On a sunny day, where summer spread its warm cloak over the city, three friends were preparing for the start of a vacation that promised to be unforgettable. Louie, with his heart beating to the rhythm of impatience, adjusted his cap, longing for the reunion with Josephine. Anna, humming a cheerful melody, spread her enthusiasm, although inside her, a sea of mixed feelings stirred.
Upon arriving at Brianna's house, the backyard, the setting for so many shared adventures, greeted them with its usual bustle.
Brianna, with her radiant smile, greeted them with a warm hug.
But the initial joy soon faded, leaving a palpable void: Josephine was not there.
"Where's Josephine?" Louie asked, concern tingeing his voice.
Brianna and Anna exchanged confused glances. "We don't know," Brianna replied, "we thought she was coming."
A chill ran down Louie's spine. Had Josephine forgotten them? Or had something more serious happened to her? Uncertainty seized them, fueled by the lack of news and Josephine's absence.
The silence became dense, charged with unanswered questions. Why hadn't Josephine appeared? Why hadn't she contacted them? Josephine's absence, the lack of direct contact, without phones or social media, only increased the anxiety.
Suddenly, Anna broke the silence with a phrase loaded with venom: "Surely she doesn't want to see you."
The comment hurt Louie, but Brianna rebuked her with a stern look. "Don't talk nonsense, Anna," she said, "surely there's a reason why she didn't come."
"Besides," Brianna added, softening her tone, "we all know Josephine. She would never disappear like this unless it was something beyond her control. Unfortunately, she still doesn't have a phone or social media, so there's no way to contact her."
Louie nodded, feeling a weight in his chest. He knew Brianna was right. Josephine would never stand them up without a good reason. But the uncertainty was killing him.
"We have to go to her house," Louie insisted, his voice filled with determination. "We have to talk to her family. We have to know what's wrong with her."
Anna rolled her eyes, but Brianna nodded. "Okay," she said. "Let's go. But be prepared, Josephine's family isn't exactly friendly."
The three friends got up, determined to face whatever it took to find Josephine. Concern drove them, but also a pang of hope.
As she followed Brianna and Louie, Anna felt a knot of resentment in her stomach. "What a drag," she thought, "it's all Josephine this, Josephine that. I'm so sick of it. Ever since she appeared in our lives two years ago, she's been the center of attention. She already took Louie's love and Brianna's friendship from me, not to mention Josep. I don't know what that goody-two-shoes has. Maybe it's just because she has money and we don't."
A sigh of frustration escaped her lips. She didn't understand what the others saw in Josephine. She, Anna, had always been the leader of the group, the one who made the decisions, the one who shone with her own light. But since Josephine had arrived, everything had changed.
Louie, who used to give her admiring glances, now only had eyes for Josephine. Brianna, her best friend since childhood, now spent more time with Josephine than with her. Even Josep, the boy who had always been by her side, seemed fascinated by the newcomer.
"It's not fair," Anna thought, clenching her fists. "She doesn't deserve all the attention. She's not better than me."
But instead of expressing her frustration, she simply followed Louie and Brianna, her brow furrowed and her heart full of resentment. She knew she couldn't compete with Josephine, at least not openly. But that didn't mean she was going to give up. She was going to find a way to get her place back, to be the center of attention again. She was going to show everyone that she, Anna, was much more than just a simple shadow of Josephine.
Brianna, the only one who knew the exact location of Josephine's house, offered to lead the way. She asked her father to take them, and he gladly agreed. The three friends ventured into the most luxurious area of the city, a landscape of imposing mansions separated by vast gardens. Louie and Anna exchanged astonished glances at the magnificence of the place. As they advanced, the mansions became increasingly large and elaborate, until, at the end of the road, the grandest of them all stood.
A silver gate, adorned with intricate designs, partially concealed the view of the interior. Louie and Anna looked at each other, surprised. They knew Josephine belonged to a wealthy family, but they never imagined such opulence. Brianna got out of the car and approached the gatekeeper, a burly man with a serious demeanor. After a brief exchange of words, the gate opened, revealing a tree-lined driveway leading to the mansion.
The car moved slowly along a winding path, bordered by towering pine trees that whispered in the breeze. Finally, the vehicle stopped in front of an imposing mansion, an architectural masterpiece that combined gold, black, and white details with sublime elegance. A huge wooden door, adorned with intricate hand-carved details, stood majestically before them.
Brianna asked her father to wait for them, explaining that they might need him to drive them back in a few minutes. Then, with a determined step, she approached the door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, the soft and serene voice of an older woman echoed through the intercom. The door slowly opened, revealing a woman with gray hair and a kind expression, the mansion's housekeeper.
"Brianna, dear, what a surprise," the woman said with a warm smile, greeting Brianna with an affectionate greeting. "What do we owe this visit to?"
Louie and Anna stayed a few steps behind, observing the scene with a mixture of astonishment and nervousness. The magnitude of the mansion and the formality of the reception made them feel small and insignificant. How were they going to explain to this woman that they were looking for their missing friend?
