...And The Beast

Pretty Thoughts

Life went on in the brownstone after that night. Zane & I joked and taunted and teased each other and it soon became an irrelevant factor that someone died in our basement.

Her basement.

The basement.

Whatever.

We usually woke up at different times. Meaning, I usually woke up about 3 or 4 hours before her. So I was surprised to hear her up before me this morning.

She was, as usual, cleaning and that was only because the cooking was already done. I didn't even take the energy to mention it again. I just waved at her as I walked through the living room knowing the vacuum would drown out my voice.

I choose one of the omelettes off the plate on the stove and sat down, digging in. Sooner than later, the vacuum went off and Zane joined me at the breakfast bar.

"We have plans today." she stated abruptly.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly. "We?"

"Yes. As in the both of us." she replied, stealing a piece of sausage off my plate.

"What's on the agenda?" I asked.

"It's a surprise." She smirked, some glint playing in her eye.

"I don't like surprises." I informed her as she stood to clear my plate.

She let out a chuckle from behind me. "You're so against everything I live for. You don't like surprises or girls or drugs or in-ear headphones...."

"They feel wrong!" I exclaimed suddenly. It was an on going debate from a few days ago, when Zane bought me a pair of headphones because 'the ones I owned were awful' and we had a full on argument on why I couldn't accept them followed by another one on why I wouldn't use them.

Judge me. They feel wrong.

"Whatever you say, Sapphire." Her voice interrupted my thoughts. "Go get dressed. And bring your bathing suit."

I let out a quick laugh. "You thought I brought a bathing suit?"

She turned to look at me, exasperation visibly across her face. "Another thing we have to buy. Go get dressed."

"And by dressed you mean...?" I questioned, smirking. At this point, I was just deliberately being infuriating.

"A shirt. A pair of jeans. Probably some underwear beneath both." she ordered. "Or do I need to dress you...?"

I felt my skin pale as I started backing up. "No. I got it."

"You sure?" she verified. "Cause I'd have no problem-"

"Kay, see you later, Zane!" I shouted over her voice, turning to head back up the steps. I heard her laugh behind me as I blushed.

20 minutes later, I was on my way back down stairs in a pair of black and white Nike's, white jeans and a black T-shirt.

She was ready in the living room, an all gray sweat suit on with some white Jordan's that I'd chosen (that was the one 'job' I'd maintained since being here. I was Zane's stylist).

She wordlessly indicated toward the front door, her focus on the phone call she was in the middle of.

Outside, the same black SUV that Zane had driven on my first day here was parked right on the curb. I heard the alarm go off and climbed inside the passenger's side door.

Zane got in on the opposite side, still engulfed in her phone conversation.

"L-li-listen, Freddy. I gotta go. Busy. Invite him to lunch on Tuesday." She paused as she listened to the response. "Oh. Then slit his throat. I'll make contact later."