This may appear confusing at first (since the scenes are intentionally not written in order), but once you read the whole thing it should hopefully make sense. I hope you enjoy this story!

A Drop of Lavender and Arsenic

By stringless-kite

- X -

Where are you? Please Bentley, I can’t do this on my own. I need you here.

She tightly closed her eyes, hands over her ears, as she thrashed back and forth on her bed, willing for it all to stop. She bit on her bottom lip and tasted blood. Her heart pounded in her chest and her ragged breathing gave the impression that she was sobbing.

Perhaps she was. Somewhere deep inside.

She wanted it all to go away. To sink herself to the bottom of the sea, to disappear from the face of the Earth- anything was better than what she had landed herself in. She had failed everyone. She had failed Bentley. And, even worse, she had failed herself.

Something broke in the hallway. The breaking clamour seeped through the paper-thin walls, like her mother’s voice ricocheting against her father’s ill-tempered rage.

“Where is that son of a bitch? I’ll kill him.”

“Christopher, please.”

“It’s that bastard’s fault. Like hell that kid will help her. What are the other folks in our neighbourhood gonna say? Goddamn it, Helen, this is a disaster!”

“Well, I think it’s beautiful.”

“Trust me. It’s not.”

She flinched. She had never witnessed her father act so bitterly. Even if her mother was supporting her, she could pick up the disappointment in her mother’s quivering voice.

Why did it have to happen to her? Why hadn’t God sent her a sign? She hadn’t seen it coming. She wanted to go to university. She wanted to become successful. No longer were her dreams possible…

“Elyse?” someone whispered.

Her eyes widened, lips curving downwards when she recognised the person who had called her name. “Bentley?”

“Open the window, will you?”

Swinging her legs off from the bed, she let her feet touch the carpeted floor. Her gait was still shaky, but she continued to advance towards the window. She needed to be strong.

She had to tell him.

Elyse could see Bentley’s silhouette behind her laced curtains. Somehow, whenever Bentley was near her, she felt relaxed, protected and safe. But, amongst everything, Bentley made her feel more alive. It had always been like that, ever since they had met.

Now it would be different.

She brushed the curtain aside, roughly tying it into a knot. Her boyfriend sat on the branch besides her window. With a wry smile, Bentley gave her a small wave. Elyse returned a weak smile back. Only Bentley could make her smile at her worst moments.

Bentley crisscrossed his arms together. “Brrr. It’s freezin’, ya know?”

After unlatching the window, Bentley landed smoothly on his feet with a frosty breeze following him. Elyse shivered. She knew that it wasn’t from the wind. She hadn’t stopped shivering ever since she had delivered the news to her parents.

“What’s up?”

Elyse dropped back onto her bed, arms buckling around her knees.

“Elyse?” Bentley looked over at her, concerned. He sat next to her. “There has to be some reason why you called me at three in the morning.” He smirked, “Baby, I thought it was a booty call or something.”

She didn’t laugh like she normally would have.

“Elyse, talk to me,” Bentley put both of his hands firmly on her shoulders. Bentley frowned. He sensed her body quivering and could feel the moistness of Elyse’s thin layer of clothing from her sweating. “You’re scaring me.”

Elyse pushed his hands off her shoulders, allowing her back to fall onto the bed. She swiveled her body to face the other side, knees bending towards her as she lay down in a foetal position.

Foetal…

She shuddered.

“You can’t keep ignoring me.”

Bentley delicately pulled Elyse’s body towards him, seated her upright and stopped her from slumping back into a ball.

“Elyse,” he said again.

He took her small hands, observing her. Her long locks of blonde hair cascaded down in curls, appearing white under the moonlight. She looked paler. Even though the moonlight shone, her skin wasn’t known to be that ghostly white. Then he saw tears silently form.

Bentley embraced her. He kept silent, waiting for her to tell him.

“I’m sorry,” Elyse whispered.

“What-”

He caught a small movement. It would have gone unnoticeable if he hadn’t been holding her. Bentley had seen Elyse’s hand lightly touching her belly.

“You’re not...”

Elyse watched the blood drain from his face. She stared up at him, hazel eyes daring him to say the words.