Brianna smiled and returned the kind woman's gesture, asking about her friend Josephine. The housekeeper, with a serene smile, explained that Josephine's parents had taken her on vacation to Paris, to her older sister's house, and that they would not return until the start of high school classes.
Louie, Anna, and Brianna exchanged looks of surprise and disappointment. The news took them by surprise, and the thought of Josephine being so far away, with no way to contact her, filled them with unease.
"Paris?" Louie asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "Why didn't she tell us anything?"
The housekeeper shrugged, with an apologetic expression. "It was a sudden decision," she explained. "The Señores planned the trip at the last moment."
Brianna nodded, trying to absorb the information. "I understand," she said, "but we would have liked to say goodbye to her."
"I am so sorry," the housekeeper said sincerely. "I know Miss Josephine appreciates you very much; she wanted to stay with me, but the Señores wouldn't allow it. In the end, she had to obey."
An awkward silence fell over the group. The news of Josephine's unexpected trip had left them with a bitter taste in their mouths. They felt lost, not knowing how to communicate with their friend, not knowing if she was okay.
A layer of sadness settled over the situation. Josephine had wanted to stay, she had wanted to be with them, but her parents had made the decision for her. The powerlessness of the situation became evident. There was nothing they could do.
Louie felt a lump in his throat. Josephine had wanted to stay, and he hadn't been able to do anything to prevent them from taking her away. He felt guilty, powerless.
Anna, for her part, felt a mixture of relief and frustration. Relief because Josephine's absence would give her time to change the course of things, but frustration because her absence had a justification.
The three friends remained silent, absorbing the information. The afternoon, which had begun with the hope of a reunion, had ended with an unexpected farewell. Josephine's absence now felt more real.
The three said goodbye to the kind lady and returned to Brianna's house, the awkward silence filling the space between them. Anna, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery, was plotting a plan. 'I don't understand,' she thought, 'why that millionaire is studying at a public school when she has so much money to enroll in the best private schools.' A sigh of frustration escaped her lips.
Upon arriving at Brianna's house, Anna and Louie said goodbye to their friend, agreeing to meet the next day. As Louie walked away, Anna stood watching Brianna's house, a malicious smile curving her lips.
Anna smiled maliciously as they walked away from Brianna's house. 'I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity,' she thought. 'I'm going to use Josephine's absence to plant ideas in Louie's head and get them to drift apart. I'm going to use these three months of vacation to make them no longer like the famous Josephine, especially Louie.'
The idea filled her with excitement. Finally, she had the opportunity to regain her place, to be the center of attention again. She was going to sow doubts in Louie's mind. She was going to use the distance, the lack of communication, to create a chasm between them.
'Louie is vulnerable now,' Anna thought. 'He's hurt, confused. It's the perfect time to attack him.'
She imagined herself comforting Louie, listening to his complaints, offering him her support. She imagined herself replacing Josephine in his heart.
'I'm going to be his friend, his confidante, his everything,' Anna thought, with a malicious smile. 'I'm going to make him forget Josephine.'
But she wasn't just going after Louie. She was also going to win Brianna's trust, to make her believe that Josephine wasn't as perfect as she seemed. She was going to plant the seed of doubt in each of her friends, to make them question Josephine's loyalty.
'I'm going to make them hate her,' Anna thought, with a look full of malice. 'I'm going to make them regret ever meeting her.'
And so, with her mind full of plans and her heart full of resentment, Anna prepared to begin her campaign of slander.
Brianna and Anna exchanged confused glances. "We don't know," Brianna replied, "we thought she was coming."
A chill ran down Louie's spine. Had Josephine forgotten them? Or had something more serious happened to her? Uncertainty seized them, fueled by the lack of news and Josephine's absence.
The silence became dense, charged with unanswered questions. Why hadn't Josephine appeared? Why hadn't she contacted them? Josephine's absence, the lack of direct contact, without phones or social media, only increased the anxiety.
Suddenly, Anna broke the silence with a phrase loaded with venom: "Surely she doesn't want to see you."
The comment hurt Louie, but Brianna rebuked her with a stern look. "Don't talk nonsense, Anna," she said, "surely there's a reason why she didn't come."
"Besides," Brianna added, softening her tone, "we all know Josephine. She would never disappear like this unless it was something beyond her control. Unfortunately, she still doesn't have a phone or social media, so there's no way to contact her."
Louie nodded, feeling a weight in his chest. He knew Brianna was right. Josephine would never stand them up without a good reason. But the uncertainty was killing him.
"We have to go to her house," Louie insisted, his voice filled with determination. "We have to talk to her family. We have to know what's wrong with her."
Anna rolled her eyes, but Brianna nodded. "Okay," she said. "Let's go. But be prepared, Josephine's family isn't exactly friendly."
The three friends got up, determined to face whatever it took to find Josephine. Concern drove them, but also a pang of hope.
