Chapter 43 - Cracks in the Wall

 Damn it, Claudette thought, why does she have to be so nice?

 

 Another dose of the potion, another day stripped of her powers. Another day for her to be a helpless prisoner. Claudette didn't think she could have borne it, had their places been reversed. It was necessary, she reminded herself. It was all part of Father's plan.

"Are you OK?" Miranda asked.

"What?" Claudette jerked out her own thoughts, stunned. "What do mean am I OK?" 

"Well, you don't look OK," Miranda replied.

"I'm not the prisoner here!" Claudette snapped. "Why are you being so nice to me? I only pretended to be your friend!" she continued. "I betrayed you. I lied to you. I seduced you, and... oh yeah... I kidnapped you! We're enemies! Understand? Enemies!"

 

"OK," Miranda replied calmly. "So answer me this... if we're enemies, why didn't you let me break up with Mariah."

"What?"

"That night, before we went to the club," Miranda said, "I was going to call Mariah, to tell me about us, to break it off with her. You wouldn't let me. You said I should wait because I might change my mind about you. Looking back, you as good as warned me. Why? Why didn't you let me break up with her?"

"Because it was all a lie," Claudette cried. "I was seducing you and betraying you... and I didn't... didn't want to... to take that away from you too. I... didn't..."

 

"Shut up! It doesn't matter," she cried suddenly, storming out of the room.

"But I thought you were my enemy," Miranda called softly after her. 

"So did I," Claudette whispered.

 

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"OK, I don't get you," Jenny said. "She's right. She lied to you, seduced you, betrayed you and kidnapped you. Why the hell are you being nice to her?!"

 

"Kidnapping 101," Miranda said. "Try to make the kidnappers see you as a person, not a thing. It's easy for her to do this seeing me as enemy. Maybe it isn't so easy for her, if she sees me as Miranda."

"OK, that's kinda smart," Jenny admitted, "and kinda sneaky."

 

"Yeah," Miranda sighed. "I saw it on a TV show."

"Did it work?" Jenny asked. "In the show, did it work?"

"Not really," Miranda admitted.

 

"So," Jenny said after a moment of silence, "you're really just being nice to her because you still care."

Miranda considered a moment, "I know what she did. I know it was a lie... but I don't think she's as sure about herself as she pretends to be. We'll never be friends again... but maybe we don't have to be enemies."