Chapter 4

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓

°. ⋆༺♱༻⋆. °

It was 7pm. I had done my homework and I was currently rummaging through my closet, trying to find something appropriate to wear. Would a dress be too much? Probably. It was a slumber party, after all. My comfortability was a priority. Therefore, I settled for turquoise flared leggings and a white lacy long-sleeved top, paired with one of my favourite furry zebra-print jackets.

I looked at myself in the mirror, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Jennifer looked effortless. It is like she always woke up looking like a goddess. I could never compare to her. I looked bland and insignificant.

Which was ironic, because, back at home, my silky blonde hair, my sparkly green eyes and my freckles were envied. I looked like the perfect Californian, sunny girl.

But in this bleak town, it seemed as if the beauty standard was different. Dark, mysterious looks with a dangerous edge. Jennifer fit that standard perfectly.

The time had already gone by. It was 7:40pm. I did not want to be late, so I put my hair up in a respectable ponytail, put my favourite pink lip gloss on, sprayed my coconut perfume and rushed down the stairs.

To my relief, my dad was ready and waiting for me.

“Ready to go, Lil?”

My heart stuttered, remembering how Jennifer had used the same nickname earlier.

“Ready.”

°. ⋆༺♱༻⋆. °

My dad dropped me off outside of her house at exactly 7:58pm.

The exterior of the house was white. It was small and the paint looked chipped. I must confess, it caught me off guard. I’d expected the queen bee to live in a mansion or something.

Then again, she’d proved that she wasn’t like the other popular girls.

I climbed the steps leading to her porch and took a deep breath before knocking on her door twice.

After approximately 30 seconds, the door creaked open.

Behind it, stood Jennifer, as gorgeous as ever.

“Hi,” she smiled widely, her face lighting up. “I’ve been waiting for you. Come in.”

I stepped in. She closed the door behind me. I took a look inside. The house was dark, with only one small light on. The furniture was old and the floorboards creaked. It smelled funny, as if it had been abandoned for years.

“So…” I broke the ice, “are your parents not home?” I asked.

She nodded. “They’d interrupt us. This is a besties’ night only. You might get to meet them one day though,” her smile was even wider than before.

Jennifer took my hand in hers and I froze, holding my breath. “Come on upstairs. I’ll show you to my room.”

I followed her as she led me upstairs, taking in as much of the house as possible.

Her room was at the far end of the corridor.

When we stepped inside, I was taken by surprise. It was the only lively thing in this miserable house. It had a peachy tapestry adorned with small flowers. A chair and a sofa of the same pattern were positioned on either side of her canopy bed. On the wall behind it were tons of posters of bands. Two pink lamps gave the room a sweet light. She had a small television on the corner opposite of her bed and a cute desk on the left side of it with a mirror and her makeup. There was a window and another mirror on the right side of the room. It was very… girly. It made me feel warm and fuzzy and comfortable. It was like my inner child was satiated.

Jennifer caught me staring and she smiled, jumping on her twin-sized bed and patting the space next to her, urging me to sit.

I sat down next to her, looking up at the canopy in awe. “I don’t have a canopy bed,” I said stupidly, “yours is so pretty. I’d sleep so well here.”

“Well, you will,” she lied down on her side, facing me. “You will sleep here with me tonight. But first,” she sat up as quickly as she’d lied down, full of energy, “we’ll play sleepover games. Like Truth Or Dare.”

My eyes glinted in excitement and I propped myself on my knees, pushing my ponytail back. “Oh, trust me, I’m unstoppable in Truth Or Dare.”

“Really?” her eyebrows jumped up, “I didn’t know you had it in you, Cove. Let’s see, then. Truth or Dare?” she asked playfully.

Now was not the time to back down. To win her over, I had to impress her. “Dare, of course,” I chewed my bottom lip teasingly, the way she did.

My confident stance must have worked, because Jennifer’s eyes glinted in intrigue.

“I dare you to kiss me.” The words escaped her lips calmly, effortlessly. My confidence faltered, my smile disappearing. Surely that was some sort of elaborate joke.

“Unless you’re too chicken,” she pouted mockingly, “then I suppose I’d have to invite someone else to a sleepover. Maybe that cute guy from English, Colin, isn’t it?” she twirled her hair playfully. “Or one of those football guys. Hard to know who is who. They’re all so obsessed with me. And I suppose I could work with that. They are really big and strong, after all.”

My eyes rang, my vision blurring. Whatever game she was playing, it was working. My blood was boiling with jealousy and I could feel myself trembling.

“Let’s play another game,” I managed to mutter, “I make a guess about you and if I’m right, you take a piece of clothing off.”

The words were so bold, so forward, so unlike me, that even I hesitated, clamping a hand over my mouth. What if I’d offended Jennifer? What if she was joking about the kiss? What if she did not like girls, or me, like that?

Then again, she’d made me so jealous… It’s clear she wanted to get a reaction out of me. Well, she had.

And, looking into her eyes, she seemed… aroused. Fascinated. Surprised by my attitude.

“Wow, Cove,” she shook her head, “color me impressed. I did not peg you for a bold person. It’s sexy. I like it,” she licked her lips in a way that made me not regret what I’d said at all.

“I accept,” Jennifer decided, “but trust me when I tell you that you are so going to lose. You could not guess the first thing about me. Oh, and the same rules apply for you. I guess, I am right, you strip and so on…”

Emboldened, I felt myself leaning forward, a fire sparkling in my eyes as I smirked impishly. “Deal. Since it’s my game, I go first. You don’t really care about those guys ogling you. You want the real thing, even if you do not show it. You’re not shallow —you’re just scared to open up in case you get hurt. And you have gotten hurt before. When your best friend, Needy, turned out to be a total psycho.”

