KILLING ME SOFTLY 𖣔 EUPHORIA [FEZCO]

23

hiii guys checking in real quick, sorry about the wait for a new update! please tell me how you guys are liking the sequel versus the original book. i know this version is much more mature than serial killer but i still miss the audience feedback! it lets me know if you guys are genuinely enjoying what you're reading. thank you!

Priscilla gathered all of the bills together. She quickly popped off the thick rubber band before spreading everything out on the counter. The girl arranged the bills carefully by their value as one of her coworkers approached. Gabriel, obnoxiously chewing his gum, called out, "Yo, someone's here for you."

Priscilla didn't glance up from her work.

"If it's Rue, just tell her to wait for me."

"It's some white girl."

Priscilla raised her eyebrow at the man, but he just shrugged in response.

As he walked away, Priscilla let out a deep breath. The exhaustionof her thirteen hour shift began to hit her. The bottoms of her feet ached as she opened the drawer to her left. She shoved the money into the lock box before shutting it.

As she made her way to front of the restaurant, in the middle of the floor stood Lexi. Her arms were crossed over her chest, shyly as she waited.

"Hey," Priscilla greeted. She undid her apron, taking her hair down from its tight ponytail.

"Hi, sorry, I didn't know you guys were trying to get out of here."

"It's fine," she gestured for Lexi to sit down at the bar, before joining her. "So, what's up?"

"I was wondering if we could talk."

Priscilla shrugged, her face remaining still and emotionless. The last time the girl has exchanged words was at Maddy's birthday party. Priscilla was so drunk and angry that night, Lexi being there was a sure trigger. She felt bad for how harsh her words came out, but she didn't regret it.

"What is there to talk about?"

"I-I brought this for you," Lexi reached into the satchel hung over her shoulder, pulling out an assortment of paper.

Priscilla began to flip through the pages, chuckling dryly, "This is your play?"

"Our Live," was plastered in bold, black letters at the front, followed by the casting for the production.

"Not to be mean, but if you and Fez had plenty of conversations about this, what does my opinion matter?"

"You're in it," Lexi spat out, "everyone is."

Priscilla scoffed, pushing away the booklet.

"I was hoping we could have an actual conversation, without the fighting."

"It's hard when you take zero accountability for anything. Every conversation we do have, it's like talking to a literal child. But considering Cassie's your sister-"

"Look, I know you're upset that I was talking to Frzco, but I thought you two had broken up-"

"That's not the point, and this is what I mean by accountability. You know our history. That should've been enough for you to not do what you did. Now, without even asking me, or anyone else for that matter, you're putting on a play. With us as your background characters."

"It's about friendship."

"We don't have a friendship!"

"You hate me so much, why? What did I ever do to you?"

"I don't hate you, Lexi. We were friends when we were younger, then high school started. That's it."

Lexi tried jot to let the hurt show on her face, but the features were obvious. "We were bestfriends. Me, you, Rue- then one day, I was just pushed out of the picture."

"Please," Priscilla rolled her eyes, "How many times have Rue and I reached out to you? Or walked to your house, for your mom to tell us you were too busy, or didn't feel weel? Some bullshit excuse."

"I was dealing with a lot at the time, okay? My dad just left, my mom was drinking more. Cassie was doing whatever she was doing."

"We all were dealing with a lot. But, when our lives were falling apart, Rue and I had each other. You disappeared and forgot people cared about you."

"I didn't think about it that way, I'm sorry."

Priscilla shook her head, "It's whatever."

"I'm sorry about everything, Fezco included."

"It's deeper than Fezco. You competed with me over everything growing up. Once I liked something, it became your entire personality. If I joined a team, if I was interested in a guy, when it came to my friends. You would purposely insert yourself, just to pull away. Even after all of that, trying to connect with you never felt genuine. It felt like I was talking to a wall."

"I'm sorry," Lexi stuttered, talking in all of the girls' words, "I didn't realize."

"I feel like you did, but you know, it's whatever. I can get over it," Priscilla cleared her throat, standing up from her seat.

She pushed the chair in, turning her back to go back to work. Priscilla lifted the lanyard from around her neck, using the key looped around to unlock the desk. She continued to count the earnings as Lexi stared at her.

"When my dad started doing drugs, it was super confusing. I felt like no matter how much I loved someone, or how much I cared for them, it would never last. I'm sorry I let that get in between our friendship, or the relationships I had in general."

Priscilla counted to herself quietly, actively listening to what the girl was explaining. She grabbed a pen next to her, jotting down the numbers.

"I always looked up to you growing up, I know it sounds weird," the brunette shook her hair, "we're the same age and the everything, but I did. I always admired you. How hardworking you were, the life you had, how beautiful you are. Everything comes so easy to you."

"You know nothing about my life, Lex," Priscilla disagreed, straightening up the pile of bills, "nothing has ever come easy."

"That's what I thought. Your parents, they seem so...normal. You always got better grades than me, to the point where my mom asked me if you would consider tutoring me. Sports and clubs, I never fit into but you-"

"Can I just stop you? For a second?"

Lexi nodded her head.

Priscilla exhaled, placing one hand on her waist as the other rested against the counter.

"My parents might look a certain way through your perspective but they aren't normal, at all. Normal isn't having random visits from ICE when you're in kindergarten. Normal isn't my parents being in and out of court, almost everyday and missing every game or practice, just so my mom would be able to stay in America. Normal isn't my parents' marriage feeling like a business relationship, rather than a personal one. That isn't normal. Getting good grades wasn't easy, it was the only way I could ever get praise from them. Extracurriculars weren't fun for me, it was so I didn't have to come home straight from school."

Lexi stood up, taking a few steps closer to Priscilla as she wrapped rubber bands over the piles of cash.

The girl shoved them into an envelope, writing a final number on top before placing it into the box.

"I shouldn't have misjudged."

"Look, I appreciate your apology, and the fact you had the balls to even show up here," Priscilla looked up, her eyes beginning to water at the unspoken memories, "I just don't know what you expect from me."

"Just read the play, with an open mind."