3. Serena
THREE
SERENA
“ A re you fucking kidding me?” Jess shouts while shoving another chocolate chip cookie in her mouth. “The audacity of that fucking piece of shit.”
The crumbs fall onto her shirt, and I reach over and brush them away. She looks down, and gives me an appreciative smile. Cookies are her kryptonite. She is a health nut, but when it comes to her favorite cookies, she can’t say no.
“I know,” I sniffle. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but-” I wipe away the tears streaking down my cheeks. “I just… I wasn’t expecting this” I try to collect myself, failing until Jessica wraps me in her arms, and brushes her hand down my hair.
She takes a deep breath, “Shhh, I’m right here, he didn’t deserve you when you lost your mom, and he sure as shit doesn’t deserve you now.”
My breathing becomes erratic, her words helping heal the reopened wound in my chest. “I know, I just thought... Shit I don’t even know what I thought.”
I thought that after being estranged for so long my father wanted to start to rebuild the bridge he tore down. That he wanted to be a family again. That I could be his little girl again. That will never happen.
She starts to rub my back, concern etched on her face, she says. “You thought that after five years of being absent this was his way of trying to rekindle what he broke.”
I look up at her with a snot filled face. “I mean, after the email exchanges, and him degrading my career choice, I should have known better”. Jessica hands me a tissue, and I attempt a watery smile before blowing into it. “I don’t know Jess, I just wish that tonight would’ve gone better, instead of turning into this mess.”
She wipes the blotched mascara running down my face and pushes the hair that came loose from my bun away from my eyes. “You know, the night isn’t over yet.” she says with a devilish smile. “In fact, the night is still young, and I say we do what we haven’t done in awhile”
I smile a little, because I know exactly what she is thinking, it’s the same thing Jess always suggests when one of us is having a bad day. Although I feel like it is always for me. I swear Jessica never has any bad days.
“We haven’t done that for a hot minute because people always look at us weird, mostly me, when we go out.” I whisper looking down at my hands. But it’s true, everytime I go out with Jessica, the stares we get are looks of confusion or pity. Always directed at me, which makes me feel uncomfortable and even more insecure than I already feel standing next to her.
She pulls me to my feet, grabbing my shoulders and, placing me right in front of her, a wicked smile on her face. “Time to let the devil out”.
“Speaking of the devil, did you see the Morbid Monet, struck again?”
She lets me go, “You seriously need to stop obsessing over that psycho.”
“I know, but I can’t there's just something about his work.” I say with a dazed face.
“Work!? Serena, he kills women, who, no offense,” she motions up and down, “Have your body type. That isn’t work, he needs to be locked up.”
Ouch.
I sigh, knowing I need to pick my battles wisely with Jess. This is one battle I know I will lose, so I nod my head in defeat, and we head to my room so I can get ready all over again.
I look over at my best friend, her eyes a beautiful shade of honey brown, her blonde, wavy hair cascading all the way down to her lower back. She smiles at me, emphasizing her cute button nose and small lips. Lips that she makes look bigger using lip liner and lipstick. I force a smile back, trying to shrug off the jealousy I feel. Jess is who everyone, including me, wishes they looked like.
She riffles through my closet, pulling out a tight black dress that stretches to fit any body type. With wide eyes, I shake my head no, she frowns, but puts it away with a sigh. Jess has always said I need to own my curves, but that’s hard to do, since I want to hide away from the world tonight. She goes back to rifling through my closet, and I turn and sit down at my little black vanity. Turning to face the mirror, I lean over the table, my breast pressing against it, I start putting on my fake cat eye eyelashes.
She screams, making me jump out of my skin, nearly poking my eyes out when she excitedly yells. “This is perfect, Serena you have,” she says the words with extra enunciation, “-To wear this tonight.”
Turning around, my eyebrows raise at the red dress that is dangling from her hand. “Yeah, no, I am not wearing that- it is skin tight, and I do not want to show off every roll I have.”
She stalks towards me, raises her right hand and smacks me on the back of my head. Rubbing the now sore spot, I glare at her through the mirror. She ignores my glare and protest and says, “Bitch you are fucking beautiful, and this dress was made for those curves- at least try it on before you say no.” She sticks out her bottom lip, makes her already big eyes bigger, and shoves the dress towards me.
I look at the dress, then her pleading face, roll my eyes, and reluctantly grab it from her. “Fine, but if I look like a beached whale, I’m just going to wear what I had on.”
She starts clapping and jumping up and down, excited that she won this round. Then eyes the baby blue dress lying on my bed in disgust, walks over and holds it with two fingers away from her body. “That does not scream ‘let the devil out,’ this-.” She motions to the red dress I’m slipping over my head. “Screams Lucifers play thing, and the world needs to bow at your feet, in reverence.”
She walks over to me and zips me up. I eye myself in the mirror, stunned at the person staring back at me. “I guess, I could be worshiped for one night.”
Jessica smacks my ass, making me jump, “That’s the spirit!”
She slides her hands around my waist, and resting her head on my shoulder, “See I told you, this is the one” she kisses my cheek, leaving a pink lip print, and saunters away.
I stare breathless at my own reflection. My inky hair is braided to one side, draping over my shoulder and caressing my skin through a cutout in the dress. My dark blue eyes shine brightly, highlighted by my smoky eye, making them look more vibrant. Like the waves Poseidon rides. Applying a bright red lipstick to my plump lips, matching the red dress perfectly. I stare at my reflection admiring the curves in the dress, grateful for my new workout routine and meal plan. I started that a couple months ago. I’d bought this dress in hopes of one day being able to wear it, I guess today is that day thanks to Jess.
