C
About a few weeks into mid September, I had a big idea that I was so sure Orabella was bound to love!
I was wrong.
A random Saturday out of the month, I had gathered together Majesti, Xochitl, Moni, Zeymira, and Marcel and of course Ora.
We were sitting at the park, all a little bit dressed up more than usual. Not like semi formal, or formal, or anything. Just in our best outfits with a little smile. Everybody knew my plans of a big surprise here to the exact moment and detail except Ora. I even had Cy'Moni pick her up from her place because Ora's dad was working on moving and couldn't bring her out here.
I was afraid if I went and picked her up myself (the moms lended me the Kia) that I might want to fuck the shit out of her in the vehicle and we'd never make it to the park.
"Are they almost here?" Xochitl asked, the wind blowing her hair away from her face as we all sat on a large, thick blanket I had gotten. The food was in the center, surrounded by a circle of anti-ant stuff for picnics. We all had agreed to keep an eye on the food but just in case the ants started coming...
"Moni said they're pulling up," I informed everybody.
"You look alright. Don't worry. And I'm sure she'll say yes," Zeymira assured me, fixing at my clothes. I was wearing a black, airy button down and some grey, baggy jeans, grateful that the Sun didn't have any intentions of coming out today or I'd be toast.
"So to be clear: When Ora gets here we can start eating," Majesti asked, sitting across from me, her auburn hair braided into a bun, her legs shimmering with some sort of body glitter underneath a flow-y dress.
"Nooo, once she gives me her answer y'all can eat," I corrected.
"Which will most likely be a yes, c'mon, let's be for real now," Marcel grinned, gently punching my shoulder.
"Okay, they're here," I stood up, making sure I looked alright as I waited at the edge of the blanket for Ora and Moni to come into view.
"You got this, Cee!" Xochitl whispered.
Over the past few weeks, Ora and I had gotten closer and closer. We picked up where we left off at in middle school. We learned how to navigate Lazuli Heights together. And most of all, we shyly accepted that we both had feelings for one another. The biggest thing keeping Ora from me right now was my past. It was Kailin. She was still hesitant to be serious with me because of that. But I was hoping that today and all the good times we'd had together over the past month, would finally convince Ora that I wanted her to be mine.
I tried to keep down a smile as I held a medium sized box in my grasp. I always told her I'd ask her out in a way and place that I felt like would make her happy.
Well, today was the day, and this place was the place.
Moni jogged away from Ora's side once the two were in view and came over to sit down with us, grinning and giving me a big thumbs up from the blanket. Ora had her locs in a bun, her scalp shimmering with oils, and a light green t-shirt over a white hoodie paired with some dark green camo shorts as she trailed behind. I saw the exact moment that Ora'a eyes landed on what was in my hands, because surprise and a look of fear took over her face.
"Cecia...what's this?" she asked once she reached me.
Doubt made my stomach drop. She didn't like it?
"A surprise...for you," I explained slowly.
"I don't like this type of stuff. With everybody staring at me, Cee," she said lowly, keeping her voice quiet.
"Then let's do it over here," I suggested, moving in front of her as the group laid across the blanket.
My body shielded her from the group's view so this could just be our moment. Between us.
"Cee, yo big head in the way! I can't take a good shot!" Marcel made that known from the blanket.
"I know, I know, that's the point. Gimme a moment, damn," I called out. I focused my attention back on Ora. "Look inside," I whispered, slowly opening up the box for her to see.
"Ohhh...it's a necklace," she gave me an awkward smile, "Cee. You really...didn't have to do this." I frowned then, "You don't like it?" She played with the edge of one of her sleeves, looking away. I had even taken my contacts off for her today. I had let myself be fully me before her. "I feel like you planned this with yourself in mind, don't take my words...hard. But I don't like the park, don't like a lot of people staring at me, and when's the last time I wore jewelry? And, even if you had somehow found the perfect place to do this at and the perfect gift- my answer would still be the same. It's a no, Cecia."
"What's happenin' y'all?" Xochitl asked from the blanket. Somebody shushed her. I really hoped they weren't listening in. I grabbed Ora's hand, surprised that she let me do as much, and we started walking a bit further away for more privacy.
"Why's your answer a no?" I demanded.
