The Devil is a Werewolf

De Trop

The smell of alcohol, whiskey, all kinds of cocktails and earsplitting music in the atmosphere. Had I been in the same surroundings a year ago, when my mom was still fine and I had a perfectly normal life and a job, I would have already run out. But being here today, after a year of being jobless, with my mother in a vegetative state in hospital due to a head injury and me taking care of everything by basically living off our deposits, this stinky little place filled with sweaty people feels like a paradise already.

"Carla, my darling, we're getting totally wasted tonight!!" Zoe shouted in my ears.

Zoe, my best friend since middle school. I love her because she is perfectly childish for fun conversations and on point for my emotional side.

"Sure we are, your girlie just got paid the huge bulky advance for her new job." I shouted back even louder.

She did one of those stupid sounding giggles of hers that I absolutely adored.

We grabbed our drinks and found ourselves a space in the crowded bar.

"Oh my god, this really hot daddy guy is totally checking you out girl!"

"No, he's checking YOU out."

"Oh my god, I think he is. Or is it because I look weird or something?" She had this habit of over-visualizing stuff.

"You're one of the most beautiful girls here Zo. Just don't think and go talk with your 'hot DADDY guy' already."

I did want her to stay because we'd been together for a fun night after a very long time, but I surely did not want to hold her back from having her own fun.

"Excuse me? ONE OF THE...?" Of course she's the prettiest, I just wanted to get on her nerves with that 'one of the'.

"Okay, so here's the plan. He does not know that we know where he's looking. So, I'm gonna walk toward his direction and see if he tries to hit on me, and if he does not, then I'll just crash the dance floor and seduce him with my dance moves until he does come and hit on me."

She got up, pulled her skirt a little up and left towards the guy. This girl is just so smoothly sly!

I watched her as she walked away, but not before turning her head back midway and mouthing "Get drunk and get laid, devil's assistant."

DEVIL's ASSISTANT. My new job that starts from tomorrow.

I'm sure that it's just a creative and funny vacancy announcement for the nanny of some troublesome rich kid. Maybe the kid drove so many nannies away and earned a bad reputation in the nanny communities because of which they hired me even without an interview. All they saw was my application and, just like that, I was selected.

I even got an advance payment that paid all our dues for the past 3 months. Just how rich are they?

"Carla?" I jolted in surprise as a hand suddenly rested on my shoulder.

I turned back to see someone I'd never wanted to see.

"Jolene?" That came out as a question even if I could clearly see her unwanted existence in front of me.

"Where've you been all this time?" She sat beside me, and took my free hand in hers, making sure that I could clearly see her diamond engagement ring.

"Oh, this! You know, John and I got engaged last month. I could swear it was the most beautiful proposal everrrr."

I was not gonna ask, but thanks for giving me the most unrequited piece of information in my life.

She looked at my face for a while and frowned.

"You're not even gonna congratulate us? I know that you really lik- , you really loved him. But you know he was with you only because he did not want to disregard your feelings. I hope there are no hard feelings anymore."

Me and John went to the same school in Junior High. He had a crush on me for quite a while before I started finding him cute and we decided to date. We went to the same high school where we met Jolene, who was then friends with Zoe. She pursued John, even after knowing very well that we were together, and she did succeed.

"I think I will go get a refill." I got up, not wanting to be near her presence.

Oh Jolene, you can have him 'cause he don't mean much to me. At least not anymore!

I instantly regretted my decision as I walked towards the counter.

"Carla." It was John.

He looked at me with a strange vulnerability in his eyes. I could tell for sure that it was not how a man engaged just a month ago should look at his ex-girlfriend.

I rolled my eyes, refusing to acknowledge his presence. I realized while being amongst people just how much I'd grown mentally. I did not want to argue with anyone, I did not want to keep on holding to the old memories. I'd been alone for so long that now I wanted to keep away from all the people who have nothing to do with me and my life.

I walked past him, not even looking at his cheating ass's face for once.

"Lord, I just wanna leave. Why did they have to ruin my happy fun night? Was ruining my inner peace for forever not enough?" I cursed under my breath.

"Carla, at least talk to me." I had not realized that he was following behind me all this time.

I continued to ignore him and looked around to see if I could still find Zoe. When I did not find her as far as my sights could reach, I knew that she was probably somewhere with that guy, or maybe some other guy.

"Listen, we have nothing to talk about. It's been years now John, and you are already engaged. So just stop chasing me around, alright?" I snapped at him. He was the one who cheated and left. What's the point in following me around now?

"Engaged? What are you even talking about? If you met Jolene and she tried filling your head with some made-up stuff, then please just don't believe her. She probably did that because she knows that I've been trying to get back to you for a very long time now."

"I don't care about what goes between you and her, or anyone anymore. Stop following me around! We have ended things between us already and I most certainly do not want to be with you, so just leave me alone."

I found my way to the parking lot in quite a foul mood, not realizing that there was no way for me to go back home alone as I came with Zoe and she had the car keys.

"Just when I started to think that my life was getting better!"

I walked back inside, trying to find any possible way to meet Zoe somehow. Had she already left, she would have found me to give me the car keys . So, it means that she is still here.

I saw this place at the other side of the bar, maybe there were more people in there. I started walking towards there.

"You pretend like you don't want to see me, but you still walked back looking for me when I didn't follow you." He was so close to my ears.

"You're getting the wrong idea, I'm looking for Zoe because she has the car keys."

"Stop pretending already." He grabbed my arms and turned me towards him, and his soft tone from earlier had already turned into an angry one.

"Let me go." I yanked his hands off me.

It only fueled his anger as he gripped me even harder and pushed me inside one of those areas that looked like some private VIP space. I was quickly thrown onto the huge leather sofa as he climbed on top of me.

Someone please tell me that this is not actually happening.

I struggled hard to free myself, before long his hands and lips were all over me. I was already crying and screaming, something that would easily be silenced by the loud noise. I was trapped in a position from which I could not even kick his groins and just run.

Suddenly, I felt his weight being lifted off me.

"Sorry man, but I've reserved this area."