Page 52

the monster isn't under the bed

I was on a good streak of not getting detention lately. So, on Friday after school, I was able to go to Jamiel's house. Lin was going to meet all of us later as he had tutoring. We hung out, playing a few board games to pass the time before his parents came home.

“Hi Iri and Hyacinth, how are you two?” His mother smiled at us.

“We’re good, miss,” Iri replied, as I shot her a smile.

“Would you like me to order some pizzas or…?”

“We’re going to a party soon,” Jamiel said.

“Is there alcohol?”

“Yeah.”

His mother laughed. “Best not to have an empty stomach then.” And pulled out her phone. “I’ll order something. Anything special?”

“Just whatever should be fine, thanks mama!” he said as she left the room.

Jamiel’s other mother offered to drive us there and to pick us up if we wanted to.

“Bye mum!” Jamiel lightly pecked his mother's cheek.

“Call if you’re not feeling safe,” she told us. “I mean it, any of you.”

“Thank you,” we replied and left the car. It was a large house, with a tall, stoned fence and metal gates .

We entered the house and were immediately offered drinks, even though people usually just brought their own. I pulled out a pill and popped it in my mouth.

I’ve been feeling extra drained lately, even though I hadn’t been doing any assignments and training a bit less. I spent more time meditating than sleeping.

Iri dragged me towards a girl. “This is Poppy,” Iri beamed. “She’s in the grade below us.” Then she leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Please, be nice to her, she thinks you’re really cute.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t give a f–”

“Please, you owe me, remember?”

I squinted at her. “This is why you really wanted me to come tonight, isn’t it?”

She gave me an innocent smile. “You and Cel are officially done with each other now, aren't you?”

I don't know. We still haven't talked, and she refuses to look at me. Iri had been bitter about the situation as well, knowing I was the reason Cel wasn't talking to her either. At least, Jamiel and Lin weren't giving me shit about it.

“Unless you really do have feelings for–”

I rolled my eyes, letting out an annoyed breath. “I’ll give her five minutes.” Hopefully less.

Iri let out a small squeal. “Thanks, Cinth! I’m going to find Jamiel.” Before I could stop her from leaving me alone with this girl, she was already gone.

I stared at Poppy in front of me. Brown hair that curled to her shoulders, big brown eyes, and a thick curvy body, typical Souic beauty standard. Though, everyone just looked even more bland now after I met Cel.

After I kissed Cel .

I felt my face burn, still in disbelief that we had done that. Thank the gods it was dark in here. Lin knew about it, giving me looks every time someone brought Cel up, but he was waiting for me to talk about it first. Though, I was planning on taking it to my urn.

Poppy leaned towards me and looked up at me through her lashes. “So, are you thinking about going to the formal?”

“No,” I said plainly, then I thought about Iri. I needed to be nice and maybe Poppy could distract me from Cel. I cleared my throat. “Are you going?”

She twisted a strand of her hair around her finger. “I mean, I was thinking of going, but I was hoping to go with a date.”

“Oh.” I shoved my hands in my pocket. I hate talking to girls, minus Iri and Cel. Get away from my thoughts, you witch. “Cool.”

“You're not going with Celestine, are you?”

“I'd rather not talk about her.”

Poppy sipped her beverage, hiding a smile. “Do you not drink?”

“No,” I responded. “I don’t like the taste.” Nor do I like the feeling of losing control over my body, like I did at that one party– Gods, don't think about it.

“Alcohol makes me really warm.” She unbuttoned the top few buttons of her blouse, revealing more of her large chest. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“Not really.” My eyes looked around the room boredly, hoping to spot one of my friends to save me. I can’t do this. I thought this would help, but I was so wrong.

Poppy took my hand and put it on her waist. “Do you want to dance?”

I pulled my arm away from her. “No.”

She sighed. “You’re really not interested in me at all, are you?”

I met her eyes. “I wasn’t hiding it.”

Her eyes squinted into a glare. “Kiss me once and I’ll let you leave. ”

My body physically recoiled at her words. “Uh, no.” I gave her a weird look. “I’m going to the bathroom.” I went around her, and she took my hand and pulled me back to her. I snatched my hand out. “Don’t touch me,” I growled.

“I’m not leaving you alone until you do. Iri promised you would take me to the formal next weekend. So it’s either you kiss me now or you take me to the formal.”

“Why would she promise that?” Iri could not be this upset with me.

“She said you owed her, and she owes me.”