“…I know, Christopher, but-”

“Like hell she’s going to keep it! Elyse has her whole career ahead of herself. She’s only twenty. Twenty!”

Her father’s words answered Bentley.

“I’m going to keep the baby,” Elyse said quietly.

In response, Bentley didn’t do anything else but close his eyes. Elyse knew that whenever Bentley closed his eyes, in that particular manner, he was thinking through things carefully, conjuring up the best option to decide upon. It was like that when he played with numbers and figures.

When he opened them again, Elyse was she avoided his gaze. Bentley had reached his decision.

“Oh, I warned her. I warned her about the boy.” Elyse’s father’s voiced spoke as if he were in the room.

Elyse shook more, her chest tightening. He was going to leave her now. Bentley was going to leave her. She was going to be all alone. Why would he want to stay with her when she’d be a burden? He had his whole career in front of him!

Elyse prepared herself, readying Bentley to shove her away from him and climb back out her window. But, to her surprise, he did the unexpected – he held her tighter.

Bentley dipping his head lower to look at her in the face. He read her facial expression and chuckled, kissing her on the forehead. “Don’t be stupid, Elyse. I’m not going anywhere. This is our baby. I love you. I’d never leave you and you should already know that by now.”

Elyse cried. She had been stupid for doubting him.

“What do you - what do you propose we do then? My-my father wants to kick me out. He’s going to kick me out if I keep the baby.”

Bentley rubbed circles on her back, trying to sooth her. “It’ll be fine. Live with me. We’ll find a place of our own.”

“How can we afford it?”

“Have you forgotten? I’m already working, Elyse. We’ll rent first. And when we get enough money, let’s buy a house. You can stay home. Think of it as your own mini holiday. You’ve deserved it. You haven’t had a proper break for so long. Just think of us like Joanne and Michael living together, only we skipped the getting married part.”

“Jo and Mike,” Elyse corrected her best-friend and husband’s name. “Good. I don’t want to get married. Unless you want to-”

“No. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean I’m going to force you to marry me. We’re still young. Elyse, I love you. You don’t need a stupid ring to prove that.”

“Good,” she sighed, calming down. Her shaking had stopped. Elyse’s head leant into the curve of his neck and breathed, “I love you too, Bentley. Don’t you ever leave me.”

“I won’t.”

- X -

It was a Sunday afternoon. Like every other Sunday, Elyse was besides the fading-red bus stop, corner of Fitzgerald Road and Wellington Crescent. Elyse had her legs tucked under her bottom. Besides Elyse was large backpack that occupied the rest of the bench. Her head bent down as she read the textbook on her lap, completely absorbed.

“Aren’t you going to let the old lady sit down?”

Elyse looked up to meet his grinning face. She bit back a curse, moving back to gain her personal space. He had rudely been inches away from her.

That was the first time she had met Bentley.

Besides his grin, he was tall (then again, Elyse considered practically everyone tall since she was lacking in the height department) and had scruffy red hair that strangely reminded Elyse of Autumn. His fringe seemed to be jabbing into his curious bright blue eyes, but he didn’t seem to care.

He looked a few years older than Elyse was, possibly three or four, but the light freckles that scattered his cheeks made him appear younger. Cute. That was the word. Then again, that may have been related to the fact that his face held that boyish grin as he waited for her to answer his question.

Elyse looked around, expecting to see an old woman. If there had been one, she would have packed up her things and left. But as Elyse gave another scan around her surroundings, she noticed that there was no visible woman in sight. In fact, there was no one else waiting for the bus.

Elyse sniffed. “I don’t see anyone else here.”

Was the guy high?

“But would you have moved if there was an old woman standing next to you?”

The question caught her off guard.

‘Would she have moved?’ Elyse asked herself.

No.

She would have shuffled towards the side and tossed her bag on the floor, or she would have been too absorbed from reading her Legal Studies textbook to even notice an old woman standing there in the first place. Whenever she focused on something, she tended to forget everything else around her. It was like that whenever she was absorbed in anything. It was Elyse’s special trait that had its pros and cons.

Then again, why was this stranger asking her the question anyway?

“You’re disturbing me. Can’t you see I’m studying here?” Elyse said.

“Studying what?”

