Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
annalise
“Okay, spill. What’s wrong?” Mazi asks, interrupting the romcom we’re watching that I’ve completely zoned out on.
I light up my second joint of the night, inhaling deeply. I don’t smoke weed often, but after the day I’ve had, it’s much needed. “Nothing, Mazi. I just had a very long day. You know how Veronica can be.” I shrug my shoulders.
“Oh, bullshit! You’ve been dying to watch this movie, and you’re barely paying attention.”
Mazikeen Rivera has been my best friend since I was eight.
I transferred to her elementary school in the middle of the year.
One day during recess, I was trying to get on a swing when a group of bullies pushed me down.
They surrounded me, throwing dirt at me while calling me an alien freak because of my heterochromia.
Mazi marched over and pushed down the biggest kid in our class, Martin Tanner.
She climbed on top of him and punched him in the face, giving him a bloody nose.
All the other kids ran away crying. No one’s messed with me since.
She’s always been extremely overprotective of me and will fight anyone who tries to hurt me.
“I have been paying attention.”
“Okay.” She sits up straight, turning her body toward me. “Then what’s the name of the cat?”
I pause for a moment, thinking. “Uh, wasn’t it Snowball or something like that?”
“There was no fucking cat!” Mazi throws a pillow at me and turns off the television.
“What are you doing? Turn it back on!” I reach over for the remote, but she snatches it up.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on,” she demands.
I take another puff of my joint before answering her. “I ran into Maddox today…”
“What the fuck?” Mazi’s hazel eyes bulge out in bewilderment. “You’ve been home for three hours and you’re just now telling me this?”
“I’m still trying to process everything. Seeing him again after four years…” I lean forward, placing my hands on my thighs, breathing in and out.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“It’s okay, Annalise, we don’t need to talk about it. You can tell me another time.” Mazi rubs soothing circles on my back.
“I saw him at Dauntless. He’s collaborating with us for his own line.
” Hot, angry tears stream down my cheeks as all the emotions I’ve been suppressing resurface.
“Ugh! What did I do to deserve this?” Grabbing a pillow, I throw it on the floor out of frustration.
“First Abuelo, now this! Why can’t God let me be happy? ”
Mazi pulls me into a hug, consoling me while I sob uncontrollably.
“What’s He gonna throw at me next?”
“I’m so sorry, Annalise,” she whispers. “I hope things start looking up for you. I hate seeing you like this.”
Lately, it seems like nothing in my life is going right. I feel like I’m trapped in a relentless rip current, desperately struggling to reach the shore. No matter how hard I fight to break free, every effort feels futile. The harsh waters pull me under every time, leaving me completely exhausted.
“If it’s too much for you, why don’t you just quit Dauntless?”
I sit up straight, staring at her. “What? Are you out of your mind? How am I supposed to give you money for rent?”
“You don’t have to give me anything. A rich couple hired me to shoot their wedding photos, and they offered me a lot of money.”
Mazi is an extremely talented freelance photographer. She started gaining popularity a few months ago, after a famous influencer hired her for an engagement shoot.
She places her hands on my shoulders. “You’re already miserable at Dauntless, and now you have to see that asshole. What kind of best friend would I be if I let you stay in a situation that causes you harm?”
If the roles were reversed, I would’ve done the same thing for her in a heartbeat. As much as I dread seeing Maddox again, I can’t allow Mazi to let me live here rent-free. She’s already covering most of the bills and other expenses, like groceries, herself.
I shake my head. “I don’t feel right freeloading off of you, Mazi.”
“You can pay me back by cooking me your delicious meals.” She bumps her shoulder into mine, smiling. “It’ll only be temporary until you can find another job.”
“It was already hard for me to get a job at Dauntless. I don’t have any other options. Plus, it would look bad on my resume if I quit after a month.” I grab a box of Kleenex and blow my nose. “Hopefully he won’t be there for too long, since it’s just a collaboration. I’ll just have to suck it up.”
Mazi sighs, knowing she won’t win this argument. “Well, if he ever does anything to upset you, best believe I’ll drop everything I’m doing and kick his ass.”
I laugh, even though she is being dead serious.
“Anyways, enough about that piece of shit. Has anyone else on SwipeMates piqued your interest?”
SwipeMates is an app designed for users to find their “soulmates,” but so far I’ve had no luck.
“No. I haven’t been on it since the last date went so horribly.”
