Serpent's Deceit (Entry 015)

 

“So, what do you wanna do now?” 

“On my way to the Police Station.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I’m not stopping. But from what you have told me, he hasn’t mentioned anything about going to the cops. And we know how the Nidhraxis challenged them years ago. So, is it that…I mean, do you think it will be any good? I feel like it might bring you more trouble.”

“I can at least try?”

“Like I said, I’m not telling you not to go. In fact, I’m not giving you any final decisions. I’m just stating facts. He is dangerous. If the issue is done, he probably won’t even bother you anymore. But if you bring the police here, it might tick them off. Besides, I… shouldn’t say this, but I think your boyfriend is a bad influence. Don’t get the wrong idea. I have experience dealing with one-of-a-kind. Trust me, it doesn’t get better.”

“Okay, I will talk to you later.”

“Don't get mad at me. I’m only suggesting what might be good for you.”

I can’t tell whether the conversation with Hunter has done me any good. But in the end, I have decided not to go to the police station. I have been called by Ms Adams, and by the end of the day, I have been too tired to do anything. So, I let it go. Yes, that means letting go of my grandma’s present as well.  

I have thought that it is not the only present I have gotten from her. And letting one go does not mean letting her go from me too. She is always in my heart, and nobody has the power to take that away. Hunter is partially right. Going to the cops might bring unnecessary trouble, and that is the last thing I wanna deal with now.

Well, I might have listened to this part of his advice, but not the second part. In fact, I might have done the opposite.

After library duty, I have gone straight to Dax’s house. Imagine my surprise when I see him perfect and healthy, making a whole meal in the kitchen. I have never seen him this healthy all the time we have been dating. We have had dinner together, and I spent the night with him, making love and sleeping in his arms. I have a suspicion that something is off. But even after three days of observing and finding no problems, I dismiss the thought.

Now, I am back on my library assistant duty. There is nothing better to do here except stare off into the distance. I have just finished a novel and do not exactly feel like starting a new one now. Using cellphones is not allowed in the library, so the only thing I can do is zone out. Life is back to being peaceful. The only problem I am facing is that my friends are probably ignoring me.

Well, it is a big problem now that I think about it. But after dealing with the heir of a crime syndicate, nothing seems that big of a problem. On top of that, it is just a hunch, so I can definitely be wrong about it.

Just then, I see Sophia walking towards the register, me, with a handful of books. Enthusiastically, I get up. The motion grabs her attention. She probably has not noticed me sitting behind the register until now. When her eyes catch me, she freezes, wearing the look of someone who has just glimpsed a ghost. However, I smile at her. “Sophia—”

She drops the books on a nearby table and bolts out of the library. I have never seen her running this fast in my life. 

Yup, my friends are definitely ignoring me, and I do not know the reason behind it.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

It is getting worse. I have not seen any of them for the rest of the day. My texts in the group chat are left seen. Same case with the texts in the private inboxes. Phone calls are not getting through, and even if they are in, they are either left unanswered or cut off. 

The last option left is going to Suzie’s Bread & Breakfast. I will definitely find Hunter there. There is a good chance that I will find one of the others as well.

But the problem is I still do not know the reason. Why am I suddenly getting the silent treatment from everyone in the group?

The only possible reason I come up with is that Hunter has snitched on me and leaked our conversations. My mind does not support this hypothesis anyway. Firstly, because Hunter will never snitch on me no matter what. I would believe it if it was anyone else, but it is definitely not him. Secondly, even if he has done it (which again is impossible), this should not be a reason for all of them to start ignoring me at once. They could have yelled at me, insulted me or anything like that. Why would they go silent?

What on Earth have I done that has made them ignore my existence like this? 

My overthinking is interrupted by my ringtone. I jump up thinking it is one of my friends. It is, unfortunately, an unknown number. Who is calling me now?

I pick it up. Before I can say anything, the person on the other side speaks, “Hello, Tulip?”

And I end the call. Because the call is from Rick. 

How has he gotten my number? What could possibly be the reason for him to call me?

He calls again. I cut it. 

I do not see a reason for him to call me now. He has already caused enough trouble showing up the other day. I am not letting that happen again.

When I am halfway through blocking him, he sends a text message. It says, “Please pick up the call. It's about Ray. Urgent.”

That has me furrowing my eyebrows. I spoke to Ray last night. What could possibly be such urgency that Ray cannot call me?

