NORA AND FAITH

         After the merriment, Nora and Faith settled beside Charlotte's bed. Charlotte was still smiling from the gifts they gave her. 

      "Thank you for this memorable day," Charlotte said. 

      "I'm glad you are happy. Heard you developed hemoptysis yesterday," Nora said and rubbed her arm. 

        "I know my time is very near now." 

        "But the doctor said it's not an indicator of life expectancy," Faith put in.  She didn't want to hear anything about Charlotte's death. She had been thinking about it and thinking if maybe anything could be done to save Charlotte. 

          "That could be true, but you and I know that I don't have much time on my side." 

           "Can we stop talking about your death for now? We need to focus on things to make you happy." 

         "About that," Nora jumped in.  "The plans we made the other time, I hope it still stands? I'm sorry I have been very busy in the hospital. So how are we going to get you out of here?" 

        "How do they usually kidnap people from the hospital?" Charlotte asked. 

        "We would make a plan," Nora said.  "I will be going to Rome in Italy soon. I'm so excited for the trip." 

       Faith rolled her eyes. 

     They talked about a lot of other things before Faith decided that she was exhausted and wanted to go home and rest. She had an appointment the following day. Nora offered to drop her off. She and Nora had not talked or been together for a while now and she was avoiding Nora on purpose, she didn't want to talk about anything and her conscience has been pricking her to tell Nora the truth about the kiss between her and Ethan. 

       They stepped out of the hospital building into the open sunny day. Nora wore a casual t-shirt and ripped jeans her hair was tied up in a bun. She took a long gulp from the bottle of water she was holding. Faith searched for something to say because Nora always assumes that whenever she was silent, she has something bothering her. And that was exactly what happened. Once Nora was done drinking, and they got to the car, she stepped in front of Faith, leaned on her car and stared at her meticulously. Faith stared back. 

        "What?" Faith asked hunching her shoulders. 

       "What's the problem?" 

         "Does it look like I have a problem?" 

          "Oh, come on, Faith, you can say that to someone who doesn't know you, as for me, I have read you like a book." Nora leaned forward and peered into Faith's face. "Is it me or are you avoiding me?" 

       Faith chuckled.  "Why will I avoid you?" 

     Nora shrugged.  "Who knows?" 

     Faith stared at her. How could she know that she was avoiding her? What kind of spirit does she have. Faith started going around the car to get inside. Nora allowed her to enter the car, but bent down and spoke through the window. 

       "You don't wanna tell me what's wrong but you want me to drive you." 

       "Get into the car," Faith said dismissively. 

  But Nora wasn't someone you could dismiss easily. She got into the driver's seat.  "You will spill when it chokes you and you can't breathe no more." 

        "Nora stop. Nothing is bothering me, at least not that serious." 

        "But there is something. I can take a guess." Nora ignited the car. 

         "I'll like to hear it." 

      Nora started to reverse.   "I think you have found another man and you are worried if it would work out." 

     Faith eyed her incredulously.  "It doesn't have to be about a man." 

        "Did your hitman daddy resurrect from death then?" 

         "I would have shot him back to the grave." 

       They chuckled. 

      "Are you sure? You were so scared of him when he was alive not to talk of now that he has become a ghost." Nora hit the road. 

          "Can we stop talking about ghosts?" 

         "Why? Are they going to torment you at night?" she narrowed her eyes. "I guess you would be the only one sleeping at home tonight and your hitman daddy would appear and be like. 'you have disappointed me by still keeping that Nora girl as a friend. Why are you keeping friends that will only lead you to hell?' 

      Faith barked out with laughter. Nora had met her dad a couple of times back in college. It was her dad that had brought her to college in her freshman year and when she had gone into her dorm, she had found Nora. Nora was on bangs and had multiple piercings on her nose and ears and she had been carefree. 

    She had followed Faith out to bring in her luggage since her dad couldn't come in. That was the first time Nora had met her dad and her dad had condemned Nora completely. When Nora had left, her dad had called her into his truck and had said he wanted to write for a change of room, but Faith had managed to talk him out of it. 

        "I don't want you partying with that roommate," her father had said. She had nodded.  "Don't talk to her, focus on your books."

