Of the Twisted and the Lost

Chapter 27:

"Oh my God." Cami wipes away a tear, snickering. "Avelyn can be such a stupid person sometimes." 

"Hey!" Avelyn protests, crossing her arms. "I'm right here." 

Cami's lips turned up into a smirk. "That's the point, honey," she simpers. 

Sera watches in relief as Cami frowns at the white hospital bed sheets. "So hot in here," her friend whines, before shifting once more. "Now do tell. After Sera ran?" 

"We almost got arrested," Sera sighs, shooting Avelyn a glare. "That Tim guy wanted to press charges." 

"I mean, it is illegal to break into a hospital and then charge into someone's room," Cami says thoughtfully. "But since you two did it for me, I'm more than proud of you." 

"It was not my idea at all," Sera says, raising her hands in the air. "Avelyn literally started screaming at me to run and break into your room." 

Cami gives Avelyn a mock-adoring look. 

"And you know the rest," Avelyn says. "We break into your room, yada yada, you wake up and then the Tim guy starts freaking out." 

"Rightly so," Sera counters. 

"Oh God." Cami shakes her head. "It's a wonder that they're letting you stay in my room at all." 

Avelyn flips her golden hair. "I'm famous, that's why," says Avelyn. 

"Alright, alright, alright," Cami interrupts. "We have a bigger business to attend to." 

"The fact that they still don't know why you fainted?" Sera suggests. 

Cami shoots her a look. "No, girl," Cami says. "It's that freaking Junjie kissed you and you didn't even text me about it until today." 

"I didn't really have time to tell you about it," Sera defends. 

Cami smirks, leaning back into her chair. "We have time. So spill and tell us detail-by-detail of how he kissed you." 

Sera blinks. 

"Not too many details," Cami says, rolling her eyes. "Just tell us — who kissed who, where were you guys, what did you say right after the kiss?" 

"Uh, I think Junjie kissed me first?" Sera says hesitantly. "We were near the harbor and I asked him why he kissed me—" 

"You what?" Cami booms, shaking her head. "Sera, Sera, Sera, what in the world are we going to do with you?" 

"Did I say something wrong?" 

Cami lets out a sigh. "Okay, whatever." She fixes an intense stare on Sera. "What. Happened. Next." 

So Sera spills. 

She tells them about the quest on kidnapping the merperson, how she starts receiving messages from an anonymous person. She informs them about how she'd gone to Junjie's house, how smart and clever and mysterious he is and how the anonymous person has turned out to be Junjie — to which Cami snorts by saying: well, of course he has to be Junjie. She describes how Junjie kisses her, afterward, how magical and thriller and terrifying it feels. 

Sera speaks until the sun starts to set, casting a golden glow across the hospital. She speaks until she reaches for the water, voice suddenly turning croaky. 

"That's a lot of details," pipes up Cami. "You should've told us this all earlier." 

"You thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me when I told you about the merman." Sera stares pointedly. 

Cami frowns. 

"True," she admits. "But who knew something as weird as mermaids would bring you and your one true love together?" 

"You are going to the harbor tonight, right?" Avelyn interrupts, twisting a strand of her golden locks. "Like, that would be super rude if you stood him up." 

"What harbor?" Cami hoists herself up. "You're going to do what?" 

"Were you not listening?" Avelyn rolls her eyes. "Junjie just invited her to the harbor. I reckon it's about their relationship — you know, if he wants to marry her." 

"Shut up," Sera grumbles. "I shouldn't have said anything, should I?" 

"Nope!" Avelyn says cheerfully. "We're going to tease you for the rest of your life!" 

A sigh escapes Sera. 

"Wait, so you're going to the harbor?" Cami repeats. 

"Yeah, with bodies of water surrounding it," Sera says. 

"And you're going tonight?" 

"Well, I can't stand him up, can I?" 

"Sera," Cami starts, her voice uncertain. "I just don't think you should go to the harbor tonight. It's the full moon." 

"So?" 

Cami lowers her voice until it's nearly a whisper. "Bad things happen there," she says. "Very bad things. Like, drowning people, things you won't ever want to see." 

Sera raises an eyebrow. "Sounds like a merman," Sera teases. 

"Shut up," Cami snaps. "Just— please heed my warnings. Bad things do happen. If something were to happen to you, I would never forgive myself." 

"Oh, come on!" Avelyn steps in. "It's just a date between her and the boy she's been crushing on! You have to go, Sera!" 

"If I were out of this hospital—" Cami sends a cursory look at the hospital cot—"I would chain you to your own bed and prevent you from dying tonight." 

"Well, you aren't out of the hospital," Sera says tartly. 

"But are you still going to see him?" Cami presses. "Oh, for God's sake! Just move the date somewhere else! An Italian restaurant, preferably." 

"That's stupid," Avelyn chides. "What if he has a whole picnic there? You can't move a whole date from here to there! Besides, that's kinda rude if you suddenly decide to change it at the last minute." 

Sera nods, knowing Avelyn's right— 

"Oh my gosh!" she blurts, whipping out of the plastic white chair. "I have to go! I was supposed to meet him ten minutes ago!" 

"Tsk, tsk, Sera,  you should never be late to your first date with that crush you've been liking since the start of high school," Cami says, though there's an amused smile on her lips. "That's not good manners at all." 

Sera glares daggers at her friend, who's not helping the situation at all. She throws a coat over her shoulders before rushing out of the hospital. 

"Hey!" Tim yells. "You haven't given me my free lollipop yet!" 

Sera rummages through her backpack and throws the candy. It lands on his head, but Sera doesn't notice as she flings open the hospital doors.