Deception

It was a warm summer night in late July and after several hours of swimming in the hot sun, best friends Maria and Miley were ready to call it a day. Tiredly, the two girls entered Maria’s house and sauntered up the stairs to Maria’s bedroom.

Since Maria’s parents were on a business trip and her brother was on vacation in Cancun, the house was vacant aside from the girls. In the absence of her family the house seemed too big and eerily quiet, precisely the reason for Miley’s visit.

Upon entering Maria’s room the two girls stripped off their wet bathing suits, exchanging them for a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Once comfortable, they again walked downstairs to get some food.

As they made themselves cheese sandwiches the girls talked aimlessly about the abnormal wave of 100+ degree weather that was hitting their area and the upcoming school year, their last year in high school. In August both girls would be seniors; this was the year that they’d anticipated since being freshmen and finally it had arrived.

“So, did you get captain?” Maria asked Miley. Miley was one of three seniors on their high school’s dance team.

“I don’t know yet, but I’ve heard that I did. Oh, I really do hope so,” Miley answered. Both girls, although best friends, were as different as night and day. Miley was athletic and Maria the brain. Despite their differences, they’d been friends since middle school.

“Trust me. You did,” Maria said encouragingly. Right then Miley’s phone rang. As Miley talked in the other room, Maria finished making the peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches. In the other room Maria could hear Miley’s conversation. Whoever was on the other end of the phone was in a heated argument with Miley.

No doubt it was Alex, Miley’s boyfriend. The boy had control issues and everyone knew it: besides Miley. She seemed oblivious to the fact that Alex was a total jerk. Just that night Miley was telling Maria that Alex had been upset about Miley coming to stay with Maria versus going to a party with him, and Miley said that he went off on her. She wouldn’t admit it, but he had hit her in his rage. Maria could see the dark marks on Miley’s face despite her futile attempts to cover them up. This just angered Maria. How could Miley put up with his crap? Not only did she not like the fact that Miley stayed with Alex, but she didn’t like Alex because he was a bad influence. He was an alcoholic and a drug addict, not to mention he was nineteen. Miley was only seventeen! If only her parents knew about Alex. Being the good friend that she was, Maria kept her promise to keep their relationship from Miley’s parents.

Multiple times Maria had tried to talk sense into Miley. Did she ever listen? Nope. Anytime Maria would mention that Alex was no good Miley would get all defensive. Maria had been told multiple times that she was just jealous. Eventually she just let it drop.

Miley appeared at the door way. The look on her face told Maria that something was wrong, and Miley had been crying. Maria knew best to leave it alone, and if Miley wanted her to know then she’d tell her.
Predictably, moments later Miley spoke up. “That was Alex.” Maria didn’t speak because she knew Miley had more to say. “Well he’s at that party and he’s wasted. I told him that I’d be there to give him a ride home… Do you want to go with me? If not, I’ll only be a few minutes, and then I’ll be right back. I-,”

Maria cut her off. “If you go, I don’t want you to come back. I’m sick of lying to your parents for you when you know very well that they wouldn’t approve of Alex. I should’ve told them! I’m done with you and your lies!” Maria said angrily, storming out of the kitchen. Miley followed pleading.

“Maria, don’t say that. You know you don’t mean it.” Maria whirled around, almost smacking into Miley.

“Yes, I do. Now leave,” Maria ran up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door shut. Downstairs she could hear Miley sobbing as she gathered her things and left. Regret and remorse overwhelmed Maria as she heard Miley’s car start then speed off. She felt as though she had failed at being a friend. What if Miley got hurt? More than likely Alex was drunk or high, maybe even both. Why would Maria leave Miley alone with him?
Crying, Maria shoved her face into her pillows and screamed. She had just ruined a good friendship just because her friend wouldn’t take her advice. One time Miley had said that Maria was jealous, and now Maria was questioning that herself. Was she jealous? After all, Alex was in the way of a seven year friendship.

About a half hour into Maria’s crying-fest it started to storm. The rain pounded heavily against the house, and lightning lit the sky. “Oh great,” Maria grumbled, “a forecast to highlight my mood.” With a crack, Maria was plunged into darkness.

