The first bell rang on Monday morning.

“What was more important than me the last two nights?” Madison was really annoyed. This was the second time Sarah had blown her off, without so much as an apology text. No, she didn’t have other plans- but maybe she could have made some, if she had known she would have been all alone the whole weekend.

She didn’t want Sarah to know that she had driven past her house several times and seen her car in the driveway… and another familiar car too. She just couldn’t remember where she’d seen it.

“I’ll give you two guesses.” Sarah knew her friend couldn’t resist a juicy scoop. Madison liked to play the innocent card, but she was just as much of a gossip as anyone else. She just knew who to talk to, and when to keep her mouth shut. Sarah respected that about Madison… she always seemed to open her mouth at the wrong time.

Madison had no idea where to start. Sarah was always getting in to trouble with people she’d never met. It never ceased to amaze Madison how many people her friend seemed to know where ever she went. Madison always felt invisibly anonymous.

“College gang bang?” Madison laughed, but hoped her guess was as far off base as she meant it to be. Sarah was a much freer spirit than Madison could ever see herself being.

“What? That’s your first guess? Really?” Sarah was the closest to speechless she could get. “Don’t pack any soft balls, do you Madzy?” Sarah was the only one allowed to call her that (according to Sarah).

“Well, what then?” Madison hated this game.

“You’re not going to guess again? That was your only guess?” Sarah seemed genuinely offended by this.

“Just tellll me already, Sare Bear.”

“Well, I’m not sure I wan’t to tell you anymore.”

“Then don’t!” Madison didn’t mean it.

“Ok!” Sarah was better at being annoying than Madison. That was a game she would always win.

“What?!” The second bell rang, warning students they had 5 minutes to get to homeroom.

“See you at lunch. Next time, don’t be such a bitch!” Sarah flashed a crazed smile in Madison’s direction before going down the hall and disappearing to the left.  Her class was on the opposite side of campus.

Madison stood there dazed, until the third ball rang.

Great, she thought. Now she was late.

***********

            Timothy had come to know his father-in-law in a whole new way, since he’d accepted a place in their family business. It was his family now, too. He could never forget it- no one would ever let him.

        Scarlett was of the opinion that her father was a saint. Timothy could never shatter her illusions, but suffering the silence was taking its toll on him. Planning their anniversary trip was his one consolation. How he loved to make his new bride happy.

It was 7:48 am. Timothy had just parked his car in his assigned spot. At first he found the plotting of his assigned space rather curious. However, having used it for almost a full year, he found the reasoning to it. The single side space, tucked in between buildings, provided shade and easy access to a very convenient side entrance.

On the face of the four story glass structure, was a proud sign that read, CAPITAL TECHNOLOGIES.

As a cool breeze blew, Timothy noted how it would have been such a beautiful day, if he only had a moment to enjoy it. He swiped a security badge above the handle on the side door. He ran at the door, expecting it to have immediately unlocked. It didn’t. In fact, he heard a noise he’d never heard before. Some sort of beeping, accompanied by a frantic red blinking light. This was not happening to him today.

Rushing to the front of the building, and as politely as he could, Timothy cut through the dozens in line, who were patiently waiting to gain admittance to their place of work. He could feel the daggers being flung at his back; the curses being hurled toward his head. For increased security, everyone had to arrive earlier than their shift to get through the main gates and still manage to clock in on time.

“I’m already 5 minutes late to my morning meeting with Mr. C,” Tim offered to the guard who’d cleared a path to the front of the metal detecters for him. He could still hear the device angrily chastising him for his noncompliance to its terms, as he hit L4, and the elevator doors shut.

**********

           That didn’t go so bad, Timothy thought as he closed the impossibly heavy wooden door softly behind him.  It was almost time for lunch. Timothy felt like, after his meeting with Mr. Capital, he could eat all the fresh fish at the local sushi bar. He could use the sake to wash it all down. He’d need some help swallowing some pretty fishy things.

***********

             “How did that big meeting with daddy go, hunny?” Scarlett Creed wanted all the details.

“Oh, it was great. Yeah, just, great.” Timothy turned his back to her as he loosened his tie, and choked down the lie. He was determined to tell her nothing.

“Well, what did he want?” She played the sweetest coquette.

“How about,” he said, finally turning toward her, unfastening the top three buttons of his shirt, “I tell you what I want?” He came toward her, creeping fingers outstretched.

“Don’t you tickle me, Timothy Justin Creed! You know you’ll just walk away injured.” She hated being tickled almost more than anything else.

“There are a lot of things I’m planning to doing with you,” he laughed as he grabbed her up in to his arms and swang her around. She was his prized doll… no, she was much more than that. She was his best friend. He hated keeping secrets from her, but he didn’t have any other choice. This was for their future.