As she followed Brianna and Louie, Anna felt a knot of resentment in her stomach. "What a drag," she thought, "it's all Josephine this, Josephine that. I'm so sick of it. Ever since she appeared in our lives two years ago, she's been the center of attention. She already took Louie's love and Brianna's friendship from me, not to mention Josep. I don't know what that goody-two-shoes has. Maybe it's just because she has money and we don't."
A sigh of frustration escaped her lips. She didn't understand what the others saw in Josephine. She, Anna, had always been the leader of the group, the one who made the decisions, the one who shone with her own light. But since Josephine had arrived, everything had changed.
Louie, who used to give her admiring glances, now only had eyes for Josephine. Brianna, her best friend since childhood, now spent more time with Josephine than with her. Even Josep, the boy who had always been by her side, seemed fascinated by the newcomer.
"It's not fair," Anna thought, clenching her fists. "She doesn't deserve all the attention. She's not better than me."
But instead of expressing her frustration, she simply followed Louie and Brianna, her brow furrowed and her heart full of resentment. She knew she couldn't compete with Josephine, at least not openly. But that didn't mean she was going to give up. She was going to find a way to get her place back, to be the center of attention again. She was going to show everyone that she, Anna, was much more than just a simple shadow of Josephine.
Brianna, the only one who knew the exact location of Josephine's house, offered to lead the way. She asked her father to take them, and he gladly agreed. The three friends ventured into the most luxurious area of the city, a landscape of imposing mansions separated by vast gardens. Louie and Anna exchanged astonished glances at the magnificence of the place. As they advanced, the mansions became increasingly large and elaborate, until, at the end of the road, the grandest of them all stood.
A silver gate, adorned with intricate designs, partially concealed the view of the interior. Louie and Anna looked at each other, surprised. They knew Josephine belonged to a wealthy family, but they never imagined such opulence. Brianna got out of the car and approached the gatekeeper, a burly man with a serious demeanor. After a brief exchange of words, the gate opened, revealing a tree-lined driveway leading to the mansion.
The car moved slowly along a winding path, bordered by towering pine trees that whispered in the breeze. Finally, the vehicle stopped in front of an imposing mansion, an architectural masterpiece that combined gold, black, and white details with sublime elegance. A huge wooden door, adorned with intricate hand-carved details, stood majestically before them.
Brianna asked her father to wait for them, explaining that they might need him to drive them back in a few minutes. Then, with a determined step, she approached the door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, the soft and serene voice of an older woman echoed through the intercom. The door slowly opened, revealing a woman with gray hair and a kind expression, the mansion's housekeeper.
"Brianna, dear, what a surprise," the woman said with a warm smile, greeting Brianna with an affectionate greeting. "What do we owe this visit to?"
Louie and Anna stayed a few steps behind, observing the scene with a mixture of astonishment and nervousness. The magnitude of the mansion and the formality of the reception made them feel small and insignificant. How were they going to explain to this woman that they were looking for their missing friend?
Brianna smiled and returned the kind woman's gesture, asking about her friend Josephine. The housekeeper, with a serene smile, explained that Josephine's parents had taken her on vacation to Paris, to her older sister's house, and that they would not return until the start of high school classes.
Louie, Anna, and Brianna exchanged looks of surprise and disappointment. The news took them by surprise, and the thought of Josephine being so far away, with no way to contact her, filled them with unease.
"Paris?" Louie asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "Why didn't she tell us anything?"
The housekeeper shrugged, with an apologetic expression. "It was a sudden decision," she explained. "The Señores planned the trip at the last moment."
Brianna nodded, trying to absorb the information. "I understand," she said, "but we would have liked to say goodbye to her."
"I am so sorry," the housekeeper said sincerely. "I know Miss Josephine appreciates you very much; she wanted to stay with me, but the Señores wouldn't allow it. In the end, she had to obey."
An awkward silence fell over the group. The news of Josephine's unexpected trip had left them with a bitter taste in their mouths. They felt lost, not knowing how to communicate with their friend, not knowing if she was okay.
A layer of sadness settled over the situation. Josephine had wanted to stay, she had wanted to be with them, but her parents had made the decision for her. The powerlessness of the situation became evident. There was nothing they could do.
Louie felt a lump in his throat. Josephine had wanted to stay, and he hadn't been able to do anything to prevent them from taking her away. He felt guilty, powerless.
Anna, for her part, felt a mixture of relief and frustration. Relief because Josephine's absence would give her time to change the course of things, but frustration because her absence had a justification.
The three friends remained silent, absorbing the information. The afternoon, which had begun with the hope of a reunion, had ended with an unexpected farewell. Josephine's absence now felt more real.
The three said goodbye to the kind lady and returned to Brianna's house, the awkward silence filling the space between them. Anna, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery, was plotting a plan. 'I don't understand,' she thought, 'why that millionaire is studying at a public school when she has so much money to enroll in the best private schools.' A sigh of frustration escaped her lips.
Upon arriving at Brianna's house, Anna and Louie said goodbye to their friend, agreeing to meet the next day. As Louie walked away, Anna stood watching Brianna's house, a malicious smile curving her lips.
Anna smiled maliciously as they walked away from Brianna's house. 'I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity,' she thought