Frustrated and scared, Maria stood to feel her way for a flashlight, all the while still cursing Miley for leaving her. Maria found a light and flicked it on. She needed to go to the basement where the breaker box was. As she walked carefully down the steps Maria couldn’t help but think of how much this resembled a horror film. All that was missing was a psycho killer.

From the kitchen came a crash and Maria regretted having thought of a horror film because now she was truly terrified. Like all damsels in a horror movie, Maria went to the kitchen despite every fiber of her being warning her not to. Relief flooded Maria as she found her cat, Mittens, sitting beside the broken vase. She allowed herself to chuckle at her own foolishness then turned back to the hallway.

She bumped into something as she turned the corner. Again the room lit with lightning revealing a figure in black clothing with a mask on. Maria let out a shriek just as a clap of thunder sounded from above. The intruder grabbed Maria by the throat and threw her across the kitchen. Maria’s body fell to the floor.

Stiffly she tried to stand, but the intruder was upon her again, this time hitting her with a wooden cutting board. Frantically, Maria looked around for a weapon, but instead she saw the phone sitting on the counter not far away. Trying not to signal to the intruder what she was doing, Maria inched herself across the floor. The intruder still kept hitting Maria with no hesitation.

Maria reached the spot where the phone was. Summoning all her strength, Maria jumped up, striking the intruder in the chest. As the intruder scrambled to the floor, Maria grabbed the phone and darted from the room.

Maria knew that before long the intruder would be directly behind her. She hobbled along; heart thudding in her ears. Questions ran through her mind. Who was doing this to her? Why? Will she live? Fear slowed her footsteps, but the thought that the intruder wasn’t far behind kept her running.

Maria swung the bathroom door open and then shut it quickly behind her, but not before the intruder turned the corner. Simultaneously, the lights flicked back to life, and Maria saw who her attacker was. The flowing, light brown hair that was carefully plaited into a braid, peered from under the ski mask.

“Miley,” Maria uttered in disbelief. The intruder, Maria had believed, was Alex, but it came to be that her best friend was her attacker. This concept was hard for Maria to comprehend. What had she done to Miley? Maria slid her body down the wooden door onto the cool tiled floor. Miley was now kicking the door, and Maria could hear and feel the wood splintering beneath Miley’s kicks.

She looked down at the phone in her hand. Should she call the police on her best friend? Part of her said yes, but the other held her back. Maria dialed 9-1-1 and paused. If she pressed the green button then she’d be saved. Irrationally, Maria believed she could save their friendship by trying to help Miley, but if she pressed that button then there would be no more chances.
Reluctantly, she pressed the button. The dialing tones permeated her ears, and the all-too-famous question, “9-1-1. What is your emergency?” was asked. Miley continued to kick at the door. Within minutes sirens sounded from outside. In outrage, Miley started screaming and sobbing. The kicking had stopped, so Maria cautiously opened the door.

Miley sat in a clump on the floor, sobbing stridently. Over and over she repeated, “Sorry....” Maria knelt down beside her. She coaxed Miley into walking out to the policemen. Eventually, Miley agreed, and together the two girls met the police at the door.

Miley was arrested, but Maria refused to press charges. Unfortunately Maria’s proposition didn’t help Miley. Apparently Miley had gone to pick up Alex, but he had tried to break up with her. Miley, already upset, went off on him about how he had ruined her friendship. Maria believed Alex got what he deserved, but Miley took her anger a little too far and killed him. Then, believing Maria was the cause of their break-up which led to his death, Miley went after Maria.

Naturally Maria felt bad about betraying her friend, and ultimately for being too hard on her about Alex. In a way, though, Maria’s actions saved herself and Miley. The judge agreed that Miley needed psychiatric help, and sent her to a psychiatric hospital for a year. Not surprisingly, Miley and Maria’s friendship stayed intact. After all, Maria did stay by her side throughout the entire trial and hearing process. They both learned a valuable lesson: friendships should be valued over relationships, a lesson they believe all teenagers should know. Hopefully no other teen has to learn this lesson the hard way like Miley and Maria.