BACK TO SQUARE ONE

If someone told me that I would be back at my parent's house at twenty-six, I might as well have rebuked them.

For a minute, I stopped to stare at our mini-mansion, with its glassed doors and windows, looks like they repainted the house, from the colour I could tell it was my mum's idea. It was her favourite colour peach as per her love for the fruit, peach.

On the left side of the house was a mini garden with vegetable sprouting, they look healthy and almost weed-free.

A variety of flower vases lined the entire building from the front to the back of the house.

My parent's house was beautiful, the sturdy woods, the security system, everything. It looked homely but it didn't feel like home to me.

My version of home is my one-room apartment with my tiny kitchen and a medium-sized bathroom. With my flawlessly carved bookshelf filled with different genres of books from authors around the world.

This didn't feel like home, I was back to one of the places I dreaded the most and I had no other choice.

It was either I suck it up and let them figure out ways to help me or spend the rest of my life in jail for manslaughter.

I wasn't surprised my dad hadn't tried to reach out when I was in prison, he sent the lawyer, I know he loves me but he has an odd way of showing it, sometimes I wished he did more than throw money at everything.

He made sure we went to the best schools and did everything to make sure we had comfortable lives.

One of the things I wished for was the kind of bond Hannah had with her dad, it made me a little jealous that I didn't have such bonds.

My dad did everything a father would do for his kids, he made sure we went to the best schools and did everything to make sure we had comfortable lives.

Thanks to Hannah, I invested most of the funds my dad sent while I was in school, that was how I was able to stand on my own for months after graduation.

Hannah... the thought of her lying dead in a morgue brought tears to my eyes, her boyfriend was going to propose next month.

We had been secretly planning it for months, he wanted to surprise her on her birthday, her 26th birthday, sadly, she was not alive to witness what would have been one of the best birthdays ever.

Gosh! The list of the people who would make sure I rot in jail just topped.

The police department must have called her family by now, they must think I'm some monster.

"Veronica?" A soft voice called out my name, I would recognise that voice anywhere. I turned and saw my sister, she wore skinny jeans and a tank top, her hair was pulled up as a bun on her head, she had a colourful bag on her shoulder. Why was she out late, was she sneaking into the house? When did my baby sister become a nightcrawler?

"Prisca, what are you..."

"Hush, bring your voice down, I don't want to wake Paul"

She held my hand and all but dragged me into the house.

"Mum called me like an hour ago, she whispered, how long have you been standing outside"

"What about mum and dad?" I asked, completely ignoring her question

"They had to leave town, they will be back today"

"What?!" I exclaimed, I was finally back and my parents were not around.

"Keep it low Ronnie, it's 3 am, it was urgent, they will be back later"

"When did they leave town?" I asked

"Yesterday, after contacting Mr Johnson"

"Great! Are you not going to ask me what happened?"

"I know everything, mum filled us in" she shrugged"

"And?"

"And what Ronnie?" She asked, looking at me with no emotions whatsoever.

"You are not going to ask me how I am?"

"You look pretty good to me, you stink a little but you still look good"

I stared at my sister in shock, why was she so cold to me? Did I do something wrong?

"Prisca, is everything okay?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Why are you..."

"I'm tired okay, I'm going to bed, we will talk later," Prisca said and then took the stairs to her room"

I dropped the food Mr Johnson got me in the microwave and then headed upstairs to my room.

Everything looked the same, all my pictures frames were still on the wall, I opened the closet and saw a few clothes I left behind the day I took the biggest decision of my life.

They looked freshly washed, my bed was laid with new bedsheets.

I took off my clothes and stepped into the bathroom. No matter how much I scrubbed, I still felt the blood all over me, I stayed in the shower for over 30minutes crying and wishing this never happened.

I felt dirty inside out and I couldn't stop thinking that there was a chance I killed Hannah. I wasn't completely honest with my mum, and my lawyer.

I loved Hannah but our friendship ended a few weeks ago, we had been having issues,  we had said terrible things to each other, things we could never take back and then we vowed to stay out of each other lives.

When her boyfriend reached out to me with the engagement plans, I couldn't say anything because I didn't want to answer questions, so I agreed and decided to play it cool.

If they find those messages, the ones I sent to Hannah, then there was no escaping jail. Whoever laid this trap for me couldn't have found a better time.

I was going back to my place first thing in the morning to get my phone, I just hope the police had not found that yet.

I know it meant me tampering with evidence but I would rather do that than let anyone see those messages, they would ruin me, my entire life and my family too.

I stepped out of the bathroom, locked my bedroom door, wore my pyjamas and climbed to my bed, snuggling under the covers, I slept off as soon as my head hit the pillows, barely remembering my food in the microwave.