"I haven't had a sleepover in a long time." Pepper admits while she gathers folded blankets and pillows onto her yellow futon. It looks comfortable.
When I had called Jesse, Pepper was heard in the background. They were out doing some shopping, so I figured I'd ask if they wanted to spend the night together at Peppers house. I made an excuse to not do it at Jesse's because everything she owns is fragile. So that saved me the questions.
Jesse smiles a bit to acknowledge Pepper before glancing at me. I can see guilt in her eyes and I know exactly what she's thinking about. "Did those guys do anything...to you?"
I shake my hand and pull down the futon to flatten it. "No, I managed to get away." I can hear Jesse sigh with relief but I already know she's still blaming herself. It wasn't her fault. Jewels wanted her to stay on the stage.
"I'm sorry, V. I shouldn't have listened to Jewels. I was so worried. I called you so many times but you didn't answer." Jesse plops on one of Peppers bean bags and hides her face in her hands. "I felt so stupid. Not knowing if I should call the cops or not. I brought it up with Friska but she said you were fine." She removes her hands and looks up at me, "I wanted to believe her but I couldn't."
"Jess," I make my way to her and kneel in front of her, "Stop blaming yourself. I'm here aren't I? And I didn't answer my phone because I left it in my locker. I'm fine, I promise. You need to stop worrying about me so much." I squeeze her hands in mine and watch as her eyes get watery.
"You're my best friend. It's my job to worry, remember?" Jesse sniffs and finally makes eye contact with me. I smile to her sweet words. We both hear Pepper returning to the living room. Her slippers clapping against the wooden floor.
I rub her knuckles before standing and continue setting the bed. Jesse focuses on clearing the blur in her eyes while I struggle to put on the sheets. "So, I was thinking we could watch a movie and have a couple drinks." Pepper says, entering the living room, "Since me and Jess don't have to be at work till the afternoon and V, you're off."
I gracefully throw the comforter up and over the futon. It slowly falls and sets in place. I nod at Pepper and toss the two pillows down, completing the bed Jess and I will be sleeping on today and tomorrow. "That's fine with me. As long as we don't leave the house."
"Yeah, I rather today just be an inside sleepover." Jesse falls forehead onto the bed and crosses her arms under her chin.
"Party poopers." Pepper says, grabbing her purse off the counter top, "Fine, but I need to pick up some things from the store. You coming?" She slips on her shoes and waits at the door for us. Jesse scurries to her feet and puts on her sneakers. "V, you coming?" Jesse asks, looking back at me.
"I think I'm going to stay behind and take a nap." I sink onto the bed and pat my pillow. Jesse frowns, probably still thinking something's wrong. Which there is but I can't tell her that. Pepper shrugs and hurries out the door.
Jesse looks back at me once and points at me, "Don't go anywhere." She closes the door slowly and peeks at me through the crack before shutting it all the way.
I softly chuckle and stretch out onto the futon. Rolling to my side, I glance towards the window as my gut begins to tighten. I begin to remember the amount of blood Carlos had lost. Jungkooks red stained finger tips as he sawed into the dead body. Completely unbothered.
I shoot back up from the image and immediately look at the windows. I get up and check all of them. Making sure they are locked including the door. I need some time away from him so I can think like a normal human being. I'm not sure if I am normal. All the things he's done and said and yet I still find comfort with him.
Heading towards one of the windows, I peek through the blinds, looking down at the streets. The sun is slowly going down and it sets an eerie feeling in my stomach but my eyes keep searching for something. Him. He's out there, somewhere. Either killing or looking for me. The blinds snap close and I step back. What if he is looking for me? What if he was waiting for Pepper and Jesse to leave? I shake my head and sit at the end of the futon. No, he couldn't be. He doesn't know where Pepper lives. If anything, he's probably checking Jesses first. That's if he got out of that basement.
I slap a hand over my mouth. Shit. The basement door! I put that bar in the handles. There's no way he's getting out. Maybe he will. Maybe he knows another exit. Fuck me. If he got out, I'm so dead. I grab the comforter and wrap it around me, laying on my side as I cocoon myself.
I close my eyes tight and think of positive things. He can't find me. He won't. It's the whole reason why I chose this stupid sleepover. To be with other people at a place where he's never been to. I begin to rock myself to sleep. Counting my heart beats in my head. Rubbing my feet together. Anything that'll help me sleep.
Then, in the emptiness of the dark, he approaches me. His hair is damp from the light dribble outside. He slowly crawls at me feet and hovers me. The blood chain around his neck swings back and forth, putting me in a trance. "Stop running away from me." He whispers in the quietness. He cups my face and lowers his lips to mine, almost touching, "or else I'll have no other choice but to restrain you." His hand glides down my stomach and snakes beneath my pajama shorts. He reaches for my entrance, teasing me with his bloody hands. "Touch me." I whisper against his lips. Restrain me. Never let me go.
Just as I think I drifted off, Pepper is on top of me, shaking me. "Wake up sleeping beauty! We got the good stuff!" She finally gets off me and I slowly rise up. Jesse is placing bags on the counter top and Pepper is waving two bottles in the air.
My legs are shaking and I've managed to create a damp spot in my underwear from the hot dream. I awkwardly crawl out of the blanket cocoon and make my way over to them. I grab the black bottle and mumble the name, "Tequila Rose, Strawberry cream 15%?" I look over at the bottle Pepper is holding, "Grey Goose? Where the hell did you get these?"
"Stopped at a place near the market." Pepper answers with a shrug. Jesse unloads the bags of chips and candy's. I can tell Pepper had a drink by the way she sways over to her cabinets to grab some glasses. Her hand moving in the air like she's some delicate princess. Definitely not delicate and definitely not a princess.
Later that night, the three of us are huddled on the futon watching Lights Out. Jesse has a tight hold on my arm. Her knees pressed into mine as she breaths heavily. In the movie, the girl hears scratching noses and sees something each time the light goes off. Jesses nails twist the skin on my arm, scooting closer to me as she bites her nails. "Oh god, no." Jesse mutters next to me, peeking out of one eye. Pepper is practically up in the tv. Her face forward and her eyes wide. She could lie and say she wasn't scared, but her squeezing my leg says otherwise.
The girl in the movie slowly climbs off her bed, getting on the floor as the red light flickers off. The shadow in her doorway freezes and snaps it's head towards her direction. The red light turns back on, sending the girl in a silent panic. As the light turns off again, the shadow in now standing and it runs straight at her. Jesse screams in my ear, shaking my entire body. Pepper jumps back, her hip bone stabbing my side as she hides her face under the covers. The girl in the movie quickly gets up once the red light turns back on and flicks her bedroom light switch. Jesse and Pepper gather their breathing, both of them squeezing the life out of me.
Pepper looks over at the both of us and drops the comforter. She clears her throat and removes the hair away from her face. "You guys are a bunch of babies."
Jesse and I glance over at Pepper, glaring over at her. Pepper looks over her shoulder at us and we all break into a laughing fit. This brings back memories of how we use to be. Pulling all nighters and watching scary movies half intoxicated. Our tummies full of unhealthy snacks. I guess I can say that I needed this sleepover.
