Present
ALTHOUGH THERE WAS a possibility of this plan actually working, Evelyn still grew wary of putting it into motion. She hated the fact that Ariel was putting herself in harm's way for the sake of saving someone who can't be saved. "Think about it, guys, please."
Evelyn shook her head in disapproval. Lewis and Ariel did not need it, but out courtesy and expectancy of Evelyn's participation, Ariel persisted. "Ariel can't do this. What if Larson really is the killer? What if he hurts her? She's my best friend. I can't let that happen. W-what do we even really know about the photos you took? No one casually stuffs a bloody underwear and hair in a ziplock bag!"
Ariel massaged her aching temple, "well good thing it's not up to you. We don't have any other leads guys, this is it. If the law enforcement isn't doing anything then who's really helping Tobias? He's all alone, and if his lawyer were of any help he wouldn't be sitting in jail right now. At this point, we're all he's got and I'll be damned if I abandon him just because you two are scared Larson hurts me. I'm not afraid of him and that's all that matters."
"What do you fear the most in the world?" Tobias asked as he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. Ariel peered up from the book perched between her brightly red painted fingertips and smiled, "I can't express something that I can barely comprehend." Tobias ran his fingers through her silky hair and chuckled against her skin, "you can't comprehend fear?" She reached up and intertwined their fingers, her intense gaze burning right through his eyes. "If I could, I would never be with you."
Parker sighed, "it's not worth it." Ariel sat still. Just a week ago he was all for their plan and now he's shooting it down. She understood that he and Evelyn did not want to shove her into the belly of the beast but in order to get certain results, sacrifices needed to be made. Plus she could hold her own even if Larson did try something, which she was positive he wouldn't.
Ariel was growing tired of sitting and waiting. She would study him day in day out: his actions, his movements, his responses to certain situations. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as Lewis portrayed, he was normal. All the more reason to not suspect him despite the so-called photo. However, she needed to find that bag, even if it meant he went down in order to free Tobias.
"Hi, are you guys ready to order?" The waitress asked as she stood at the edge of the sharp mahogany table. Ariel murmured her order softly, her mind drifting afar as she pictured Tobias stepping through the metal gates that separated him from the outside world. "Hey," Parker called out as his palm fell onto her pale hands. His black curls bounced freely against his head as he removed his white baseball cap, setting it down onto the table beside his hand.
He caressed her hand softly, "we just don't want you to get hurt, that's it. We would do anything to help Tobias but not at the expense of your safety." Evelyn cleared her throat, tearing Parker and Ariel's attention away from one another. She shot up from the chair, her lips twitching into a lop-sided smile, "I'm gonna run to the washroom, I'll be back."
Lewis chuckled knowingly. "Like I was saying, if this is all true and Larson really is the one who killed Kayla and Maria you could be next. How do you expect me to sleep at night knowing I could have prevented that, huh?" Ariel tore her eyes away from his hand that never seemed to break free from hers. Her lips pursed tightly, "do you really think I'm gonna do this unprotected? Lewis got me an earpiece so you guys can listen in on our conversation. It'll be somewhere discreet, under my clothes where he won't see it."
"What happens if things escalate and you guys get naked?" Ariel fought the urge to laugh and instead smiled, "it won't get to that point, trust me." Her eyes swivelled to a visibly uncomfortable Lewis who was leaned back in the chair, her fingernails clamped between the two rows of her teeth as she gnawed down onto it. Evelyn returned to the table before Lewis could speak, but the moment she did, the atmosphere had suddenly shifted.
"It'll be best if you don't allow things to get that far, seeing as he's freaking obsessed with you." Ariel's head cocked sideways, she chuckled nervously, "excuse me? He's what?" Lewis licked her chapped lips and shifted in her seat frantically. She ran her hand over her damp face, "he uhm, this–never mind." She stammered, unable to form a comprehensible sentence.
"No darling you opened a can of worms now it's your job to catch them all, spill," Parker exclaimed, growing impatient as all their eyes penetrated through hers, beckoning the words through her lips. "Fine! This is gonna be uncomfortable so trigger warning–" Ariel rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers exasperatedly, eagerly awaiting. Lewis gulped, "well when Larson and I would you know. . .get intimate–"
"You mean have sex?"
"Parker!"
