by Leen Elle
I thought wrong.
"Hell-oh, Vi-per. How are you?" A voice cooed into my ear, sending involuntary shivers down my spine. A considerably chubby arm snaked its way across my chest to rest the ring-drenched hand on my shoulder. "That was a… shall I say, beautiful performance?" I looked down to see the once lost Felicity. Well, lost to Big Guy, that is.
"What happened, Felicity?" I sneered, shrugging her arm off. "Lost interest in that Big Guy shouting for you oh-so-pathetically at the other end of the room?" She pulled me closer again with a pout that looked simply horrific on her. I looked away irritably, pushing her off again.
"First of all, honey," she began, digging diamond encrusted nails into my arm.
"I'm not your honey. And please don't dig those nails so deeply into my arm, I wouldn't want any of those diamonds getting into my wounds. I don't want them to be infected, thank you very much."
She gazed at me adoringly, a look which I felt like retching at. "Oh you're so adorably funny! Now, as I was saying, my ex-boyfriend is not called Big Guy, but Roy. I don't like guys who can only fight, and I'm sick and tired of him and his demanding ways. I like talented guys like you. You are so talented, Viper. You can play the guitar and you can sing so well. Not just that, you can draw as well, and you're sooo cool, with that drop-dead look in your eyes all the time. Everybody is scared of you! That's just exactly what I'm looking for in my dream guy."
"For someone with a brainspan the size of a grain of sugar, you sure can talk when you want to," I remarked drily, not really expecting her to understand what I was trying to imply. I was right this time. She gave me a puzzle look, tilting her head to the side to gaze at me with heavily made-up eyes. Her pink eyeshadow contrasted horribly with her pale blue eyes. "What I'm trying to say, Felicity, is that you're stupid."
She giggled and laid her head on my shoulder, whining, "You really are humorous. Look, we can forget about being together or anything. Just be with me for one night, alright? C'mon, say you will."
"What if I don't? Besides, I'm not the slightest bit interested in you and neither am I trying to be funny. You think way too much."
My iciness worked. She left in a huff, digging her nails into me one last time to leave those crescent shaped marks embedded in my skin. I let my breath out in a hiss. Perhaps spending more time with Raylin was a good thing after all. I looked down at the swirling drink in the cup wryly. There was a glittering something floating about in it. I held it up to my face, peering inside.
It was one of the many diamonds encrusted on Felicity's nails. I grimaced. She did leave one of the many diamonds behind after all. I pushed myself off the wall and went towards to the huge garbage bag taped securely to the table. Tossing the cup inside, I looked towards the dance floor. The DJ was really working the turntable. A groovy song was blasting in the background as the throng of people went wild on the dance floor. My cellphone vibrated in my pocket.
"What?"
"Viper?"
"Raylin?" Is it just me or do we always start our phone conversations this way? "What happened this time?"
"Nothing, where are you? Leila and Calista have disappeared and Sierra and Belinda have gone off cavorting with the opposite sex. I need some company."
"Right, I'm at the buffet table? I'll find you if you tell me where you are."
"I'm somewhere on the dance floor…" I was already striding towards the dance floor, looking left and right with the phone pressed to my ear.
"Raylin, I don't see you. Where exactly are you?" I groaned in exasperation. "Look, why don't we just… OH! I'm so sorry! Are you al… Raylin?"
I had crashed straight into some girl who had been looking in the other direction. On closer inspection, that girl was Raylin. She sat on the floor with a grumpy look on her face, glaring up at me. I broke into a sheepish grin and offered her my hand. She took it with a grin and let me pull her up. I pulled just a little too hard and all at once, I found my face hovering dangerously close to her.
And then we…
Chapter 10
Stairway to Hell (II)
"I thought I loved you, but I should have been more careful. I was blinded by your halo, so I never noticed the horns." – Unknown
RAYLIN
Sure, I didn't want it to happen, least of all before an entire crowd of people. All the same, I did definitely expect it to happen. How could it not? Look at the amazingly promising position we were in. Me dangling from his arms, our faces mere millimeters apart and our heart rates speeding up so rapidly that I began wondering if I would get a heart attack. Really, my stomach was doing some serious acrobatic moves – flipping, cart wheeling and whatnot.
