I’m making coffee, it’s just a normal morning, but I’ve noticed something that’s bothering me.
Pandora is still in bed, and she’s not moving.
She usually wakes up before me to feed Mr Whiskers, but now the cat is meowing loudly near her side of the bed.
I’m thinking maybe she overslept or got distracted by her phone, but there’s something about the way the sunlight is hitting the dust on her nightstand that makes it seem…off.
The clock on my bedside table says 7:45, which is late for us to be sleeping in, and John Mercer was already up and gone when I came back from getting a snack last night.
His backpack was still by the door, so he must have left in a rush or something.
But what’s really bugging me is that Pandora’s phone is on silent mode, which means she might not hear it ringing if someone tries to call her…and why would she put it on silent mode anyway? It’s just weird that Pandora’s phone is on silent mode, and I’m starting to think maybe she was trying to get some work done last night before bed, but then fell asleep or something.
But why would she do that in the bedroom? We’ve got a desk in our home office where she usually does her stuff.
Unless…unless John Mercer was here and they were working on something together? That’s possible, I guess.
He did leave his backpack by the door, like he said he was rushing out to grab something for breakfast or whatever.
But that still doesn’t explain why Pandora is sleeping in so late.
Unless she and John went out last night after all? I don’t remember hearing any noise, but that doesn’t mean anything.
We’re living with two people who are both pretty good at being quiet when they want to be.
Mrs Jenkins downstairs might have even heard something if it was loud enough…oh wait, maybe Karen came over and they went out for a drink or something? I’m really overthinking this whole situation.
I mean, what’s so strange about Pandora’s phone being on silent mode? People put their phones on silent all the time for a variety of reasons.
And maybe she was just working on some project or something and forgot to turn it back off before bed.
Or maybe – and this is probably it – John Mercer did leave his backpack by the door, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he left in a rush.
He might have just set it down there for a second while he grabbed something from the kitchen.
I don’t know why my mind keeps jumping to all these crazy scenarios.
Maybe I’m just stressed about work or something.
But what really gets me is that I remember Mr Whiskers being on my lap when I got back with that snack last night, but now he’s nowhere to be found…unless Mrs Jenkins took him in for some reason? I’m trying not to jump to conclusions, but that phone on silent mode is really bugging me.
I mean, Pandora’s usually more considerate about keeping her phone turned off or on vibrate when she’s sleeping in, especially if she knows I’ve got an early start the next day.
And now this Mr Whiskers thing is weirding me out even more – he was definitely with me last night, I’m almost positive.
Unless…unless Pandora somehow took him from my lap while I wasn’t paying attention? No, that doesn’t make any sense.
She wouldn’t just take our cat without saying anything to me.
Would she? Maybe she’s been feeling overwhelmed or stressed lately and I’ve been oblivious to it? We haven’t really talked about much of anything serious in a while…do I even know what’s going on with her? I’m starting to get a bit anxious about this whole thing, and I think it might be related to the fact that Karen’s been leaving her laptop open on our living room coffee table every time she comes over.
I mean, maybe it’s not a big deal, but it feels like an invasion of my space or something.
And now, with Pandora’s phone being on silent and Mr Whiskers missing, I’m starting to wonder if maybe Karen saw something or said something that upset her? Maybe there was some conversation between them that I don’t know about? But no, wait, that’s not it – I remember Karen telling me she’s been dealing with some issues at work, and Pandora’s been trying to help her out.
Could be a complete coincidence, but now my mind is jumping to all these new possibilities…like what if Pandora took Mr Whiskers to try and comfort Karen or something? This is getting out of hand – I’m starting to think Pandora’s been having some kind of crisis, and that’s why she’s being so…
evasive.
And now I’m noticing John Mercer staring at his phone a lot more than usual when we’re hanging out, which must mean he knows something too.
Unless…unless it’s all just my imagination running wild because Dave was over last night and mentioned Karen’s been talking about how stressed she is lately, but didn’t say anything about Pandora or me being involved in any way.
No, no, that doesn’t make sense – I would’ve remembered if they’d talked about something like that.
Unless…unless Dave said it to try and get a rise out of me? Ha! Like that’s even possible.
Mrs Jenkins always says I’m too trusting, but come on – Pandora loves me, right? And she wouldn’t just disappear or take our cat without telling me…or would she? I’m starting to wonder if there’s more going on with Karen than just work issues.
I remember Mrs Jenkins mentioning that she’s been having some problems with her husband, Mr Jenkins, and how it’s affecting their relationship.
Could be a coincidence, but now my mind is jumping to the possibility that Pandora might be taking advice from her or even getting drawn into their drama.
That would explain why Karen seems so stressed out – maybe she’s caught up in Mrs Jenkins’ problems too? And what about John Mercer? I saw him arguing with his phone again yesterday and he mentioned something about needing to talk to Mr Jenkins about a “situation”.
What situation could that be? Did Mr Jenkins do or say something to upset Karen, which then led Pandora to get involved? Wait, no – that’s not it.
Unless…unless Pandora is somehow trying to help her mom through her problems with Mrs Jenkins’ husband? I’ve got it now.
It’s all connected, I’m sure of it.
Mr Whiskers is key to this whole thing.
He was acting really weird yesterday, pacing back and forth in front of the door like he wanted out.
I swear, I saw him staring at me with an accusatory look on his face, as if he knew something I didn’t.
And then John Mercer mentioned that Mr Jenkins has been trying to “rehome” Mrs Jenkins’ cat, which was a ridiculous rumor but now it makes sense – Pandora must be secretly working with her mom to get rid of the competition for their affection.
But why would they need to do that if they’re just friends? Unless…unless there’s more to this friendship than I think.
Has Pandora been feeding me lies all along? And what about Dave’s comment last night – did he suspect something too? No, no, it can’t be – I’m being paranoid again.
But Mr Whiskers was definitely acting suspiciously…and now I remember that Karen said she saw him outside with Pandora yesterday afternoon…
This is it, I’ve got it all figured out.
Mrs Jenkins’ problems must be related to her husband’s affair with Karen, and Pandora’s been caught up in the middle of it trying to protect her mom’s feelings.
But that can’t be it – no, there’s more to this web than just a simple love triangle.
I remember Pandora mentioned something about helping her mom with “some things” around the house, and then Dave said he saw Karen sneaking into our building late at night…I bet she was meeting Mr Jenkins there.
And what about John Mercer’s phone argument? He must be in on it too, trying to cover his tracks by blaming the situation on Mr Whiskers’ rehoming.
But I’m not buying it – Pandora’s been playing me all along, using her sweet talk and innocent act to throw me off the scent.
She thinks she’s clever, but I’ve got eyes open now, and I won’t let her get away with this.