"What? She's saying it as if it's taboo. Oh before you reached the level of intimacy did he court you malady?" Ariel clasped her hand over his mouth, equally as annoyed as she was amused. However, she desperately needed to know what Lewis was referring to. She motioned for Lewis to proceed with the guarantee that Parker would not interrupt again.
"Uhm, so again like I was saying. When we'd be int–I mean have sex, he would–he would moan your name, Ariel. And I don't think he'd even realize he was doing it because he'd never apologize or acknowledge it and if he did realize then he didn't bother to explain himself."
Unlike Parker and Evelyn who shuddered in pure disgust and disbelief, Ariel remained nonchalant, her hazel eyes roaming over Lewis' unsettled face. She studied every detail: the crease in between her brows, the twitching of her lips, the frantic flutter of her eyelids. Ariel leaned across the table, "how many times has this happened?" She questioned. Lewis' eyes flickered to the right, averting from Ariel's intense gaze, "a few times."
"Is that all?" Ariel inquired warily. Lewis shook her head lightly and murmured a soft no. "He'd want me to role play. And you'd think–you'd think it would be like some sexy police officer or something. But he'd want me to put on a freaking red wig and dress all in red. I never caught onto it till one day I saw you dressed all in red and your hair colour and your freaking name when we had sex–it was all there dammit." She barked out a humourless laugh.
"See, this guy is nuts, Ariel–" she threw her index finger up in the air, hushing Evelyn up before her sentence could even reach her ears. Ariel gritted her teeth, "I don't know if you understand the severity of your accusations, Lewis. You're accusing Larson of a double homicide plus you're saying he's obsessed with me. My question is if you're so scared that he might be the murderer why did you come to me and not the police? Surely this is good enough evidence to at least free Tobias till his trial."
Lewis gulped. "I–I didn't take it to the police because they won't do shit! You know that, that's why you're helping me, isn't it?" A hand laid firmly on Ariel's shoulder, drawing her back onto the chair seeing as within the few seconds she had etched rather dangerously close to Lewis. "Lewis, it's one thing to accuse someone of murder when you suspect they're an endangerment to society and it's another to do it on a personal vendetta. When I find out the truth, you better pray for yours and Tobias' sake that it's the former."
Before Lewis could respond, Ariel shot up from the chair, ignoring the loud bang that echoed throughout the restaurant as it crashed onto the floor. She stormed away from the table, their shouts of protest going on deaf ears.
Past
"And never from this palace of dim night depart again. Here, here will I remain With worms that are thy chambermaids. Oh. Here. Will, I set up my everlasting rest And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars. From this world-wearied flesh, eyes. Look your last. Arms, take your last embrace and lips. O you. A dateless bargain to engrossing death."
With those words, his ocean blue eyes lingered over her peaceful face as he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. The class watched silently in awe. Girls squirmed in their seats in a fit of jealousy, guys not much differently. Ariel and Tobias were—based solely on the school's hierarchy of popularity—one of a kind. There was no doubt in their minds that a few people would be disapproving of this play.
"Come, bitter conduct, come unsavoury guide. Thou desperate pilot. Now at once run on. The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark. Here's to my love!" He pulled out the prop from his hand, staring at it longingly before he pulled the cap of the bottle off and pretended to drink the nonexistent content inside that they all were required to think was poison. "O, true apothecary." He murmured, eyes lingering on Ariel's face as he caressed her cheek softly, "Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss, I die."
He fell limply beside Ariel who slowly arose, her head tilting to face the bronde-haired, freckled face boy whose head had laid beside hers peacefully. She desperately wanted to punch him just out of curiosity but of course, not all dreams come true. She forced a smile, "Romeo?" His shoulders shook beneath her gentle touch.
He suddenly flickered one eye open, startling Ariel who let a small yelp slip from her mouth. A boyish smile slid onto his lips. Ariel pursed down onto hers to prevent herself from reciprocating it. He winked, she rolled her eyes, "Romeo?" She mumbled yet again or more so struggled to say as laughter threatened to bubble past her lips.
When she finally composed herself, her smile fell. Though her eyes screamed in amusement, her face was the mirror of distraught. She shook him more violently than was required, ignoring his painful grunts which were certainly not part of the play, "no, no, Romeo!" The silence was deafening. She grabbed the bottle from his grip.