I was staring into his eyes – such a deep, intense blue. In fact, I may even be drowning in them. But I certainly must clarify that I have absolutely no feelings for him. I mean it.
But back to the topic, I am glad it didn't happen after all. We drew apart before our lips met, thank goodness. He disappeared into the crowd, the people parting like the Red Sea parting for Moses. I could only stand there, recollecting my senses and calmly ignoring the countless comments flying about all over the place.
Just as I sent an icy glare on full blast at the surrounding gossipers, Leila and Calista appeared out of nowhere, staring at me with the strangest expressions on their faces. I directed a skeptical look at them, crossing my arms in mock defiance. Who did they think they were? Ditching me to go twirling madly about the dance floor and come dancing back up again when there is entertainment. The crowd was still milling around, taking cautious peeks at me. I finally lost my patience and was about to blow up when some smartass finally got the hint, and began to drag everyone's attention away.
"What was that all about?" Belinda had detached herself from Jake's side and was sprinting towards me. Well, as fast as she could sprint in high heels that is. She came to a stop before me, barely breathing hard. Sometimes, I just had to admire her. Raising an eyebrow, I shrugged. Was I obliged to answer that question? No, my mind tells me not to grace that ridiculous question with an answer.
Fortunately, Leila noted my silence and gave Belinda a pointed look. Grinning, the blue-eyed beauty shot a knowing look in my direction and flounced back to where her boyfriend was waiting. Leila and Calista were still studying my face intently, adopting thoughtful expressions.
"I know I'm absolutely beautiful tonight, girls. Quit staring at me like that!" I snapped at last, unable to take their intense gazes any longer. Calista clearly found this situation amusing for she cracked up and began laughing like a maniac. Thank goodness she turned away from us – people might think I knew her. Leila, on the other hand, was perfectly alright and completely capable of teasing me.
She drawled, "Pray tell, Raylin, why is your face tinted with the prettiest shade of pink despite the make-up you have on?" I glared at her irritably. Are you trying to imply something, Leila dear? I turned away meaningfully. This question was even worse than the one Belinda asked. Before she could probe any further, Calista came to my rescue. My knight in shining armor! Or rather, my downright gorgeous knight in a lovely gold dress.
"Leila!" She squealed excitedly, pointing frantically towards the buffet table. "There's the damn hot guy I've been trying to introduce to you all night! He's coming over now! LOOK!" What a pity Belinda wasn't here to enjoy the sight of Leila's squirming reaction and futile attempts at trying to tear herself away from Calista's vice-like grip. As for me, I was having the hell of a time appreciating this new form of entertainment. Said guy was stalking over now, most likely wanting to ask Calista where his promised blind date was. What he probably didn't expect was for the black-haired princess to growl at him menacingly.
"Calista?" The guy said uncertainly, keeping one eye on the glowering Leila. "I…"
"Hello, Marcus! Remember that girl I was telling you about? Here she is," Calista presented Leila with a flourish, dragging the reluctant girl before her. I saw Marcus's eyes widen considerably. The poor guy really was scared of my do
cile, demure, best friend. Wait, who am I trying to kid? Giving Leila a helpful shove in the admittedly good-looking Marcus's direction, I caught hold of Calista's arm and dragged her away, much to Leila's discomfort.
We escaped to a far corner of the gym, where our suppressed laughter finally broke through its dam. Through chuckles, Calista managed to turn to me, "Raylin? Leila was right. Your face is rather pink. Are you alright?"
"Uh…" My brain stalled for a full minute. I decided to lie, afterall, a little white lie wouldn't hurt, would it? "Actually, I'm not feeling all that good."
"Oh?" Calista's concern was obvious. "Do you want to leave first or something? I can help you to contact the teachers, y'know." With another word of reassurance from her, I left the party, hugging her gratefully.