I call Ray. It rings off. I send a message. It is left unread.

Now panic starts growing inside me. Has something happened to her?

My phone rings again. It’s Rick. I pick it up this time.

Again, before I speak, he rushes. “Don’t cut the call, okay? Just listen to me.” He pauses here, maybe to check if I actually am staying or not. When he senses me still there, he continues, “It’s Ray. She… She…”

He sounds frantic and desperate. Despite my assumptions, I ask, “What happened to her?”

There are some shuffling noises on his side before he speaks, “I don’t know… Something has happened… She isn’t picking up the call… I left her in the house this morning and now…”

So, I am right. Oh God, the one thing I do not want to be right about!

“Are you in school right now?” I ask, already packing my things to leave. Ms Adams is not here. So, I start writing a note to her on the sticky pad.

“Mhm?” comes Rick’s vague reply. Attaching the note to the computer screen, I take my bag and bolt out of the library before commanding him, “Meet me at the parking lot.”

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

How do I keep finding myself in uncomfortable situations? Just three days ago, I sat thigh to thigh with Alfie, and now I am sitting in an eerily silent closed car with Rick. 

After the phone call, I have run out of the school building and to the parking lot. I immediately spot Rick's car there. He has been waiting there, leaning on it. Without thinking anything else, I jump right in, tie the seatbelt and tell him to go. Only after the car is out of the campus and on the way to his house do I realise how awkward it is going to be.

Oh God, I cannot even look in his direction. What do I do now?

Will playing music make the situation any better? It is not like I always play music whenever I am in a car. I have been in silent cars before. But none of them has been as suffocating as this one. 

It is hard to decide. I try, anyway.

“Um, music?” I ask, gesturing to the screen between us, daring a glance in his direction. I have made a mistake. I end up seeing his expression. He seems just as awkward as me, something I have never seen on him. 

Rick is the most extroverted person I know. He is, what you call, a social butterfly. From when we used to hang out, he was always the centre of every party. If you walk with him for five minutes, you will have to stop at least ten times to greet people because he basically knows everyone. He has the natural charm for attracting strangers into a conversation, which is again a trait of a social butterfly. I do not remember seeing him stuck in one awkward moment ever. 

So, obviously, when I see him in the driving seat with his back awfully straight and at a distance with the back of the seat, his tightly white grip on the steering wheel and his eyes fixed on the road ahead without a blink, it definitely takes me by surprise. He does not even glance in my direction, just replies, “Suit yourself.”

He might not actually be awkward. He might be tense because of his sister. It might just be me. It is not like I am not worried about Ray. But this awkward feeling is also nagging me.

I touch the screen to start the music. After touching play, the song that starts playing is,

Though it's easy to pretend, I know you're not a fool

I should have known better than to cheat a friend

And waste a chance that I'd been given …

I stare at the screen in horror. That song …was my favourite one, was both of our favourites when we were still …friends. This song brings back so many memories. One simple example is that we always used to blast it on speakers and sing our hearts out. After the fallout, I could never listen to it again. Here he is, listening to it casually while driving. Interesting.

He turns the knob, stopping the song all of a sudden. “You can Bluetooth it here.” He points to a spot on the screen before going back to driving as if nothing is wrong. I glance at him again. Same rigid posture, same focused eyes. I might be the only one getting paranoid after all.

I do not bother putting on songs anymore. Rick does not say anything either. After around five minutes, we finally enter his driveway. He stops the engine. When I see his house, the stress of Ray hits me straight in the face. I feel it all at once. Something has happened to her, and we do not know yet what that is. 

I grab the car door to open it when Rick mumbles, “Wait.” When I turn my head to give him a confused look, he is already out of the car. The sound of the door shutting vibrates through the car. He jogs to the other side and opens my door. I take a deep breath. Some behaviour does not change after all.

The house looks as silent and as rigid as ever. It is at the end of the street. All those years I have not been here do not seem to have affected the house at all. It looks the same as the last day I came here: same grey walls, same wooden windows, same tinted glasses; even the maple tree by the side of the front gate is the same. So many memories come flashing back in my mind. It has been so many years since I have been here, after all. 

I take a deep breath and remind myself why I am here. Walking up to the front door, I turn the knob. Surprisingly, the door is unlocked. I push it open at once, and the next thing that happens throws me completely off-guard.