Because it showed none other than Dave...

The phone trilled, a jarring intrusion into the quiet of the night street. I glanced at the display, my heart skipping a beat.

Hesitantly, I answered.

"Hello?"

Silence. Then, a low whistle, long and drawn out, made fear claw at my insides...

"Vera," his voice, smooth as honey laced with venom, finally emerged. "Happy Reunion!"

My stomach clenched... He knew where I was...

Is he-Is he watching from somewhere right now?

"I knew all along that it was you who sent them the pictures. I've only been waiting to catch you with some valid proof." I said, my voice surprisingly steady.

A chuckle, cold and humorless. "Goodness," his voice purred, I'm surprised how you're still poised and unafraid."

Rage, hot and fierce, surged through me, momentarily eclipsing the fear.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"

Silence. Then, the whistle again, this time closer, as if he were right beside me. Fear threatened to engulf me, but I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"Who....are you?" I demanded, my voice gaining strength despite the tremor in my hands. I've had enough.

"Someone who sees you, babygirl.. who knows the darkness that hides within you, just waiting to be unleashed." It rasped, his voice devoid of warmth.

His words were like ice-cold water, chilling and exhilarating at the same time. What did he know? What darkness did he speak of?

"W-What?"

"And someone who's watching you even now..." Just as he said that I immediately turned, losing almost all my breath...

Suddenly, a flicker of movement in the shadows. A figure emerged, shrouded in darkness.

It's him!

And then he was taking slow, yet firm steps towards me; humming along to a melody... Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton...

What the heck?!

It was a melody so known to me...back when he wasn't a nameless terror but a boy with cold eyes and a mischievous grin.

But now, the same old melody feels like horror...

In the next moment, I was running.
I just ran, without giving a damn about where to... Because my house is just a lane away, it won't be long.

I reached home and quickly closed all doors and windows, fear lingering like a cold serpent coiling in my heart...

What have I gotten myself into?

I sat on the bed, sheets rolled up, too terrified to even get out of the bed. I wonder why I was so terrified of Dave.

I couldn't get sleep for a split second that night, with fear consuming my every nerve...

I skipped school the next day. To make matters worse, my old friends were flooding my chatbox asking if I was okay! I swear did I end up in some parallel universe or what?

My thoughts were interrupted by a ding. I checked and it showed a text from Dave that read,

Why fear me? I'm only here to help you.

 Pine Yard Street, 211, YJ Block. You know what to do ;)

Is he challenging me right now? Fine, let's just be done with it! I demand answers. I'm not going to sit back. Reluctantly, I got myself ready and followed the address.

Arriving on the street I saw YJ block which was the only big apartment in the entire street so I had no difficulty locating it. Entering, I asked the receptionist if he had already come. But she told otherwise.

"We're sorry, miss. We're not taking regular clients today. You can apply for an appointment tomorrow."

What?

"SHE'S A PERSONAL CLIENT." I turned and there he was, standing proud.

Just as he finished, all the staff stood up and bowed to him. They quickly apologized and I was dumbfounded. What the hell is going on?

He gestured with his eyes to follow him. The building was really well built, inside and out. The ancient-looking artifacts, wallpapers, and hangings stood out like nothing else. We got in the elevator and he was unusually quiet and not once glanced at me.

He shouldn't be, not when he made me come here in the first place!

The doors opened and just as we were about to move out, a girl, probably of our age, appeared and literally clung to his shirt as soon as she saw him.

"What did I tell you about working hours?" He was being serious. But she seemed not to care a bit as she was now looking at me, almost with interest....and did she just smirk?

We entered a room that seemed more like a chamber and the girl was gone after she muttered something in his ear.

"What's all this about?" I asked sternly as I turned towards him after she'd left.

He simply moved to the chair in the room, dragged it, and sat like he was some noble and I was nobody. I want to punch that atti-

"Vera Huang, a straight-A student from what can be seen from her records, was friends with.....what were the names again? Ah, yes. Alex Scott, Briana Collins, Hillary Markus, and Chris Johnson."

I shuddered as he took the names of my former friends....so effortlessly like that. While I felt like my insides burning with deep-rooted agony hearing those names, from his mouth at that! There he was, mocking me..

