06 // After Death

At exactly 1a.m., MJ arrived at the beach house in a new dress. It was a long blue strapless dress she had bought after someone spilled coffee on her blouse. Walking into the house, she threw her handbag on the couch and took off her heels. She walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, retrieving a bottle of still water. 

She gulped down the water until it was half, and left the bottle on the counter before she went back to the sitting room and plopped down on the couch. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes, rubbing her eyelids. Heaving a long sigh, she tilted her head to the side, facing the kitchen doorway. When she opened her eyes, they were glassy, cold glassy, looking ready to be relieved. 

If she had any tears to shed, she would as her mind travelled back to a few nights ago, on the 3rd of May 2017. Coming back to this house was the last thing she'd expected to do after that ordeal. Memories of that day were still fresh in her head, starting from when she woke up.  

She had woken up and strolled to the bathroom, the smell of the breakfast downstairs was too mouth-watering to ignore, and besides, someone was bound to come and wake her up for breakfast. She opened the carpet in the bathroom and took her toothbrush and toothpaste, and walked to the basin to brush her teeth. She took her own sweet time as she stared at her reflection in the mirror which stared back at her with utter disgust. 

Staring back at her was a woman with light brown hair, not such a favourite colour, but it was better than her natural hair colour or the blond hair colour. All this for one bloody human being. She scoffed as she shook her head. It had been two days since her birthday ball, and nothing had changed much. May Smith was still 'missing', and as far as she was concerned, MJ Billings did not exist in South Africa, she had fled back to England immediately after her ball.  

What would happen if May Smith were never to return ever again? Would Logan Parker forget about her? Would he go after MJ Billings? Would he come after me? She wondered. 

Her chain of thoughts was cut short when a cold splash collided with her back, and she gasped as the water slid down her back. She stared at the source of water through the mirror, and she saw red! Behind her stood her brother, Jorge Billings, with an empty bucket in his hands and a wide grin on his face. "Good morning, and happy spring day!" He said in a singsong voice. 

"Nathan Jorge Billings." She said quietly in a cool voice. 

"Yes?" Jorge said innocently. MJ closed her eyes and ran her tongue over her teeth. Sighing, she said, "good morning to you too." She forced a smile before she continued to wash her toothbrush and rinsed her mouth. She placed her things back in the carpet and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Jorge behind. 

He plopped down on her unmade bed while she took out she clothes from her walk in closet. Jorge sat up from the bed and stared at her. MJ turned around and glared at him. "What?" He asked. 

"Out." She said to him, he smirked at her and shook his head, and then he asked, "what is there to hide, there's nothing I haven't seen before. I changed your diaper when you were still a little baby, you couldn't have grown a third breast over the years" he paused, and then continued with a smirk on his face, "unless you have grown an extra V down there." MJ groaned and slammed the closet doors, and Jorge burst into fits of laughter. A few minutes later, MJ came out of the closet in black Adidas tracksuits, her hair tied into a messy bun. She wore her pink fluffy slippers and started throwing her pillows on the floor. Jorge who was still lying on her bed, got up and slid his phone in his pocket. "I'll help you make your bed." He said as he pulled down her duvets, causing MJ to snort. "You can't even make up your own bed, Vicky does it for you." She retorted. 

Jorge blushed a little, and said, "you always made my bed." He admitted, and just like that, they fell into a comfortable silence. They finished making MJ's bed and walked out together. Everything was chilled until Jorge started a very sensitive topic– Logan Parker. "You have to face him sooner or later, you know?" MJ stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her brother as if he had grown two heads. "No." She stated and continued walking down the stairs. "But, MJ –" Jorge jogged after her. He pulled her back, and she growled, "dammit, Jorge! I don't want to talk about him!" She continued walking, and Jorge tried to stop her again. "But, MJ, listen–" MJ sighed in relief when another voice sounded from downstairs. "Everything okay?" Anita asked the moment they entered the kitchen. 

"I just woke her up, and she started shouting at me." Jorge lied as he took his seat.  

"He threw a mouthful bucket of water on me." MJ retorted and sat down at the end of the table, playing along with his brother's lie. 

"She wouldn't wake up." He shrugged his shoulders. 

"I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom." MJ stated. 

"So let me get this straight." Reina asked. "You threw a bucket of water on her while she was brushing her teeth?" She asked. 

"Yes? Is that a problem, Mrs Peterson? I mean, you always told us to not let all our efforts go to waste, right?" He asked innocently. 

"Oh my God!" Reina exclaimed in disbelief. "I'm sorry, MJ, I tried." She said and continued to eat. A few seconds later, the doorbell rang and Anita went to get it. 

"Sorry I'm late, sweethearts! I got caught up at the cafe." Mrs Dos Santos said and walked into the kitchen. They all greeted her, and she placed a container on the table before she took her seat. "MJ and Jorge, I brought you some brownies." She pointed at the container, but none of them reacted. "Is everything okay here?" She narrowed her eyes at the two. "Will someone tell what's going on?" She asked. 

"Jorge threw a bucket of water on MJ while she was still brushing her teeth, and now they are fighting." Reina explained. 

"I'm not fighting." MJ stated. 

"You are mad." Mrs Dos Santos said. MJ did not respond to this, she just played with her food. 

"I'm sorry, May Jeanette." Jorge apologized. 

"I'm not mad at you." MJ gave him a small smile. 

"Logan?" Mrs Dos Santos asked, but MJ kept quiet. "He came to the café yesterday, and he stayed there all day long, trying to track you down." She said, and MJ looked up. "May." She clarified and MJ sighed. "He even ordered our special, he said it reminded him of you." She smiled. "You should wash off that dye and go back to the office, he looks–" Reina cleared her throat to stop her from speaking. 

"Anita, you said you were going to drive us to visit my brother in prison before we leave." She said. 

"Of course." Anita nodded. 

"You can take one of my cars." Jorge said. 

"Cars?!" Almost everyone at the table asked. Jorge raised his eyebrows at them and sighed when they returned the same look.  

"Let me show you." He got up, and walked out. 

"You coming, MJ?" Jameson asked, but she just shook her head, caught up in her thoughts to even look up. He looked at her in concern before he strolled out of the house. Alone at last! MJ thought after the door closed. She needed some alone time to think things through, and Jorge's snobbism was helpful. For once.  

Maybe Antonina was right. Maybe MJ should wash off her dye and go back to the office as May Smith.  

Or maybe, just maybe, she should waltz into Parker's office as MJ Billings and see what he is going to do about it. After all, he didn't know exactly how she looked as MJ Billings, he had only seen her behind a mask, so he wouldn't be surprised, right? 

She was disturbed once again by the door being closed harshly. She sighed, wondering who it could be because Jorge's cars were still making noise outside. Ignoring it, she stood up and walked out of the kitchen, towards the main door. Their friends were trying their best to support her, the least she could do is appreciate their presence. She was about to open the door when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to check but she was met with a hand and a cloth on her face. She tried to fight the person but they were too strong. 

The last thing she heard before she passed out was, "hurry up, Keagan! The boss can't keep those people out there for too long!"