RED LIPSTICK [l.zvahl]

chapter nine

She sits across from me in her own little corner. She won't look up at me but why would she? It's not my fault though, she told me to do it. Ever since she had gotten herself caught and thrown in this cage with me, nobody has come for us. In a way it's a relief, but it's also not if we want to be rescued.

"Nice weather we're having, don't you think?" Alex asks, trying to start to conversation with me.

She's quite the character. I must admit that. If I were her, I would've been too scared to even move me head up to look at me.

"Don't talk."

She looks back at the ground as quick as her answer comes from her lips. "Okay," she hesitates before speaking again. "I won't tell him what you did. I'll keep it a secret from all three. I know each of them means something to you one way or another."

I lick my dry lips and lean my head against one of the cold iron bars surrounding us, blocking the ability to escape. I don't speak, I don't know what to say, and keep silent. Guilt begins to fill the pit of my stomach, and I become ashamed at the thought that I let my jealousy take over me enough to physically hurt someone. But soon the feeling stops, and I don't feel so bad anymore. She knew I liked him, and she did it to hurt me. Friends don't do that. Isn't there a thing called girl code?

I sing quietly to myself hoping to pass the time until somebody comes. They'll feed us, right? Kidnappers feed who they kidnap, right? They're going to keep me alive at least. . . right?

My song ends, and I can't think of the beginning to the one I wanted to sing next. It's then that I realize that she's stil next to me, and she can tell me things.

I ask her how the five of them, I included Katelyn from curiosity, and she looks at me like I killed someone. I ask her why, and she bites her lip.

"You told me to be quiet," she says. "But I'll tell you. There's nothing else to do, and we could die here for all I know."

I gasp, "Die?"

"No, I was joking. Anyway, when it comes to Katelyn, she's been working for Charlie the longest. I have feeling she's doing this to support her family. She must've worked out a deal with Charlie. When it came to Ryder, he was the last one to join. Ryder was introduced to us three, and I ran off having Vylad come after me. Laurance must've done something stupid because neither of them like each other. They're continuously budding heads, and they're both leaders. It's better off if Vylad were the leader."

I nod my head. It makes more sense as of why Ryder told me to stay away from the Zvahls, but it makes more sense of why it was directed more towards Laurance.

"Laurance, he never told me he joined. He may of thought it was cool. This wouldn't be the first time he's done this because of that reason. It made sense why he would disappear sometimes, or he would make an excuse to leave. One night, he tried to sneak out of the house, but I followed him by sneaking out of my window. He caught me when he was with Charlie, and boom, hello to joining. And Vylad, he followed me to a mission. I wanted to choke him. But if other people know of us, we could be in seriously trouble. That's why we keep it a secret."

Thinking back, it makes more sense to me as of why Ryder would mysteriously go missing for periods of time and then reappear like part of a magician's magical trick.

It goes silent once again, but I can't help but grasp onto the bars of the cage once again. The cold metal reminds me that I really am trapped. I'm surrounded by things that are trying to keep me trapped.

If only I could say that the actual cage is making me feel this way.

My life itself feels like an actual cage. You don't realize just how trapped you feel until you're forced to face it.