Stepping out into the cool night air, I took a deep breath. It felt good to be outside, feeling the chilly air against my skin, rather than the stuffy atmosphere back on the dance floor. I sank into my convertible with a happy sigh, slipping out of my heels. Thinking for a moment or two, I contemplated between going home or going for a spin. Maybe a ride around the town will clear your head of what happened just now. Yeah, that's a good idea. Of course, my ideas are always good. Shut up, don't forget that we're one and the same brain. Oh, good point.
Revving up the engine, I sped off into the night, cruising past the many stores. A good many teenagers were up and about, especially since the mall was open 24/7. I drove past a convenience store, then backtracked. I couldn't resist, I just couldn't. I had to get a Diet Coke. Sliding out of my car, I swung the door open to make my way to the back of the store, grabbing a can from the refrigerator. Sliding the money across the counter, a few steps brought me back to the convertible. Before I could open the car door and enter the car however, someone swaggered over, throwing himself onto my convertible.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snarled, making the question seem more like a statement.
"Baby, you know it's you and me, yeah…" The drunkard slurred, waving his arms in the air. "You've got one hot ass."
Rolling my eyes, I didn't even bother with a reply as I raised my fist and landed a solid punch to his nose. There was a satisfying stream of crimson liquid from his nose. he dropped his bottle in shock, touching his nose in wonder.
"You landed a punch on me, bitch?" He didn't sound too happy. Then again, who would, after being socked by a girl half their size? I shoved him aside non too gently, and opened my car door, delivering one last sentence before I drove off.
"I may be a bitch, sucker, but to you, I'm Miss Bitch," I was about to slam the door, then thought better of it, and closed it gently. Oooh, bad idea. That crazy moron gripped the door and opened it again, gripping my arm tightly. "I asked once just now, and I'm asking it again, what exactly do you think you're doing?"
"I don't care if you're Miss Bitch or Miss Bastard, all I know is that you're one hot…"
"…One hot-headed, pissed off bitch." Someone else finished. The drunkard straightened, still keeping his hand around my arm. He squinted at the person in the shadows blearily, shouting, "Who the hell is there! Show yourself, scum!" I was about to kick his sensitive nether regions really hard in exasperation, but sadly, that unknown person had to do it first.
"I'd say, the scum is you," that same calm voice responded, its owner stepping into the circle of light cast by the street lamp. The man let go of my arm in favor of cradling his injured crotch. I gave him another merciless kick before looking up into the face of that other guy.
"Look, I don't know who you are and I didn't ask you for help so don't expect me to thank you because I won't!" I laid it out before him without even recognizing who that person was. Wait, please don't tell me that he is who I think he is. That was…
VIPER
I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe I did want it to happen… Just maybe. How could that have happened? Until now, I still don't have a clue as to how exactly we landed in that position. Sure, we crashed into each other. Yeah, I reached out an arm to support her. Alright, try as I may, I cannot deny that I felt my heart thumping about a million times faster when our faces came mere millimeters away from each other. Frankly, perhaps I'm even slightly disappointed that our lips didn't touch.
We pulled away just in the nick of time. Of course we pulled away! How can I kiss her before a crowd of hormonally-charged teenagers? I would much rather do it – no, bad thoughts, Viper. Bad thoughts! So guess what happened next? I escaped into the safety of the outside. And for this past thirty minutes, my legs have been carrying me and my guitar to nowhere in particular.
I did give Melvin a call, but he had taken up my suggestion and asked Rayne out for dinner. You're most likely wondering how I could have known that if he was on a date. His exact words were, "Bro! Call me later! I'moutwithRaynefordinner." Strike one for my baby brother. Rayne was a pretty lass, no doubt. Then again, she should have taken a leaf out of her sister's book and try turning down his offer. This way, he would be more hooked than ever.
