?”

            “Best friend?” Maryanne repeated. “He’s quite handsome. I never thought you went for boys. When we were in school, so many boys tried to get you attention but you deny them. Now one boy won your heart. I love happy endings,” Maryanne sighed.

            “We’re just friends, okay.” Something told me they were right, Sam and I were more than friends. I opened the door to my room. Bibiana took out her books and Maryanne sat on the bed. I joined them on my bed after closing the door. We studied science for about an hour. Science was my weakest subject. I was relief when Bibiana asked for a break from studying.

            “Do you want some refreshments?” I offered. They said yes so I went down to the kitchen to bring three glasses of lychee drink. By the time I got back to my room, Bibiana was staring at the opened drawer in the small table next to my bed. Her face was so white like a sheet of paper. Maryanne was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. Did I forget anything? Oh no. I forgot to hide my guns that were still in my drawers.

            I left the drinks on the table and pulled Bibiana out of the room.

            “It isn’t what you think,” I whispered.

            “You’re trying to kill us!” she screeched.

            “No, it’s a huge misunderstanding.”

            “Maryanne! Get out of here,” she yelled, struggling to escape from me. I didn’t realize I was this strong. Luckily, Maryanne was still brushing her teeth with the water running loudly so she hadn’t heard a word from Bibiana. “Why are you doing this to us?”

            Val was there, forcing her to swallow a pill that made her unconscious. I gave her a silent thank you and haul Bibiana who was groggy and fighting to keep her eye lids open to the bed next to mine. I quickly gave my guns to Valerie and acted casually.

            “Poor Bibiana. She had enough of science,” Maryanne teased when she saw Bibiana asleep.

            “Yeah, it’s just you and me now. Want to go to sleep?” I looked at the alarm clock on the small table. 11.30 p.m. Wow. What a night. Bibiana was so close to exposing our secret. Thank God Val was there in time.

            Maryanne sat on a vacant bed on the other side of my bed. “So what’s the news? I’m interested with what’s going on between you and Mr. Hottie.”

            “You mean Sam?”

            She hugged a teddy bear and sat crossed legs on the bed as if she was going to listen to a bedtime story. “How long have you been going out?”

            “Not yet. We’re just friends now.”

            “Have you kissed him yet?”

            That reminded me the time when he kissed my forehead in front of Jamie once. What did that mean? Did that mean the kiss Maryanne was talking about?

            “Have you kissed anyone?” I asked.

            She shrugged. “Nearly did but he got distracted. Sam looked like your type. If you’re not going out with him, may I have him?”

            “He’s mine,” I quickly said.

            Maryanne smiled. “I wish I could go to London. I love that city,” she sighed.

            “Believe me, it’s very boring there.”

            “But I’m interested with the Royal Family. Especially the handsome young princes.”

            I rolled my eyes at her and couldn’t help myself to stop giggling. I started telling her of life in London, my old friends, school and my family. I didn’t tell her about mum’s behavior after she found out I was on my way to Australia. Maryanne asked many questions until her eyes started to droop and she yawned hugely. A few minutes later, she drifted to sleep.

            In the morning, I saw Bibiana woke up and opening the drawers again, hoping to see the guns. She must be convinced that it was just a nightmare. I heard her sighed in relief and she went back to sleep. I pretended to be asleep until my body protested. I’d been lying on the bed, unmoving for a long time. I stretched my stiff bones and made coffee in the kitchen. It was still early in the morning so I decided to check on Jamie in the basement.

            She was still asleep. I shook her until she got up. She yawned hugely and looked at me with tiring eyes.

            “What time is it?” she asked. Her voice sounded like she was still asleep and she was talking in her dream.

            “Seven in the morning. I’m just checking you out.”

            “I’m fine. Can you let me go to sleep now please before I turn into a zombie?”

            I rolled my eyes at her and closed the door behind me. I sat on the couch in the living room, watching the news channel. I was so bored. What could I do now?

            I switched through all the channels, looking for anything that caught my attention. I decided to watch a movie. I wasn’t really paying attention to the story except for the action parts. Maryanne and Bibiana were already awake at eight o’clock. I made pancakes for breakfast like the ones mum made. Then we started talking.

            “I had a dream last night. A scary one,” Bibiana started. “It was so scary because I thought you were going to kill us.” She looked at me with fear in her eyes.

            “Sophia will never do that,” Maryanne disagreed.

            “What did I do in your dream?” I asked like I wanted to know more. It was just to convince that it was a dream and I will never hurt her. The gun was used for another reason.

            “You kept guns and you knocked me unconscious.” She shrugged.

            “You know I’m your friend and I won’t do that.”

            “I know. It’s just a dream. I’m sorry.”

            “What are you sorry for? It’s just a dream and you didn’t do anything,” Maryanne said in disbelief.

            “I accused you as a murderer. It’s just a thought but I’m still sorry.”

            I acted as if I didn’t get what she was trying to say. “Oh . . . okay then, apology accepted for whatever reason.”

            She was right about one thing though. I was a murderer. But I killed werewolves. I did it to save her and the rest of the world instead.