Just Checking Up!

Ding! Checking my phone, a text popped up. Reading that it was from Lace, a single tap opened it up. Grimacing at it, her drama cast shadows across my face. No one needed this crap, I grumbled internally. Then again, my dumb ass should have blocked her.

“Silks, just checking up!” I read bitterly, her words meaning nothing after she stole my boyfriend. “Can you come out for a party, babe!” Slamming my phone down on my nightstand, the answer was a freaking no. Clattering noises echoed downstairs, chills running up my spine. Fussing with my black and white plaid dress, a quick slide had my feet into my worn Converses. Snatching my bat from beside my bed, my wild burgundy waves floated up with every step down the stairs. Pausing in front of the corner, a squeal had me looking down. Nope, none of me was ready to deal with any of this bullshit.

Ding! Another message popped up, a trail of ruby leading outside of my broken back door. Glass shimmered on the kitchen floor, the color draining from my cheeks. Hovering my quivering thumb over the new message from Lace, a quiet fear settled into my eyes. Tears welled up, a shake of my head shutting that down. Tapping it a couple of times, the shadows returned to my face. Paling further, harsher words had my vision tripling for a moment. Keep your damn self, I shouted internally.

“Remember me.” I whispered under my breath, a person in a hoodie darting past me. Dialing up 911, the figure was gone before I could answer a damn question. Blue and red lights flashed in the distance, a few boot marks getting left. Hours blurred of me talking to the police, my lack of a family forcing me to stay there after they gathered up the necessary evidence. Unless you counted my one friend but I couldn't find myself to bother him. Dots of ruby distracted me from the sad thing called my life, so many tales waiting to be told. What did the trail lead to? Curiosity had me crunching over the glass to figure out what the hell was waiting for me at the end of it. Strangely enough, the ruby trail led to nothing. How peculiar? Making my way back in, nothing could be done. Maybe cleaning up could help in settling my fraying nerves. No, that wouldn't work. Attempting other ways, nothing seemed to break the storm raging in my brain. Still shaken up by the evening’s nightmarish train of events, another ding did little to ease my well earned anxiety.

Sorry for the mess! See you soon! Shivering in my spot, a long breath drew from my lips. What was Lace’s game! Was this even Lace? A chill shot up my spine, a knock causing me to leap ten feet into the air. Scrambling towards the door, slate gray eyes peered into the side windows. Letting in Rip, his usual outfit of his latest band t-shirt and ripped jeans granted me the smallest amount of relief. Running his hand through his silky hair, the jagged edges floated back down around his shoulders. Fixing his side bang, a glint showed off how naturally dark his black hair was.

“Normally I wouldn’t open a text from Lace but she said you wouldn’t respond to her. Holy shit! What went down?” He swore while checking me over for any wounds, the pit in my stomach growing bigger. “I know that I am an hour from your work but do you want to stay with me?” Folding my arms across my chest, his look of concern had my heart skipping a beat. It really wasn’t best for people to get too close to me, hesitation waking up tears in my waterline. Bowing my head in shame, too many emotions rendered me silent. Staring numbly at the blood and glass on my floor, the boot size spoke of a small female boot. Snapping his fingers in front of my face, reality slapped me in the face.

“Please l-” I began to ask, his hand scooping up my broom shutting down my sentence. “What are you doing?” Collapsing to my knees, the paralyzing effects of everything hit me. Glancing back at me while cleaning up the glass, his stern expression stole my heart away. Focus on getting him out before that monster comes back.

“If you won’t come with me, I will stay here. Any friend of mine will always be protected.” He spoke calmly, his head cocking at the boot prints. “These seem awfully feminine. You don’t think that she would go that far, right?” Waving away his concern, all of me had hopes that my suspicions weren’t correct. Donning the brightest smile I could muster, his nerves needed to be settled.

“Right, because stealing my boyfriend wasn’t enough. Maybe she wants to steal my life.” I joked lightly, both of us chuckling nervously. Sweeping the glass into the dustpan, the shattering at the bottom of my metal trash can stressed me out further. A new layer of sweat glistened on my skin, his finger popping into the air.

“Have you had breakfast?” He inquired with a goofy grin, a deep scarlet painting my cheeks. “Looks like a no.” Ding! Hiding my fright with a polite yes, my thumb hovered over the unread message. Jingling ripped me from my zoning out session, his car keys swinging away. Excusing myself to freshen up, every step croaked behind me. Slamming my bedroom door shut, the sheer force blew my hair back. Opening it, a lump formed in my throat.

