The Great Pretender

2: Hole in My Heart

-.-

Her phone buzzed somewhere on her bed, announcing some sort of message. Cherish looked up from her book to glance at the screen, surprised to see a text from Jeb.

Jeb!

The name echoed painfully in her mind, because no matter what, his name was always followed by Len's. She shoved the thought aside and picked up her phone.

How are you?

Blinking at the words for a while, she was unsure what to say, unsure whether to even reply. That was when she caught sight of his display picture, and tears sprung to her eyes. They were perfectly made up, their hair an amazing feat of pomade and hair glue and their eyes dark with blackout lenses as they smiled into the camera.  They looked so very much alike, more so in this picture than was normal because Cherish's dark tan complexion had been powdered to look pale like Len's.  She remembered that day; Jeb had taken the picture for the catalogue on their website. He had convinced them they needed no models other than themselves, his exact words being,

"No one will ever be able to sell your clothes like you two can!"

And, of course, being them, it didn't take much more than that to turn them into the 'fucktastic' models of ChokeChainHearts. The picture had been taken two years ago, and was a testament to Jeb's genius with a camera, the moment spectacularly captured on a piece of film. It mocked her now with its happiness and laughter; it mocked her in her pain.

Cherish and Len, wide eyed and grinning guiltily while looking up into the camera above them, little fangs delicately denting their bottom lips, a dark red liquid smeared down their chins and throats. It had been Len's idea to dress as vampires for the shoot, and all the models, their "Malice Dolls" had been equally dressed.

While the other dolls were being photographed, the two of them had snuck off with a bottle of tequila, taking turns sucking down the contents of the bottle. She remembered the moment in which Jeb had found them; after sneaking up on them, he held the camera up over their heads and called their attention.

"Hey Jeb!" Len had giggled, dropping the emptied bottle to the floor, pretending she had no idea what it was.

"What are you two doing?"

"Nothing..."

"Wait, is that mine?"

Being caught was not so bad they knew, because all they had to do was look at Jeb in that practiced pouted way of theirs and he would melt.  He snapped another picture of them. "For proof," he had muttered, "proof that you two owe me!"

They had been wearing some of their beautiful creations, but Jeb had cut out the rest of the picture, leaving only their devilish faces. Cherish stared at the screen, angry that Jeb would make her look at the picture of living perfection where there was now only death. Tossing her phone aside, she went back to her textbook. She let herself melt into the monotony of her Biology homework, the redundant work erasing all other thoughts from her mind. It was not long before the buzzing sounded again- repeatedly. Sighing, Cherish slammed shut her books and yanked her phone up again.

We miss you Cherish.

He must have figured she wasn't there, or that she was ignoring him, because she was soon bombarded with messages.

You didn't have to leave.

It wasn't your fault, babe.

We need you, Malice, don't leave us, k?

It wasn't just Jeb, as she had first thought, but all of them, even the ones who had blamed her. And, Good God! Their display pictures! The pain it caused her developed into a large lump in her throat and she gasped for air, her hand balled into a fist, so hard her knuckles were white.