chapter 08 - unwanted visitors
friday, 31/7/2020
"What the fuck is she doing here?" Kineta asked.
"She could hear you," Azli chimed as she took another spoonful of indomie.
Vivi sighed. "I've had a long day. Bear with her."
Azli grinned at Kineta. "How's Mai?"
"Who's Mai?" Vivi asked.
"The girl Ryan said Kineta has eyes on," Azli answered.
"Ryan from Soleil Academy?" Vivi asked. "I haven't met him for years! Is he still with Francis?"
Kineta sighed as he took off his shoes. He placed his bag down and took a sleepy Brownie out of it. The latter merely scanned the room before sneaking under the table and falling asleep once more.
"Brownie!" Azli called out excitedly, which was returned with a soft yawn.
"She's so cute," Vivi cooed.
"Please don't tell me you stole my time with Mai for this." Kineta pointed to Azli. "I was walking her home when you called me."
Vivi and Azli gave each other knowing looks before diverting their gaze to Kineta. "Simp."
"Fuck off."
"What was the famous saying?" Azli pondered. "Hoes before bros, right?"
Vivi slapped the back of her head. "It's the other way around, Dumbass."
"Oh." Azli nodded. "Yes."
Kineta rubbed his face as Azli and Vivi bickered.
They spent the rest of the evening recalling old times and bullying Azli who received it all pleasantly. Kineta softened as Vivi laughed at one of his corny pick-up lines. Although he didn't show it very often, he was fond of them.
He refrained from throwing Azli out of the window after she asked how male cows produce milk.
Perhaps he was only fond of Vivi between the two.
Mai's face twisted when she saw the recording of her in mere undergarments as she wiped the beer off her skin.
It was the night when she met Kineta.
The night that Rod almost raped her.
"You wouldn't want people to see that, would you?" Rod asked mischievously.
Mai clenched her teeth, her eyes fixated on the screen. "You're fucking disgusting."
"If you were an obedient little bitch, this wouldn't have happened."
Mai disregarded the urge to strangle him. "If I had let you raped me that night, you'd still have the tape of me changing."
Rod smirked. "Rape? You're going too far."
"Did I allow you to touch me?"
"What were you expecting? A full-on conversation whether you want to fuck or not? You sound so privileged."
That's human decency, Bitch.
"It's your fault for being so difficult. Even if I had that tape, I wouldn't want to leak it if you had slept with me that night."
Mai looked away frustratedly, pondering how a person could lack this much of common sense.
"I won't leak anything unless you date me."
"There's someone you should look out for, though," Ryan told Azli over the phone. "He has the tendency to blackmail popular girls into dating him. That's how he climbed up the social ladder. I don't really know how he does it, but something doesn't sit right with him."
Azli glanced at Lyle who drove faster to the airport.
"Give me his name."
"Rod."