Enter player number two, Silks! What will you do now? Silent tears dripped onto the screen, a tremble coming over my hand. How long had she been this psychotic? Ding! Crashing into my bed, the painted stars on my ceiling spun around for a moment. Reading the name Rip, a sigh of relief cascaded from my lips. Opening without an ounce of fear, a soft smile spread illuminated my features.

Are you okay? Just the question my poor heart needed, a quick yes hopefully pleasing him downstairs. Changing into a simple black sweater dress, a brush through my hair freshened it up. Gathering my wits, his presence would keep her away. Coming down with my worn leather bag over my shoulder, the weight felt rather light. Choosing to ignore it, his elbow waited for mine. Climbing into his hearse, our seat belts clicked at the same time. Refusing to look at each other while flushing a dark ruby, the hem of my sweater dress became my sole focus. Snapping on the radio, heavy metal blared to life.

Ding! Such a noise drained the color from my cheeks, my breaths shortening. Clicking on the message, every heartbeat picked up speed. Words blurred with fresh tears, the damn joke getting old real fucking quick. Tuning him out, it took a few attempts to read the two lines.

Honk, Honk! The predator seeks the prey. Honking irked Rip, my fingernails digging into my thighs. Ruby pooled around my nails, his eyes flitting in between the road and my current mental state. Clutching my chest, panic swept me into her constricting grasp. Dings exploded from my phone, his own going off just as rapidly. Noticing a dirt road, wheels screeched as he turned down it. Dirt flew up behind him, the shadows swallowing us as he pulled up behind a giant rock. Turning it off, his steady hand moved swiftly to unbuckle both of us. Burying me into a desperate embrace, bright headlights sped past our hiding spot. Tracking them flying down the path, violent sobs joined the wheezes heaving my chest. Breaking down for the first time, a different notification had me pushing him off. Orange flames devoured my home, all that I had crackling away to ash and smoke. Unsure of what to say, his lips parted several times.

“I might need to stay at your place.” I mumbled dejectedly, a small detail catching my eyes. A hooded figure her height was seen fleeing the scene. If that wasn’t her, then who the hell was hunting us down. Why did my life turn into a damn Lifetime movie in a matter of hours! Dissociating to keep my sanity, the fire department showed up in droves. An engine rumbling whipped me back into the situation, our eyes darting around. Clicking off the video, switching our phones to vibrate. Although the last one struck a damn nerve, horror mixed poorly with anger on my face.

Watch your house go up in flames, just like us. Another chill shot up my spine, her words confirming her actions. However a creep brought us to the side of the road, a determined grin stealing away my fright. Not quite, the biggest heroes in my life charged ahead with fright brewing within their soul.

“Fuck it.” I whispered as my breathing returned to normal. “We need to do something about Lace. Not killing but getting her caught. Thankfully, it is all saved on my phone. Cry later and solve the people now. That is how I dealt with my childhood abuse. It helps to not have much, either.” Checking my forehead to see if I was alright, bewilderment twisted his features. How adorable! Pure rage geared me towards revenge, any common sense threatening to leave the building.

“Not that I don’t mind you playing mean girl, you should be shaking in your sneakers instead of whatever this is.” He pointed out with one of his anxiety brimmed smirks, my shoulders shrugging. “Therapy will happen after this? Please tell me that much.” Shoving me underneath the seat, a series of curse words bounced off my tongue. Throwing his woven cemetery blanket over me, his kind voice chatted with a deep male tone. Footfalls crunched away, fresh air relieving my lungs upon him lifting up the blanket.

“What is your plan, my little villain?” He teased playfully, a smirk curling devilishly across my lips. “That smirk doesn’t come with anything sane.” Climbing onto the seat, his face hovered inches from mine. Our breath hitched, his understanding of my thinking process making me want to kiss him.

“If she is going to torch my life, there is going to be some burns.” I growled darkly, a strained huh escaping his lips. “Point is, the moth needs to be drawn to the flames. Let’s go somewhere public. Maybe a library?” Rolling his eyes, the engine roared to life. Backing up, trees became the small town I lived in. Soaking in the old buildings, a deep sorrow threatened to break me. Pulling up to the library, the lack of people would work for my plan. Hopping out, the elderly librarian barely acknowledged us making our way to the back. Sinking into the mismatched chairs by the window, a flurry of vibrations bringing my phone to my face. Opening up the latest one, fear didn’t plague me for the first time.

Moving the chess piece won’t win the game for you. Lace had the balls to send me that one, Rip leaning over to read it. Quiet fright hid underneath his bright smile, his mind working a mile a minute with how to comfort me. Ignoring the message to feign my innocence, my hand covered his mouth. Scarlet flushed our cheeks, neither of us able to speak for a moment.

