CHAPTER ONE

Clara

“ You are very curious about everything, Clara.” Take it easy and enjoy the process. I guarantee you there will be lots of sex, lots of drinking, and music."

" Groupe sex?"

" For sure. So relax and enjoy it, trust me, tonight is our night and I only brought it because I know that's what you need."

" I promise to relax."

" That's the way I like it. Then I will answer you whatever you want, and you know that you may never come here again, so keep in mind that you should take advantage of this one chance."

Clara and Megan were parking the car where Megan lived, and Clara was amazed to be getting to know, especially now, the apartment where her friend lived.

They had been friends for almost five years and Megan had not left Clara's apartment, where she had lived since she graduated. Megan always told her friends that the residential, the condominium where she lived was very demanding with visitors and she could pay a huge fine if she broke any rules. According to Megan, today would be a special day and she couldn't stay out of it, since it was a struggle to be accepted.

It looked like a large group of houses, like a condominium, but more like a farmhouse. Clara had never seen anything like it. There must have been hundreds of meters of space, much larger than a farm, and the houses, one next to the other and some very far apart.

" How can this place be so close to the city and I have never seen it, since I always take the highway? " Clara remained inside the car, a bit flabbergasted."

" Come on, get down! "   Megan was anxious and was waiting for her outside. 

The two had changed for the party, but nothing too fancy, as Megan had indicated. I told her that at her house there were plenty of clothes and that they could dress up later.

" It's a good thing I didn't come by car,"  said Clara as she got out of the car and saw that they were on the ground. Some old posts,  another thing she noticed,  looked like those from the last century, and even the hanging lights were yellowish. The first house she came across was well lit; seventies style with its Arabesque eaves, floor to ceiling shutters and stained glass windows. A wooden rooster at the top of the roof ledge swirled in the faint night breeze. And like a farmhouse, there was no wall and Megan entered, the door was open and the two entered, Clara behind her friend, holding her elbow.

" Do you live in the first house? "   she asked her friend.

" No, not necessarily. There are eleven houses and I live in... ah, I live a little in each one.

" I don't understand."

" Go figure."

They entered the room and it was very large indeed. A mixture of furniture, a profusion of colors and in some pieces of furniture, total neutrality. There was a grand piano in the corner, a beautiful peacock statue beside the beautiful white furniture, paintings, pictures of many people and even though she was just passing by, she could see among some pictures on a sideboard, Megan smiling and hugging more people who also seemed very happy. They walked down a long, wide corridor and passed some closed doors and Clara counted at least eight doors, were they bedrooms?

At the end of the corridor they were in the kitchen and there they met a young man.

" Hi, Philip,"   greeted Megan. " This is Clara, my friend that I have told you about dozens of times.They entered the room and it was very large indeed. A mixture of furniture, a profusion of colors and in some pieces of furniture, total neutrality. There was a grand piano in the corner, a beautiful peacock statue beside the beautiful white furniture, paintings, pictures of many people and even though she was just passing by, she could see among some pictures on a sideboard, Megan smiling and hugging more people who also seemed very happy. They walked down a long, wide corridor and passed some closed doors and Clara counted at least eight doors, were they bedrooms?

At the end of the corridor they were in the kitchen and there they met a young man.

" Hi, Philip," greeted Megan. " This is Clara, my friend that I have told you about dozens of times.

Philip approached the two of them. He was about twenty"eight years old, skinny, with no shirt, you could almost see his bones under his skin. Barefoot and wearing shorts, he came with his hand outstretched to greet them. The boy's smile looked genuine, big and very white teeth, very short hair, military style, and shrewd eyes.

" Hundreds or thousands of times, my dear. Hello, Clara, nice to finally meet you. Megan speaks a lot about you and we were all curious to meet you.

His handshake was strong and almost crushed the girl's fingers.

" She has told me a lot about you too, Philip. A pleasure to meet you too.

" I was just getting a beer, can I get you one? " He offered.

" No, thanks, who knows…”

" Yes, she does! " interrupted Megan. " Come, choose a drink.”

