“Who are they? They look alike.” Diana asked, a note of enthrallment in her voice.
But why wouldn’t she be enthralled? The boys still looked as hot as ever! The difference was that I felt no crush for them, just a hatred as deep as the ocean.
“Maya, aren’t you going to say something?” Diana asked, and I soughed. The girl was really determined to know them. “I know you know who they are. Can’t you tell me?”
I stretched my hand toward her, aware of the furrow in her eyes, but knowing that she understood what I wanted.
Hesitantly, as if not sure, she dipped her hand into her bag, and brought out the bottle of pills.
“Is it that bad? The news about them… is it that bad?” She asked, as she handed the bottle of pills over to me.
I nodded, before opening the bottle, and taking out one pill. On a second thought, I took out another. Just before Diana could say a word, seeing my actions but taking a second too late to react, I threw the pills into my mouth.
“What are you doing?” She shouted. Literally, she shouted.
And for a second, I thought that everyone would hear, and would turn to notice two girls hidden behind masks, holding themselves like they didn’t know what to do with and in a gathering of people like this.
But there was no turning or stopping in movements. People moved as if Diana hadn’t just shouted.
It was then that I realized that the smart girl had clothed us with masking magic. That was fabulous. But still, I didn’t like her shouting at me.
I shrugged, seeing that she was glaring at me.
“You don’t know what will happen with two pills. You don’t know how potent they are! What if there are adverse effects? I don’t know your history with those boys, but are they worth risking your health for, again? Even though you seem okay, it doesn’t mean you are actually okay. Your body is still undergoing massive repairs. Didn’t mother tell you that? And there you go destroying…” She was still speaking, her mouth running like a typewriter printing out words on a paper at high speed, when I quickly put my palm over her mouth.
If anything, this act of mine irated her further. I could see it in the flashing of her already flashing eyes. I squatted to her height, before removing my palm from her mouth a few minutes later.
She was cool now, only because she was curious as to why I had adopted this posture.
“I am sorry, Diana. It won’t happen again.” I mentioned, taking note of the beginning of a glossy state in her eyes. The little girl was about to tear up. I know she was scared for my life, but I was more scared right?
I didn’t know what I was thinking, taking the extra pill. Probably for more composure? Perhaps if Adam approached me? But who says he would even?
I was almost unrecognizable in this outfit of mine. I had been receiving stares since I sauntered into the hall, but they were more of stares of appreciation rather than of a knowing. I gave the pill bottle back to Diana before telling her the truth from my memories.
“Those three boys are behind my trauma. Don’t mind their handsome and cool as cucumber facade. They are beasts, just like their father.” I said, surprised at how calm I sounded, a calm that was threatened by a sudden presence hovering beside me and Diana.
“Hello girls…”
I heard Diana mutter ‘oh god’, but I already knew who was speaking.
As I mentioned earlier in my story, I had been so bullied in this pack, that I knew the voices of my attackers-even if I was woken from a deep slumber-more so the voices of those that had left me for death.
I expected the panic reaction, but I saw none. My body felt normal. Well almost.
Instead of panic, I was feeling an insane bout of anger, the anger that could propel me to kill a person right there, in public.
Diana looked at me worriedly, asking me with her eyes if she should diss Daniel away.
Yes, Daniel. Daniel was the one standing right by us now, the last one in the triplet stand. When had he come? I hadn’t even seen him steal up to our side. Maybe because I had been squatting.
I shook my head, took a deep breath to calm my raging nerves, and stood up to my full height.
Daniel gasped when he saw me. At first I thought it was because he recognised me and for that, I almost panicked, but for the squeezing of my hand by Diana. She was telling me that she was here for me.
So, I steeled myself, waiting for a rebuff or something, not at all expecting his next statement.
“You look very beautiful up close. You from Zophar?”
He didn’t recognise me.
I don’t know whether I should feel relieved that the disguise had worked, or annoyed that the bastard couldn’t recognise the body of the girl he had beaten so shamelessly and wickedly that night, many months ago.
“Yes, she is. You should leave. We are not here to make acquaintances.”
Yeah, you guessed right. That’s Diana for you. She was standing up for me.
I saw a sense of disappointment flick through Daniel’s eyes. He was wondering if I was dumb. I wasn’t surprised. They were so superficial.
Not bothering to give him any more of my precious time, liking the courage which I knew the double pills had enhanced, for my anger was overriding my nervousness and fear-I only hoped that I would have no adverse effects-I walked away from him.
However, I was aware when she turned around and scowled at a Daniel, who I was sure would be confused about the undisguised hate.
Just when I thought I had escaped from him, I flinched suddenly when he grabbed me by the arm, and drew me close, not bothering about a stunned Diana who started to stamp on her feet, probably timing the best time to blast his face.
“Don’t go away, stranger. You are hurting my feelings.”