        She had agreed. But the instant she had gone inside the room she had made friends with Nora, being grateful that she would finally be free from her dad's iron hands for once.  The next Thanksgiving, she had been so close to Nora that she had invited her for Thanksgiving. After all, it was only she and her father and they were never able to finish the turkey. 

      Since Faith had filled Nora in on the kind of person her dad was, Nora had dressed to fit into her dad's world. She still never got approval from her dad. Her dad still didn't like Nora's company also he couldn't point out any negative influence from Nora. Then, he had died of heart failure and Faith had thought it was the best death for him. 

       She never believed it was heart failure, she believed it was loneliness. She always tells herself that her dad had been lonely, since he had succeeded in chasing his family all away, starting from his wife. Faith even stopped going home after her sophomore year. She always followed Nora home or stay in a hotel until she heard the news of her father's death. 

        "What are you thinking about?" Nora asked jerking her out of the thought. 

         "You and my dad." 

        "Me and your dad? How could you think about me and your dad? We were never close." 

        "I just thought about the first day you met. It was hilarious when he said I shouldn't party with that roommate." 

        "You are lucky you didn't take his advice." 

         "I know right?" 

         "So, what is it that is bothering you apart from man?" 

         "You still remember that?" 

        "Was that not what made us start to talk about your dad?" 

      Faith noticed that Nora was taking another route that wasn't the way to her house.   "Where are you going to?" 

        "Hospital." 

        "Did you forget that I have to go back home?" 

   Nora glanced at her.  "What are you going to do at home? You want to go and sulk on whatever is bothering you. No way, I'm not allowing that. Ethan is not at him." 

         "What are you trying to say? You are saying that I can't be by myself?" 

         "You can be by yourself, but I know you saw Noah a few days ago and that might be heavy on your mind." 

        She had even forgotten to tell her that Noah called. She didn't intend to hide things from Nora, but these days, she found that she was hiding a lot of things from her. She convinced herself that it was because Nora was always busy. 

       "Speaking of which, he called the other day." 

    Nora stared at her curiously.  "What does he want?" 

       "He misses me." 

       "He misses you now? Because he saw you all dressed up in that party?" 

      Faith narrowed her eyes. It hit her then. It hit her why Ethan had asked her that question he asked her in the kitchen that night. She has been thinking about that a lot and she had wondered what she was doing now that she wasn't doing with Noah and she hadn't been able to come up with any reason. 

        Nora had answered the question. It was just a few days after the party and he had called to say he missed her. That was also the reason why Charlie had behaved like that. 

        "What did you say to him?" 

          "Huh?" 

    Nora glanced at her. "Noah. What did you say to him?" 

          "Nothing," Faith said and shrugged. 

           "Are you sure you said nothing to him?" 

          "I made out with him," Faith said looking forward. 

         Nora focused on the road and overtook a car, then she looked at her.  "You made out with who? Noah?" 

      Faith still kept her face on the road.  "I made out with Ethan." 

      Nora swerved the car to the right and jerked it to a stop. She glared at Faith and Faith glared back at her. 

        "Do you want to get us killed?" 

       "What did you just say?" Nora said almost in a whisper. Faith turned away from her.  "How could you? Wait...was it you that day? The day you told me it was your client?" 

       Faith nodded. Nora looked forward and tapped her finger on the steering, staying quiet for a while, trying to process what must have happened in her head. 

      "What happened?" she asked finally, still looking at the road ahead. 

         "I don't know, everything happened so fast." 

         "So, Charlotte saw you?" 

          "Mmh." 

         "Why is she not mad?" 

    Faith shrugged.  "She said she was going to die anyway." She turned to face Nora.  "I didn't do it on purpose. I mean it happened so fast and I couldn't even stop myself. I was down, but I'm not using that as justification to..."

        "Breathe," Nora said. Faith kept quiet and stared at her.  "Did you apologize to Charlotte?" 

        "I did, but what's bothering me most is that she doesn't get angry or jealous. The day she told me about her cancer, I had gone to apologize. Can you believe she is shipping Ethan and me?" 

      Nora stepped on the accelerator and the car lunged forward. "Why is she shipping you guys?" 

     "I don't know. I just feel worse. I don't know what to feel, it is not even the first time. We all blamed it on alcohol that day..."

        "You have kissed twice?" 

         "No, thrice." 

         "OMG! I feel like jerking this car to a stop right now. Who are you?" 