“For my Legal Studies test,” she snapped.

“You want to become a lawyer?” he guessed.

“How can I when people, like you, are disturbing me? Now, can you please leave me alone?”

Freak

“Well, you’re definitely haughty enough to be a lawyer. I’ve just started my first year of accounting,” he said. “By the way, my name’s Bentley.”

“Did I ask you for your name?” Elyse hissed. She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. She glanced back at the textbook, but her eyes failed to read the words before her.

“No. But I knew you wanted to know it.”

“Why are you even talking to me?”

“What’s wrong with a little conversation with a fellow citizen?” Bentley questioned.

“You’re annoying me.”

Bentley shrugged. “I think you study too much.”

Giving up, Elyse stared back at him. He was being ridiculous. Even his cotton shirt agreed with her. In fact, Bentley’s shirt had a print of a big feathery yellow bird in the front of it.

Sesame Street?

The guy really needed to grow up.

“This is why I study,” Elyse said. “So I won’t become like you.”

“I still think you study too much.”

“How would you know that? You’ve only seen me studying now.”

“Wrong. I’ve seen you for the past three weeks and with every Sunday that’s gone by, I’ve seen you sitting here. Be a normal teenager. Go see the latest flick, go on a date, eat a toffee apple, go to the-”

“Are you a stalker?” she said, squirming a couple of centimeters away from him.

Then again, Elyse didn’t find Bentley really that threatening. Bentley was nowhere near dangerous. Nevertheless, she let her left hand fall onto the strap of her bag, knuckles gripping around it tightly in case she needed to use it as a weapon to knock him out.

Instead, he took her motion as a sign that he could sit next to her. “Scoot over. Move that lump of boring away and give me some room.”

Before she was about to reply, she heard the sound of a bus approaching the.

Elyse smiled. Thank God! She couldn’t wait for him’ to disappear. Though, to her unfortunate surprise, Bentley didn’t hail the bus over. She watched the bus drive by.

“Weren’t you meant to take that?”

“No,” he smirked. “I live across the road.”

Elyse followed his gaze, staring at the red-bricked apartment across from where they were seated. Taken back, she asked, “You’re Mrs. Boyd’s nephew?”

Of course he was.

The town’s former librarian had her nephew living with her. Elyse knew Bentley’s story. He was only staying with Mrs. Boyd because she lived near to the local university. Elyse was surprised that she could remember her mother’s useless chatter. Though, in that case, it hadn’t been useless.

Bentley’s smirk disappeared. “How’d you know?”

“She’s a friend of my mother’s.”

“I see,” he said, lazily stretching his legs. “Why are you here?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You live across the road.”

“Why are you studying at a bus stop? Isn’t that weirder?”

“Define weird,” Elyse said. “Oh wait. That’s you.”

“Ha ha, laugh it up,” Bentley said, but his lips were still quirking upwards. “I’m only saying it’s peculiar that, someone like you, are studying at a bus stop. How can you find it comfortable? You never seem to catch the bus either.”

“My, that’s a lot of observing you do,” Elyse stated warily. She closed the textbook and looked at him straight in the eye. “I’m going to leave.”

“One question.”

“Ask it already.” Elyse was becoming even more impatient. Her Legal Studies test was the day after and the Big Bird guy was continuing to pester her with irrelevant things that she really didn’t need to know.

“What’s so special about studying here?”

She said simply, “It’s the only place I can concentrate.”

It was true.

Elyse found it too hard to concentrate at home since she lived in a small house. It was warm and cozy, but also annoying. She could always hear almost anything that happened in her home. From the buzzing of the fish-tank in the lounge room, her mother’s sneezes in Spring and her Father dancing around to classical rock music in his underwear and jamming into his toothbrush microphone.

On the other hand, libraries were too quiet. Anyway, Elyse preferred studying outdoors.

Having the sunlight beaming over her was both energising and relaxing. Elyse could have chosen the local park to study, but those days it was the ‘in scene’ for couples making out and hyperactive children bombarding the playground.

That’s why she had chosen the isolated bus stop.

“And I thought I was weird,” Bentley said. He laughed, “We’re both weird.”