"What's this here?" She murmured, eyeing the object like it was foreign, "it's a cup, closed in my true love's hand? Poison I see has been the cause of his death. How rude! He drank it all and didn't leave any to help me afterward. I will kiss your lips. Perhaps there's still some poison on them to make me die with a medical kiss."
And then she lowered her head, hands cupping his cheeks. Hesitantly she pressed her lips against his, yelping against his mouth as he kissed back. Fortunately for him, his back faced the students and teacher who cast a blind eye to what was really happening behind Ariel's head of red hair. Against her will, her heart fluttered irregularly and her stomach churned. Before she could ponder on this sudden reaction, she pulled away.
"Your lips are warm," she stated, touching her lips for a moment as her eyes lingered on his face. "yours too darling," he said above a whisper. Once again she was fighting against her murderous intentions. She wanted nothing more than to clasp a hand over his mouth and nose and suffocate him then and there but alas, dreams remain as they are.
She went over the rest of her lines till it came down to her hands grasping the fake knife and jabbing it into her chest, her body convulsing until she slumped down beside Tobias, ending the play. A chorus of cheers and clasps roused them from their positions and immediately they were drowned in praises. When class was finally over, Ariel was quick to escape the theatre room, hoping to lose Tobias on her way out.
As she exited the room, neither she nor the person approaching her had realized the other emerged from nowhere. Ariel tumbled on her feet as she slammed into Larson's chest which sent her careering onto the floor. Pain shot through her body as she made an impact with the tiles but the anger coursing through her veins clouded it as she parted her lips, preparing to burst out a string of insults before her eyes met his.
"I'm so sorry, shit, here." He shot a hand out towards her. For a moment she sat still, eyeing it as if it were a serpent ready to lunge at her beautiful face. She wanted nothing more than to slap it away or perhaps bite his fingers off but for some reason, Tobias' words in that bathroom stall ran through her mind. He wasn't worth it; the pain, anger, tears. What's the point of fighting for something you'll never win?
She slipped her hand into his and effortlessly he hoisted Ariel onto her feet. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern, his warm brown eyes assessing her carefully. She retracted her hand from his grip and tucked it behind her binder, her head bobbing up and down emotionlessly, "I'm good." With nothing left to say, she prepared to leave until his hand jutted out towards her, "Hey, Ariel I just wanted to ask you if–"
"Hey, little mermaid!" Ariel pivoted on her heels to face Tobias who slowly approached them, one hand shoved into his jean pocket, the other holding onto his bag that hung loosely off his shoulder. Although Ariel wanted to escape Tobias' presence, she silently thanked the lord that he was here to bail her out of this awkward situation. No longer did she enjoy being in Larson's presence especially since he began dating Lewis.
"Hey, Tobias. . ." She drawled out, her eyes trailing his footsteps until he halted at her side. With his free hand, he slung it over her shoulder, his head slowly tilting down to hers. "We still on for Friday? You're not bailing on me are you?" Tobias was a strategic person. As he stood at her side, he purposely hadn't mentioned that it was specifically a party to which he invited her, in hopes that Larson would interpret it as a date thus igniting his jealous rage.
Unbeknownst to this, Larson played right into his game once again, much like in the courtyard. His fist clenched tightly, aching to pummel it into Tobias' face. "Yeah, we're still on." She wanted to say no, but backing out of this plan especially in front of Larson might give him the wrong idea and she was over that. She was over making him jealous, hoping he'd run back to her. He made his choice.
"Good," his head cocked in Larson's direction, "oh you're here, were you guys talking? My bad!" He laughed softly, his grip on Ariel's shoulder tightening. Larson searched Ariel's gaze for any indication that his speculations weren't true but she deliberately averted her eyes, praying for him to go away. Finally, after giving in under Tobias' subtle glare, he retreated, mumbling to Ariel that he'd see her some other time.
When Larson was out of their view, she tore Tobias' hands off her shoulder and groaned in annoyance. "Kissing me does not mean you get to touch me." Tobias smirked, "so you were thinking about me kissing you huh? I know you like me, little mermaid, no need to hide it." She flipped him off and stalked away, ignoring his loud laughter as he jogged up behind her. A smile crawled onto her lips when he finally fell in step beside her. And side by side they walked down the hallway, unknowing of what awaited them.
~~~