Megan didn't accept her no, so she opened the two"door refrigerator and stood inside, choosing something to drink.

Philip looked at Clara and shrugged with a smile.

" You'd better have some," he warned her. " You'll thank me later.”

" Hey, what are you guys planning around here today? You're starting to worry me.” She smiled and accepted the beer her friend offered her.

" Relax, we're all calm here, you'll see.”  Lipe reassured her.  “I'm going to the big house right now, don't you see?”

" We're going. I just dropped by because I want to wear a jumpsuit that I think is here, if not here, it's in the third house, on Wednesday, Thursday, oh, I don't know. Tell them we'll be there in twenty minutes tops.”

" You look great, you both do.”

" Oh, you know how we are, women," Megan said and pulled Clara by the arm. " Come on, in this closet there might be even more of my clothes, if you want, you can take any of them.”

Clara followed her, and as Philip said, she was feeling fine in the little dress she wore, and the low sandals with straps that crossed her shins. Her hair was loose, she had cut it the day before and loved the result. Her straight brown hair had a slight curl that she liked to do with a brush and years of practice, in minutes she could do as many curls as she wished.

They went through a few closed doors, and only at the fifth door, which was also closed. Megan opened her hand.

Philip approached the two of them. He was about twenty"eight years old, skinny, with no shirt, you could almost see his bones under his skin. Barefoot and wearing shorts, he came with his hand outstretched to greet them. The boy's smile looked genuine, big and very white teeth, very short hair, military style, and shrewd eyes.

" Hundreds or thousands of times, my dear. Hello, Clara, nice to finally meet you. Megan speaks a lot about you and we were all curious to meet you.

His handshake was strong and almost crushed the girl's fingers.

" She has told me a lot about you too, Philip. A pleasure to meet you too.

" I was just getting a beer, can I get you one? " He offered.

" No, thanks, who knows..."

" Yes, she does! " interrupted Megan. " Come, choose a drink."

Megan didn't accept her no, so she opened the two"door refrigerator and stood inside, choosing something to drink.

Philip looked at Clara and shrugged with a smile.

" You'd better have some," he warned her. " You'll thank me later.

" Hey, what are you guys planning around here today? You're starting to worry me. " She smiled and accepted the beer her friend offered her.

" Relax, we're all calm here, you'll see. " Lipe reassured her. " I'm going to the big house right now, don't you see?"

" We're going. I just dropped by because I want to wear a jumpsuit that I think is here, if not here, it's in the third house, on Wednesday, Thursday, oh, I don't know. Tell them we'll be there in twenty minutes tops."

" You look great, you both do."

" Oh, you know how we are, women," Megan said and pulled Clara by the arm. " Come on, in this closet there might be even more of my clothes, if you want, you can take any of them.

Clara followed her, and as Philip said, she was feeling fine in the little dress she wore, and the low sandals with straps that crossed her shins. Her hair was loose, she had cut it the day before and loved the result. Her straight brown hair had a slight curl that she liked to do with a brush and years of practice, in minutes she could do as many curls as she wished.

They went through a few closed doors, and only at the fifth door " which was also closed " Megan opened her hand.

It wasn't the room itself that perplexed Clara. It was a room with old furniture, the bed must have been two of the normal ones, iron, very old and tall. A closet that should take half a dozen men to move it out of place and a fluffy white rug surrounded the bed. None of this baffled her, but the couple having sex did!

She stalled, her face instantly flushed. She thought they would be kicked out of there in seconds, she thought Megan could move in with her, they could find a bigger house or apartment. Many things went through her mind in milliseconds, including the fine her friend would have to pay for invasion of privacy or whatever.

" What a delight, huh? " To her total disbelief, her friend walked over to the bed and slapped the person upstairs on the butt. Hello? What was that?

Clara remained static beside the door, without any action, barely breathing.

" A delight to behold, no? " She then looked at her friend, who blinked. What was going on here?

Following her friend's gaze, she then looked at the couple and knew that their eyes were frighteningly wide open, as well as their mouths.