by Marian Tee
I roll my eyes. “Of course not.” Then I scowl when I realize what he’s made me say.
He laughs. “You’re the most fascinating person I’ve ever met, senpai. You really are.”
Evren: Enter the Dragonette
“You can go now,” Lucian reminded me without meeting my eyes. He was finding the ceiling a suddenly fascinating sight.
Oh, my God. Could it be possible? Could someone like Lucian have a crush on me the way I was so crushing on him?
I thought about it.
Well, it wouldn’t hurt to dream, would it?
“Lucian.”
It took him a long time to look at me. The mask of impassiveness had settled back on his face. “Yes?”
I smiled at him and teased, “I’m going to miss you.”
His eyebrow lifted just the tiniest bit.
I wasn’t done. I tiptoed to his side and surprised him with a kiss on his cheek, Lucian’s whole body freezing as my lips touched his skin. “I’m sure you’ll miss me, too,” I told him with a mischievous smile before straightening and skipping out of the room with the silliest smile on my face.
Death Loves Me Not
Will suddenly pressed her legs together. “I need to pee.”
“For the love of...” Stud looked like he wanted to strangle her, but we made a detour nonetheless to the third floor restroom, the nearest one to the library. Unlike the other restrooms in school, it hadn’t been renovated. Understandable, considering how rarely used it was.
The tiles were light blue but showing signs of age. The doors hadn’t been repainted and its edges were beginning to chip. The toilet bowls didn’t even have covers. The fluorescent lights were off but we didn’t switch them on. There was enough light coming in from the window at the side.
Everything was sparkling clean, though, remarkably so for a little-used area. It even smelled faintly of peroxide.
Stud rapped at the door from outside. “Hurry up!”
“Jerk,” Will muttered as she entered the first cubicle.
I switched the tap on and the slushing sound of water dominated the room. I tried the hand dryer but nothing happened. I heard someone scrubbing at the far end. Good. I needed to ask if they had hand wipes or toilet paper to spare. I walked to the end of the restroom until I reached the last cubicle, right across the knee-high washing area for mops. I raised my hand to knock when I saw below the door that no one was inside.
The scrubbing continued.
Not again.
Will came out of her cubicle. “I’m done.” She went to the mirror and took out a lipstick from her bag.
The scrubbing stopped.
I didn’t dare look back as I turned around to face Will, a smile pasted on my face. “Let’s go?”
Not so soon, God. Not right away.
I walked at a sedate pace even as my heart sped up with each step I took. Peripheral vision taunted me with the reflection of a gray-haired woman on the mirror, staring straight at my back, one arm outstretched.
She did not make any sound, but her lips were parted. She disappeared only to appear a few steps closer. She was close enough that I finally understood the sickening reason for her mute appeal. Someone had cut out half her tongue, leaving just a mass of flesh that began to flood her mouth with her own blood.
I wanted to run, but I knew speed would only slow me down, would only expose the truth and thrust me into her world. She sensed me the way I had sensed her, but she was not sure. She wasn’t sure I could really see her and it had to stay that way.
Please God, please.
Will smacked her newly glossed lips and turned to me with a smile. “Let’s go?”
All I could do was nod, fixated on maintaining my pace. The woman did not stop coming after me and I couldn’t start running or she’d know.
Please, God, oh God, please.
Will swung the door open for us. I reached her side just as the woman tried to touch me. I did not look back. The door swung closed and I placed my ear next to it. But I heard nothing, not even the tiniest scrub. I didn’t sense despair. She didn’t need me that badly then. I still had time.
I wondered if she had her ear to the door, too, listening for my breath. The thought of it had me jerking away and bumping into Stud.