The last guy I matched with took me to a cheap buffet that cost ten dollars per person. I wish I had left after dinner, but he suggested we watch a movie I’d been wanting to see.
When we got to the ticket booth, he said, “Since I paid for dinner, you got this, right?” I felt too awkward to say no, so I ended up paying for the tickets—which ended up costing more than dinner.
“Oh, yeah. That guy was such a weirdo,” Mazi says, making a face.
“He actually thought it went well because he texted me the other week asking for a second date.”
“The only date he’s gonna have for a while is with his right hand.” Mazi snickers.
I shake with laughter, my mood slowly lifting.
“By the way, when’s the last time you got laid?”
“I don’t know. Like, seven months ago?”
“Seven months ago?” She blinks twice, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Girl, how are you functioning? It must be dryer than the Sahara Desert down there.”
I roll my eyes while she cracks up at her own joke.
Unlike Mazi, I don’t particularly enjoy having casual, meaningless sex.
Over the years I’ve been single, I’ve slept with a few men, but it always left me feeling unfulfilled.
And I don’t mean that in the sense that they couldn’t satisfy my needs—although some couldn’t.
I just felt empty after the encounters. I craved a deep emotional connection, which was something I would never find in these casual hookups.
A new text buzzes on Mazi’s phone, and she unlocks it to read it.
“Serena says she needs a break from studying for her boards. She wants to meet up at Lush Lounge later.”
A couple of months ago, Mazi met Serena Trinh when she hired her to take graduation photos. They hit it off during the session and have been friends ever since. Mazi usually has trouble making new friends, but I can see why she liked Serena. She has a warm, inviting energy and is easy to talk to.
Since I returned to San Francisco, I’ve hung out with both her and Mazi several times. Currently, Serena works as a nursing assistant at Greenwich Memorial. She’s studying for her NCLEX exam to obtain her license as a registered nurse.
“I think I’m gonna sit this one out.” I stretch my legs out on our sectional, throwing a blanket over my body.
“No, you’re not!” Mazi yanks the blanket from me. “I’m not gonna let you stay home and get high.”
“I don’t wanna go anywhere right now. I just wanna stay here and sulk.”
I do not have the energy to put on makeup or rummage through my closet to find the right outfit.
“Come on! It’ll be fun.” She grabs my hands, smiling. “We’re gonna dance the night away, and maybe you’ll meet a guy who will help you get your mind off of stupid Maddox.”
“Nope. I’m staying home. Go and have fun with Serena.”
I, in fact, did not stay home. I’m currently standing at the entrance of Lush Lounge with Mazi as an intimidating bouncer checks our IDs. He gives us a curt nod and steps aside, allowing us to pass through.
Lush Lounge is the perfect spot for a ladies’ night out.
The vibrant magenta walls and glittery dance floor create a lively atmosphere.
The back wall is adorned with flowers, and there’s an adorable white wooden swing hanging from the ceiling.
A group of girls eagerly take turns on it, giggling and striking poses as they try to capture the perfect Instagram-worthy photo.
We spot Serena at the bar chatting with a burly man who has greasy, sandy-brown hair. He looks out of place in his loud yellow plaid button-up and baggy khakis.
He could definitely use some fashion advice.
“Thank you so much for coming!” Serena pulls us in for a hug. Even in heels, she’s barely over five feet tall. “I felt like my brain was gonna explode if I took another practice exam.”
The man beside her opens his mouth and a creepy, nasally voice oozes out, immediately sending a wave of discomfort through me. “Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friends?”
Serena hesitates, her fingers nervously toying with her glossy black hair. “Oh, sorry, babe.” She forces a smile, clearly trying to smooth over the awkwardness. “This is my boyfriend, Randall. And these are my friends, Mazi and Annalise.”
“Nice to meet you.” He extends his hand, and I shake it reluctantly. His hands are clammy and soft, as if he has never experienced a hard day’s work.
He reaches his hand to Mazi, but she doesn’t take it.
“I thought we were having a girls’ night.” She glares at Randall, revulsion twisting in her face.
“I have to make sure to protect my baby girl from all the creeps.” He possessively wraps his arms around Serena’s waist, kissing the side of her neck.
She lets out a nervous laugh, shooting us an apologetic glance.
“The only creep she needs protection from is you,” I mutter under my breath, just loud enough so Mazi can hear.
We each take one of Serena's arms, linking ours through hers. “Come on—let’s take some shots and then take pictures by the flower wall.”