Serpent's Deceit (Entry 018)

While we are busy exploring each other’s mouth again, someone bursts open the door, causing both of us to jump away from each other in surprise. We then stare at each other trying to understand why we have done that. Even if someone catches us, there is no need to flinch away from each other. We are already dating, and everyone knows. However, now is not the time to think about that. So we both turn to see who has decided to disrupt our moment.

It is Sophia. She is staring at us with wide eyes behind her glasses as if she has caught us having sex. That reaction is valid on her part. She is the innocent one in our group. 

I jump down from the desk Dax has put me up on during the heated moment and walk up to her. “Sophia, did you need something?”

She looks flustered, her eyes darting away. They drift to the pendant on my chest and linger for a moment before moving away again. “I was… I was finding you to—”

“We need you to come with us.” Jessie’s voice comes from behind her before I get to see her. She pushes open the door wide, her eyes travelling behind me to focus on Dax. She grins with mischief. “But if you guys are busy, we can come back later.”

“It’s fine. You can take her,” Dax replies. Jessie does not hesitate to pull me out of there. I glance back at him to see him waving me goodbye, a serene smile on his lips, like he has achieved everything he has ever wanted from life. I return his smile with a wave of my own. Who knew that it would be the last time I saw that smile on his face?

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

“What were you guys doing?” Jessie asks, wiggling her eyebrows as soon as I am out of the room. I am pretty sure Dax has heard her. I roll my eyes. “None of your business.”

“Of course, it is,” she chirps, swinging an arm over my shoulder and walking me out of there. “You guys would have started fucking if I didn’t intervene, and our plan would be all ruined.”

“Jessie!” I yelp, moving my eyes to look at Sophia. Despite how freaky I am, I do not feel comfortable talking about my relationship to my friends. The reason is simple. They do not like Dax.

Sophia looks more uncomfortable than me. She is not even glancing in our direction, just staring at her feet and walking a few steps ahead of us.

“What?” Jessie narrows her eyes at me. “It’s not like you guys didn’t do it already. Moreover, I know how quickly a makeout can turn into sex. By the way, how is he? Not that you have anyone to compare, but—”

Sophia clears her throat, cutting Jessie off. We look ahead to find that we are standing outside Ray’s bedroom. Jessie winks at me before knocking on the door two times before opening it. 

Ray has been searching for something in her closet. On the sound of the door opening, she turns around and offers an encouraging smile. “Oh, y’all are here. Come in.”

I enter, and the other two follow me. Ray stares at us, thinking of something. Then she tells Jessie and Sophia. “If you two don’t mind, can you bring her bag from downstairs? And oh, bring Erin up with you as well.”

She is asking them to bring my bag, so I intervene. “Oh, I can fetch that.”

Ray chuckles, pulling me by the wrist and linking her arm with mine. “Nope, the birthday girl doesn’t need to work.”

Jessie agrees with her. “Right. You two stay here. We will be right back.”

I have wanted to disagree, but Jessie and Sophia almost fly out of the door. Before I can say anything, Ray unlinks our arms, runs to the door, and closes it.

Her sudden change of behaviour alarms me. Something is wrong. What is going on?

“What happened?” I ask cautiously, lowering my voice just as she runs back to me and grabs my hands. As I glance at her face, I see the striking difference in her expression that I have not noticed when I have walked in or even when she has greeted me at the door. Her eyes are wild and frantic, the expression similar to a fight-or-flight situation. Her lips are tightly pressed into a thin line. Her hands tremble slightly as they hold onto mine.

Before I get to ask again what has gotten into her, she speaks with urgency, “Listen to me carefully, Tulip. You are in trouble. Do not panic. Do not try to run away. Just do not agree to go with them anywhere. No matter what they say or do, do not go with them. Mark it in your memory. I would like to tell you everything in person. Oh, I am dying to tell you everything in person. But I don’t have much time. Keep this key. The lock is on the merry-go-round. Find it anyhow, and you will find all the answers you’re looking for. Do not let anyone know about the key. And forgive me for everything I have done to you. There are a lot of misunderstandings between us. You will get it after you know everything.”

She speaks so much and so fast at once that my brain cannot keep up. I stare blankly at her, then at the key she has shoved in my palm. It is a silver key, with beautifully intricate patterns on it, something we see in fantasy movies. The shape is odd too; a long part that goes inside the lock is only a long twirling piece and no protruding patterns that are supposed to unlock the lock.

I look up at her again as her words finally hit me. And she is right. I do end up having too many questions. Do not agree to go with whom? What is the merry-go-round? How am I supposed to find something I have no idea about? Why would I even try to find it? What answers will it give me? And why is she apologising? Okay, I probably get the last part. Maybe it’s for the time she has cut connections with me. But still, the rest of her words leave me more confused. Well, they do not make much sense in the first place.

