Twelve
1818 Words
▪︎ Bloody Babysitter ▪︎
Reed buries her face in her hands, whimpering.
"Please don't look at me like that!"
I glare at her.
"Like what!"
"Like I'm a monster!"
"Aren't you?" I quirk an eyebrow. "Isn't that what monsters do? s***h the tyres of your car and let someone else get blamed for it!"
"I know! I know!" She cries. "I'm the most horrible terrible person existing! I shouldn't have done it! I swear to you that I didn't want to do it! But Erik forced me!"
My jaw almost drops.
"Erik forced you?"
"Yes!" She sighs. "But, he didn't technically force me force me! But he kinda forced me! Ugh! What am I even saying? I mean, he's the reason I did it!"
I stare at her, sinking deeper in confusion.
She continues.
"See, Erik has been my best friend since forever! I know him like the back of my hand! I know his favourite foods and his favourite songs and his favourite artists and his favourite everything! Something I also know very well is when he likes a girl... And I know that he likes you, Ruby!"
"So you s***h the tyres of my car because your best friend likes me?"
"Yes!" She scratches her head. "I mean... no. Yes! Whatever! What I mean is, I know my best friend likes you. I see the way he looks at you and talks about you. f**k! He even wrote a song about you! But you see, Erik is a smart brilliant guy but he can be so dumb and hard-headed sometimes. And that's why I slashed the tyres of your car. Does that make sense?"
"You slashed the tyres of my car because your best friend is dumb and hard-headed? Make it make sense."
She scrunches her nose and sighs.
"I slashed the tyres of your car because my best friend wouldn't admit that he likes you! That's why he was ignoring you and not talking to you after that steamy night in your car..."
"He told you about-"
"He tells me everything, that's not the point." She shrugs. "The point is, I wanted to force him to talk to you. Slashing the tyres of your car sounded so awesome! Especially because I knew he's good with fixing stuff. Fixing cars. Fixing bulbs. Fixing bikes. Fixing pipes. Fixing stuff around the house... He has a unique gift of fixing things."
I shake my head in disbelief.
"Let me get this right. You slashed the tyres of my car to get your best friend to fix my damaged car so that he would talk to me after he was clearly ignoring me?"
"You got that right."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't splash this coffee on your face because my fingers are itching to do just that."
"I'm wearing a white hoodie, a gift from the greatest love of my life," she frowns. "Coffee would stain it."
"Not good enough."
She sighs.
"Come on, Ruby. Wouldn't you also do the same for your best friend? Isn't that what good best friends do? Wanting the best for their best friends?"
"By slashing the tyres of someone's f*****g car?"
"By pushing them to be with someone they really like!" She insists. "Even if it means slashing the tyres of someone's car. I'm telling you, my boy likes you.
I sigh.
"He has a girlfriend."
"They broke up."
"He ran to her when he heard about that damn accident! He thinks I did it!"
"Didn't you?"
"No, I didn't! Why the f**k is everyone so convinced I did it?"
She rolls her eyes. "Honestly, I don't care. The b***h can die for all I care. She's lucky the accident wasn't fatal."
"And here I thought I'm her biggest hater!"
She sighs after scooping some icecream.
"Sabrina is not healthy for Erik. That's why I hate her. They have been in an on-again off-again relationship since last year. They have broken up a million times and I hate how the b***h keeps toying with his feelings."
"But he still stays with her."
"Because he thinks she's a fragile little doll that he can fix. Sabrina is sick. I feel like she takes advantage of this and manipulates Erik to keep him. She knows Erik has a soft spot for her because of the damn disease! He's always looking out for her. Worried about her. Doing his best to take care of her."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Of course it's a bad thing! Sabrina is using my best friend! That's why she keeps breaking up with him when she feels like it but the minute she sniffs him liking another girl, she creates tantrums to pull him back to her," she pauses. "Good example is that night at the club, Erik and Sabrina were on a break. But the minute she found out that you were dancing with him, she came running back to him the next day. Promising to change. Crying and causing a scene like she does best."
"That night at the club?" I'm startled. "But Erik said he had a girlfriend..."
"Technically, he did. But they were on one of their stupid typical breaks."
"But I saw them together that night at the club..."
"Because Erik was her bloody babysitter. He had come to take care of her after he heard she was out drinking carelessly."
A brief laugh escapes my throat.
"Let me get this right. So you think Sabrina is not healthy for your best friend?"
"Not at all?"
