Never Too Soon

We Are

POV: Harper

"I don't know, Lauren. That place looks sketchy." I stayed a good distance away from the establishment that Lauren oh so badly wanted to enter.

"Come on. It can't be too bad." Lauren smiled expectantly at me and I looked at her and then the building multiple times. "Awe, is someone scared?" She caught onto my feelings towards going into the hell hole that my body language just had to scream.

"Yes, I am terrified. Call me a chicken shit, but I'm not about to willingly walk into a building that is meant to kill people." I stuffed my hands in my pockets and took another step backwards.

"It's a serpentarium. It's a bunch of snakes in glass boxes that can't hurt you." She explained what I already knew, but left out a key detail.

"What about when they get out of the cages? Then you die. That place is meant for people who want to die." I took couple more steps back till I was on the edge of the curb. The greater distance I have from this death trap, the better.

"Just come in here with me and we can go somewhere you want to go after." She tried to make a deal with me.

"You cannot laugh at me when I scream." I pointed at her while I spoke.

Lauren raised an eyebrow at me and glanced to my finger before looking me in the eyes, and I found myself dropping my hand back to my side in an instant.

"No laughing." I mumbled and walked into the building beside her.

"I can't promise that. I'll try not to, but I won't make a promise I cannot keep." She out her hand on the small of my back to urge me to up to the ticket counter with her. "Two adults, although she is acting like a child." She teased me.

I rolled my eyes and let the lady stamp my hand. "Oh how lovely. It's a snake stamp." I mumbled to myself once I looked at the back of my hand.

"We'll start with the nonvenomous ones and go from there. Deal?" Lauren, once again, tried to make a deal with me.

I didn't respond. I just followed closely beside her.

"Look! They're bringing out the a Reticulated Python in a few minutes! You can touch one!" Lauren seemed overly excited to touch a danger noodle.

"You can touch it and I will spectate at a distance I deem safe." I changed her thought and stuck close to her side as we closed in on the first snake.

"We'll see." She obviously wasn't phased with my response.

I was slightly behind her as I looked around her shoulder at the red and orange snake.

"It's a harmless Corn Snake. People keep them as pets." Lauren tried to ease my nerves.

"I don't like snakes. They scare me. They can move faster than I can run, and I'm the one with legs." I almost reached up and grabbed her jacket when the snake moved, but I was able to stop myself and squeal instead.

Lauren teased me with her bottom lip stuck out.

Then the damn speakers announced the fucking snake touching bullshit. What do they not understand that I am here against my will?

"Come on. There's barely anyone here." Lauren grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the exhibit.

"Because they died or know better." I commented bluntly.

Now, if it was a little snake I wouldn't have run, but when the workers kept walking out with the several feet, and more workers, holding up the fucking danger tube I ran. Well, I tried to run until Lauren wrapped an arm around my waist to stop me and pulled me to her side.