The Ice Princess and The Bad Boy

Chapter Thirty-Four - People I Call Friends

{Chapter Thirty-Four - People I Call Friends}

"So apparently I found out that I have a twin sister," I said casually the following Monday.

"What?!" Ali exclaimed loudly that everyone in the cafeteria turned to our lunch table.

"Nothing exciting going on people.  Mind your own business." Carly shooed everyone who was staring at us curiously.

"How did this happen?" Ali whispered.  I relayed everything Grandma Lili had said back at the cafe.

"Wow. I wonder if you guys are identical," Hayden said.

"Yeah!  That would be so cool.  You guys could switch places like they do in the movies," Ali added excitedly.  She seemed more happy than me about this.

"I think I'm going to go look for her after graduation," I declared.

"We can go on a road trip together.  All five of us!" Carly said and Ali nodded her head eagerly.

"That would be so much fun!"

"No way.  I'm not spending hours in a confined space with you."  Eli gave Ali a look and she pouted.

"Hey!  Don't be mean to my girl." Hayden held his hand in front of Eli as if telling him to back off.

"When you spend ten hours straight in a car with this girl, you will understand," Eli replied to him and he started ranting on about Ali and her unusual habitats which were almost normal to us now.

"So how was your weekend?" I turned to Carly.

"Well, it wasn't as interesting as yours that's for sure.  I had to attend lunch on Saturday with my parents and let's just say it was the most dreadful hour of my entire life," Carly said.

"Yeah with her hottie of a-" Ali was stopped by Carly who covered her mouth abruptly.  We stopped talking about Carly's weekend after that.

"Preston also found out that her grandfather is actually the former chairman of Knight industries," Eli said.

"Knight Industries?" Carly looked surprised.

"Hey, isn't your fiancé the next CEO?" Ali blurted and she looked guilty afterwards.  "Oops, I wasn't supposed to say that..."

We all turned to Carly who was looking down at her table, her face turning red.  "You're engaged to Terrence?" I asked.

She nodded.  "Unfortunately. He hates me a lot.  He's the coldest person I've ever meet."

"And you never wondered before if you two were related?" Eli turned to me.

"I don't go around thinking every stranger is related to me somehow," I retorted.

"Engaged already?  That's young," Hayden commented and we all agreed.

"It's all because of my parents." Carly sighed sadly.

"Your life reminds me of the romance stories I read, but it's alright." Ali patted Carly's shoulder.  "Be thankful that he's hot as fuck!"

"Ali!" Carly glared at her and our whole group broke out laughing.  I had a huge grin as I watched the group of people I called my friends bicker like a bunch of weirdos.  They were honestly the best and I was lucky to have them.

• • • • •

"You want us to help you break into your aunt's house?" Ali eyed me weirdly.  I nodded with a serious face.  "It'll be a piece of cake.  Carly can get the blueprints of the house and I'll scope the place out beforehand.  We'll be done preparing by the end of the week."

"That's great," I said and pulled Ali into a hug which surprised her as much as it surprised me. I never initiated hugs first. I guess I did change a lot over the past couple of months.

"I don't know why you want to break in there, but I bet there's a good reason behind it.  If anything, breaking in somewhere is always fun.  It makes me feel like a spy," Ali said and I laughed.

"You're the best!"

"I know." Ali tried flipping her extremely curly hair which ended only getting messier than it already was.

Later that evening, I told Eli that I was going to break into aunt Serena's place.

"Are you crazy?" He asked me.  Well...this wasn't the response I was expecting.  Usually Eli was always on board with my plans.

"No. What do you mean?"

"You're basically handing yourself over to her if you go.  It's like walking into a dragon's lair."

"That's only if I get caught," I argued.  "We only need hard proof that she killed my dad and we won't have to worry about all this murder business anymore.  I just want this to end now."  I sighed.

He pulled me into his arms.  "I know.  I do too."

"So you'll come with me, right?" I looked at him with hopeful eyes and he nodded with a hesitant smile.  "I just can't help feeling like something's going to happen."

"Let's hope not."

The doorbell rang and Ali who was upsides rushed downstairs.  "I'll open it!"  She swung the front door open to reveal Carly who was holding a blue roll of paper.

"I got the blueprints," Carly said as she strutted inside.

"That was fast," I said.

"I'm a professional." She grinned mischievously in response.

"Okay so we need to scope the place out for a few days in order to figure out the schedule of guards, level of security, and best entrances and exits.  We need someone to go on the inside...hold up. Violet, why don't you just go inside and say you're visiting her?" Ali said.

I blinked a couple times.  She was right.  I could just say I had something to talk to aunt Serena about and then snoop around while I was at it.  "Wait, I can't snoop around her office at home if I go to visit her in her office."

"You've lost me." Carly looked confused.

"If we discuss something in her home office, I can't look for anything while she's in there."

"That makes more sense." Carly nodded.

"Why don't you break into her office at the academy?" Ali asked.  "Why the one at her home?"

"If she's up to anything, I don't think she'll leave anything at the academy.  The safest option would be in her house which is guarded 24 hours a day with the bulkiest guys I've ever seen. It's a clear indication that she's protecting herself or something of value," I explained.

"Then I think we need someone to distract her, keep her out of the house the day of the break in."

"Someone needs to pull an extravagant prank that will keep her busy at the academy," Eli suggested.

"Since I'll be helping break in, I'll get Hayden to do something," Ali replied.  "What should we call this?  Operation Break In?"

"You suck at naming things," Eli said disapprovingly.  "I feel sorry for your children. You'll probably name them small baby or little one."

"If you think you're better than me at naming things, you go right ahead."

"How about Operation Zebra?" Eli said.

"Zebra?" I gave him a look.  "How are zebras related to this?"

"Oh, I got one!  Operation S." Carly chimed in.

"I like that.  It's much simpler and makes more sense than Operation Zebra," I said and Ali nodded in agreement.

"You guys are rude." Eli crossed his arms while pouting.

"You were rude first," Ali retorted and Carly and I nodded.  Eli simply rolled his eyes in response.