Chapter 7
After hearing Leigh's and Hayley's sultry voices, Cole and Chase are left open-mouthed. The two guys, who have been drooling over them, would like to tell the rest of the story next, even though Kaitlynn would like to do so and, in particular, Jennifer has been waiting patiently for her turn for about an hour as of now.
Nonetheless, the blue-haired girl isn't so eager to narrate, which means that coming up with a consensus is going to be easier than thought. She then declares, "Okay, Cole can go up next, then Chase, and then Kaitlynn. I'll go after her."
While Cole doesn't say a word, still smitten for Leigh, Chase stares at Jennifer with a pleading look, eventually smiling at her. "Thank you so much. I owe it all to you. What do you want me to do in exchange?"
Jennifer slightly shakes her head, but still smiles back at him. She believes that helping friends out and giving them chances is more valuable than anything else in the world, more even than an earlier turn at telling her story. "Oh, come on. Just tell the story. I don't need you to pay me back."
Still grateful at her for letting him narrate before her, Cole clears his throat, then he averts his gaze from Jennifer, turning it to Leigh. "Love was supposed to be a sweet medicine for Jacquelyne; instead, it proved to be none other than bitter poison, too hard to swallow and too unpleasant to spit out. The way Kindell left her crushed her heart, but she knew she had to move on."
"One day, while heading to the coffee shop where she worked, she caught Kindell at a table, slowly sipping his coffee and glancing at the windows. Suddenly, another man entered the shop, taking a sit next to him. He whispered something undecipherable, chuckling between one word and another." Chase's paragraphs catches the girls' attention; in particular, Kaitlynn sees this as a chance to sit next to him.
She quivers her lips as she starts narrating. "The two men, between one whisper and another, ended up exchanging a passionate kiss. Meanwhile, Jacquelyne, who was standing at the counter, taking orders for a matcha latte and a hot chocolate with cream, was shocked to see Kindell hugging passionately another man. How was that possible?"
Jennifer claps her hands and compliments her friends for coming up with such an intricate twist. She, Kelsie, Myles, Leah, Spring and Whitney still have to tell their part of the story. While she'd really love to narrate, she decides that perhaps someone else should take turns, so that she can come up with the ultimate twist and, maybe, please the Voice.
She only realizes after what seem to be two minutes that Leah is talking. "Shocked and disgusted at the sight of her ex cuddling a man, Jacquelyne left the bar without saying a word, clenching her fists and stomping her feet. 'He's a fucking liar! I thought he loved me!' was all she could say on her way back home. The way he hid his true sexuality was just unforgivable to her. But she couldn't just move on. He needed a dose of his own medicine."
"This is why she called her boss, claiming that she was feeling unwell, and told her that she was considering leaving her job. He, at first, was confused at her request, but he understood her. Meanwhile, Kindell and the mysterious guy were sipping their lattes when the latter, after much anticipation, introduced himself as Braylen." Twists pop by here and there, intertwining with each other, as Myles has just finished telling his part of story.
Kelsie, taking the chance of narrating after her boyfriend, continues, "Between a blushing look and a blink, Kindell and Braylen decided to leave the bar together, looking forward to a new date. The former, however, was unaware of the bad surprise his ex was about to reserve him. He went back home and started daydreaming about the guy who made his life make a U-turn after the dramatic break up."
"Wow, what a story! It's definitely something the Voice will like," comments Spring but no-one pays attention to her. "Never mind. I'll go on." She pauses for a while, hearing one more thud from the window in the living room; then she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, ready to give the story a worthy ending.
"The following day, Kindell woke up in high spirits and, after having breakfast and taking a long shower, decided to go back to the café, hoping to meet Braylen again. After all, he hadn't even given him his phone number! He left home around 11am, a perfect time for a brunch. He walked down the street that led to the bar; as he crossed the road, however, he accidentally bumped into the guy he met the day before. Braylen."
The story is almost coming to an end, which means that it's finally time for Jennifer to make a sound decision. Letting Whitney tell her part or taking her turn and finishing the story herself, hoping that the other girl can still squeeze a sentence in? She has to make it not only for the sake of the group, but also to please the Voice.
After what seems to be an endless time, Jennifer clears her throat and states, "My turn." Maisy, Lindsey and Kane nod approvingly, while Whitney lets out a yawn and groans. "Okay, you go. Let's make this quick. I'm starving." After all, dinner time hasn't come yet, which means that the story must be ended quickly.
"The two guys fell on the bare ground; Kindell stood up first and tried to help the other guy, but the last thing he heard was the screech of tyres on the asphalt. Then, everything went black around him. His and Braylen's bodies lay in the middle of the crossroads, limp and lifeless. A woman jumped off a grey Nissan Micra and gasped. 'What have I done?' she asked between a sob and another. That woman was none other than Jacquelyne, who had no-one else to blame but herself for killing her ex and his new lover.
"She couldn't bear with the consequences of her deadly, though accidental, action. She didn't see herself behind bars. She was too distracted, tired, confused, numb to drive. So, why did she drive? The next thing she did was heading to the pier, never looking back. She left her car behind and ran with all the force she had in her body. As she reached the pier, she jumped in the deep, deadly sea, and never emerged again."
The tragic ending to what was supposed to be a light-hearted romance brings everyone to tears. Now it's undeniable that Jennifer knows well how to play with twists and changes of scenery. Maisy, in particular, is surprised that her little sappy love story turned into a dark, melancholic, sorrowful drama.
Even the Voice is impressed, to the point that it comments, "Congratulations. You really nailed it. I expected the usual boring, sappy love story. Instead, you turned it into perfect dramatic movie material. I'm really impressed by all of you." The boys let out a sigh of relief, whereas Jennifer and Maisy give each other a high five.
The Voice, however, isn't done yet with its speech. In fact, it points out, "All but one of you. I expected everyone to tell me a story, and one of you didn't say a single word." The girls' thoughts go to Whitney, who hasn't contributed actively to the storytelling and has shown no interest in it at all.
The latter lets out a yawn, expecting a furious reaction from the Voice, but she knows that, sooner or later, she'll be punished. Therefore, she chooses to defy it. "I'll be washed out anyway, so that's no big deal. Don't worry about me," she states, making Spring shake visibly and Hayley cling to Chase in order to find protection.
The Voice has just been triggered.
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