"Fariz!"
"Fariz!"
"Fariz!"
His cheeks were being patted repeatedly.
"Hmmm…" He groaned as she was helped into a sitting position on the bed.
"Where are we? What happened to the body? Your school is under police investigation—what's going on?" Questions spilled from his mouth like popcorn popping.
"Don't worry, the police found the body."
"What?!" He jolted in shock.
"But they classified it as a suicide case. The police found the victim holding a blood-stained pair of scissors, and most importantly, there was no evidence or fingerprints other than the victim's own," Reena explained at length while tying up her hair, which had been covering her eyes.
"H-how?"
"It's me, Reena… I already thought about all the possible outcomes. So yeah… The police were stupid enough to close the case immediately and call it a suicide!" Reena chuckled, amused by her own cunningness.
"Hm, I never expected a spoiled girl like you to be so good at becoming a serial killer…" Fariz tried to stand up, but Reena pushed him back onto the bed.
"I did all of this for you," she said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Whatever, I'm hungry!"
"But didn't you just drink blood?" Reena asked, puzzled.
"I meant I'm hungry for actual food!" Fariz ignored her question.
"Well, you won't find a single bite of food here, no matter where you look!" Fariz froze in place.
"What do you mean?"
"We're in a cheap motel. I was too panicked earlier… If I took you home, people on the bus would've seen the blood on your clothes," Reena stated calmly.
"Are you insane?! What if we get caught for being together here?!" Fariz was furious.
"What's wrong with that?" Reena burst into laughter at his reaction.
"You're crazy. That's it, I'm going home!" But before he could leave, Reena grabbed his hand.
"What now?"
"Change your clothes first, before people outside start getting suspicious."
Fariz sighed in defeat. He took the paper bag Reena handed him and went into the bathroom to change.
---
Amir yawned for the umpteenth time. He stared at his phone screen, his heart uneasy. Fariz had disappeared the moment he left for the discipline office earlier.
He gazed out at his home's front yard.
"I—I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about you right now…" Amir rubbed his temples.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
His phone's notification sound snapped him out of his thoughts.
Nara
Let's hang out!
Amir let out a heavy sigh. Of all times, Nara had to invite him out now!
His fingers quickly typed a response, ready to reject the invitation.
Nara
Please? Fariz doesn't have any guy friends to talk to.
A wide smile spread across Amir's lips. His heart swelled with excitement as he typed back.
You
Okay.
Nara
Now, at the usual spot.
You
Noted, boss!
"Finally, I get to see you, my love…" Amir chuckled happily before gathering the books scattered on his desk.
He headed to the bathroom, anticipation bubbling in his chest.
"I can't hold back my feelings anymore… Whether you're a guy or not, I don't care!"
Fariz's baby-faced features filled his mind.
"My heart still wants to be with you, even if my thoughts keep denying these 'wrong' feelings!"
He ran his fingers through his hair before grabbing a towel and stepping into the bathroom.
••••
"Ouch, be gentle!" I pushed her hand away in frustration as she continued pretending to be concerned while cleaning the wounds on my face. I was confused about how I even got these small cuts.
"You're a man, right? You should be able to handle a little pain!" Reena remained focused, pressing an iodine-soaked cotton pad onto my wounds.
"Forget it, just leave it! It'll heal on its own!" I turned my face away from her, but she pressed down even harder, making the pain sting even more.
"You should be grateful that I, your girlfriend, am willing to take care of you," Reena teased, pinching my chin with a sweet smile.
"Fake girlfriend!" I saw her expression change for a moment before she let out a small laugh and held my hand tightly. I tried to pull away, but she only tightened her grip.
"Do you know what happens to my victims when they push their limits?" Reena raised an eyebrow.
"I throw them into the mud until they drown… then slit their throats until the veins are nearly severed!" I whispered to her ear, clearly trying to scare her.
But her reaction was different from what I expected. Instead of being afraid, she just chuckled, resting her chin on her hand while staring at me.
"Are you stupid or what? If anyone else found out I was a killer, they'd have run away or reported me to the police a long time ago!" Reena adjusted her position before speaking again.
"I'm not stupid, but love can blind people to the point where even the worst things seem good," she said in a slow, drawn-out voice, looking at me strangely.
A shiver ran down my spine. What would her reaction be when she found out the truth? Maybe it was time to tell her, so she wouldn't keep drowning in her own delusions.
"Reena, actually, I—" Before I could finish, someone patted Reena's shoulder from behind. We turned to see Nara grinning widely at us.