She gave me a sad smile, "I thought you said you'd accept any answer I'd give you. Remember valuing my time and my opinion?" she tried to joke. "I don't think I could date you, Cee," she told me after a moment. "And while this all was nice, I can't lie to you and say what you want me to say."
"Is it because of the other day-
"I wish it was just that, but it's a whole lot you'd have to do before I'd consider you changed," she stated, "A changed person wouldn't just move on with their life like regular after they did something bad. You could've at least came clean to Kailin's family about your part in things, or told somebody else...besides me, what you did to her brakes. You're a fearful person. You aren't changed. You're scared to even think about what you did. You want to forget it and put it behind you in that way, and I just can't commit to somebody who can't even commit to themselves, and fixing their flaws."
"I'll go to her family and apologize-
"Because I've put the idea in your head? Just now? No. That's not enough. You should've already considered that. That shit happened last year, you shoulda had that shit done with, matter of fact. Me and Linda talked and that was my way of closing out that issue. I woulda done that years ago without anybody telling me to if I had been given the chance. Now you need to do the same somehow and make up for all your wrongs...before I can even want to be with you."
I closed the jewelry box, nodding.
Nothing fancy or lavish would be enough to convey to her what I felt. She wanted actions...and I had to respect that.
"It's not a hard 'no' anymore. Just a...you need to fix yourself first. A soft 'no', if you will," she told me, laying a hand on my shoulder. "And don't do this shit again. Ask me in private, Cee. I almost had a heart attack, seriously."
"Could you at least promise me that you won't love nobody else," I cracked a smile, "Until you come around to the idea of me being with you? Promise that you'll be mine's someday?"
She stepped towards me, grabbing me by the neck to pull me closer. "I think I can do that, Cecia."
"Aww shiii! What did she say, Cee?" Zeymira and the rest of the group jogged over to where we were.
I shyly put my hand on my head, looking to Ora to answer that. "It's a yes on hold. We had to put that shit on Layaway," she shrugged.
Majesti laughed, "I'll take that. Now let's eat!"
We all headed back to the blanket and Ora sat next to me. Although things didn't go exactly how I had planned for them to go...I can say that it didn't turn out horribly.
"So will this count as y'all's anniversary day?" Marcel asked, opening up a container of raspberries.
"Ehhh, when the official yes comes in, we'll count that as half of the anniversary, and today the first half."
"Cool...so you get to get yo shit beat twice," Xochitl smirked at me.
I blushed. When had it became well known how submissive I could be? I glanced over at Ora and she held her hands up, "Ian snitch."
I then looked over at Moni and Marcel.
"Heyyy, it was her," Marcel ratted out Moni.
"Moni, really," I rolled my eyes.
"C'mon. You could ask anybody bro," she laughed.
"It ain't spillin' tea if the info is public knowledge," Xochitl giggled.
I was about to pick up my sandwich when the sound of tires skidding loudly echoed across the park.
"Somebody racin' today," Majesti commented. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Marcel hop up. "Yo! That car flying our way!" he shouted.
We all scrambled up, forgetting the food, as we ran out of the way towards the park trail. I had Ora's necklace box tucked underneath my arm as I held her hand. The trail was up on higher ground, and put us in a safer area than down by our blanket.
We stopped, watching as the car literally stopped on top of our things, the hood smoking and somebody falling out of the driver's side.
"Should we check on them?" Xochitl asked, her voice shaky. "Right where we were...couldn't have been a coincidence," I heard Zeymira mumble.
I left Ora's jewelry box in her hands and decided to be the brave-foolish one to approach the vehicle hesitantly. I jogged around to the driver's side and there was Elodie, her hair back in a tight bun, the remains of whatever dress or romper she had been wearing stuck to her legs. She reeked of gasoline, and she had this dazed look in her eyes.
"Elodie, what the hell," I bent down besides her, knees in the grass as I tried to check her pulse. I called out that we needed an ambulance, trying to see if she was alive. Orabella came over to me, hands shaking as she took everything in.
"There's a gasoline can in the back," she noted, peering in through the back windows, "It looks like a fire happened back there but somehow she put it out." Slight burns were red and angry across her skin.
