Chapter 6 #3
Lavender stepped out of the doorway to the curb and sat down.
The aroma seeping off of her filled my nostrils and made my eyes water.
I kept my distance and followed her. She was in her uniform, wearing vibrant red polyester pants and a Big Top Pizzeria employee t-shirt, the ones staff wore in the back.
I knew she had switched her hours, but I didn’t realize she was working the nightshift tonight, or I would have clocked out early to avoid her.
You cannot trust her.
I held onto the information Zeth shared.
My hand reached into my pocket and pulled out another cigarette from the box.
Once I lit the end and exhaled, my eyes drifted over to Lavender who was staring out into the alley.
“You wanted to talk?” There was a tinge of annoyance in my tone.
Lavender just sat there. If she wanted to talk, why the fuck wasn’t she talking?
Patience.
She sighed loudly. “Yeah, about a couple things.”
“Okay. Well I’m still on the clock, so…” My hands were palm up in front of me as if in invitation, waiting for her to say whatever she needed to say.
Lavender began picking at a loose red string on her pants.
“I hate to ask, but—” I took a deep inhale of my cigarette, anticipating the dreaded question.
She was probably about to ask me to cover her shift, knowing how much I needed the money.
And as much as I hated the idea of it, working alone at night didn’t sound half bad.
At least I wouldn’t have to worry about customers.
Lavender cleared her throat. “Would you mind covering one of my nightshifts? I need to go to the—”
“Fine.” I interrupted, ashing my cigarette at my feet, not wanting to look up at her. Why she needed her shift covered was none of my business. “What day?”
“Oh, uh, tomorrow.” Lavender stumbled the word out.
Cris-sa. Put out the cigarette and leave.
I ignored him. I was finishing the damn cigarette. Fuck Zeth.
“Okay.” I took a long drag, eyeing my ex-friend. “Was there something else?”
“Yeah,” Lavender muttered quietly. “I wanted to say…that I really am sorry for everything that’s happened lately.
And before you say anything, I’m apologizing for myself…
no one else.” She paused. “I–I’ve missed you.
” She shifted on the curb to look directly at me.
I turned my head, my gaze scrutinizing. “Crissa, I really have missed you. And I’m really sorry.
For everything. From the bottom of my heart.
” She placed her hands on her chest and poked out her bottom lip.
A demonic groan rumbled in my mind.
Crissa, this human is obviously lying to you. You cannot trust her. She is toying with you.
Every fiber of my being wanted to believe Lavender, but something inside of me just couldn’t quite reach forgiveness. Aside from Zeth.
“Okay, Lavender.” Was all I could manage to say. “I’ll let Tawny know I’ve got your nightshift tomorrow." I stubbed out my cigarette and tossed the butt in the nearby dumpster.
Opening the backdoor, I made a bee-line to the office where Tawny was sitting, penciling out the next schedule. My knuckle tapped the door as I peeked my head in. “Hey Tawny, I’m gonna take Lavender’s shift.”
She raised her brow in concern. “You sure?” I nodded. “And everything’s okay, kid?” She asked in an accusatory tone. I nodded again and she made adjustments on the document in front of her before looking up at me. Her eyebrows raised to the middle of her forehead, blue eyeshadow on full display.
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “It’s fine, Tawny.”
“It better be.”
Why didn’t you listen to me earlier?
The huskiness of Zeth’s voice was in my ear as I lay in bed, holding a teddy bear to my chest. “I heard you the first time, Zeth.” I tugged at the stuffed bear’s ear. “Why do you keep saying that about her?”
The longer Zeth and I remained connected, the more I came to understand him. And right now, he was feeling annoyed.
I told you to leave because that human cannot be trusted.
“Well, I guess call me an idiot, but—”
You’re an idiot.
I rolled my eyes. This demon was doing me no good.
“I didn’t mean literally,” I groaned. “And I was curious to know what she had to say.” I stopped, recalling everything she said to me.
“I’m just covering a shift for her. All that other stuff, no matter how bad I’d like to believe it, I know it’s not true. ” Sadly.
No part of you should believe her.
“She was my best friend, Zeth. We grew up together, and spent every waking moment hanging out. I can’t help it if part of me still wishes to believe the same kid I once knew is still in there.
To believe that somehow, we could go back to the way things were.
” My voice felt weak as I replied, but I really couldn’t help it.
A little part of me did miss what we used to have, but a bigger part of me knew it would never be like that again.
She is a liar, Crissa. A liar who is using you. She does not wish to be your friend again. None of them do.
I sat up in bed, still clutching the teddy bear, and rushed to my vanity.
My reflection darkened and morphed until it was Zeth’s demonic version of my face staring back at me.
He smiled as my voice rose. “I don’t want to be her friend again, Zeth!
Fuck!” An unsettling darkness loomed above my reflection.
Then why are you doing her a favor?
“Because I need the money! And the distraction helps.” My voice was small again. He stared at me. “What?” I snapped.
Nothing. It’s just intriguing how alike you two are.
I rolled my eyes and fell back onto the bed. “Whatever,” I groaned. I pulled the quilt over myself and cuddled the teddy bear close. The last thing I remembered was hearing the front door slam closed when my roommate got home.
So similar.