"Ahem, sorry to interrupt your sweet moment, but Amir is here now. Let's go eat first—I'm starving!" Nara said innocently, pulling Reena's hand.
"Haih, let's go then!" Reena sighed softly and grabbed my hand, leading me along.
"Errm dear, is everything done?" Amir asked Nara as soon as we got into the car. Nara coughed awkwardly before smiling shyly.
"Since when did Amir become so sweet?" Reena teased, pinching Nara's cheek as she blushed.
"Haih, I don't know, Reena. He suddenly called me that, and I'm still processing it…" Nara placed a hand on Amir's shoulder as he drove.
"Errm, Reena, where are Fina and Rina? Why aren't the twins coming?" I asked, glancing at Reena.
"Oh, they had plans. Their parents took them shopping today," Reena explained, resting her head on Nara's shoulder.
"Hey, Nara, if you must, don't distract Amir like that—you might cause an accident!" Reena quickly pulled Nara's hand away from Amir's shoulder. Amir just chuckled in response.
A few minutes later, silence filled the car as Reena and Nara had dozed off in the passenger seats. I let out a small laugh at Reena, who was snoring softly while hugging Nara's arm.
"Ahem, are you okay?" Amir suddenly spoke.
I lazily nodded and turned toward the window, not interested in engaging.
"You know, what you and Reena are doing is really risky. Luckily, she knows how to erase all the evidence. And lucky for you, I'm willing to help," Amir said as he removed his sunglasses.
"So?"
"Haih, you're so stubborn. I don't understand why Reena and everyone else are so obsessed with you…" Amir looked at me intensely before continuing.
"…Including me."
I pushed his hand away as he tried to ruffle my hair.
"Amir, behave. We're both guys. Don't do things you know are wrong!" I shot him a deadly glare, but he just laughed before replying.
"Wrong? Then killing people just to satisfy your urges—isn't that wrong too?" He asked sarcastically, his face unreadable.
"At least I'm not cheating. Or turning gay!" I shot back, deliberately provoking him.
"What can I do? My heart still wants that person… But Fariz, I know you don't love Reena."
My eyes widened in shock.
"If you're going to act dumb, at least don't make it obvious. If you don't love her, why are you even dating her?"
It seemed like a war had just begun between us.
"I can see it in your eyes—the depth and mystery hiding a thousand unspoken emotions, ones even I struggle to decipher…" His voice suddenly changed.
"For the last time, don't hurt Nara. She truly loves you. Please, forget these feelings for someone of the same gender."
"I would never hurt her. But even if I did cheat on her right now, she wouldn't know, would she?"
Amir suddenly slammed on the brakes, stopping the car at the side of the road. I glared at him.
"What the hell are you saying? Why did you stop? Just drive—we'll be late!" My voice rose in frustration. His crazy behavior was seriously pissing me off.
"I—I need to do this before I start driving again…" He suddenly leaned closer to me, his face getting dangerously near.
I shoved him back with all my strength, but he grabbed my wrist tightly.
"Don't try anything, Amir! If you don't stop, I'll scream and wake up Nara!"
"Go ahead. What do you think Reena's reaction will be if she sees this?" He suddenly stroked my hair. I immediately swatted his hand away.
Then, out of nowhere, he kissed my cheek.
I was completely stunned.
SMACK!
His head snapped to the side as I slapped him hard. He only chuckled, wiping the blood trickling from his lip.
"Thank you for this kiss..." he said softly.
I grew even more furious.
SMACK!
Once again, I slapped his face, but he only smirked as if nothing had happened.
Thud!
Fueled by my rage and the unbearable sight of his calm expression, I slammed his head against the car window.
"Arghh!" His loud groan startled Reena and Nara awake.
"Eh, what's going on?" Reena, still groggy, blinked at Amir.
"Hmmm, babe, what's wrong?" Nara rubbed her eyes.
"It's nothing, I was just driving too fast and accidentally hit my head on the window," Amir said, looking at me with a satisfied expression. My entire body trembled with anger.
"Oh, be careful next time. Hey, aren't we there yet?" Nara asked, glancing out the window.
"Errm, almost there..." Amir started driving again while Reena and Nara, now fully awake, began chatting away in the backseat. Deep inside, I let out a sigh of relief.
"You should be grateful you're still alive," I muttered to Amir, who remained silent beside me.
He just smirked.
---
"Huaaa, finally, we're here!" Nara's loud voice drew a few odd glances from people around us.
"Wait, is this the restaurant you're talking about?" Reena asked, eyeing the fancy establishment with concern. I, too, stared in disbelief.
