devil woman • lana del rey

1 • the meeting

"Rose!" My mother calls me. I stumble down the stairs. My face lights up as I see my entire family gathered around the dining table. "Whats this?" I laugh. My father gives me a warm smile. "Happy birthday darling!" She grins as he steps to the side to reveal a large cake with the number "17" candle on it

I smile like a child and blow it out. "What'd you wish for?" My older brother asks me. "I cant tell you" I joke.

I smile and sigh. Its been 8 years since we last celebrated my birthday. When I was 9 my mother had to go to rehab. She just got out last year. Going through my teen years was tough. Especially without her. But in glad shes better.

My aunts and uncles came. Along with my cousins and my grandparents. My brother sat beside me in the couch. "First birthday with mom back." He says. I nod. Biting my lip. "Can I tell you a secret?" He asks. I nod again. "I...im seeing someone." My head darts towards him "really?" I ask him. "Yes. Shes actually my fiance. She should be here soon." He smiles. I see his warm smile and i laugh. "Your only 21 and your already getting married? What the hell Jacob" i slump backwards.

After a while he leaves and I stay sitting. Its boring, honestly. Its nice that they threw this for me, but I wish I could just stay upstairs and relax.

"Rose!" My brother calls me. I groan and stand up. He is standing beside woman who looks..way better than him. She has long hair and red lips. Her nails are long and she wears a white dress and white vans. They walk over to me. "Rose, this is my fiance, Lana." The woman looks to me and smiles, reaching her hand out. I shake it. "Hello Lana" "well arent you quite the character." She smirks, staring at my baggy hoodie and ripped jeans. I shrug. "I've heard lots about you." Her voice is melodic. "I hope..only good things." She lets out a laugh. "Mostly." She says smugly. My brother turns to call my father over. Lana stays staring at me, her eyes roaming me. Its almost like she is trying to look for something. I sigh and shift my weight.

"When did you and my brother meet?" I ask. She rolls her eyes. "At a dinner party." She tilts her head and sighs. I havent realized till now the beautiful flower crown she is wearing. I stare. She glances around the room while she speaks. "I saw him across the dining hall and we started speaking" she continues with a sigh. "Six months later he asked me to marry him. Obviously I said yes." She finished, sipping her drink. I nod.

"It was nice to meet you" I smile. She glances around the room "damn where is your brother." She mumbles. I stare at her as she walks away. She has a smug walk. She sways her hips as she finds my brother.

"She seems nice." My father approaches me. "Yeah" I nod my head and smile. Was I breathing that whole time? I couldnt tell. And why is my mouth so dry? I smack my lips together and sip my drink. I sit down and finally the butterflies in my stomach stop swarming and fluttering.

There is something about her... i just cant explain it....she just- makes me feel this way i cant explain. I have only just met her. She seems like theres more beneath her many layers.

-

Towards the end of the night, my father is drunk with my brother and my mother has cleaned up and went to bed. Everyone else has gone. I shift awake from my nap, blinking very slowly.

A figure appears on the back deck. I open the sliding door. A brisk wind startles me as I step into the cool night air. "Oh jesus." A warm voice cursed. "You scared me." I look up to the woman. Lana's sharp and beautiful face is barely illuminated by the moonlight.

"What're you doing out here?" I ask. She pulls her hand up. A cigarette is lit inbetween her pointer and middle finger. "Im smoking." She sighs. I nod my head but don't  go back inside. I like being in the same presence as Lana. She has a good vibe.  "So.. do you have snapchat or instagram?" I ask. She smiles and nods. I hand her my phone and she puts her user name in. Sticking her cigarrette in her mouth, she continues to smoke it even without fingers. "There" she mumbles. My eyes widen at her insta status. Shes a millionaire.

"How has my sad older brother found someone as popular and rich as you?" I ask as I scroll through her feed. She shrugs. "I dont know dear. Life has a way I guess." She shrugs. "I cant believe this."  I laugh to myself as I stare at her profile. "You have millions of follows. What are you, a politician?" I ask. She laughs very loudly. "Fuck no" she laughs. Tapping the ashes from her cigarette, the ashes fall between the cracks of the wood. "Im a singer." She smiles. Staring at me. "What are you doing here at my shitty birthday party?" I ask sadly. "I dont think its shitty. Your quaint family is... interesting, Rose." The way she says my name makes my insides flutter and I don't know why. "Thanks." I mumble, staring at the ground. "We should head back in." She tosses her butt into the yard.

I nod and follow her back inside. "Ah, babe" my brother says, his words slurring. He kissed Lana on the cheek, his arm wrapping around her waist. Her face is still as stoic as it was when we were outside. Her expression is plain.

"We must get going, love." She says with a sigh. "Good bye Marium. Louis." She waves to my parents. "Goodbye Rose!" She waves. A genuine smile is one her face. I smile back and run up to my room.

Oh god. Am I in love? In those few short hours that woman made me feel so...lost. out of my body. I couldn't control my thoughts and a feeling deep below my stomach urges me to get closer.

I lay my head down and stare at the window. Thinking of what we would talk about if she were here. Probably anything and everything. I peacefully fall asleep to these thoughts. They calmly hush me to sleep.

--

I rub my eyes open to the sound of my alarm clock. Another day of school. Ugh. I roll my eyes and get ready. Im excited to graduate this year. I hate having a late birthday.

I get to school and sit in my first period. Its very boring.we just sit in the library and read. My english teacher has a substitute so we had a relax day.

"Hey" i look up and see my bestfriend, micheal. "Heya mike." I move over so he can sit on the small couch with me. "Thanks" he mumbles and sits down. "So..happy birthday. I know you dont like it but i got you a present." He smiles. I groan and roll my eyes.

"Here" he smiles proudly, a small pin is in his hand with the lesbian flag imprinted on it. I smile and inspect it closer. "I love it. Thank you." I hug him. He pushes me away. "Thats to straight for me girl." I laugh. "Stop being so fucking gay" i joke. "How about you?" He snaps back. We both laugh.

-

After school, I laid in my bed all day. My mind trailing off to Lana. Her beautiful laugh and smug smirk. She was gorgeous. I still cant believe my brother is marrying a milionaire.

The house is quiet as I am alone. I text my brother.

Hey. Lana seems pretty cool. Keep her around dude. I type. He responds quickly.

Thank you. By the way, its Lana. Im on his phone. My heart skips a beat and I smile.

Bruh you weren't supposed to read that
I joke. I can hear her laugh through the screen.

Okay. Sure.

And thats it. I had nothing to say. I felt floaty and...horny almost. I thought back to how beautiful Lana looked in her dress. How she swayed her hips as she walked. How her lipstick left a red ring on the cigarette.

Maybe I do like her.