“You know what? I’m going to leave. You’ve asked your question and I’ve answered it. And now…now you’re teasing me? I’ve had enough of your bullshit.”

“Hey, you insulted me first. Though, I don’t mind being called weird. I think everybody is weird in their own ways if you think about it.”

“Well, I don’t want to think about it. I have other things to think about right now.” Elyse slung her backpack over her shoulders and cradled her Legal Studies textbook into her arms.

“Where are you goin-?”

“Away,” she replied tersely.

“Wait!”

“No.” She continued to walk.

“But yo-you dropped something!”

“What?” she glared, pivoting on her heel to stare at Bentley.

Bentley was standing up now. Elyse had been right – he was tall. He took only two steps to catch up to her. His fingers grasped onto something. Before she was about to ask, he revealed a small silver mobile phone resting in the middle of his palm.

“Your phone.”

Elyse was confused.

She stared at him, stunned for a short moment, before briskly snatching her phone from his hand and stuffing it back into her pocket. Elyse had always made sure to wear jackets with deep pockets whenever she chose to not bring a handbag.

Did he have quick fingers? She stared at him. No. No way. Still…

“Did you pickpocket me?”

“No,” he replied a bit too quickly. “It was on the ground.”

“Right. And you could have given it to me while we were talking,” Elyse shook her head. “What is this? The new modern pick-up line? Hey there, you forgot your phone. Let’s go out.”

“You consider that talking? You were rejecting my approaches the whole time. And no, that wasn’t a pick-up line.”

“Enlighten me then.”

“A pick-up line would go something like this…”

To her surprise, Bentley took her hands into his, looking her straight in the eyes. Elyse could tell that he wasn’t being serious because there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Would you like to have some coffee with me?”

Elyse wriggled her hands from his grasp. “Thanks for the demonstration. I really need to go now.”

Bentley tilted his head, not listening to what she had just said. “So, would you? The offer still stands.”

“Pardon me?”

“Would you like to go for some coffee with me?” he gave a short gallant bow, suavely taking her hands back into his.

Elyse stared at him, incredulous.

Although Bentley had been bothering her, she couldn’t help but feel amused. Bentley intrigued her.

Before she knew it, she found herself bursting into laughter. She had been fighting the smiles and giggles ever since she had seen Big Bird plastered on that green shirt of his. She couldn’t deny it. Elyse found him more interesting than annoying and strange.

“Oh, heck. Why not?” Elyse said, recovering from her fit of laughter. “I’d recommend Geraldine’s café on Bourke. She serves a mean latte.”

It was Bentley’s turn to be surprised. He stepped back, staring at her unsurely. “Are you sure? I was only kidding.”

“And I wasn’t,” she said, making her way down the road. “You’re right, you know? I do study too much.”

“Great,” Bentley chuckled.

As they walked down the street, Bentley spoke up again. “So what’s your name?”

“Elyse.”

“Well, Elyse, I did pickpocket you, ya know?” Bentley smirked.

“I figured.”

- X -

She felt empty.

Elyse folded her arms around her stomach, convulsing. As she bent her head down, blonde tendrils collapsed over her face. She could hear chattering in the background, but she blocked it out. Her bottom lip quivered. She bit on it, trying to control the motion, but failed miserably. She couldn’t pull herself together. She didn’t know if she could.

Still, she tried.

Weakly standing up from the toilet seat, Elyse took tiny baby steps, turning around to look down to face her nightmare. Elyse instantly regretted it.

She threw herself backwards from the toilet bowl, slamming her back onto the cubicle’s door.

Elyse didn’t register the pain pricking her spine. Her right hand shifted over her mouth. Instead, she fought the urge to throw up.

Threads.

That’s what she saw.

Threads of red swarming around it, no –her baby.

The floating sac, the small curled up human form, the small head, the small nose, the misleading mouth and the small eyes.

God, the eyes.

They stared at her. They were piercing her heart, asking why…why hadn’t her mother given her life. Why her mother couldn’t keep her? Why her mother abandoned her?

“No, no, no,” Elyse said.

Her back slowly slid down the cubicle door before her whole body crashed onto the cold stone ground. Elyse was shaking again, tears blurring her vision. She wrapped her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth, attempting to prevent her from shuddering. Her jaw involuntarily moved. It was then she realised that the chattering she had earlier had actually been her.