“She is going to come here and try to get us.” I whispered soft enough for only him to hear. “The library should be obvious enough for someone to call the cops.” Rising to my feet, his eyes tracked me sitting on the closest window’s ledge. People rushed by with every ticking second, a hooded figure coming into view. Glancing up, her cold icy eyes met mine. Game on! Bits of her chic blonde bob stuck out of the hood, dread bubbling in my gut. Let the game begin, specks of dark brown on her face catching my eyes. Sliding off the ledge, Rip’s strong arms helped me steady myself. Mouthing the words that she was here, one nod confirmed the situation. Darting into the shelves of mystery books, the song that announced every entry bounced off the empty space.

“Silks! Why not check out and spare me the trouble of a late fee!” She yelled out impatiently, wheezing underlying her breath speaking of a rough fight. “My boyfriend came to an unfortunate end. Someone couldn’t get over you. Instead of swiping what I couldn’t have, torching it seemed like the right thing to do. Come out! Come out, wherever you are!” Sucking in a deep breath, the librarian didn’t need to check out herself because of me. Holding my head high, Rip’s protests fell on deaf ears as I sauntered into her view. Dropping her hood, a twisted Cheshire Cat grin devoured her features. Evil never looked better on Miss Perfect!

“Two queens stand face to face, ready to bear arms.” She ranted freely, most of me wondering where the hell she pulled that crap from. “Moved on already?” Pointing to the approaching Rip, the frantic librarian pressed the panic button underneath her carved Art Deco desk. Motioning for her to get underneath her desk, the poor woman didn’t need to be told twice. Grateful for her part, the rest of it really wasn't necessary.

“You certainly nailed the torching part. I love not having a home to go to.” I shot back sarcastically, my arms folding across my ample chest. “Sorry about your messy break up. One question, why are you so obsessed with me?” Knowing it would piss her off, floorboards creaked as her petite body bounded towards me. Smashing into me, the cold floor met my cheek. Rolling her underneath me, claw-like fingernails dug into my cheeks. Curse words exploded from my lips, three ruby lines bubbling along each cheek. With my DNA underneath her fingernails, the crime won’t go unpunished. Brandishing a bloody kitchen knife, any confidence faded away. No, failed friendships ended with ghosting. Stabbings were subjects of documentaries, not my real life. Putting my hands in the air, red and blue lights flashed in the distance. Do something or die, I thought rapidly in my racing mind.

“Killing me won’t solve your problems.” I attempted to reason with her, her hands beginning to shake. “No matter what happens, our friendship will never perish.” Dropping the knife, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. Doors burst open, officers flooding in. Getting off of her, a wave of exhaustion stole me into a rough darkness.

Stirring awake, sterile white walls and beeping machines informed me of my location. Hospitals certainly had a smell, an eager Rip rushing over to my side. Rubbing my eyes, his arms buried me into a passionate bear hug. Resting his chin on my head, emotions soaked the top of my head.

“Lace confessed to everything.” He uttered in disbelief, his trembling hands clinging to my hospital gown. “How can one person accept a life sentence?” Lace realized all that she had done, the guilt swallowing her whole. Fighting a wave of mixed emotions, the guilty plea was her way of apologizing. The corner of my lips twitched, my fingers clinging to his t-shirt. Almost dying taught me to blurt out how you felt, true love embracing me.

“I love you.” I confessed into his chest, an awkward silence lingering between us. Waiting with baited breath, his finger lifted up my chin. Pressing his lips against mine with a fiery passion, his answer had been given. Arching my body into his, time slowed down. Getting lost in the kiss, a knock wrecked the moment. Collapsing with an annoyed huff, the tired blonde haired nurse checked me over. Too giddy to hear her words, the lovely lady came in as fast as she entered. Turning on the television to cool things down, the scarlet drained from my cheeks. News of Lace’s death played out over and over again, something feeling off. Recalling the nurse, things began to double. What had that woman done? Struggling to speak, a wave over had Rip stumbling over to my side. What the hell was going on!

“Help.” I wheezed, my fingers clawing hungrily at his arm. The door flying open, an older version of her sprinting towards me. Plucking the nurses button from my bed, the lack of a connection caused a layer of clammy sweat to glisten on his skin. Snatching a vase filled with flowers from the side table, a big throw landed the blow he intended. Crashing feet from me, petals floated into the air. Splashing noises did little to take me out of the new fuzziness, a loud fuck exploding from his lips. Scooping up a piece of broken glass, a flick of his wrist thrust the shard of glass into her throat. Shivering in his spot, emergency personnel surrounded him. Dragging him away, another nurse’s blurry face hovered over mine. Blinking a few times, the drug her friend injected into my IV swept me away into a deep slumber.