"The name's Elara," Charlotte's friend extended her handshake to Andrew, who reciprocated. "Andrew." Elara looked back at Charlotte, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "As much as I'd like to see you fumble on this date, we have to get back to the court. Coach is not happy with you!" Her words brought Charlotte out of her stupor. "What do you mean, me? I was looking for you since you had snuck off!" Elara shrugged her words off. "From what I'm seeing, it would seem like you're the one sneaking off; however, I won't tell coach."
The three making their way back to the bleachers, Andrew going back to his original spot while Charlotte and Elara made their way to the front. "I don't have the time to figure out where the two of you were. Just get your asses on the court!" The two were handed tennis rackets and thrown into the court. "Keep an eye out for the blondie. She's quite good. I wouldn't be surprised if she was their best player." Elara said as their grips on their rackets increased, ready to face off Brittany and her teammate.
*Thud*
The fuzzy tennis ball darted back and forth, the two unable to keep up while Brittany stole the show. "Is it just me, or is she being way too aggressive? She wasn't like this in the matches before!" Elara urged, barely on her feet as she tried to catch her breath while Brittany flashed an ear to ear smile looking down on the two. "Next time keep your hands off my man!" Her snarky comment eliciting strange looks from Elara. "You're telling me that your so-called date was his girlfriend?"
Elara panted, making her way to the bench where other players were put on the court. "You did your best, however, I didn't think that they would turn up like that! Did the two of you piss her off?" Their coach asked, her gaze landing on the pair. "No, we didn't. We had just met her for the first time, and yet she was hostile, like we killed her entire family or something!" Her words attracting looks of suspicion from the coach, who then turned her attention back to the match.
Later in the day, Charlotte was approached by Andrew once more. "Did you forget to tell me that your girlfriend was playing tennis?! She basically turned it up to eleven the moment she saw us!" The two taking a stroll in the fields, batches of students as well absorbed in their chatter. "She's rather protective of what is close to her; however, in my mind, she's a friend." Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Well, for a friend, she most definitely cares a lot about you." Brittany emerged out of nowhere, her face etched with disgust.
"I didn't know that you would latch onto the next bitch that crossed your sights, Andrew!" Her tone dripping with arrogance as she stared daggers at Charlotte. "I'm not your boyfriend, Adrian is." She leaned closer, her body brushing against his. "We both know that's nothing more than a sinking ship, so drop your pretentiousness, dear. Next time I see you with some random woman, I can't guarantee what happens to them." Her pearly teeth flashing in Charlotte's eyes before another voice chimed in.
"Brittany, so this is what you're doing now?" It was Adrian, his tone displeased, eliciting a groan out of Brittany. "We'll have this conversation later." Her figure vanishing with Adrian, an argument on the horizon. "Is she cheating on her boyfriend with you? Isn't that a bit messed up?" Charlotte asked as her gaze drifted back to Andrew, disgusted. "She thinks that she's my girlfriend, and I don't bother correcting her, as she'll see it later. She knows that I'm not hers and yet she indulges in her fantasy that I am."
Charlotte was left speechless, a look of disbelief on her face. "Sounds like a dysfunctional love triangle relationship just waiting to tear at the seams. I take it that things may get hectic between you and her." The two resuming their stroll. "It's not a relationship, but a transaction similar to you. With her, she gets the attention and high while with you, it's silence. A deal that you can forfeit at any moment." Her senses screamed for her to leave him, to run away, and yet her mind was walking next to him like nothing had happened.
"Do you actually love her, considering how you view her?" A question she asked. "No, more of entertain her, the same way you do with Elara. Despite her noise, you still bear with her, regardless of her shortcomings." She stopped. He followed before the two locked eyes. "My relationship with Elara isn't like yours, so don't drag it into this. As for your deal, I think that you're nothing more than insane. Just looking at you is more proof that you're already gone mentally."
He didn't lash out, didn't defend himself, just looked at her as if it would suffice her queries about the relationship between him and Brittany. "Are you revoking our deal? After all, I don't blame you for doing so." His hand now stretched out to her akin to the devil, the smile now his silence. 'There's something about him. It doesn't scream insane, but not quite regular either. She paused before a smile washed up on her lips. "It would be too rash of me to give up it this early. Besides, I'm rather curious about how you'll be able to fulfill your promise. The melody of the abyss, as you claim."
She shook his hand, similar to before, not too possessive, but tight enough that his imprint would stick with her. "There you are Charlotte, I've been looking all over for you! Our bus is leaving!" Elara chimed in, jolting Charlotte out of her daze. "Ah! Right, by the way, I don't have your number!" Andrew, in his calm demeanor, flashed another smile, unfitting off his face. "You won't need it. I'm sure that we'll meet once more."
