Friday:

*Karen*

Brooke, Amethyst, and I arrived in Okinawa at ten a.m. Ida sent us a map of where to find the house.

“Just take Cricket Road and we’ll come right to it,” I informed them.

“Roger!” Brooke replied. I stuck up my hand in the air and waved it around.

“Taxi!” I called. In five minutes, a cab pulled up to us in the street. The driver rolled down his window and looked out.

“Need a ride, ladies?” he asked. I looked in for a closer look at him.

“Do you know how to get to the Mango House?” I asked.

“I sure do!” he said. “Climb on in!”

“Thank you, sir,” I said with a bow. The girls and I all climbed into the cab. Our driver  took off on the dirt road.

In thirty minutes, we pulled up at the house.  Three jaws dropped wide open. This house… No, this was a frickin palace! The yellow paint on the walls invited people inside for a visit. The porch added onto the charm. The swing chair called for us to sit and swing on it.

“Wow!” Brooke gasped.

“Yeah,” Amethyst said.

“Ida really does have it made,” I said. I paid the driver after we got out. The three of us took another moment to be in awe. I could hear the front door singing to me. Plus near the beach too? Oh man! Hello sunny weekend!

Ida left us the key under the mat. I unlocked the front door.

“Hello?” I called. “We’re here!” Silence greeted us along with the scent of warm peppermint. The sun nearly blinded us in the room.

“Think she’s in the office?” Amethyst asked. We took off of shoes and quietly walked down the hall. I pushed open her office door.

“Hello?” I asked. “Are you in here, Ida-san?” No answer came. I pushed open the door inch by inch. We found our summer boss sitting at her desk with her papers in front of her.

“Oh there you are,” I said. “We made it here without any troubles.” There came no answer for us. I still smiled at her.

“Ida-san?” I asked. Still no answer. The three of us stared on with blank faces.

“Is… she asleep?” Brooke asked.

“I have no idea,” I mumbled. We slowly walked over to the desk and crowded around our boss.

“Ida-san,” Amethyst whispered as she tapped her on the shoulder. Still nothing. I finally reached forward and took a pulse. I gasped aloud to myself.

“She’s dead!” I cried. Amethyst and Brooke looked up at me.

“What?!?” they asked.

“See, look,” I said. Amethyst and Brooke felt for a pulse as well.

“She’s right!” Amethyst said. We all looked at each other with silent worry on our faces.

“What do we do?” Amethyst asked.

“What else?” Brooke asked. “Call the cop!” She reached for her cell phone. I tried to grab at her as fast as I could.

“And tell them what?” I whispered. Brooke shrugged at me.

“I don’t know, what happened?” she replied.

“That’s the thing,” I pointed out. “We don’t know what happened! They might even accuse us of murder!”

“How?” Amethyst asked.

“They’ll think of something,” I said.

“But we have to do something!” Brooke said.

“Like what?” I challenged. Then, the door bell rang. We all jerked our heads up in a flash.

“Who is that?” Amethyst asked.

“Beats me,” Brooke answered. I walked out of the office.

“Where are you going?” Amethyst asked. I glanced over my shoulder at her.

“To stall them,” I said.

“What?” Brooke asked.

“And what about us?” Amethyst asked.

“Get rid of the body!” I said.

“How?!?” they asked.

“Think of something!” I shouted. I dashed down to the door before they could argue. I slid open the door. A girl about my age dressed in a pink bikini looked at me with big, bright eyes. We looked each other up and down.

“Can I… help you?” I asked. The girl blinked at me.

“Is Ida-san in?” she asked.

“Uh… she’s resting at the moment,” I lied. The girl didn’t speak at first. I thought that she would leave.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

“What?!?” I asked. The girl smiled at me.

“Sweet!” she cheered. The girl pushed past me and went inside. I blinked in confusion. What just happened?

The girl sat on the couch, talking on the phone. Amethyst, Brooke, and I crowded near the door, watching her.

“Why is she here?” Brooke whispered.

“Shit if I know,” I whispered.

“How do we get ruin her?” Amethyst whispered.

“I’m still working on that one,” I replied.

“Well, think faster!” Brooke hissed. Then, the girl hung up the phone. We all walked over to her. I clapped my hands together.

“So,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re having a party here!” the girl cheered. We all blinked at her.

“What?” I asked. “Who is we?” The girl grinned at us.

“All of my friends!” our “guest” replied. My face just dropped.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Ida-san lets my friends and I use her house every weekend to party!” she chirped.

“And… she’s okay with this?” Amethyst asked.

“Yeah!” the girl said, nodding. Then, the door bell rang.

“I’ve got it!” she called. She leapt up to her feet and raced to the door. Amethyst, Karen, and I stood there with odd faces.

“She never told us…” Amethyst mumbled.

“Now what?” Brooke asked. I shook my head as the chatter filled the room. How did this weekend turn into a big mess?