His Deadly Girl

12. Pew pew

I blinked once, twice, then, let out a forced chuckle, “What are you talking about, Alexander?”

Alex was totally hovering above me. The pillow wall which I constructed with so much difficulty was now lying broken. I gulped at the anxious look in his eyes and cursed myself for falling asleep.

God knows what he heard!

“Don’t,” he grit out, his gaze never once wavering from mine, “don’t try to deny it.”

“Fine,” I huffed, “I was trying not to hurt you. But, if that’s what you want, then, it was you. Who else do you think I am capable of killing?”

Alex closed his eyes, “Stop lying, for once.”

“I am not lying!” I snapped, “It was just a frickin’ dream!”

“Then, why were you crying?” he whispered, tracing his thumb along my cheeks, along the trail of the tear tracks which I was so very ashamed of.

My eyes widened and I pushed him off, getting out of the bed, “I don’t know what it is to you. But, for your own sake, I will suggest that you stay out of my business.”

Alex exhaled loudly and lied back down on the bed, meeting my eyes, “it’s too late for that.”

“Excuse me?”

“I am already too involved. I can’t rest in peace now until I figure out you and your mystery.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, “That’s a bit dramatic. And, this is not a matter of joke. I am serious. Stay out of this.”

“Not happening, crispy,” he replied, “Also, I must warn you, I am not alone. My friends are going to intrude too,” he told me casually, as if he was discussing the weather with me.

Now, what was I supposed to say to that, except:

“Thanks for making me feel a lot better,”

“Anytime, crispy!”

“It was sarcasm,” I deadpanned.

“I know,” he smirked.

There. That smirk again! If he kept on repeating that, I would be a gone case in no time.

“How come you are smirking these days? Who even taught you to smirk?” I asked him, just out of curiosity.

Alex shrugged, “Guys like me have to learn to smirk when dealing with girls like you.”

Really?!

Since, my muddled up brain could come up with no retort to that, I decided to take my leave and marched out of the room, shaking my head and leaving Alex behind with his smirk.

I retracted my steps when I realized something.

“Where are all my belongings?” I asked Alex.

He arched an eyebrow, “What belongings? There was nothing in your hostel room.”

I cursed under my breath, when I comprehended what this meant. That son of a biscuit Isaac (if he was the one who had threatened me) flew away with the only two pairs of clothes and necessary toiletries I had.

“That’s all you own?” Alex interrupted my thoughts.

Well, not thoughts because I said it aloud, maybe.

“What? Don’t judge because I travel light,” I defended.

“Travel? As in, you are not from here?”

I sighed, “Can you like, stop asking me questions for once?”

He mimicked my sigh, and made a face, “Can you like, stop dodging my questions for once?”

This boy was impossible. As impossible as me. And, that was saying something.

“Now that I think of it,” Alex continued, “this all only adds to your suspicious character. Like which girl keeps only two pairs of clothes and which psycho steals even that?” then, he got up from the bed and stretched exaggeratedly, “man, you are a piece of work.”

I kept my mouth wisely shut all the time and waited for him to finish his observations on me.

“You know what, I think I saw Jackie with an overnight bag. You can go borrow clothes from her,” he suggested, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. I could clearly see his eyes dancing with amusement.

“You should be scared right now, Alexander,” I told him, “Jackie goo goo came here all prepared, you know what that means? She has every plan of moving back into your life.”

Alex frowned and then, smiled, coming to stand closer to me, “Well, I would have been scared if I had not found my ‘girlfriend’,” he said, then, burst out laughing.

“What the- wait, just you wait,” I fumed and picked up a pillow to throw at his head. But, he was already out of the room, before I could do so.

I groaned after he left. No one was ever letting this ‘girlfriend’ thing go, were they?

Well at least, I still had the consolation of finding his shampoo.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, Alex’s head peeked through the door, “Forget about it, crispy. I have already hidden it in a safe place,” he winked and disappeared.

I double groaned this time.

***

“Pew pew, pew pew.”

This was the first thing that my ears registered when I made my way to the breakfast table, after stealing Jackie goo goo’s clothes (thankfully, she was soundly asleep)and getting ready. Alex was right. I couldn’t find his shampoo, in any of the bathrooms.

But, did that mean I was giving up? No! Alex had no idea what had hit him: a storm called Kris Noodles Mendes. And Kris was not among the ones to give up.

“Pew pew, pew pew.”

I frowned, taking in the scene at the table. Everyone was already seated there (except Jackie goo goo, who was still asleep of course), and there was Stella too. Blake was the one holding her and making that weird sound, holding a toy gun in his hand. I shook my head, smiling.

Blake was Blake.

Everyone greeted me and I returned their greetings, taking a seat between Millie and Julia. Then, my brain registered something. Millie, Julia and Hailey were all dressed up in different clothes, that were not Jackie goo goo’s.

“Did you guys go back home and then, returned?” I asked, Millie.

“No, of course not. Hailey had brought an overnight bag with her for emergency,” she replied.

I sucked in a sharp breath and turned to look at Alex, who was sitting opposite to me. Sure enough, he was looking at me with fake innocence. But, I could see him biting the inside of his cheeks to suppress his laughter.

“Alexander, you can consider yourself dead!” I whispered harshly to him.

“Pew pew. Pew pew,” Blake voiced, aiming the toy gun at Alex, “there, job done.”

Everyone burst out laughing at that, including me and Alex himself.

“How come Stella is here, anyway?” I asked.

“Oh, my dad stopped by to drop her,” millie said, “she was missing us and we were missing her, so…”

“I can’t blame you,” I sighed in appreciation, admiring Stella’s cuteness as she nibbled at her chewy toy.

“That reminds me, today is Sunday, so, we decided to go ice skating later. Kris, you should join us,” Cameron said.

I stiffened at that because there was something I had decided after this morning’s conversation with Alex: I had to make my distance from these guys.

Slowly but surely, they were starting to grow on me and I had to cut off all ties before it was too late. That’s why I had also decided to leave Alex’s house after breakfast itself.

I took a deep breath, ready to give them the blow.

But, then, my eyes fell on their expectant and happy faces, breaking my resolve. I decided to take it slow, “Guys, I don’t think I can come with you all.”

“How cute,” Hailey chuckled, “it was not a choice, Kris.”

What?

Julia laughed at my expression, “Relax, sis. Hailey is just kidding. But, why won’t you come?”

“Um…it’s…” I fumbled with my words, thinking of how I could break it to them. Alex was totally scrutinizing me with narrowed eyes, while everyone else was waiting for me to speak up.

I hastily stood up, “Look, guys, I am sorry, but, we all can’t be friends. It was good while it lasted and all, but, I need to go on my own way now,” I blurted and then, cringed at my own words.

Silence echoed across the table. Everyone was looking at me in shock.

Damn! Why did that sound so heartless, cruel and ungrateful?

I seriously wanted to cry.

“I will pretend you never said that. Pew pew, pew pew,” Blake broke the silence, aiming the toy gun randomly in air.

“I have already erased it from my mind,” Ashton declared, going back to his cornflakes.

“Nice joke, Kris,” Hailey chuckled.

Alex just leaned back in his chair, giving me an ‘I told you so’ look.

Why? Why were they making this harder for me?

“Look, guys-” I started, but was interrupted by a high pitched scream.

All of us turned to locate its source: Jackie goo goo. And might I add that her seething eyes were zeroed in on my dress- I mean, her dress which I was wearing.

She marched towards me with pure murderous look in her eyes, but, a voice made her halt midway.

“Pew pew, pew pew,”

That was not even Blake, it was actually Stella, aiming the toy gun at Jackie goo goo.