"All of them had no care for the world...to any other classmate and were so dedicated to each other as in some idol drama, ain't I right?"

"BUT IT'S ALL A PAST..." He was now bearing an unreadable expression, as if through his words alone he was shooting something at me..

"And now laughter echoes around her friends, a foreign language she desperately wants to understand..."

My breath was gone..

"The deafening roar of her group's laughter feels miles away, despite being in the same room..." He smiled...how could that fucker smile?

He continued and I felt like.. throwing up because he was splitting out nothing but naked truth.

"How the hell do you know them? And why are they suddenly acknowledging me?"

"I DID IT."

"Y-You did it?"

"I charmed you. I charmed them too." He spoke it so casually like it was unnecessary of me to be so shocked.

"S-So you're saying you charmed me and you'd done on the day of the Welcoming Party?"

"Did you find out already? What a shame.." He clicked his tongue and I could only scoff in disbelief.

"Do you think I won't get to know that? No one from our class came to the party that evening who had my friend's phone number! It was just me! So of course it's you who took my phone and sent them!"

"What are you? Nancy Drew?" He let out a chuckle, no humorous. 

"Now. You wouldn't want to lose them this time right? Tell me. You're more hopeful than ever." He regained his tone and was severely questioning my sanity now..

"What the hell do you want?" I retorted, annoyed by how his arrogance was predominant in the room.

"DO AS I SAY, AND YOU WON'T LIVE AS AN OUTCAST IN SCHOOL ANYMORE."

Tilting his head he gestured for me to sit in front of him, as I had been standing this whole time.

"Or else what? Say, you're going to get those pictures viral. Do you think this is some kid's game? You did some illegal hypnosis and used it to frame me!"

"Illegal?" He grinned slightly almost as if he was talking to some immature kid. "I don't do hypnosis, Vera."

"I'M AN OCCULTIST."

Did he just-

"I'm sure you now know what the receptionist told you about my busy client session. So if you'll excuse me," And then he stood up, smiling at someone behind me. He wasn't wrong. People were in queues waiting to swarm in the chamber.

While I just stood there dumbfounded, trying to process what just happened, I felt a cold touch on my arm.

"You'll get what you've been yearning for ages.....for which in return, you need to assist me.....in many ways." He smiles again, this time a bit playful and flirtatious.

"It's a win-win."

-----------------

GODDAMN IT.

DID HE JUST LEAVE ME IN A PIT?

So my intuition about him being a nutjob wasn't wrong after all. How in the world is he an occult specialist? What if he'd done some sort of black magic on me?

Fuck. I'm doomed.

Suddenly I heard my doorbell ringing. I went to the front porch thinking about who could it be since I was not expecting anyone. I opened the door and whoa why are they-

"Move already! Will you make us stay outside now?" In came my former friends with everything a sleepover demands. By this time, I'm even proud of myself of how I wasn't losing it until now.

They made the house such a mess, as though it had been their own......but I didn't dislike it for even a moment.

The fairy lights strung across the living room cast a warm glow as the aroma of baking cookies filled the air. The sounds of laughter and chatter echoed through the house, a symphony of happy reunion.

Tiffany, the ever-organized one, was already setting up the board game on the coffee table, her brows furrowed in concentration as she ensured everything was in order.

Alex, the resident jokester, cracked a witty remark, sending ripples of laughter through the group.

"Hey, Hillary do you know what a vestigial organ is?"

"Come on, Alex. I didn't take Zoology for nothing! It's an organ that is no longer functional."

"No, you're wrong."

"Then?"

"It's Mike's brain!"

I wanted to cry...for everything was just as before. Carefree, lovely, and hopeful...

"Vera! Would you stop daydreaming and help me with the baking?" Brianna, the over-serious one, who's always scolding me but also caring about me, shouted from the kitchen.

Just as I was about to head to the kitchen, my phone vibrated indicating a text. I opened it and it was...Dave.

DAVE

It's rude to enjoy a service and not pay for it you know?

                                                                                                                                                                                What do I do now?

DAVE

You'll know soon.

A/N:

I don't know why I'm writing this but here I'm. Anyway, tell me if you like/dislike the plot and the events.

if you're a silent reader, just vote. That'll be enough ☺️

till then,

Love,
Juyeon 💗