I turn, grab my black pumps just as Jess is putting on her red ones. We both look in the mirror one last time, and head out for a night destined to make the devil say, ‘Fuck’.
The bass is pumping in the club with the song “Baby Don’t Hurt Me” blasting through the sound system, the DJ adding some remix beats to it. Jess and I are drunk on the dance floor, dancing the night away, and releasing all our problems with each drink and sway of our hips. She is grinding her butt against my stomach, and I hold her hips, swaying them back and forth. We lose ourselves in the music, and as the song ends, we're both dragged down from our high, and I notice two overly eager drunk guys walking towards us.
One of them is much better looking than the other, his brown hair pulled back in the way I like. Wearing a loose fitted blue shirt and dark jeans. Holding a drink in each hand, clear intent in his eyes. He looks to be around six feet with a lean build, muscular arms, walking with his head held high and a cocky swagger, as if he owned the place.
His friend next to him is a little shorter, but still taller than us, wearing a green shirt with black skinny jeans. He’s lean, but his arms are smaller, you can tell he skips arms day at the gym. He has black hair, bleached tips. He also carries himself in an overly arrogant way, that’s immediately off putting.
They walk over to us, the taller one going straight to me. He lifts his drink, with a wink and says with a slur, “You look like you could use a drink after all that dancing you were doing.”
Jessica looks at me with a silent look of ‘I’ll get rid of them’. She leans forward, her cleavage spilling out of the top of her dress, in a flattering way, receiving looks from both men. I watch the Adam's apple bob on the throat of the shorter one.
“How would you know if we were thirsty and needed a drink after dancing?” Jessica looks them up and down, “Unless you two pervs, were watching us all night like some type of stalkers?”
The hotter of the two sweeps his eyes over her body, slowly stopping to look into her eyes. “What if that was exactly what we were doing, and just waiting for the right moment to strike? '' He says with a venomous smile.
Jessica rolls her eyes, and with the sweetest voice says, “Well then I’d say you wasted your night; thanks, but no thanks. We don’t take drinks from strangers.”
Just as she goes to walk away the guy steps in front of her and says, “My name is Garth, and this is Tim, now we’re not strangers.”
Jessica grabs my hand and pushes Garth out of the way. I feel a tug on my arm, looking back to see the one named Tim grabbed me to stop me from leaving. He gulps again, regaining some of his arrogant swagger, finally speaking up, “Are you sure you’re not interested? You could have the best night of your life with the both of us.” He turns his head towards Garth, and gives a serpentine smile.
Jessica steps in front of me, pushing me behind her, and placing her hands outwards, in a protective gesture. She glares at Tim, and says with the most menacing voice, “Touch her again, and I promise I will rip off your dick, and shove it so far up your friend's ass, you'll wish you never spoke to us. Don’t make me repeat myself again, we are not interested, so kindly fuck off.”
Stifling a laugh, the two men stand there pissed and stunned. Jessica takes my hand, “I think it’s time for some new scenery.”
Nodding my head in agreement, we take off running out of the club into the night. We’re instantly hit with a cool breeze, and I rub my arms to elicit some heat in my goosebump covered arms. We stop running a few blocks away, breathless, and start laughing hysterically.
“Oh my god, Jess! I can't believe you just said that.”
She places her hands on her knees to catch her breath, giggling, “It’s girls night, and I didn't want those losers ruining it.”
“Well I'm glad you did. I wasn't interested in either of them, and you probably saved us from being roofied.”
“You’re probably right.” She sits on the curb of the sidewalk, pulling me down next to her, and laying her head on my shoulder. “So do you feel better now?” She nuzzles into my neck.
I smile and pat her head, “Yes I do, thank you for tonight.” I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, and another email apology from my sperm donor I call father flashing across the screen.
If he thinks a couple emails are going to fix what he said, he is sorely wrong. How could he just drive away? I know I’m not the daughter of the year, and we’ve been estranged since mom passed, but I never expected it to go that way. I’m hurt from his words, his absence in my life, the disappointment in his eyes from my life choices. I start to rub my cheek, and my eyes start to water.
I feel Jess’s shoulder nudge mine, I look over and see the concern laced in her eyes. She starts to rub my back, trying to comfort me. “This night is for you, not Thomas.” She pushes my phone down, “Ignore him, Let's go back to your house and we can get in our pajamas, watch horror movies, and eat to our hearts content. What do you say?” A small smile starts to spread across her face.
Turning my phone on silent, I tuck it into my bra and sigh. “Okay, you had me at horror movies and snacks, that sounds like a perfect way to end tonight”
She gleefully stands up, pulling me up with her, and linking our arms together, before pulling out her phone to order an Uber. I place my hand across her screen, stopping her. Jess looks at me, her brow furrowed.
“Actually, can we go get one more drink at a bar down the street? I've been wanting to check it out, and there is no way in hell I want to go home yet, since we look like this. I don't want to miss my chance to seduce Lucifer himself,” I say with a wink. “Just a small nightcap, then we can go back to my house.”
She puts her phone down and smiles. “Of course babe, this night is for you, show me the way and I will follow.”
After a ten minute walk, we arrive at the bar. The ‘Boozy Books’ Neon sign, lighting up the night sky. “This is the place.” I grab Jessica's arm, an excited smile spreads across my face and we walk in.