The two locked eyes once more before Elara dragged Charlotte away.
. . .
"You sure know how to pick them is what I'll say, dear," Elara taunted, landing a playful punch on Charlotte's shoulder. "I didn't find him; it was more as if he found me." Charlotte shot back, their bus making its way back to Silvercoast from Stillwater. The air, unlike before, lacked the buzz of excitement. They didn't just lose, their loss was comical and a huge factor was Brittany. Charlotte, however, didn't seem all that bothered by their loss, as if it wasn't she who had experienced defeat after weeks of practice.
"Well, regardless of who found whom, it would seem that the two of you seemed perfect with each other. In the aspect of how odd you two are, that is." Charlotte let out a desperate groan, her eyes rolling to the side. "Shut up already. I don't have any feelings for a person I just met hours ago, but I have to say that his oddity is unnervingly interesting." Her hands drifted to her hand, the same as she had shaken his hand with. "Of course, this is how it starts: curiosity, and before you know it, he's railing you."
*BAM*
Charlotte landed a punch on Elara's face, causing the latter to shriek back. "OW! Did you have to punch me that hard?! It's a joke after all." Elara paused, a sly smile forming. "Or am I onto something?" Before their banter could continue, the coach intervened. "It would seem that the two of you are rather delighted, given the severity of the situation! Where we some of you during the game?! Nearly half of you were gone during the match, did you come to play or get courted?!"
The lighthearted air turned stern, the smiles on Elara and Charlotte melting away. "I'll have every one of you run tracks the moment we get back to school!" The coach's words met with frustrating groans from every student. "Nice going Elara, I can barely walk and now I have to do running?!" Another chimed in. "There were some of us who gave their all in the match. Don't tell me we'll all be punished altogether!"
Another begged at the coach only to be shut down. "I don't care. Clearly you weren't feeling it, so it's time for you to open up your bodies." More groans echoed before falling silent, some shooting glares at Elara and Charlotte. "Fuck off, I'm not the one who told their best player to be so good!" Elara said, her attention turning to the world that flew past them.
Charlotte's focus went back to her hand, trying to recreate the handshake with Andrew with her other hand. 'How the hell did he shake me?' It's a handshake for crying out loud.' Her brows furrowed as she quickly gave up. 'But then again, nothing about him is normal, from his relationship to the surrounding air, all uncanny territory.' Her eyes locking at nothing in particular. 'The melody of the abyss, let's see if you can fulfil such a promise, Andrew.'
*Present Day*
"I now remember you." Brittany spoke up as her mind clicked Charlotte's face before disgust took over. "I don't know what you were planning on doing back then, but it won't work now either." Charlotte never seemed bothered, something that crawled under Brittany's skin. "It doesn't seem like you have control over Andrew as you think you do Brittany. From what I've seen, you're nothing more than another lady in his life. And in terms of beauty, no offense, but Drissel is far superior to you."
Charlotte's figure left the living room, leaving Brittany and Andrew. "Just how many other surprises am I going to run into with you? You might as well come clean now." Her tone was unamused. "As many as Charles wishes Brittany, after all, you're one of his picks as well." His words were indifferent to her rage. "Do you think you can treat other people like toys?" He locked eyes with hers. The lack of response made her realize the irony of her own words.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day for you." His figure took to leaving the room. Brittany could only watch as she grit her teeth before making her way to her room. In her bathtub was blood, nothing new to her, but the taste this time was vastly different. 'What is this?' Her fingers leaving her lips coated in blood. "It's nothing like Andrew's blood. It's far more hard-hitting and aggressive." In her mind, she had concluded that if Andrew's blood was a slow burn into pure euphoria, then what she was tasting was something that delivered that euphoria with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
She took off her clothes before her stark body dipped into the bathtub. 'Holy! This burns, but in a good way!' Her vision darkened; unbeknownst to her, the blood in the tub was being absorbed into her body.
. . .
Back in her mental world, what she was presented with was the same crimson axis that she was used to, the black stains now gone. However, this time something strange happened. The redness of the axis glowed, the masses of blood lakes and oceans lighting up with a deep crimson. Her eyes glimmered, any traces of Andrew's blood burnt by the red before all that remained was nothing but pure crimson. Looking around, her mental world showed signs of tearing as red cracks formed all over her world; this time, nothing like the crack of her axis. She felt the cracks were wrong, and yet no trace of fear could be seen on her face.
She smacked her lips, thirsty for blood, Andrew's blood, as the axis that held her world in place now glowed with an ominous, constant red gleam. She looked at her own hands, hers, and yet it felt more like a husk she wore. Her breathing grew shorter and more fervent, alone in her world, before she fell to the ground and became unconscious.