How could she tell Bentley?

Elyse buried her head into her hands.

Her baby was gone.

Their baby was dead.

Alone, Elyse wept.

- X -

With the bronze-coloured trophy clenched in her hands, Elyse stepped down from the platform and was overwhelmed with a standing ovation. She gave a smile at the crowd of students, teachers and parents before staring back at the ground. The trophy has been given to her as an overall achievement award for being ranked dux in her school. Yet, somehow, she didn’t feel like she had achieved anything.

Elyse’s parents hadn’t come to her graduation ceremony because it ironically was held on the same day as her grandmother’s funeral. Her boyfriend had promised to be there for her graduation - but he hadn’t come.

As Elyse squeezed through the second row to get to her seat, all insecurities and doubt disappeared. She had recognised the familiar rumbling of a motorcycle.

Bentley

Her wary smile changed into a wide grin. Her stomach fluttered and everything appeared in vivid colour: the navy blue uniform she’d be wearing for the last time, the flowers that made the ceremony’s venue beautiful, the warm atmosphere and the perfect azure cloudless sky.

Why was it now that she felt excited and more alive?

“…that motorbike again.”

Elyse’s eyebrows narrowed. She leant forward to eavesdrop on her two classmates sitting in the row in front of her.

Joanne caught onto what Elyse was doing, trying to restrain her back to the seat.

“Ellie,” Jo warned.

Elyse fought her best friend’s grasp, sneaking closer to hear the girls’ conversation. Jo rolled her eyes.

“I’d kill for a guy like that.”

“I know! Have you seen him? He always waits-”

“Besides the tennis court under the oak tree.”

“That’s right!”

“Every single day after school! Too bad I didn’t get the chance to hit on him.”

“I wonder who he waits for everyday. That girl must be so lucky!” One of the girls turned around. Elyse quickly sat back on her chair. Jo laughed.

“Oh my God! Look behind you, Maria, he’s there!”

“Who?”

“That hot motorcycle boy!”

Elyse followed their gaze and melted when she saw his eyes staring directly at hers.

The intensity chilled her in a good way. Strands of red hair stuck out from under Bentley’s helmet and he wore his favourite worn-out leather jacket that Elyse had bought him last Christmas. He drew attention without even asking for it. Surely Bentley wasn’t the most handsome boy Elyse had ever met, but he sure had charm.

Bentley gave her a wink.

Beaming, Elyse waved back, momentarily forgetting that she was still at her school’s graduation ceremony. Jo gave her a kick, forcing her to focus back on the principal’s farewell speech. And with a scowl, Elyse turned to face the stage again. The two girls, that Elyse had been eavesdropping earlier, glared enviously at her.

Once the ceremony was over, Elyse found herself running through the moving crowd.

“Bentley!”

He stood there waiting for her with that boyish smile that Elyse knew only too well. Bentley spread his arms apart, and in seconds she lunged at him, legs wrapping around his lower body and hands diving around his neck, tackling him into a warm embrace. Her forehead rested on his helmet as she stared into his deep blue eyes. Bentley chuckled softly. “I’ve missed you.”

She had too.

It had been a while since she had seen him last. Elyse had banished him from seeing her for the past month so that she could concentrate on her finals. They had kept in contact through phone calls and letters. Other than those form of connections, it had been a long time since they had been together physically.

Elyse had expected Bentley to break up with her when she had told him about their non-physical month of contact, but as usual, Bentley thought differently. He respected her wishes and, in addition, betted with her that she would become dux. Elyse had scoffed at that. Bentley wasn’t discouraged. He insisted that Elyse’s score would be at the top since she breathed on studying. That earned him a punch on the arm. Bentley laughed it off, like he always did, and said that he’d be there at her graduation ceremony to watch her receive the reward.

And there he was – even though he was a bit late.

Remembering that she was on school grounds, Elyse released her hold from Bentley, feet touching back onto the ground.

“Let’s go. I’m starving.”

