“Cambridge!” Lorraine shouted, one fist in the air, the other wrapped around the Mercedes steering wheel.
“Here we come!” The rest of us chanted to the top of our lungs. Allison, the redhead, pulled her burgundy, St. Catherine’s sweater over her head, knocking her glasses off in the process. Everyone knew how much she hated wearing her glasses in respect to her contacts. They were a nasty color of olive green, clunky and made by Gucci. Every individual who even glanced at the at the two lens creature on her face, was given a lecture of explanation –
“I don’t even like these things…I’m only wearing them because my contacts are lost…their not even Louis Vitton, like I wanted.” ‘Who cares’ was the returning look she always received. Allison was never satisfied…and come to think of it…always losing something. That was the main reason for our vehicular journey to Massachusetts. Last summer, Allison spent a few weeks up here at her aunt GiGi’s $3.9 million dollar “vacation home”. Kaleb and Lorraine were allowed to stay a few days with her, but guess who had to finish her last year of law camp? I think I’m sort of over it…I mean at least I’m going now right?
“Lorraine, make a left here. It’s faster.” Allison smoothly pointed to the road beyond the traffic light. We were close to our destination, according to the navigation system, but with twenty more minutes to spare.
“That’s not right, it says I have to keep straight for two more miles.”
“Trust me, I know these roads. When you grow up in a place like this, you never forget.” Me and Kaleb glanced at each other in the back seat. Allison’s spoiled ass grew up in Hartford, Connecticut like the rest of us. Sure, we didn’t become the best of friends until college but we know enough about each other to validate a truth like that. That’s another thing about Allison, not only did she lose things but she was always lying about something. It was small and trivial statements but nonetheless a lie.
“Lorraine, I don’t think you should take that road. Stay on course with the “navi”.” I attempted to interject quietly, so that Allison didn’t take offense. We were coming up close to the turn and I could see in the rear view mirror, Lorraine’s strained facial expression.
“I’m telling you…this road is so much quicker. That stupid navigation will reroute itself.” Lorraine hesitated the Mercedes through the traffic light. “Honk, Honk!!” The beige, Land Rover behind us yelped with frustration at our indecision. Kaleb and I looked at each other again.
“You better be right dammit!” Lorraine said and swerved onto the road beyond the light. We all sat in silence and waited for either Allison’s next instruction or the navigation system’s certain confusion. Kaleb coughed lightly and scraped her nose with the 2-carat sapphire that Ryan put on her index finger. “A friendship ring, to show you how much I love being friends with you.” We all laughed at her the night she came back to
the dorm with it. Kaleb flung her long, curly blonde hair right at our faces and told us in her snotty voice that she didn’t like him more than a friend anyway. Yeah okay.
“I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to play truth or dare. We only have less than a half an hour, so why not?” Allison asked, whisking her fingers through the red hair.
“Why not? Because we can’t dare anything in the car.” Lorraine retorted and moved her head closer to the windshield, squinting at the street signs.
“Well forget about dare, we will just do truth. You guys in?” Allison turned toward us from the front seat and struggled with the seat belt restraint across her neck. Kaleb and I glanced at each other and nodded simultaneously back at her. Allison’s manicured fingers turned the volume down on the radio, so that the inside of the car was utter silence. She scanned each one of our faces and smiled a devilish smile with her fingers tapping her lips.
“Kaleb, you will go first.” Allison pointed.
“Whatever.” She said and looked at me.
“Truth then. Back in April, when your father died, you kept sticking to the story of suicide but we all know better…what really happened?” If the car wasn’t quiet enough before, it was definitely a deaf silence now. All that could be heard was the zipping past of other cars, loud music blaring from high schoolers, who just got their license and an occasional dog barking from an adjacent vehicle.
“Why would you ask a truth like that Allison? This is not fun and it’s just malicious.” Kaleb looked like tears were welling up from the bottom of her eyes. However, her gaze stayed focused on Allison.
“I said it was a game of truth. Why would I ask something stupid, that I already know the answer to? You want me to ask when was your first kiss or something? No, Kaleb. We don’t know everything about each other and as friends…I think we owe one another that much.” Lorraine didn’t interject and I sure didn’t say anything. We knew it was a very personal and still touchy subject for Kaleb, but in truth we all wanted to know the answer. We were young, beautiful and each of us was living a luxuriously, rich life. Secrets tend to lie at the basis of many friendships and definitely where wealth is involved. I had known these girls for more than three years now, but what did I really know? Well, I knew that Kaleb was my best friend. Although, I had never met anyone in her family other than her mom and dad. I knew that Allison was a red-haired liar and that Lorraine was the most insecure person on the planet. This little game might actually bring some things to light that would make our friendship stronger. Honestly, how could it get any better?
“Now, if we are playing truth, does that mean what is said here, stays here?” Kaleb asked. Allison smiled and looked at Lorraine and me. The three of us put up the Star Wars Vulcan symbol and promised.


