Such The Liar Painted Me

5. The Death I Could've Undone

It amazed me how much impulsive humans could be, because screams and what-not graced the air. But this too remained short-lived.

There was complete chaos when a spotlight suddenly turned on, searching through the crowd its victim, meddling between them, before resting on the centre of the crowd. But I knew better than to stay still, watch the crowd part its lips.

A dark, black-haired girl stepped forward, her figure clad like a red rose familiar with its petals. The corner of her lips were upturned, and before I knew it, she was provided a mic to hold.

My chest caved in, it was becoming a Herculean task for me to stand upright, so I took a step back, careless as to the grunts emitted by the people around me. But nobody dared move an inch; they were all suddenly smiling, listless. All traces of panic gone.

I saw bodies wobbling, teetering, faltering with enough booze in the system to drop them dead.

"Guys, I'm sorry," she said, chuckling. "I never could resist a touch of drama. I didn't want to cause any uproar, actually, but—well, let's enjoy the night while it lasts, shall we?"

This time she raised her voice a little, looking over the crowd. "And I'm really sorry if someone fainted over there. It's just one highschool week in, so let's show it what we got!"

As if broken toys being stitched together, everyone went back to their business, which meant getting rough kicks, snide remarks and apologies from everyone as I gripped the stair tile. This all so sudden movement dazed me more, but somehow, clutching the staircase railing, I climbed up and up.

The chestnut oakwood slid gracefully under my hands, soothing my ragged breaths before I reached the top and checked a secluded hallway. It felt strange, like an intrusion.

I dropped down on the floor against the first support of the wall I could take hold of. There wasn't anything very wrong going on, there wasn't any feeling of twisting, slippery things. I didn't even know why I got that dreadful tingling that something bad was going to happen.

But it didn't matter. My hands worked through the various twists and tangled tendrils of hair, undoing them. I felt glad to be away from the sweaty people, away from the nagging best friends, away from any obligations to come to the party. Away from my twin.

Closing my eyes, I let a tear slip. I didn't know why the waterworks were turned on. But I couldn't care less. I felt the flashbacks of the senior year I thought I'd spent, the same booze, the same bonkers friend trying to play matchmaking. The same red and purple lights.

My heart skipped a beat.

Red and purple lights?

Neon...lights?

Dragged around...

I closed my eyes tighter; straining to think more, to see more. I knew the memories of someone's first party never went away, that's why I couldn't remember myself ever being in a dark corner of a house.

I knew I'd spent the night with Vera, with a round of shots, playing Two Lies, A Truth.

Cold air rushed inside me as quickly as it got exhaled. But that day at college...those memories—the lights. They are the same! They mean I'd actually been here, they mean that I'd partied, I'd been with Vera too. But it was that time.

This time, I chose to walk up the staircase—this time I decided to not act the way I had once.

Maybe this was just a second shot to change things. Maybe this wasn't meant to be, but it was now. I couldn't ignore it.