Chapter 7 #2
Tell your friend his life is his. My life is mine. The thought scares me.
But it also feels the tiniest bit hopeful.
38) You’re Both Dead
Rava
I groan, rub my eyes, and reach blindly for the glass of water I swear I left on the nightstand last night.
Instead of the cool touch of glass, I get a sharp gasp, not from me. From someone else.
Daisy sits right across from me at my desk, staring at me like a psychopath.
I sleep to avoid people's stares and now people stare at me while I sleep.
"What the f— Jesus." I jump, nearly knocking the lamp over.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
She tilts her head, her grin widening.
"Well, well. Good morning to you, sunshine. How was it?"
Oh God. She knows about the kiss.
"No. Nope. Not you too. Stop it. All of you. Stop." I flop back down, dragging the blanket over my head.
Daisy doesn't move. "Relax, Rava. I didn't come here just for that. Though I should have, because this is so juicy. And I need details."
"There are no details," I snap from under the blanket.
"Okay, drama queen… I actually came to ask if you wanna come with me at the village festival. Since you can't go out with your beloved Gio." She drops her voice. "You'll come with me instead."
I poke my head out. "Why the hell would I want to come with you and your friends to some random village festival? I don't even know them."
"You know Layla," she says.
Oh God. Her.
Jesus, that girl is a witch. Literally.
Every time I see her she hands me crystals like I'm supposed to charge them with my feelings or something, and then she tries to read my aura and psychoanalyze me and predict my future in the same breath.
She terrifies me. Like sincerely.
I groan. "Yeah. And I'd rather chew glass than hear her talk about her chakras again."
Daisy cackles and crosses the room, sitting beside me and pulling me into a tight, warm hug.
"Come on. Please. I barely get to see you since you run off to Canada, Mr. International. Can I not spend one evening with my brother?"
Ugh. That's unfair. Everyone knows emotional manipulation is my weakness. They exploit it like it's a coupon.
I let out a long sigh, resting my forehead against her shoulder. "Okay," I mutter.
She squeals and pulls back, hands on my cheeks.
"Yes! We are leaving at 7:00PM. Wear something that won't scare my girls."
…
I walk downstairs to the kitchen.
My dad is already at the table, signing documents. I honestly feel sorry for the people who start deals with him.
They have no idea what they're getting into. I feel insanely uncomfortable being in the same room as him right now.
Ideally, I do not wanna be anywhere near him after last night.
All of last night.
The slap, and then everything I found out about him from Gio.
I didn't know he was one of the reasons Gio's dad ended his own life.
I didn't know my father's name sits in someone else's tragedy like that.
And now that I do, I can't look at him the same way. I feel ashamed.
"Good morning," he says without looking up.
I don't answer. I grab a glass, pour water, drink.
I turn my back to him on purpose.
Do I feel bad? No. And on the off chance I start to feel bad, I just replay the sound of his hand hitting my face in my head.
"You sleep alright?" he tries again.
I hate that. God, I hate it so much. He always does this.
He snaps one day, acts like nothing happened the next. I stare at the wall above the sink.
"Fine," I say flatly.
He clears his throat. "I, uh. I shouldn't have raised my voice yesterday."
Excuse me?
I actually turn my head to see if anyone else heard that or if I'm hallucinating.
Raised his voice. Am I delusional?
My cheek literally had a full red handprint stamped on it for ten minutes.
Did I imagine that part?
Was that my overactive imagination and some light breeze that happened to feel like an open palm across my face?
Because as far as I remember, his voice was pretty much attached to his hand.
"You didn't just raise your voice," I say. "You slapped me."
He shifts in his seat, the mask slipping just for a second.
"You were provoking me."
I go cold, then I laugh.
Someone please stop this insanity.
I provoked him. Of course. Of course that's the fucking story.
He steps closer and puts his hand on my shoulder, trying to turn me so I'll face him.
I grab his wrist and shove his hand down off me.
First time I ever react that fast.
He's almost startled.
I step back, eyes steady. "Don't raise your hand to me again."
I say. "Ever."
He freezes.
I hold his stare a moment longer. What is he gonna do? Hit me again?
I grab my glass and walk upstairs without waiting for an answer. My heart is beating concerningly fast, but I'm proud of myself. Actually proud.
If only he knew what I went through yesterday after the slap. If he knew the thoughts I had, the roof, Gio, all of it, I would probably earn ten more.
I go back up to my room, close the door and fall onto the bed.
Maybe I'll go to the beach today. The sun is insane.
I feel like I'm literally getting cooked right now.
Give me fifteen minutes and open curtains and I'll have the tan everyone's jealous of.
Peace. Silence.
"JIN. YOU ABSOLUTE PIECE OF SHIT."
I flinch. My eyes snap open. What the hell.
