Picking Up The Pieces

38. The Spillage Of Secrets

   "Harley!" I called out as I opened my apartment door, and I heard the scrabble of her paws as the staffie raced in my direction. I shut the door behind me and set my backpack down on the ground, scratching behind Harley's ears as her tail wagged wildly. "How are you, baby?"

Harley gave a happy yip, causing me to smile. She ran in the direction of my room, coming back a minute later with one of her leashes in her mouth. "In a moment, Harls," I stopped her as I slid my shoes off, earning a whine. My bare feet padded softly against the wood flooring as I walked into my kitchen, opening my fridge to look for a few snacks. "We're going to Stacy's tonight for a bit, so be nice to Halo, okay?" I asked Harley as I pulled out a jar of pickles. Almost everyone was going to be there except for Michelle, who had family business to attend to.

With a quick twist of my metal hand, the cap came right off. I pulled a pickle out and bit down a few inches in, re-screwing the cap on the jar and placing it back in the fridge. "Please, do be nice to Halo."

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Harley and I transported behind the safety of trees, easily hidden from the public eye. It felt kind of weird, using powers I had promised to not use, but I wasn't about to take Harley on a subway for a ride longer than thirty minutes. I brushed off a few leaves that had stuck to my striped long sleeve before walking to the sidewalk. I loved being over at Stacy's house.

Not only were she and Liz neighbors, her parents always seemed happy to see me. It was like I had an extra set of parents watching my back. And after the Avengers disbanding and me leaving the Guardians, it was exactly what I needed.

Stacy was already waiting by her door, a small bowl of braised lotus roots in her hands. "Took you long enough," she said smartly, but the smile she bore only showed the bright emotions she was feeling. "Hungry?"

"For lotus roots? You know it," I chuckled, and Harley barked excitedly. Betty and Faith stuck their heads out from behind the door, smiles forming when they glimpsed the dog.

"Harley!" they exclaimed, and I unclipped the staffie from her leash, letting her run to the two girls. The dog was beyond excited, whimpering happily as my friends loved on her.

"As much as I wanted to keep the jackets a surprise, I can't say how happy I am to have you guys helping me," Stacy told me truthfully.

"Bella, they are the cutest things ever," Faith laughed while she scratched Harley's back. "Liz is upstairs getting fitted right now."

"We should hurry back inside, I completely forgot," Betty said with wide eyes. "She still has needles attached to it."

I don't think I can express how much I love Stacy's room.

My best friend's bedroom was about fourteen by sixteen feet with neutral pink walls and wood flooring. Shaggy white carpets were placed under her desk, twin sized bed, and vanity. A brownish pink astra screen divider sectioned off Stacy's area of work, allowing you to see the four mannequins dressed in her own clothing designs for show. By her desk was a milky white chesterfield sofa with pastel kawaii stuffed animals. The real star of her room was the Rode microphone next to her hamster Humphrey's cage, a gift from Stacy's old vocal coach before she moved to New York.

"Stand up straight," Stacy ordered me as I stood on her modeling stool, allowing her to make adjustments to the yellow Decathlon jacket. Halo, her black cat, purred as she rubbed against Stacy's leg. "I feel like it's missing something, but what?"

"You should stitch the sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows," Liz advised, looking up from Stacy's sketches while Humphrey slept on her head. Faith nibbled on a lotus root while she glanced over all of our answers for our makeup homework when we would be in Washington. Betty nodded along with Liz's suggestion, holding Stacy's flower shaped pincushion. Harley let a snore from Stacy's bed.