I took a deep breath, looking into her blue eyes. Her smile had faded and she looked so solemn and sorrowful. I worried that I might have taken it too far.

Suddenly, she burst out laughing. It almost made me fall off the bed.

“Oh. My. Gosh. Look at you, all psychologist mode. You hit the nail on the head, Lils, I must say. Again, I underestimated you greatly. You got not one, but four things about me right. I suppose I really gotta get undressed.”

She took off her jacket and her top. She had her hands on her bra, ready to unclasp it, when I found myself reaching out to take her hand, holding her back.

“Woah, stop, Jen,” the nickname slipped from my lips effortlessly. It gave her pause. Her eyes widened curiously and she dropped her hands, still holding mine. “Forget about the stupid game. Put your clothes back on. We can play something else. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. You don’t have to mask your pain with… with this persona.”

“It’s fine, silly,” she scoffed, waving her hand dismissively, “I agreed to play this game with you, knowing the stakes. I lost, you won, it’s fair.”

“No, Jen,” I spoke more firmly this time. “I want you to put your clothes back on and stop acting like nothing bothers you, ever.”

This time, she let go of my hands, her gaze turning icy. “Don’t tell me what to do, Lilith. This is my home. I call the shots around here.”

She paused, taking her time to glare at me.

“But, fine. If it is sooo important to you, here.” She slipped into her top and put on her puffer jacket. “Happy now? I’m all modest now and whatever it is that you wanted to see. But, remember. You initiated this game. This is all on you.”

I released a breath I had not realized I had been holding. “Much better. Don’t get me wrong, you looked great like that, but I really want you to be happy.”

Jennifer smiled with sarcastic sweetness. “Aww, look at you, little puppy. So concerned. It is endearing. Don’t worry, Lils, I am quite alright. Last year’s events took a toll on me, it is true,” she leaned back against her headboard, “and I miss Needy. I had known her since we were kids. She was practically my soulmate.”

Her expression shifted to melancholy. “I haven’t forgotten about her, or the victims, or how she almost killed me. I’m just… trying to move on, you know?”

Jennifer looked at me, wide-eyed and hopeful, as if holding onto my response like a lifeline.

“I’m so sorry, Jen,” I wrapped my arms around her without second thoughts. “Gosh, I can’t even imagine. Of course you have every right to grieve her, just as you have every right to want to put everything behind you. Just know that it’s okay not to be okay sometimes. And you have me now.”

She pulled back, her blue eyes now warm instead of icy. She tilted her head in that sweet way of hers that always made me melt. She got up on her knees and brushed my hair behind my ears. She leaned it, looking into my eyes with a reverence that made my heart stop. I knew what she was going to do before she did it. I closed my eyes and leaned into her touch, her hand cupping my cheek.

Jennifer pressed her lips on mine tenderly. Her breath was warm and she kissed me with a hesitation that made me feel worshipped, as though I was something precious and fragile that she was scared to break. She tasted like strawberry shortcake and something darker that only made me want her more.

Soon enough, the kiss evolved into something more passionate and I found myself lying on top of her, her hands resting on my lower back, tracing lazy patterns that drove me crazy. She slid her tongue in my mouth and we found a perfect rhythm, our bodies grinding against each other and our lips dancing together in immaculate harmony.

She made a small noise of pleasure in my mouth that made me see stars. I groaned and wove my hands into her hair, stroking the silky strands gently.

We went on like this for about two minutes, when Jennifer suddenly bit down on my lip, giggling.

I pulled back, my hand instinctively going up to feel my lip. “Jen!” I gasped, “a little bit of a warning next time, maybe?”

“Relax, tiger,” she chuckled in a way that made my annoyance dissolve immediately, “don’t act like you did not enjoy it. Besides, that was nothing. I could have bitten you everywhere. You’re super tasty, Lils, you know? You taste like coconut and summer and warmth.”

“That is Malibu girl for you,” I rolled my eyes, disentangling my limbs from hers. I combed my hair with my fingers, running my thumb over my lips to ensure that my lip gloss was not smudged all over my face. I could feel the heat in my cheeks. I was so not done with Jennifer.

“How is it that you keep surprising me?” she asked almost admiringly, “I thought you were like Virgin Mary or something. But look at you, kissing like a pro.”

I scoffed. “Well, I have had my fair share of experiences. Don’t think of me as a slut, though. I’ve just… been with a person or two.”

“Girls?” she asked curiously, biting her lip, “or just guys?”

I sighed, not knowing how she would take this. “I never really had any luck with girls. It… it was not like that where I came from. I had to keep that part of myself concealed. I probably would not be so loved and popular if everyone knew that I like girls, too. Besides, guys are not all bad. They got nice biceps.” I shrugged indifferently, secretly hoping that my words irritated her.

Instead, Jennifer just smirked. “Oh, I get you. Guys can be really cute. It’s great fun toying with them. I’ve always gone both ways, though, I’ll be honest with you, I am quite afraid of opening up about that, too. Besides, it is fun like this. It’s like a dirty secret.”

I suddenly felt the need to ask her the same question I’d just answered. “What about you, then? You kissed great as well. Have there been many guys for you?”

Jennifer threw her head back and let out a warm laugh. “Oh, you know, just the usual. A few guys I played with here and there. Nothing serious. Though…” she frowned, clutching her pillow, “When I told you that Needy was like my soulmate, I meant it. She was, in a way, my very first girl crush. And, before I met you, she was my one and only, even after everything that happened. But then you came along and… and, well, you reminded me what it’s like to be this way. To have feelings for a girl.”

I chewed my lip thoughtfully. “So you… you have a crush on me?” I asked incredulously.

“More so,” she chuckled mirthlessly, “I am afraid I am in love with you.”