Slowly, Nara nodded, her hand resting on Amir's stiff shoulder.
"Are you crazy? This is a five-star restaurant! We're just students—where are we supposed to get the money to eat at a place this expensive?!" Reena started ranting, making Nara pout in annoyance.
Automatically, I pressed a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet. She froze, her face turning red.
"Shh, keep it down. You're literally yelling in my ear."
Her flushed face deepened in color as she slowly nodded.
"Hey, if you two wanna flirt, at least not in public. This is a restaurant, you know," Nara teased, making Reena quickly march ahead.
"Hmm, Reena has a point. We can't afford a place like this," I said, crossing my arms and looking at Nara.
"Don't worry, today... it's Amir's treat!" Nara grinned, wrapping an arm around Amir, who remained silent like a statue.
"Oh, okay." Lazily, I followed Reena inside the restaurant.
"Errm, you guys don't need to order anything. I already asked for the restaurant's specialty dish!" Amir announced once we were seated. Nara and I nodded indifferently, while Reena pulled out her phone and pointed it at me.
"Let's take a selfie!" She leaned in, wrapping an arm around me as she snapped away.
Click!
Click!
Click!
I put on my biggest smile, taking note of Amir's subtle scowl as he watched us.
Cup!
A wild idea popped into my head. Without hesitation, I leaned in and kissed Reena's flowing hair.
She froze for a moment before gripping my hand and flashing a delighted smile.
"Fariz, are you always this sweet? Even I'm melting just watching!" Nara teased, resting her chin on her hand.
"I don't know, Nara. He's been extra sweet lately! If this keeps up, I might actually faint!" Reena playfully pinched my chin.
"Hah, I'm so jealous of you two! If you weren't already dating Fariz, I would've gone after him myself!" Nara giggled, lightly smacking Reena's shoulder.
"Yeah, right. So what about Amir? Where are you gonna dump him?"
"Eh, just toss him anywhere—plenty of people would chase after him!" Amir yawned, resting his chin on his palm while looking at Nara.
"Don't say that. When my heart is set on someone, it's hard for me to move on," Amir said, crossing his arms before briefly glancing at me.
I huffed. Right at that moment, our food arrived.
"Ah, finally! I'm starving!" Like a starving hyena, Nara immediately grabbed a plate of chicken chop.
"Relax, the food isn't going anywhere," Reena chuckled, carefully picking up her bowl of vegetable soup and taking a sip.
I reached for a plate of grilled meat that looked absolutely delicious. However, just as I took my first bite, a strange sensation clawed at my throat.
"Urghh..."
A wave of nausea surged through me, and I nearly vomited the food back onto the table. Everyone turned to stare.
"I-I need to go to the restroom..."
Struggling, I stood up and rushed toward the restroom in the back.
"Want me to come with you?" Reena asked, concerned.
I shook my head quickly before disappearing behind the restroom door.
•••
"Uwekk!!"
I gagged, vomiting the meat I had just eaten. My throat burned, raw with pain.
Turning on the faucet, I splashed water on my face over and over again.
"Sigh, what the hell is wrong with me? I keep feeling nauseous!"
I stared at my pale reflection in the mirror. Could it be because I hadn't fed on blood again? No, that couldn't be it—I had satisfied that craving just last night.
Tap!
A folding knife slipped from my pocket and clattered onto the floor. Lazily, I bent down and picked it up. I always carried it around for emergencies—just like last night.
But as I straightened up, something caught my eye. A sticky note was plastered on the mirror.
> Just waiting for the perfect time, my love… your lover will find you and unleash everything on you, darling…
My eyes widened as I read the message.
With a scowl, I ripped the paper off and crumpled it before tossing it into the trash.
"Psycho. But how boring. You dare challenge me, yet you're too much of a coward to show yourself? What a stupid guy!"
I ran a hand through my messy short hair, fixing it.
"I'm not afraid of you. You and I—we're the same. Both psychos!"
My fists slammed against the wall repeatedly before I broke into laughter.
"Then, let's continue our dead game… honey."
That voice echoed in my ear again.
I turned sharply.
"Too bad for you. Soon enough, you'll be the rat caught in my trap."
With steady steps, I exited the luxurious restroom.
Bang!!!
Bang!!
Bang!!
A sharp, piercing pain shot through my body. My legs throbbed, agony spreading like wildfire.
"Are you sure, my dear? Are you really that confident in your words?"
"Poor thing… bang! It's a leg shot…"