Kidnapped

Plans for a Friday night!

Morgan- September 30, 2021

Yesterday, my mom and I did as planned. Well what she had planned, anyway. It actually ended up being kinda fun. We went and got our nails done, shopped for a couple hours, and had lunch. She even decided to let me know that on Saturday morning ,the day of the ‘dinner party’, we had hair and make-up appointments scheduled. She even invited a couple of my friends from college. She had me give her my measurements for a dress and told me she would take care of that for the party and to not stress too much about it. Which takes a lot of the pressure off of my shoulders.

Today, of course, I had classes all day. Final year of college was gonna be my toughest, but I was ready and determined to finish and have an amazing job in forensic science. I loved everything physics. It challenged me and made me feel like a badass knowing I could get through these classes and have a serious career. I wanted to be a forensic scientist, in the lab, analyzing DNA, and solving all kinds of problems. That was what kept me busy.

I went to grab a bite to eat at Panera a couple blocks from campus. I had a couple hours to kill before my last class of the day and I loved going there and working on assignments, reading, or just taking a moment to relax. After ordering and going to wait for my order to be done, I noticed my best friend Hayden was sitting with our other friend, Aria. Hayden and I hit it off from the start. She grew up in a small family with very little money, but her parents were always able to provide for her. They, unlike my parents and I, always did things together. She would have preferred a life like mine and I preferred one like hers. It’s almost as if we were switched at birth. She noticed me at the same time and waved me over.

“Morgan! Your mom invited us and a few other girls to go get our make-up and hair done with you all on Saturday! I’ve never been able to do anything like that before.” Hayden informed me.

“Yea, she said she had done that. I have no idea what she is up to.” I winked at her as I said that and she laughed, way too loudly.

“Hayden, it’s not that funny! But Morgan, seriously, your mom is awesome!” Aria said while smiling like a kid in a candy shop. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she might be more excited than Hayden. Which is saying something. Aria had a similar life to Hayden’s growing up. Her and I are close now, but we most likely wouldn’t be friends at all if not for Hayden. We are too much alike in personality. We prefer a coffee, a cozy corner with a blanket, and a book. The social life is not really a big deal to us. Aria and Hayden are from Kentucky. They both grew up together in the same town and became good friends in high school and both decided to move to St. Louis for college. They both got in on scholarships and don’t have a wealthy background. I don’t really tell people about mine, but I finally let them know who I was when I ended up on the news alongside my parents and couldn’t hide it anymore.

Hayden is tall and thin, with short, curly blonde hair. Her skin is like a creamy white and is gorgeous. She’s beautiful in a simple way, but you have to watch out for her. She is so outgoing and has a tendency to speak her mind, even when it is not wanted. Aria is the complete opposite. She’s taller than me, but not by much, and has curves that go on for days and long, straight, jet black hair. Her skin is caramel on color and she always has a glow about her. She’s quiet and a little more down to Earth than Hayden. But they compliment each other really well. They are the closest I have come in a long time to having best friends. Real friends.

“I’m glad you are excited about it. I’ll be glad when I don’t have to act like I have no idea what is going on or why I have to get all dolled up.” I responded mildly. Did I mention I hate surprises?

“Whatever girl! We never got to do anything like this growing up! We should make the most of it and enjoy it. You should lighten up, too. This seems like it’s gonna be a big deal.” Hayden said. I rolled my eyes at them both and took a large bite out of my chicken salad sandwich.

“Do you know what you’re gonna wear? Your mom asked us for our measurements, shoe sizes, and color preferences so we have no idea what we will be wearing, but your mom has awesome taste, so we trust her.” Aria asked without even taking a breath. This question brought my dream from yesterday back to mind. I had managed to not think about it at all until now. Maybe I should ask them about this guy and see if they recognize him. But I am not sure if I am ready to share those details yet. It feels like a secret. At least for now.

“Morgan?”

“Yo! Earth to Morgan?” Hayden snapped her fingers in front of my face.

“Oh! No, my mom did the same for me, so I have no idea either. This is what she always does though. No worries.” I said, trying to ask as nonchalant as possible.

“Dude! What was that? It was like you were in another world or something.” Ha! Hayden, you have no idea how close you are!

“It’s nothing! Just thinking about the party. You all know how much I hate a fuss.”

“Well, maybe we should hang out tomorrow night and do facials and watch movies and be carefree for the night. It’s more your style birthday anyway.” Aria suggested.

“Oh, that’s a great idea! We’ll bring the stuff, we just need your living room.” Hayden agrees.

“Is your boyfriend coming, Hayden?” I asked. Hayden is dating someone she met through school. He does a lot of research work for his best friends that live in Branson or something like that. I don’t really know exactly what he does, but I know that whatever it is, pays well.

“Oliver? Oh he said he had some work to do that may take some time to complete, but he said he will try to make it. Plus, his best friends from back in his home town are coming to town as well. He said they were going to a party, too.”

“That seems like a major coincidence, don’t you think? He didn’t say what party?” Maybe it’s just me, but there are way too many cracks in that story.

“No, but he says it’s supposed to help him with his project.” Hayden says with a shrug of her shoulders. I have met Oliver on a couple occasions and he’s really good to Hayden. He’s also extremely good looking and comes from a wealthy background. He knows my parents, so he was actually invited to the party by them, but he might skip it for his friends. I can tell he cares for Hayden, but sometimes I get the impression that she shares more with him than he does with her.

“It’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with a little mystery. So, what do you think? Girls night in tomorrow?”

Maybe I could use some chill time before the surprise party of the century. Maybe I could offer them some small details about my dream and see what they think.

“That sounds great. Come over around 7! I’ll order pizza and we can make it a sleep over. It’ll be easier to meet my mom on Saturday if we’re all together already.”

We all sat and chatted for a while longer together about school and what we have been doing lately. Just taking some time to catch up a little. I had my last class to get to, so I excused myself, told them I’d see them tomorrow evening, and headed out the door.