Black Mayhem (On Hold)

Road Trip II

(Please play the video as you read the first part of the chapter)

It was just like every other night. No, it should have been like every other.....

"You're working way too much... It's summer." She cried out.

"I have to finish this project so I can spend my summer vacation freely."

"So you expect me to believe that you're doing this now for me?"

"Yes." He said looking her in the eye.

"Noooo... no no no no no." She slammed his book shut. "I have something else in mind." She said shaking a bottle of tequila.

"Gera." He called her sadly, obviously disappointed. He was the only one who didn't refer her by her African nickname.

"You don't have to sound like that."

"Gera please..."

"Come on baby, just a little bit. A teensy weensy bit." She said in a child-like manner as she sat on his reading desk. Giving him a better angle to look at. She traced his chest with her finger, drawing imaginary scribbles which seemed to enchant him.

"No Geraldine." He groaned, snapping back to his senses. "You have to go home. You're not okay." The last thing he was going to do was let her lure him into any act of intimacy at his age. He knew she was a very dangerous temptation, but his love for her wouldn't let him put her away.

"Oh come on. Don't be such a baby. We're old enough you know."

"If you really love me you'll respect my beliefs." Travis was a devoted catholic. Not even his own parents could sway him.

"Oh splish splosh! Beliefs and rules are all the same baby. They're meant to be broken. And I'm pretty sure God made some certain things like alcohol and sex exist because he wanted us to partake of it but only when we're old enough. So we're not exactly committing a sin."

He shook his head and leaned back on his chair looking deeply into her eyes. She gave him her trademark goofy smile and he laughed to himself. She kept drawing on his chest, giving him the puppy dog eyes, which always made his heart melt and put a halt to all his sense of reasoning.

He sighed, he couldn't take it any longer. "Fine, just a sip. Then you promise to go home." She nodded stupidly.

She wished she hadn't pushed him to do it. He'd never taken alcohol before. Why wouldn't it kick in that fast? One sip turned to a gulp, a gulp to a shot, a shot to a bottle. They started dancing and grinding on themselves; Next thing they were against the wall ferociously kissing, blood rushing; getting drunk another round on a whole new level of intensity. Before she knew it he had pushed her up onto the bed. It was all so fast she couldn't remember how they had reached there. The look in his eyes then was one she had never seen before, almost like his eyes at that moment weren't his. These were distant and filled with lust, not gentle and angelic like they used to be. The last thing she heard was the sound of her own voice, screaming out of her lungs and out into the night. Grandma Chlori barged in to see them in that position, her struggling for her life and him stripping her apart. She pushed him and beat him to a stupor with a wooden spoon. Her parents walked into the scene and she couldn't even describe how they might have felt. They came over and carried her shaken self home that night, but she knew she wasn't the real victim.

- - -

"Zukky, let me drive."

She snapped back to the present only to realize that she had been crying.

"Um... okay." She stepped out of the car and switched places with Freya, quickly wiping her tears away.

"It wasn't your fault, Zukky." Freya started once they were on the road again. "You were drunk that night. You had no idea what you were doing; neither did you know he's was that sensitive."

She sniffled and smiled. Her best friend always tried to make her feel better by pushing the blame off her, but deep down she knew the truth. It hadn't been the first time she had bugged him about it.

"Alright, don't cry anymore. Our bond's connecting the tears and I don't wanna ruin my reputation."

She burst out laughing. Freya could cry and make a fuss about her 'reputation'. The tomboy in the two, she had always been a fighter and survivor. Often pushing boys away from her to her much more girly best friend. Sometimes Geraldine wished for her friend to loosen up and let in a little love.

"Why don't you just like guys?" She had asked her on several occasions.

"You give guys a hand, they take an arm. I'm not gonna let any guy take advantage of me. No way am I ending up like the women in my family."

Her reply had been the same every time, Geraldine could write it in a book. Coupled with the pattern and trend of single mothers in her family and having to defend herself and her mother most especially, Freya had closed up her heart and thrown away the key. Sometimes Geraldine thought it had been locked from birth. She only hoped her best friend wouldn't let her past rule over and ruin her future.

They drove on for a few more minutes before reaching their first and only stop: Their hotel. They checked in and made themselves comfortable, falling flat on the bed.

"Ugghh... my butt is killing me," Freya growled in pain.

"Yeah... remind me to change the car seats when we get back."

"...and to never go on a road trip without stops."

"Dually noted," Geraldine assured. "Ugghh... I ache all over. I like, need a full four-hour spa treatment right now."

"Yeah, mama needs some brain recharge."

"You know what? Why don't we go to the bakery tomorrow morning? According to his timeline, he's always there late in the day."

"Are we really gonna sit in the Café till we see the guy?" Freya cried.

Geraldine sat up. "Of course, that's the plan."

"Did you really think this through?" Freya asked, copying her posture.

"Well yeah... duhh."

"And when were you gonna let me in on this plan of yours?"

"After we got here." Geraldine sighed. "After we get some shut eyes, Frey, I'm exhausted."

"Okay, but you know I was just thinking: What if we run into Grandma Chlori or even worse Travis?"

Geraldine shot her a look.

"Not that I want us to run into him 'cause then everything would be super awkward. You know an encounter with someone who knows your identity in a 'secret mission' is a huge risk."

"Don't sweat it, Frey. We've got this; trust me." She gave her a reassuring smile.

Freya wasn't really an all-jittery and nervous person by nature. She was actually much bolder than Geraldine (and sensible too). She only feared for her super impulsive best friend who would do anything (and I mean anything), just to get some excitement in her life. Otherwise, she was a die-hard sports and anime fan, foodie, and Computer/Internet Queen (In summary, a super cool nerd).

Looks like our girls are finally in town. Can't wait to see how they resolve this hacker. How do you think their encounter with Smoky Anders will be? Write your thoughts in the comments section. Don't forget to vote loves.