         "Don't start." 

           "Were you hiding this from me?" 

            "No. I didn't find the right time to say it." 

     Nora rounded the corner and went into the street that led to the hospital.   "I guess you will sleep at the hospital with me today. You have to tell me everything as it is alright?" 

         "I would have agreed with you, but I won't sleep at the hospital." 

          "Why?" 

          "I don't like hospital smells." 

           "But you slept at the hospital last night because Ethan was there..."  Faith spanked her hard on her shoulders. Nora screamed and swerved the car from one lane to another and finally jerked to a stop. She shot Faith a death look.  "Do you want to get us killed?!"

  "Why do you have to spill trash from your mouth?" 

   Nora started driving again.  "I was just saying the truth."

       "What truth are you saying?" 

    They drove into the hospital premises and Nora drove to the parking lot.  A grey SUV parked beside Nora's car. Nora unstrapped her seat belt while Faith started to search for her phone. 

         "What are you looking for?" Nora asked as she opened the door. 

         "I can't seem to find my phone." Faith bent down to look under the seats. 

            "Maybe you should check around your feet," Nora said and got out of the car. Charlie came out from the grey SUV. "Hey!" Nora greeted. 

          "Hi Nora," Charlie greeted and the other person in the SUV came out and handed Charlie a file. 

          "Ain't you forgetting this?" the man said raising the file. 

          Charlie turned and collected the file from him.  "Nora, meet Doug, my boyfriend, Doug, this is Nora finally." 

        Nora watched the man who Charlie had introduced. He was handsome and manly and rugged looking. He smiled at Nora and stretched his hand. Nora took it and her palm was so small in them. 

       "Nice to meet you Ms Nora, I have heard so much about you."

         "You have? I hope they are good things you've heard." 

          "Belief, Charlie never talks bad about anyone," Doug said. 

       Nora beamed with a smile.  "Nice to meet you too." 

        "Alright, I have to go now." 

        "Alright," Nora gently removed her hand from the man's. 

      The man perked Charlie and went back inside the car and Nora just stared at him. There was something familiar about him. 

         Faith found her phone under the seat.  "Come here," she said and grabbed it. She turned it on and it was still working.   "How did this phone fall under here?" she asked herself and sat up. Nora was already out. She got out of the car. 

        Charlie was waving at a grey SUV and Nora was just standing beside her car, watching Charlie. Faith went over to her. 

        "Why are you watching him like that?" Faith asked, Nora jumped a little. 

       She leaned closer to Faith her ear still on Charlie. She whispered in Faith's ear.  "He is truly gay." 

         "You didn't believe?" Faith asked. 

            "I thought you guys were pulling my legs." 

          "So what made you believe now?" 

             "Because it's his love that is riding that grey SUV. We even greeted." 

             "Really? I wanted to see his lover," Faith lamented. 

            Nora looked at her warily.  "Why the sudden interest in his lover?" 

         Faith looked at her and scowled.  "He promised to introduce me." 

         "Wait! Are you and Charlie that close now?"

          "We are quite close." Faith shrugged, a smile trying to break out on her lips. 

        "How close?" Nora inquired. 

  Faith decided to tease her.  "Close enough to spend some night at his." 

         "What?!" Nora exclaimed a bit louder. 

    Charlie turned and was surprised to see Faith standing there. He started walking up to them, his brows knitted together. 

        "Hi, Charlie," 

         "Hey, I didn't know you came around.  Doug just left," Charlie said. 

       Nora glared at Faith, Faith ignored her, pretending she wasn't seeing her. 

        "I was searching for my phone in Nora's car. I feel so bad that I didn't get to see him." 

         "Nora here met him." 

      Nora's eyes trailed to Charlie.  "Charlie, are you trying to steal my best friend here?" 

      Charlie raised his hands in surrender.  "I could never do that." 

        "She has slept over at yours."

          "That was on a bad day." 

      Nora looked at Faith.  "So it true? What more are you hiding from me?" 

           "I'm sorry, ma. It would never happen again." 

            "I will never forgive you for this," Nora said and started s torming towards the hospital building, leaving the two of them. 

      Faith glanced at Charlie.  "Am I in big trouble?" 

         "I think you are," Charlie said. 

      Faith went after Nora.  "Forgive me ma!" she yelled as she tried to catch up with her.