"Elodie," I tapped her cheek aggressively, "El, are you awake?" I demanded.
"They're on the way," Xochitl informed us from where the others stood by the trail.
"Cecia," Ora said my name lowly, nodding towards the driver's door. She was standing at an angle that could see inside the car, but I was in the front of the door by Elodie, so I was in a blind spot. "Come look inside," she instructed me.
I left Elodie's side, not having to look far inside of the vehicle to see that something had been yanked out where the brakes had been, wires exposed and blackened.
I placed my hand on the hood of the car, looking down in disbelief. "Ora, I didn't do this-
"I know you didn't. So who did...and why did that lead her barreling towards us at the park?" she whispered.
"Someone who knows- Ora who did you-
"I didn't," she hissed.
I looked down at Elodie's still figure. "She's dead by the way."
"Figured that when you didn't do CPR or mouth to mouth," she sighed, bending down to close Elodie's dark brown eyes. They stared up at me like little black buttons on a doll.
"Who else could know, Cecia?"
I blinked. How was Elodie talking to me?
"Who else could know, Cecia?"
I let out a slow exhale, no, that was just Ora.
"I don't know. I was serious when I said you were literally the only person I had opened up to," I told her honestly. I feel like I'm losing it!
"Is Kailin really dead?" she asked me.
"Well, duhh," I whispered. Xochitl and the others finally got the courage to come over after a moment. "They should be pullin' up right now," Xo informed me. Crazy how a few moments ago it was Moni and Ora pulling up, now it was an ambulance to cart away my dead ex best friend.
"This is gonna make you look guilty," Ora grabbed my arm, walking me away from the others. "This might even make somebody look back at what happened to Kailin. You know how detective shift work. A cop could get a bad vibe from you and decide he wants to know your whole history. Then bam, you're caught. This ain't a good look for you, Cee."
"You don't think I know that. I'm terrified outta of my mind, right now," I whispered.
"Fix this," she stated.
"How?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice quiet.
"However you need to," she stared me down.
My blood ran cold.
I glanced back at the group.
"Even if it's the person you least expect," she whispered into my ear, as I watched Moni and Marcel cry by Elodie's head, their tears falling into the ground.
After the ambulance came, the police arrived, immediately noting the changes to Elodie's black Mustang.
"Why was she even back?" Zeymira covered her mouth, her face falling against Majesti's shoulder, "I didn't like her but for her to die right in front of us."
One blink, and suddenly we were in a bedroom.
"She was dressed like she came there to crash the celebration or something. But how'd she even know about it?" Majesti asked, staring hardly at the carpet.
We were all crowding Zeymira's bedroom, me and Ora on the bed. I kind of sat on Ora's leg, pressing her against me. I had been numb the whole ride here. I was spaced out, trying to keep Elodie's face out of my mind. I didn't feel present in the moment at all. I didn't feel like I was really here.
"I posted a pic of me at the park," Xochitl sheepishly admitted, "But nothing about it being a celebration or anything," she quickly added, "Some of y'all were just in the shot."
"I'm going to prison," I whispered in Ora's ear. "I know it."
My face was practically frozen in fear.
"No, you're not," she told me firmly, turning my face to look at hers. "I won't let that happen."
"They kept sayin' something about brakes and stuff. That maybe they had been cut out," Marcel commented, "Me and Moni were standin' by the cops when they were surveying the vehicle and stuff."
"Maybe she messed with her own brakes," Zeymira suggested.
"Nobody does that," Majesti frowned.
"You seem so sure. Elodie was a crazy bitch," Zeymira shrugged.
"Now's not the time to bad mouth her," Moni warned.
"Gettin' short with each other ain't gon help shit either. Who told Elodie to come? Be upfront. Admittin' to it isn't criminal guys," I stood up, gently moving Ora off of me.
"The only criminal in here is Ora," Moni stated, staring me down. "No offense to her."
"Hey, I thought we were on good terms, Shego," Ora said, taking a shot at Moni's hairdo that had frizzed out from everything that happened at the park.
"Friendly fire will not be tolerated," Marcel joked.
"Don't say that about her, Moni," I warned.
"Hey, hey. It's gettin' tense in here. How about I go and get some snacks, okay?" Zeymira announced, grabbing Xochitl and taking her with her.
