Burn slow

Chapter 11| And that was delicious

POV Wednesday

The festival turned out to be a gaudy mayhem and I was positive that such event which was supposed to be timed to death was an explicit mockery. Drunk painted people laughed and screamed with excitement having fun on the square where the festival took place. All entertainment facilities looked tedious and pathetic to me apart one thing that managed to attract my attention and enthral me - shooting.

Not a real weapon. Yet.

There were several booths for shooting where the main goal was to hit targets with paint of a weapon which somehow resembled a paintball rifle. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to get the live targets this time but I bore in mind that I could use my new skills later on:
- You need to look through the sight, - Xavier instructed me how to shoot because I have never shot a gun before. I threw a sharp glance at him for giving me obvious advice but Xavier pretended not to notice my glimpse. - And it is better to keep your hand here 'cause you will be much more stable in such a way, - Xavier looked at my eyes like asking my permission. I got tensed and didn't take my eye off him keeping my grumpy concentrated face but I said nothing. Xavier leaned forward and his lips were almost near my ear; his fingers glided along the weapon and finally reached my hand. They were dainty, soft and warm and in turn my skin was frigid and stiff like my body has been already dead for a while. Xavier gently corrected me giving other instructions but just for a moment I felt like my acute ears got completely laid and I couldn't hear anything that he was trying to hammer into my head. I watched Xavier's fingers pointing at something, his lips moving and spreading in smile.

Stop.

I blinked twice to brush off this abominable state of mind. My grip of the rifle got more firm and I got ready to make a shot; but a loathsome sugary smell of female perfume hit my nose so I got distracted; this obsessive stench was accompanied with a sweet voice:
- Hey, hotty, - a girl who addressed to Xavier had hair of colour of sand. She had a cheesy image of a spider on her cheek and I immediately came up with the thought that Xavier would paint much better. The barefaced girl approached the next shooting booth.
Xavier even didn't understand from the first time that the girl was talking to him so he answered with a pause giving a polite smile:
- You're alright? - he spared a short glance at the girl and then I felt his eyes on me again so I grabbed the rifle even more firmly.
- Maybe you'll teach ME to shoot? - the blondie couldn't let up. Xavier pretended he was too engrossed by adjusting my fingers.
- Does this rifle take live ammunition? - I mumbled, aimed and hit the target. Xavier chucked having thrown a weird glance at me and once I felt it on me I got a mixed yen for hiding from his olive eyes but also I longed to stay under their radar.

I made one more accurate shot, and the empty head asked again:
- Wanna see other entertainments? What about a kissing booth?
I literally forced myself not to turn my head towards the dullard. My fingers grabbed the rifle so firmly that they got white:
- I guess it's obviously whom I am interested in, - Xavier gave her the sandhead a slight artificial smile and turned his eyes to me.
- Is this goth girl better than me? - she couldn't shut up. Now the girl talked about me so that was the very moment to ward off. Once I opened my mouth to silence the bonehead, Xavier spoke out:
- For me, yes, - Xavier didn't smile this time. He looked severe and he even didn't turn his head to the pick-me-up-girl. My eyes automatically switched to Xavier:
- You've got a bad taste, - the blondie fended off.
- I guess it's time to hit a new target, - I started turning my rifle towards the dumb individual.
- No-no-no, - Xavier stopped me. - Aim only at your target.
- That's exactly what I am doing, - I retorted trying to move the rifle towards the sandhead but Xavier's hand restricted me from doing that.
- No shooting at people, - Xavier sounded like a strict teacher but behind his sullen facial expression I could see affection.
- Uncle Fester says that I learn much faster if I shoot live targets, - I looked at the girl, who was taking a rifle, hoping that she would shoot her leg. - Targets which will run and scream in pain, fear and horror.
- Maybe, next time? - Xavier smirked and winked at me. - Finish with the last targets in front of you.
I took off the safety catch and hit the last three targets in the bullseye.
- You're a very fast learner, - Xavier genuinely smiled and that made the corners of my lips go slightly up as well.

My sharp eyes lie on the girl who had flirted with Xavier and my brain delivered a superb plan. I made a step back and the darkness hid my revengeful smirk.

Xavier walked aside and turned around to get my prize for hitting all the targets, a black scull, and while he was doing that, someone, just by coincidence, shot a bullet (not a real one, unfortunately, just with paint), straight into the back of the blonde stupid head. I put the rifle back where it belonged and walked away having grabbed Xavier's hand. The sandhead even couldn't get from which place someone shot her. Having touched the back of her head she started screaming and whining staring at her hand covered with blue paint.

I was pleased with my revenge.

And that was delicious.

In a minute, when I realised that I was still holding Xavier's hand so I promptly let it go turning my head to the opposite side so Xavier couldn't see my bewildered face.
- Just wait here, - Xavier saw something in the distance. - I'll come back in a bit.
- Okay.

It was the late afternoon and the square was getting less crowded. My eyes followed Xavier's silhouette which was being devoured by darkness. I slightly turned my head and suddenly they tracked one more silhouette and it belonged to the person whom I couldn't throw from my head for all this time.

I saw Tyler.
Tyler kept his hands in his brown leather jacket.

He smirked at me.
He mocked me.
He started getting closer to me.

All of the sudden someone touched my shoulder.
I swiftly turned around. My eyes were widened.
- Hey, are you alright? - It was Xavier in front of me holding two black ice-creams. - I hope you don't mind a dessert, - Xavier handed me an ice-cream and when I turned back and peered into the spot where Tyler just stood I saw nothing. Maybe I lost my marbles and I just got a hallucination?
- Are you okay? - Xavier felt that something was wrong.
- Yes, - I breathed heavily and scanned the whole square with narrowed eyes but Tyler's trail had gone cold. - Everything is fine.
- I chose a blackberry taste, - Xavier calmed down. He sounded very satisfied. - You like blackberry, right?
- Yes, I do, - I mumbled. My glance got frozen for a second: I was analysing how high were chances that it was Tyler? I convinced myself that the chances were incredibly low. How would Tyler find out that Xavier and I were to visit the festival in one of the American cities? No, it's just impossible.

I tried the ice-cream. Cold embraced my mouth like death envelops human's soul. And that was delicious. Blackberry ice-cream was moderately sweet and sour, tender and creamy.

And I saw him again. I saw Tyler again with the corners of my eyes.

Now he stared at me from another part of the square. Then he walked around one of the booths far afield:
- I'll get back soon, - I handed Xavier the ice-cream hastily.
- You didn't like the ice-cream? - Xavier got bewildered and his glance faded.
- No, I just need a lady's room, - I lied to him to make sure he wouldn't follow me.
- Okay, - Xavier was still looking at me with suspicion.

I made several steps backwards and then disappeared.

I got to the spot where I just saw Tyler and then took a turn to the booth behind of which he had dissolved. I went there and saw nobody. I turned around.

Hit.

It took just a second for Tyler to press me against the wall. His fingers clenched my throat:
- I bet you missed me, Wednesday.