"And you think that I am?"
"I know."
"Because?"
"You seem like a great girl."
"Erik hates me," I chuckle. "The guy thinks I almost killed his girlfriend."
"Ex-girlfriend."
"That he keeps running back to every chance he gets. From the long story you have just told, it's clear as day that your best friend is still madly in love with Sabrina. Explains why he can't seem to dump her toxic ass. Instead of slashing tyres, maybe you should be busy planning a grand wedding for those two."
Reed's icecream has melted and she's not enthusiastic about it anymore. I take the last bite of my creamy muffin and set the cup of coffee aside.
"You are lucky I like your hoodie. It's too stunning to be stained."
A grin tugs on her lips.
"See, you are a great girl."
"I know," I stand up from the seat. "And even though your friend seems like a great guy, he's just not my type. I don't do college boys, sorry."
I lean on the table, looking down at her sharply.
"Reed, is it?"
I pause as she nods.
"I won't be such a great girl the next time you s***h my tyres."
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Since I don't have an afternoon class today, I drive to Alex's apartment. He didn't sound okay over the phone last night. Maybe something is wrong and he just doesn't want to tell me.
It's crazy how it's freezing outside. Even a heavy belted blazer and woolen gloves are not enough to fight the cold! This weather sucks!
Standing at his door, I shiver when I raise a hand to knock.
A woman wearing nothing but a white towel opens the door. She keeps flaunting her wet red hair as her eyes travel from my hat to my heels. I don't think she likes what she sees.
"Was AJ expecting you?"
"Darling, you are freezing," I force myself into the house and shut the door.
The house is a complete mess with files cluttered on the wooden table and crumpled papers strewn all over the floor. I'm not surprised. It's Alex's crib.
"Was AJ expecting you?" The red-haired woman repeats, this time in a demanding tone.
"Who the f**k is AJ?"
"Alex Jean."
I burst out a laugh. Another minute doesn't pass before Alex sneaks out of his bedroom, covered up in ugly pajamas. His eyes are bloodshot and his dry lips look like they are cracking.
"Good afternoon, AJ."
He looks tired and haggard with heavy bags under his eyes. He doesn't show the slightest tint of delight to see me.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"You sounded like s**t on the phone. God! Didn't think you look like s**t too!"
He plonks on the black couch.
"You didn't have to come, Mommy. I'm just tired, not dying."
"I know you would say that even on your deathbed."
"Who is this, AJ?" The red-haired woman demands.
I can't help but laugh.
"Can you stop calling him AJ? It sounds ridiculous! Just call him Alex."
She ignores me and glowers at him, anger flickering in her eyes.
"If you really won't tell me who this f*****g woman is, I will leave right this minute!"
To my utter shock, Alex lets her leave. He doesn't even bother begging her to stay. She quickly dresses up and storms out, slamming the door.
I sit beside him, playing with his hair.
"All you had to do is tell her who I really am. Are you that ashamed of me?"
"Who wouldn't be?" He teases. "Plus, I don't owe Kiki any explanation. She's just a bootycall."
"It's clear she wants to be more than that."
"That's a breach of contract," he laughs. "Do you think I should sue her?"
We c***k a couple more jokes and laugh heartily as Alex drinks some warm lemon water. I thought he was really ill. He seems a little sick but I know some sleep will do him good. I was just worried about nothing. He's perfectly okay.
When the laughter dies down, I notice that I've been sitting on a flat object. I'm a little surprised when reach to pick it only to see a phone. It's a relief that the screen is still intact.
It's not Alex's phone.
"I think your bootycall just left her phone..." I press the button on the side. "It's dead."
He snatches it from me.
"Bring it! The battery must have died. I'll charge it for her."
"Jeez! Cool your heels! I don't bite phones you know."
After sneezing and rubbing his nose, he changes the topic.
"I wasn't expecting you. You should have at least told me you are coming."
"Remember when you broke into my car just the other day? Yeah, that's exactly how I felt."
"Talking of cars, is your friend dead?" He asks abruptly.
"My friend?"
"Yeah. The cute blonde girl at The Launch. The one that messed with your car?"
I gasp in disbelief when the dots connect.
"Alex! It was you! You tampered with the brakes of her car! God! You almost killed her!"
"Almost?" He frowns. "That means she's still alive?"
"She's in hospital!"
"Not the mortuary unfortunately."
An evil smile tugs on his lips.
"But there's always a next time, right?"
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- Writer