Bentley reached for her hand as he led her to his exotic beauty named Amber. Considering the motorcycle was green, Bentley had named his motorcycle Amber to contradict its true colour. If the sun hadn’t shone, it would have appeared black. And, if you eyed Bentley’s motorcycle carefully, the plate-number had a smiley face branded next to the last number. It suited him. Elyse had always thought of Bentley as a young boy that never grew up.

He had named Elyse as his first lady, his mother as the second and Amber as his third.

Bentley handed Elyse a smaller helmet and his leather jacket. Just as she was about to get onto the motorcycle, her phone rang.

“Congratulations sweetie,” her mother praised from the other line. “We knew you could do it. Jo sent us a video of your whole entire speech. Your father and I are so proud of you.”

“Thanks mum,” Elyse smiled. “I need to go now. I’m helping Jo with the decorating the hall for the graduation party.”

“Okay. Take care! Don’t come home late.”

When Elyse hung up the phone, she hopped on the seat behind Bentley. She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Let’s go, Bentley.”

He didn’t move.

“Your parents still don’t approve of me?”

She sighed. “You already know what my mum thinks highly of you. She adores you. It’s just my father.”

“You could have told them the truth,” Bentley said. “What if something happens to you?”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me. If something does happen to me, which it won’t, you can blame me and say ‘I told you so’.”

Bentley didn’t reply to Elyse. Her arms could feel his body become tense. Bentley was becoming annoyed.

“Come on, Bentley. My father will eventually warm up to you. Everyone does.”

“That’s not it, Elyse. You know it too.”

He started the engine and soon they were on the streets, fading into the traffic.

“Then what is it?” Elyse demanded loudly over the engine.

“You should have told them the truth.”

“They wouldn’t have let me go out then. I wouldn’t be here with you.”

“You can’t let Jo cover up for us every time we go out. You shouldn’t lie to their faces. They just love you, ya know?”

“I know,” she sighed. “Can we not talk about this?”

“There you go again,” he chuckled bitterly. “Whenever you know that you’re wrong, you change the subject,”

“Stop reading me then.” Elyse’s temper was starting to reach boiling point. “Can we eat already?”

“We always eat.”

“Are you saying I’m fat?”

“Why would I say that?” Bentley said. “I’m just saying that there’s more to life than stuffing your face in books or food.”

“Just take me to the darn restaurant already. Let’s get this over and done with. Or, even better, drop me at that corner and I’ll take a taxi home. And then-”

The motorcycle’s speed picked up, making it impossible to speak. Elyse was cut off, blonde hair whipping against the wind. Soon, she found herself laughing with the roaring engine. You could never stay angry with someone like Bentley.

“Tight ass!” she screamed over the ringing wind.

“You know you love it!” Bentley yelled back over the roaring engine.

When the motorcycle slowly came to stop, Elyse frowned when she saw that there was no restaurant in sight. They had parked in front of a small public toilet.

“Where are we? This isn’t funny, Bentley. I’m hungry.”

“You need to loosen up,” Bentley said. He jumped off the seat and took something out from his bag. “For you.”

Curiously, Elyse took it from him. When she tore off the golden wrapping, she saw a midnight blue satin dress. “What’s this?”

“We’re ballroom dancing tonight,” he declared, a twinkle in his eyes. “Go change. I think you’d look foolish if you danced in your uniform.”

“But-”

Bentley pushed her off his motorcycle.

After a couple of minutes, Elyse came back outside from the public toilets. Her strapless dress flowed just below her knees and her she had untied her hair to cover her bare back. To Bentley, she looked breathtaking. The only thing that bugged him was the scowl on her face.

“You do realise that I have two left feet that renders me incapable whenever it comes to dancing?”

“You look stunning,” he smiled.

“Sure, it’s a pretty dress, Bentley. Thanks. But I really am starving,” Elyse spoke through gritted teeth.

“What do you think? Is it the dress or is it the person wearing the dress?”

“Sometimes I think you should have majored in philosophy. Your philosophy rambling bores the hell out of me.”

“And your future career suits you perfectly. All direct, straight forward and truthful,” he rolled the last word with sarcasm.

“Shut up.”