I looked up in search for Iri. I’m going to kill her. Instead, I locked eyes with Cel.

She was sitting on top of the kitchen counter, facing us with her legs crossed in front of her.

A couple people stood around her, chatting, but she wasn't listening to them. She took slow sips of her drink and looked just a bit more angrier with the shadows casted under her eyes. I didn’t know she would be here.

I slithered my arm out of Poppy’s grip, but she continued to grab my arm. “Stop it. I’m not going to kiss you and I’m not taking you to the formal.”

“You’re being so difficult.”

“And you’re embarrassing yourself.”

She sighed and forced my hand on her. “I’m sure if you tried, you’d like me.”

I quickly snatched my hand away.

“You–”

I stopped myself. I can't do anything to her, she's a classmate. It's one thing to punch another boy but to harm a girl would be… “Just give me a bloody moment,” I muttered. This is why I tried to avoid relationships and touching, it just makes me feel uncomfortable. Except with Cel.

Surprisingly, Poppy let me leave, probably thinking I'd come back.

No thanks. I walked out of the room and to the kitchen to get some water.

The sink was right next to where Cel sat.

I turned on the tap, holding a new cup underneath.

Before it was even halfway filled, Cel pushed the handle down, stopping the water.

I turned to her. “Really?”

She pretended as if she had done nothing at all, suddenly interested in the conversation in front of her.

I turned the water back on and this time, before she could reach the handle I grabbed her wrist. “Don't you dare.”

She gave me this half, amused smile. “You shouldn't waste water,” she said. “Don't you know there are people dying of thirst in the West side?”

Like I give two shits about them. “ I am going to die of thirst if you don't let me fill my cup.”

She let out a gentle laugh, switching legs so she was turned more towards me. “You are so dramatic, Cinth.”

My cup was overfilling, spilling all over my hand, so I released her and turned off the tap, downing the entire cup in one go. I set down the cup and looked at her again.

“What are you even doing here?” I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Thought you didn’t go to parties anymore.”

The last time she was at a party we played spin the bottle, then all those interviews about her came out, dragging her character through the mud, so she had avoided parties and all social gatherings since.

“I was invited,” she said. “I wasn’t going to come, but I didn’t want to go home. Though, after watching you and that girl interact, I'm glad I came.” She laughed.

I let out an agitated noise.

“Yeah, I didn’t think she was your type.” She leaned her weight back on her hand, blinking slowly.

“What do you think my type is? ”

Cel gave me a sideways glance. “Not her.”

I scoffed. “I don’t have a type.” Whatever Cel was, that was my type.

“Where are your friends? Shouldn’t you be with them?” Her head nodded, she could barely keep her eyes opened.

“I'll look for them later, but why don't you want to go home?”

“I'm mad at Silias.”

“For what reason?”

“I don't always agree with the things he wants me to do,” she answered in a bored tone.

“What did he ask?”

Her mouth opened to speak, but then she closed it. It didn't seem like she would go more in depth with it, so I didn't pester her.

“You’ve ignored me all week and now you're talking to me normally,” I said.

She turned her eyes down. “Not like you really tried to talk to me either.”

No, I guess not. “I didn't know what to say.”

She shrugged, sipping her drink. “Do you regret it?”

“Do you?”

“I asked you first.”

I was afraid if I answered it truthfully, it would scare her away. I don’t regret it, but I will if I really had taken advantage of her and if it messes up what we had. Whatever that was.

“No.” I finally said.

When we met, all those months ago, I wanted nothing more than to see the fear on her face while I split her insides open.

I don’t know how we got here or when my view on her changed, when I started calling her Celestine instead of Reaper in my head or when I began feeling like her presence around was normal, but I know that I never wanted to lose this.

She gave me parts of myself I thought I lost and things I didn’t even know existed.

“Do you regret it?” I asked her in a soft voice.

“I really wanted to do that with you so bad, but.” She paused. “You're going to get hurt because of it and I'll never forgive myself for my carelessness.”

“Carelessness?” I questioned. “You haven't been very subtle.” She started all this, she drove me to this point. Why is she backing out now? That's not fair to me.

“Yeah,” her voice was low. “I wasn't.”

“Isn't whatever the two of you had over?” Poppy sneered, standing close to me and just in front of Cel's legs, attempting to grow the distance between us.

“Gods, you can't take no for an answer,” I muttered.

Poppy's face turned red with anger. “You're supposed to be talking to me.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Nobody controls me.