The Serpent Queen

Pulpo | Part Four

For the remainder of the party, most of the guests were hanging out in the living room as it had gotten quite dark outside. Music played from the speakers at the far end of the room opposite the fireplace.

The Cobras hung out at one side of the room and the Miyagi-Dos hung out on the other.

The littlest Cobra weaved their way through the sea of people to the red one.

The red cobra noticed him, "So, how did she seem?"

"She seemed quite pissed off and jealous, and also drunk." Bert replied to Hawk.

"Good. Then it worked."

"Did you have to make out with a girl to do it?"

"You'll understand when you get a girlfriend, Bert. It's proof that she still wants me." He laughed with Mitch and Edwin.

Phoebe stood next to Aisha and Dieter chatting away.

Everyone winced when the shrill sound of electronic feedback sounding throughout the room by the speakers, along with the music stopping. The guests turned in that direction in confusion.

Speaking into the microphone, Demetri stood all alone on the slightly raised dais. "Excuse me! I'd like to make a toast. To Eli Moskowitz." He raised his blue cup to the teen in question.

Murmurs and whispers sound as many asked each other who that was. Even a few of the newer Cobras were confused at who that was. As it turned out both Hawk and Phoebe wondered why Demetri was up there, and what he was going to say.

"Oh. I'm sorry..." Demetri chuckled. "...some of you might know him as Hawk."

That's when everyone in the room turned their eyes onto the red Cobra in the centre of the back of the room. Hawk tried not to sink under hundreds of eyes staring at him. It took him back to the time where people made fun of him due to his lip.

Phoebe's cousin continued, "But underneath that crazy clown cosplay and whatever type of Manic Panic he dumps in his hair, he's still good old Eli. My binary brother. Well, he was my binary brother. You know what he is now? A real zero." He gave Hawk a hard look from across the room, while also holding up his fingers and thumb pressed together in an oval to show the point of the zero.

All the partygoers began laughing, except the Cobras and especially Phoebe. She didn't find this funny in any way.

It was the first time Demetri had said his preferred name and he didn't like whatever this was at all. What was he trying to do? A roast? Humiliate himself in front of Phoebe further, and everyone else by extension? Payback for the beer?

Nate chuckled to himself on the Miyagi-Do side, "I love math humour."

Having enough of this display already, Hawk told him, "All right, that's enough, Demetri."

Demetri threw his cup over to the side, "Don't let that angry red hairdo fool you. He's a big softie. We watched every Harry Potter movie together. And he bawled like a baby when Dobby died." At the end he gave it a little flourish as he mimicked crying to show his point further and mock Hawk.

The crowd loved it and laughed at Hawk all over again.

"What? Dobby died?" Phoebe muttered to herself. After all this time, she still hadn't finished all the Harry Potter movies yet.

Hawk turned to his left to Assface and nudged him. "All right, if he doesn't shut up, I'm going to shut him up."

"Remember what Sensei said about showing mercy." Mitch reminded him. 

Demetri kept on talking, but Hawk didn't want to hear it. This was torture for him. Demetri knew that he loathed people staring and laughing at him. He said something which incited more laughter.