She squeezes my hands, offering me a reassuring smile despite looking visibly stressed herself. I open my mouth to ask her about the questions nagging my mind when someone starts banging on the door. Both of us flinch at the sudden noise. And then when I turn back to Ray, I notice the drastic change in her expression. The troubled look is completely gone and is now replaced with a soft, glowing and happy look- the look of joy for throwing a surprise party for her childhood best friend, the look of contentment after finally having fun with her friends, the glow of being happy at the moment. The change actually leaves me speechless. No normal person can change this much in just seconds. That is not the Ray I know. What has happened to her?

She runs to the door and opens it with her newfound enthusiasm. “Oh, guys. You’re back! Come in.”

Jessie, Erin and Sophia walk in, my schoolbag dangling from Erin’s shoulder. I walk up to them and take the bag. They show me the closet where others have kept their bags. I keep mine alongside theirs, slipping the key inside it. 

“T, come here!” Erin calls me. Closing the closet door, I walk back to them. They are weirdly standing near the bed as if waiting for me. After Ray’s weird behaviour, I feel very off about everything. Still, I try to be in the moment as best as I can. As I get close to them, Jessie says, “We got something for you.”

They move to the side, and then Ray throws open the sheets. Four perfectly lying bikini sets come into display. They have not even moved or crinkled anywhere.

“All of these are yours. A small gift from us,” Erin announces. I let out a dramatic gasp, eyeing them all with a surprised glance. “No way. Really?”

“Yes, baby. All yours,” Ray chirps, giving a squeeze around my shoulder. “Pick one to spend the night.” When I give her a confused look, she explains further, “For the pool party.”

Honestly, I do not know which one to choose. Every single one of them is beautiful in their own way. The first one, closest to me, is a golden and white string bikini. It might not be the best option because, one, it is way too revealing for my liking, and two, it is white, and I have a fear that white bikinis become transparent in water. So, it does not feel suitable. But it is sexy, so I might wear it one day. The second one, on the left, is a black and blue floral printed bandeau one-piece swimsuit. This seems like a safer option. The third one is a soft pink skirtini with a front bow on the top. This is cuter than the blue one, and I might actually wear this one. And the last one, well, it kinda looks uncomfortable to wear for the night. It is a “Little Mermaid” themed two-piece. Cute but the problem is the cups. They are not exactly fabric, I think, silicone or something similar. Cute but might be uncomfortable to wear.

Soft pink seems like the perfect option. But still, I ask, “May I ask who picked which one?”

“You may, but I think you can already tell,” comes Ray’s response, and she is right. The “Little Mermaid” one is Erin’s choice based on her obsession with the Disney movies and “The Little Mermaid” being her favourite. The bandeau one-piece is Sophia’s. She prefers one-piece swimwear. The pink one is Jessie’s, with her obsession with skirts. And the white one is Ray’s, who has always wanted me to dress sexy. 

Obviously, I cannot fulfil all of their wishes at once. So, I pick up the one which seems appropriate, the pink skirtini. 

“I’m gonna change into this one for the night,” I announce, and they seem happy about my choice. I walk into the attached bathroom to change.

They have changed into their respective swimsuits as well while I have been changing. We get our makeup and hair done and make our way to join the party.

Deep in chat with my girls, I do not realise that we have reached the top of the staircase. When I do finally, I find myself staring at the curious and even judgemental countless eyes. More people have joined besides our friends. So, it is more like a high school party than a birthday special pool party. Great.

I realise I am in the centre with the girls standing behind me, creating a half-circle. I whisper to them, keeping my eyes ahead at the guests, “Why am I in the front?”

“Because you're the birthday girl,” comes the reply. 

I let out a sigh. “Why so many people?”

“Seems like it would be fun, that's why?” That is more like a question. I do not exactly mind parties, but being the spectacle is kinda uncomfortable for me. In school, I am neither someone famous nor someone nobody knows about. If my friends have invited them, surely there will not be someone unknown to me. It is my birthday party after all.

“Won't you go down?” Someone asks me, probably Ray. I nod, taking a deep breath, preparing myself to join the crowd.

Before I take a step, my eyes catch sight of the dark ones I have secretly married this afternoon. My husband. The thought feels very foreign, but very impressive. The wedding was not exactly ritualistic but the feelings were very real. I am more than ready to believe that we married this afternoon for real.

The entire world around us pauses as soon as our eyes meet. Admiration, devotion, desire, yearning, love and lust- all of them are reflected in his eyes, very much visible even from such a distance. I have never known one pair of eyes to be able to show this many emotions at once. Staring at him, I find myself confirming a single thought. No matter what anyone thinks or says, and no matter what the situation is, if I am given the choice again and again, I will choose him to be mine every single time. All of my paths start and end with him. Where else would I go in this life if the destination is not him?

I start descending with newfound confidence and a broad smile, my eyes and heart both focused on my ultimate destination.