Meredith:
While I dusted Mama Rue's cupboard, the front door creaked open. A young man walked in, wearing a black hooded jacket and black jeans. When he saw me, he froze in the spot. His eyebrows crumpled into a frown.
"Who are you?" He looked at me from top to bottom. The way he did it made me slightly uncomfortable. I should've been the one to ask him that. Who was he to barge into the house like that without knocking?
"She lives here." Mason cut in. "Who are you?" There was an uneven tension that filled the air between them. It was as if they were long-time college rivals who just met in a queue at the mall.
"Oh, Tom!" Mama Rue came out from her ritual room and hugged the man tightly. He threw his arms around her too, all the while staring at Mason and me. "It's been long." She noticed his expression.
"Aunt? Who are they?" He murmured.
"Ah! They are my guests! They'll be helping around the house." She said, avoiding his eyes. I was glad she didn't state the exact reason why we were here; to hide us from those goons.
"When did you start having guests over?" The man asked. Mama Rue ignored his question and walked out on us. "You three can get acquainted. Just try not to create unnecessary noise. " She said, slipping away from us.
There was a loud silence right after she left. No one spoke, till...
"I'm Thomas Rue." He lifted his hand towards me for a handshake. I shyly took his hand, being careful not to press too hard. He was looking at me, a little too intensely.
"My name is..." I froze. What was my name, actually? Who was I? Was I Piper or Meredith? Thomas tilted his head, waiting. "My name is Piper." I said, giving my best smile. Mason looked at me.
"Nice to meet you, Piper." Thomas's hand was still in mine. It was starting to feel awkward.
Mason cut in quite unpleasantly, "I'm Mason." He extended his hand. "I'm her boyfriend." He made sure to emphasize on the 'boyfriend'. Thomas's lips twitched.
Thomas shook his hand firmly. Neither of them smiled. What in the world was happening ?
"I'm Aunt Rue's nephew." They let go. "I come here often to visit her. Please, pardon me for my earlier behaviour." His gaze was directed towards me. "I hope I'm forgiven?"
I realized he was waiting for an answer from me.
"Its alright. It was nothing." I said. Mason rolled his eyes. It was an instinct. Thomas didn't know us and his behaviour earlier was acceptable. It wasn't his fault. He only asked who we were.
He turned to Mason, "Am I pardoned?"
Mason said nothing. Why was he so bitter? He just nodded and then took my hand.
"Excuse us." He led me to the room Mama Rue gave us.
"Listen here." He looked stern. "We trust no one. Everyone around us could be a spy and that rascal is no exception."
"He's not a rascal. He seems nice."
Mason frowned, "If that's how you see the world, then you've got a lot of issues." He looked angry. Why was he angry? "Trust no one. We must not give out our identities to anyone."
"Why do you hate him?"
"I don't. I just find him suspicious."
The air felt pressured.
Mason and Thomas just didn't seem to get along at all. I had no idea why. On the third day of Thomas's stay, I was helping clean up the kitchen when he sneakily crept behind me, playfully tugging at the rim of my apron. I turned and met his face full of smiles. I returned it.
"How are you doing?" He leaned comfortably against the counter.
"I'm fine, thank you." I don't know why, but Thomas looked more friendly and open than Mason.
"Is there anything I can help with?"
"I've got it, thanks."
He repositioned himself. He wanted to say something, but it looked like he was waiting for the right time, "I know everything about you and Mason." He paused to catch my reaction.
"What?" My eyes widened.
"I'm a good person not to rat you out." He waited. I tried to keep a cool expression. Did he hear the conversation between Mason and me and perhaps went ahead to find out more about it?
"I know it's about a necklace robbery." He smirked. "You too had the guts to steal a package and now you want to hide from being caught?" He scoffed mockingly. "Great work!"
I became frightened. How did he find out? Thomas only knew about the robbery but knew nothing about me not being Piper.
"We didn't steal it, trust me." I tried. "It was a fit up."
"I mean," He slipped past me slyly, "For someone as delicate as you, I find it hard to believe you'd be involved in such an act." He bent over and whispered in my ear, "Maybe it's your boyfriend who's the cause of all this." I shivered. Mason had nothing to do with this. He and Piper were equally framed, so it wasn't his doing.
"That's not the case. You've got it all wrong."
"Have I?" He had a grim look on his face; an unreadable expression. "But I can help you. Though I wonder why my Aunt is keeping you here. She must know who you are."
Where was this going?
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say, I have a few friends who do dirty work and I have easy access to such vital information."
He grinned, not in a scary way. I listened as Thomas convinced me, being extra careful not to slip. He went through his words pretty carefully, changing my view of things a little. Maybe he actually could help us since he knew a lot about us already.
All that time, Mason stood in a corner, listening and watching as Thomas preyed over me cunningly. I believed every word, but Mason did not.
I wasn't surprised a bit.