Oh wait, she had to have done it for my brother to be so panicky. Ha, strike one for Raylin's baby sister. I walked past a couple sharing an ice-cream cone, another couple bickering with wild hand motions, and yet another couple kissing passionately… while walking. Now that's multi-tasking for you. Finally, I passed a convenience store, where I wondered if I should grab a drink, seeing as my punch had been rendered undrinkable by a stray diamond from Felicity's nail.
Parked outside the store was a familiar looking black convertible, but what made it look really out of place was the drunken man clutching at something inside the car. A closer look delivered an even greater shock to me. The person in the car was none other than our very own Ice Queen, with an extremely irate look on her face that the man seemed to miss. Smirking, I went over, just in time to hear him say something along the lines of Raylin being one hot…
"…One hot-headed, pissed off bitch." I couldn't help adding, only to find Raylin glaring at me. The thing was, she really couldn't see me, since I was afterall hidden in the shadows. I gave her a sheepish look and resumed staring at the unknown man. He whirled around drunkenly to stare at me with dilated pupils. Those empty eyes, they tugged at my heartstrings as I recalled that same constant familiar look on my father's face. He squinted his eyes in my general direction.
"Who the hell is there! Show yourself, scum!" All traces of pity I had felt for him disappeared as I sneered a response back. With a swift kick, I had him on his knees, cradling his crotch. Raylin gave him another vicious kick which I approved of immensely. Now that I had stepped out of the shadows, she could probably see me clearly. I was about to greet her when she burst into a one-sided dialogue, waving a hand holding a can wildly.
"Look, I don't know who you are and I didn't ask you for help so don't expect me to thank you because I won't!" She paused and took a good look at me. I couldn't stop my lips from curving into a wry smile. Stupid lips! Traitors! She stood staring at me for a full thirty seconds.
"Hi?" I tried tentatively, taking a cautious step towards her. She snapped out of her daze in a split-second, citing gruffly, "Going anywhere? Guess I might as well give you a lift." I got into the car after her willingly, holding my guitar close to my body. I think it was my nerves, but it gave me the comfort I needed. She turned the ignition, and we were speeding off to goodness knows where. An awkward, heavy silence settled over us as she kept her eyes on her road, and I spent my time gazing at the colorful lights flash past.
"So," she broke the silence, much to my surprise. "Where are you headed? Home?"
"No," the word fell from my (traitorous) lips before I could stop it. "The park playground." Raylin turned her head towards me inquisitively. I shrugged. I didn't have any idea why I had said that either. It was another ten minutes of silent driving before we reached my destination. I got out of the car, giving her a grateful look before slinging my guitar over my shoulder to walk towards the plastic turrets before the slides.
One big leap, and I landed neatly in a cross-legged post under the small shelter. The orange color of the slides was barely visible under the dim light of the streetlamps. Taking my guitar from its bag, I caressed it gently before strumming the chords. I leant against the plastic pillar supporting the roof and shut my eyes.
"What're you thinking of?" A sudden, soft voice jolted me back to reality. I opened my eyes to see Raylin sitting herself down next to me, leaning against the pillar. For the second time that night, she gave me an inquiring look. I tilted my head back to its original position, running my fingers lightly across the guitar strings.
"I was just… thinking about… stuff," I hesitated, letting my hand drop limply across the guitar. "About my family… My past."
"Play something." She demanded abruptly, turning herself so that her side was almost touching mine. "I want to hear you play." I blinked at her sudden request, before obliging.
"I'm going to play My Immortal, alright?"
"Anything." I leant back again, finding the right keys and breaking the silence of the night with the song. When it ended, I shifted my body to look at her.
"How was… mmphg!"
Shit. Were those… my lips… on hers?
Chapter 11
Kiss of Death
"I rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you," – John Smith (Pocahontas)
RAYLIN
You know how sometimes things happen so fast that you don't even realize that things are happening? Well something must have happened in five seconds flat because somehow, I found my arms slung around Viper's neck and his arms circling my waist. Oh, and his lips were on mine as well. Well, then again, I was not about to complain, was I? He's an undeniably good kisser.