“Okay, remember not a word.” Kaleb took a deep breath before beginning. Lorraine swerved the car onto the next road.
“My dad didn’t commit suicide. He was murdered and we knew it. It was done by Tom Rivers.”
“What! But he was your dad’s business partner-,” I tried to interject.
“Let me finish. Now that I started, let me finish. Okay, so short version daddy left Tom all his assets in his will, in case anything…well, daddy figured they were close and Tom would always look out for me and my mom. Tom’s miscellaneous debts got in the way, he needed the money early and now we can’t say anything to the police. If we do, hello homeless shelter.”
“Hold on. I am beyond confused. Are you telling us the truth Kaleb?” I wanted to know for sure. What she said definitely wasn’t some kiss and tell information.
“No, don’t ask questions, let’s keep going.” Allison loved the shock value.
“Lorraine, your next.”
“Okay, so I’ll say mine real fast. As long as the no questions thing sticks.” We all smiled this time. Still shocked by Kaleb’s confession, our blood was itching to hear more.
“My mom is a drug dealer.” Silence for about three, long seconds, then we all burst into laughter. Except Lorraine.
“I’m not lying you guys. No one would suspect a woman.” We continued laughing harder.
“She’s been doing it for over fifteen years and I think she’s pretty damn good at it.” Lorraine’s voice rose as she was obviously frustrated.
“Your mom’s a doctor? Why would she sell drugs? And what kind of drugs could she possibly sell in our neighborhood?” I bellowed.
“Prescription drugs…used by idiots like your mom and the other miserable housewives around us.” Our laughter subsided. My mom didn’t take drugs, especially not prescription but the accusation still stung. We turned to Allison. She got the hint and immediately began spilling her secret.
“Well, um, I guess you can say my mom’s a lesbian.” All of our jaws dropped.
“But, your dad-,” I tried to interject again.
“Yeah, I know. No questions remember? Well, you know my dad works at Billings and Company right?” We all nodded.
“It’s just a cover. He is just a $30,000 executive. Our money maker is “Aunt Janie” or rather GiGi…my mom’s real lover who lives in Cambridge.” To this news, our hearts sank. Its one thing to know where dirty money comes from and it’s another to be caught up in it. We were going to this “GiGi person’s” house and all of us had just learned her dirty secret. One more right hand turn, a stop at a light, a minute or two traveling down a tree-lined road and we had arrived. No more giggling, no more excited fists raised in the air. It was awkward now. Neither of us knew if anyone was really, I mean honestly, telling the truth. It was a lot to swallow if so. We got out and headed toward the trunk of the Mercedes to retrieve our luggage. All four of us were hovering inside the depths of the trunk when we heard a shriek from in front of us.
“Hey girls!!” It was “Aunt GiGi” coming out of the house to greet us.
“Roslyn? What was your truth?” Allison whispered. My three friends stopped mid-movement and waited for my answer. I took a couple of seconds to debate. If I told them the absolute, there would be no more friendship. There would be no more trip and I would immediately have to find a way home. I lived in a rather large house at the end of our neighborhood cul-de-sac. My mom, my little brother and me were known as the relatively quiet ones. No one really asked where my dad was, I guess they assumed he just skipped out on us. My mom inherited her money from my dead grandfather, about eight years ago. We go to see my dad every holiday but he never comes to us. You see, my dad’s name is Charles. He has been a police officer for over twenty years. Nine years ago he received the assignment of his career and went undercover. We only recently found out that it was coming to a close. He had three targets to bring down. One for murder, one for drugs and the other for money laundering. When he was finished, he would retire and we were all set to live happily ever after.
“My little brother was adopted.” I lied.
“Oh that’s nothing. You lead such a boring life.” They all forced a laugh and we closed the trunk.


The characters in this story are fictional and do not depict any real individuals. This story is also copyright under JohWinston Publishing and legal action if plagiarized in any way.

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