DARK CRESCENT

Shyla Intervenes

"Well, when did this happen?" She asked, putting the straw to her drink up to her lips.

I pulled the hood of my black hoodie up over my ink black hair.

"Nothing's happening, we're friends" Maggi chimed in as a matter of factly.

"I'm sure, and you look real friendly" Shyla smirked, sliding her shades up on top of her head.

"Really?" Maggi smirked.

"Does Liv know?" Shyla questioned.

Shit. In the epitome of all of this, I'd completely shrugged Olivia off and unknowingly moved on to the next bee of the hive. But why was Shyla concerned? Did she really care about Olivia, who had disposed of me first, or was she just stirring the drama pot. Maggi let out a confused giggle.

"What does Liv have to do with anything?" She asked.

"Oh you don't know?" Shyla gasped with surprise.

It was quickly replaced with wide mouth laughter on Shyla's end. Her head was thrown back so far I could see her uvula.

"What the hell is so funny?" Maggi growled.

"Coffee boy was dating Liv for like three weeks" Shyla pointed.

If you would call that dating, I thought.

"What do you mean?" Maggi pushed, with one eyebrow raised.

"He's bloody valentine" Shyla giggled.

Who the hell was bloody valentine?

"Wait the guy that she kissed while his lip was bleeding?" Maggi gasped.

It was my tongue actually. So, that's bloody valentine.

Shyla nodded, biting her bottom lip to stifle a laugh that was brewing. Maggi leaped up from the picnic table and spun around like an owl head to face me. I could tell by her face that she was livid.

"Are you kidding me right now, you're Liv's ex?" she growled.

The shit had hit the fan.

"I wouldn't say that we barely dated" I informed.

"Oh bullshit" they said in unison.

I leaned back, taken aback by their animosity.

"You were all she talked about" Maggi explained.

If she talked about me so much, why did she seem not interested when we were together. All she ever wanted to do was make out. She would practically suck my soul out through my mouth.

"Un-fucking-believable" Maggi sneered.

         I could hear all the malice in her voice. Shyla stood a few steps behind her with a victorious grin upon her demeanor. Did she get off on ruining people's lives, or controlling the outcomes; I couldn't tell which. All I knew is that it was my last night in Alaska and I didn't want to leave with Maggi thinking she was a rebound or sloppy seconds. I liked her. She turned to storm away, but I quickly hopped up from the picnic table and grabbed her elbow. Shyla had done her job and slowly stepped a few feet back to watch the bomb she'd set go off. I didn't know whether to call her a good friend, or a conniving bitch.

"Maggi stop" I demanded, gripping her whole arm with my hand.

She was so tiny.

"Theo you're hurting me" She said angrily through gritted teeth.

"Yea let her go toxic trait" Shyla snapped.

"Shut the fuck up" I snapped back.

I hadn't realized in my desperation to keep her, that my anxiety kicked in, causing my grip on anything to be almost fatal. Usually, when I felt like this I clenched my fist tight until I could calm down. I guess it was so deeply programmed that even now I did it, but with Maggi's arms between my hands.

"Theo let me go" Maggi barked, unsuccessfully trying to snatch from my grasp.

Let...me...go.

The words felt like someone had taken a burning hot poker and jabbed it viciously in my heart.

Let me go.

SWACK.

              Shyla's Michael Kors backpack purse collided hard with my left shoulder. What the hell did she keep in there, bricks? With her background probably gold bars. I let out a pained groan. When my fingers slipped from Maggi's arm to rub my shoulder, I could swear I felt a rip in my body. Like my soul had been torn in two. Shyla picked up Maggi's lunch, locked her arm into Maggi's and they stormed off. But not without Shyla looking over her shoulder and giving me one last sadistic smile and wink. Her face was very similar to that of Michael Jackson's at the end of the Thriller video, when he was the monster all along. Maybe she just enjoyed controlling Maggi's life.

What was she playing at?

Be careful miss Shyla. There was another guy whose girlfriend had obsessive controlling friends. His name was Joe.