"I'm gonna, um, go and help them too," Majesti stated awkwardly.
"No, stay," I encouraged in an overly cheery voice, patting the bed in front of the area near me and Ora. "You aren't arounddd much Majesti. I'd like to know more about you."
"When did this turn into a witch hunt amongst friends," she scoffed, "I'm not Team Elodie. Never was. Y'all seem to forget how I was defending Zey against her from the very beginning."
"I have no part in this," Marcel announced.
"But you do. All three of us were Elodie's best friends," I pointed between me, Cy'Moni, and Marcel. "That makes us the most guilty. I know like hell I didn't cut out the girl's brakes or tell her where we were."
Moni stared me down. "A girl's dead. Beef ain't never that serious. How could you even suggest me or Marcel had a part in this?"
"With her mouth," Ora laughed.
"Play nice," I warned Ora, laying a hand on her arm.
"Snacks, snacks, snacks," Zeymira and Xochitl came back, chips and other things in their arms. "My step mom didn't to the store so we only got water bottles."
"Gimme one to throw at Scar," Ora half joked, catching a bottle from Xochitl.
"This had to be some sick joke...especially because of the fact Kailin died in a car incident," Xochitl mentioned quietly.
"But the brakes are unrelated to what happened to Kailin," Marcel cut in. "We can't just connect one car accident to another."
I tried to keep my expression neutral.
"Maybe we should leave the detective work to the cops, guys," Zeymira suggested, "We're only teens."
"Yeah, well, I don't like the idea of an unknown murderer wondering our school," Moni cut in, sending a smirk Ora's way.
"Everybody out the room," I declared abruptly.
Ora stayed seated as everybody else started moving.
"You too. And make sure nobody eavesdrops," I whispered the last part lowly.
Now, it was just me and Moni.
She crossed her arms across her chest, hard determination in her eyes.
"So this is how you treat your best friends? No wonder you keep losin' them. I always care about you and try to pull you through the toughest of times. What the fuck, Cecia?"
"Did you do it, Moni?" I asked, stepping closer to her.
"Bullshit. I didn't even know where Elodie went after she left the high school permanently-
"Bullshit," I laughed, "You know everything, Moni."
She nodded to herself, "Ohhh, since apparently I know everything, then you'd know to play your cards against me carefully then, because I know about your little secret..."
I stared her down. "What secret?" I sighed.
"With Kailin," she stepped closer.
"With Kailin, what?" I demanded, getting closer again.
"How you tried to force her to stay with you. The way you tried to," she hissed.
"And what way was that?" I demanded lowly.
"The knife against her throat doesn't sound familiar?" she asked me darkly, "She came to my door, one AM, let me in, let me in, on our back porch. A thin little line across her neck. Then the next week she's in the fuckin' water? How does that look-
I slapped Moni, making her loudly fall backwards.
"...okay. I'm sure they're fine in there," I could hear Ora saying outside the door.
"What happened is in the past," I whispered, standing over her.
"You did it, didn't you? To Kailin. And now you've done the same thing to El. Playin' around with her vehicle until it killed her," Moni stated through gritted teeth.
"I didn't kill Elodie," I whispered. "But I will kill you," I mouthed. I grabbed her upwards by the hand, not even waiting for her to accept my grasp. She stumbled onto her feet as I crossed my arms, "I didn't want Elodie dead. But somebody did. And they felt like making it known the day I was going to ask Orabella to be my girlfriend. You're the only one who doesn't want me to move on from Kailin it seems. So that makes you look real sus."
"Have a look around school," she gestured widely, "You're so naive that you don't see girls with wet panties tryna fuck with you everyday! It could be any of those wannabe groupies."
"But I feel like it isn't," I told her. "Prove me wrong."
"It isn't up to me to do that. You're a monster," she poked my chest. "Through and through."
"I'm not Elodie's monster," I shook my head.
"Or maybe you are... and just tryin' to put Elodie in the past along with Kailin," she snapped, going to the door and turning the knob. She left the room and Ora stuck her head in. "Who's next up for the interrogation, Sherlock?" she asked, always trying to lighten the mood.
"Xochitl," I stated, crossing my arms.
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