Round 6

I force my expression into something more neutral, though I can feel the heat of frustration still coloring my cheeks. "Good morning," I say, pitching my voice to sound as innocent as possible given the circumstances. "We were just visiting a friend who lives in that building." The lie comes easily enough—years of practice at deception have made it second nature by now. But Halie's warning glance tells me she thinks I'm handling this poorly. She steps forward, positioning herself between myself and our unwelcome audience member.

"Good morning," Halie says, her voice smooth and professional. "I apologize if we caused any disturbance. My colleague here—" she gestures vaguely toward me, "—has a bit of a flair for the dramatic when it comes to reunions." She laughs lightly, as if this is all just a misunderstanding between old friends. The grocer's eyes narrow slightly, but her grip on the phone loosens ever so slightly.

"I see," the woman says slowly, still eyeing us with suspicion. "Well, I couldn't help noticing that your 'friend' seemed rather... upset about something." She glances back at Julia's apartment door, then returns her gaze to Halie and me. "Is everything alright? Because if there's trouble—"