Footsteps. No, stampede. Rush up the stairs.
I barely have time to sit up when my door slams open and in comes Jin, wild-eyed, hair all over the place, panting like he'd just outrun a bear.
"Why doesn't your door have a lock!" he shouts, slamming it shut behind him and leaning against it like he is in a horror movie.
"What the fuck? What's going on?"
"Help me," he wheezes. "We need to hold it!"
"What?"
"JUST HOLD THE DAMN DOOR, MAN!!"
I stumble up, still shirtless and slightly cooked, and grab the handle next to him just as Daisy's fists pound against the other side.
"JIN OPEN THIS DOOR OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL RIP YOUR FACE OFF!"
My entire body jerks. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" I shout over the chaos.
Jin turns to me, completely unbothered, barely hiding a grin. "I may have added a little bit of blue-colored shampoo to her conditioner," he says.
"You what."
He shrugs. "Her hair was looking too peaceful. It needed some drama."
I stare at him. Absolutely horrified.
"You didn't."
"Oh, I did," he says, and then starts laughing like a gremlin.
And I hate myself, but I laugh too.
The image of Daisy, stomping around with smurf highlights, is just too much.
"DAISY," I yell through the door between giggles. "It's not permanent! It's just, uh, a slight enhancement!"
"I'M GONNA ENHANCE YOUR GRAVES."
Jin coughs from laughing. "Technically it's semi-permanent. Big difference."
Another bang on the door.
The whole thing rattles like it's gonna fly off the hinges.
I look at him. "She's actually gonna kill you."
"I know," he grins. "But worth it, right?"
Honestly, yeah. I can barely hold the door anymore.
Jin's shoulder presses against mine, both of us gasping, and barely keeping Daisy out with all the force in the world.
She pounds on the other side like she wants to break the laws of physics. I hear drawers slamming in the hallway. She looks for weapons. Probably a shoe. Or a lamp.
"Rava Weston, how dare you help this shit?!" she shrieks.
My whole name. Not a good sign.
Jin mumbles, "She's gone nuclear."
"You think I won't tell everyone about your secrets?!"
My brain goes blank. For exactly 1.5 seconds.
This bitch. I open the door.
Jin shrieks, "RAVA NO. WHAT ARE YOU DOING."
"I'm handling it," I say, grab the handle, and swing the door open.
I look at Daisy. And her hair.
God. Her hair is so blue. Not cool girl blue. No…
This is ‘accidentally rinsed my head in pool chemicals’ blue.
A weird, patchy, angry smurf blue. Like the ocean had beef with her and spat back.
I double over, grab my stomach, and laugh until I wheeze.
Daisy's head snaps toward me like a horror movie doll. "You think this is FUNNY?" she screams.
I raise a hand, still breathless. "It's just... it's so blue. I mean, wow."
She doesn't say a word. Just turns to Jin.
"JIN, YOU'RE DEAD."
And he runs. Around my room.
Knocking into furniture, tripping over my shoes, yelling.
"Rava HELP ME. SHE'S INSANE. SHE'S GOT SOAP IN HER EYES SHE CAN'T EVEN SEE."
"SHUT UP AND LET ME KILL YOU." Daisy shrieks, right behind him, slipping on my rug and launching a throw pillow at his head.
I lean against the wall, crying with laughter, watching them sprint in circles around my bed.
She swears so fast I can't even keep up with the insults. Jin knocks into my desk, nearly topples my lamp, and keeps going.
He looks back at me mid run. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE OLDER brOTHER. DO SOMETHING."
"I am," I say through gasps.
"I'm documenting your last moments."
They keep running. She keeps screaming. And I just laugh harder. For a moment, I forget about everything else. All the noise in my head, all the pressure, the fear, the things I can't say.
Gone. Just me, my brother, and a blue-haired banshee trying to kill us both. Perfect.
…
We sit in the wreckage of what used to be my room.
There are pillows everywhere. My comforter is halfway off the bed. A single sandal is on my desk.
Daisy sits stiffly on the edge of my mattress, still soaking wet, radiating murder energy.
Jin slumps onto the floor, gasping. I half expect him to crawl under my bed and stay there for the rest of his life.
I pick up the bottle of shampoo from where it rolls near the door. It has glittery letters and a very misleading mermaid on the front.
"Let's see," I say, trying to sound casual.
"Color infused hydrating magic. Intense pigment. NOT for light-colored hair. Oh look, side effects may include dramatic family fights." I look at her, smiling. "Classic Jin product choice."
She doesn't move.
Just keeps glaring at Jin like she calculates which part of his body to start with.
"Daisy," I try, putting on my most reasonable voice. "It's just blue. Blue's in, right?? E-girls, fairies, um, avatar! Yeah, people love it!"