Lilith
“We need to talk,” Nokosi whispers, taking my arm in his hand.
“I’m playing soccer,” I whine, looking at Mackenzie who I hate but am choosing to stay close with because she knows things and I need to stay on top of what she knows.
Nokosi kicks the ball away from me and all but drags me to the edge of the field.
“I’ll be back,” I call, ignoring my teacher when she blows the whistle at me. I investigate my lover’s pointed pupils and then up at the sun in the sky. It’s a really nice day, he better not be about to spoil my mood. “Couldn’t this have waited?”
“Probably,” he answers, grinning and pulling me into his arms to kiss me. His hands cup my rear making me squeak and shove him away.
“Will you stop?”
“Never.”
“Is this what you pulled me out of class for? To grab my butt and kiss me?”
“Well, that and… Dad just called.” He pulls out his phone and I shield it with my hand so I can see the screen. “He said that one of our neighbors is having another kid and have bought a bigger place. They’re selling their old one. It’s a ten-minute walk from Dad’s at most.” He scrolls through the pictures of the log cabin-type house that’s like his own. “Dad said he’ll loan me the money for the deposit because my savings aren’t enough… but I don’t want to get it if you’re not going to do it with me.”
I can’t stifle my smile as I take the phone from his hand and look through the pictures that show the small, cozy home that’s big enough for a family of three. Or in our case, us and maybe a big dog.
“You’re asking me to move in with you?” I mutter as his arms come around my waist. He nods against the side of my head. “We hardly know each other.”
“I know that I love you and I don’t want to lose you.”
I close my eyes to stop them from burning. “You love me?”
“Stay with me. I’m not going to college, my job pays well enough to keep us happy, you have no plans for college… and I know you love this life. I know I can make you happy.”
“You do make me happy.”
“Then stay with me.”
I hesitate. I want to scream yes at the top of my lungs more than he knows, but I have obligations.
“Please say yes and we’ll sign the papers this week.”
I turn in his arms and press my cheek to his chest. “What about my sister? I can’t leave her.”
My teacher blows her whistle again. “You have five seconds, Lilith!”
“We’ll talk later,” I say, kissing him once more.
“Say yes,” he orders, backing away from me.
I wave at him and get back to my game.
“What was that all about?” Mack asks, kicking the ball to me and catching it with her hands when I return it with a little too much power. “Not the face, come on…”
“Sorry.” I try to balance it on my foot, but soccer has never been my game. I’m more into baseball.
“Tell me,” she insists, tightening her ponytail with both hands.
“Nokosi just found us a place. He wants us to move in together.”
She grins. “That’s so fucking cool!”
“Right?”
“But…?”
“Huh?”
“You look ready to say but.”
“My sister,” I say as a reason and shrug my shoulders. “She’s dying.”
“I get that… but you’re not.” She’s such a bitch, but I really respect that about her. She’s not fake. Even though she asks all the right questions that piss me off immensely, she doesn’t pretend to be something she’s not or try to spare your feelings. “How long does she have left? Can’t she live with you while she dies?”
“You’re so crass,” I tell her but I’m chuckling too. She’s only saying all the things I’m thinking. “I’ll speak to Nok about it, and her… we’ll all figure something out.” I bite my lip and kick the ball a little too hard again. “He told me he loves me. He’s never said it before.”
“He strikes me as the type that’s never said it to anyone before.”
I nod my agreement. “I don’t think he has.” We kick the ball back and forth silently for a few beats. “Any news on SSS?”
We abbreviated the serial killer because saying School Sigil Searer each time was getting too much. Especially since it’s mostly the focal point of all our conversations.
“They’re pretty sure that the body they found is of the killer, every update is just further evidence pointing to this person.”
I feel my relief soar. “This is good. Maybe it’ll all be over soon.”
“Yeah, exactly.” She grins wryly at me. “You know, for a while there I thought it might be you. New girl, new town, sketchy history, tons of cash, dating the nastiest guy in a prep school. You totally fit the MO and Nokosi for the most part fits the victims’ profile.”
I knew she suspected me. Not that I care. “Only fifteen percent of all serial killers to date are female… roughly. What a find that would have been. Not only a female, but just a kid, killing over thirty boys across the States.”
“Yeah, I know, you’re totally not savage enough for that. You’ve got to be really fucked up to have killed all of those people and still be able to interact with the world afterwards.”
I laugh even though I shouldn’t find it funny. It’s just the situation. If only she knew how close she was to my own truth. “Well, let’s hope I’m actually not the killer because the next person on my list would definitely be the smartest girl in school with the wrong suspicions.”
“Not funny,” she retorts but she’s laughing too. “If you kill me, make it quick, yeah? And at least let me pop my cherry first. I don’t want to die a virgin.”
“Have you met Bobby?” I jest, knowing full well she has and how irritating she finds him. “He’s passionate, remember?”
She kicks the ball at my face, but I duck at the right moment and it sails over my head.
Laughing still, I run after it.
Willow
Willow: Can you come over later and help me out again?
He doesn’t reply. I really pushed him too soon. Fuck. If I’d bided my time and been patient, I’d be able to hang out with them and seduce him that way. Maybe then he’d see how good we are for each other. If I’d given him more time he might have fallen for me too.
He should be mine. Not hers. She’s got a lifetime to find someone like Nokosi. I only have a few months.
Willow: I’m really sorry for what I did. I feel terrible. If there’s any way I can make it up to you, let me know.
Nokosi: Stop texting me. This has gone too far.
Willow: Can you blame me for it though? Really? You’ve seen you right? No girl in her right mind could spend all that time alone with you and not fall for you.