Bentley laughed. Elyse didn’t know whether he was laughing at her mood or at her in general. Before she could question him, Bentley slid off his motorcycle and gently took her hand, linking it to his arm as he led the way. Bentley always chose to play the ever-so-charming-role whenever she was too serious or mad to cheer her. To Elyse’s dismay, it worked almost every time.

By the next turn, Elyse noticed the gradual fading of sunlight. The streets were becoming colder and dark. She pulled on Bentley’s leather jacket back on, staring up at him. Elyse caught a crooked smile on his face, but she wasn’t worried. Elyse trusted him and that was enough.

In time, the pair was facing a two-story building. The second floor’s window stood out the most. It was large enough for them to see the swirling colours of couples dancing in the dance studio.

“You weren’t kidding,” Elyse gaped.

“No.”

“How’d? What-Why?” she stuttered.

Bentley opened the wooden mahogany door, slightly nudging her inside.

“Mr. and Mrs. Williamson?”

“No-”

“Yes, that’s us,” Bentley said. “For five-thirty?”

“You’re right on time. Can’t say the dance instructor is. George is running a tad bit late. He got caught in the city rush hour traffic.”

“I see.”

“Well, make your way then.”

Elyse shot Bentley a bemused glance as they both walked up the flight of stairs. When Elyse was certain that they were far enough from the secretary, she spoke. “Mr. and Mrs. Williamson? What exactly do you have planned, Bentley?”

“Sit back and enjoy.”

“Sit back and enjoy? Enjoy what exactly? I’m not liking this.”

“Because you always need to know everything. Elyse, sometimes you can be such a killjoy.”

When they reached the top of the stairs, Elyse frowned when she saw the sign ‘advanced class’ sticky-taped to the door.

“Hell no.”

Just as she was about to turn on her heel and step down back where she had come from, Bentley urged her on.

To Elyse’s surprise, Bentley pulled her towards a different direction. She hadn’t noticed it earlier, but there was a small portion in the second level that was easily missed if one was not to pay close attention.

“So…we’re not going to dance?” Elyse asked, hopefully.

Bentley shot her a withering look. “Why would I take you to the dance studio to not dance?”

“I don’t know. You tell me,” she said.

“I’m having second thoughts about taking you here.”

Bentley slowly took her into the room.

Elyse gaped.

There was a disco-ball centered in the middle of the ceiling. It shimmered silver specks of light throughout the small room. The curtains were drawn up, giving a spectacular view of the city and the ink-line blue ocean in the horizon. A combination of peach, pink, cream and blush-red rose petals christened the wooden floorboard. And, planted in the middle of the room, was a table for two.

“You’re quite the romantic, aren’t you?” Elyse said, recovering from her surprise.

Bentley caught Elyse biting the bottom of her lip and chuckled. Bentley could always tell when she was pleased. In a chivalrous manner, Bentley drew out a seat out for Elyse before taking his own seat. Bentley opened the containers in the middle of them, revealing fried rice, steamed vegetables, lemon and honey chicken and black bean beef.

Chinese food.

Throughout the few years they had been dating, Chinese food had been the take-out food they had eaten the most. It was like a secret habit between them. It was Elyse’s turn to laugh.

“Bon appétit.”

Mid-way their meal, Elyse couldn’t hold her curiosity any longer. “How’d you manage all this, Bentley?”

“Do you remember Carly?”

“Carly? Um,” Elyse said thoughtfully. When Elyse remembered the name, she almost spit her mouthful of rice out, “She wasn’t your ex, right? The dancer - Carly the dancer!”

“Well, she helped me out with setting this up for you.”

“You still talk to her?” Elyse raised an eyebrow.

“You still talk to Justin?”

“That’s besides the point.”

“Carly got us in as Mr. and Mrs. Williamson because the original couple is currently going through a divorce. I think the man cheated on his wife? Something like that.”

“Would you ever cheat on me?” Elyse asked.

From across the table, Bentley caught her gaze. In the flickering silvery light she could see the seriousness and intensity in his eyes.

“Never,” he replied. “Elyse, I wouldn’t. I’d be an idiot to.”

Elyse stared at him for a couple of seconds before forking at her food again. When Bentley became serious, she never knew how to react. Sometimes his intensity and spontaneity scared her.

When they were just about finished with their dinner, they heard a booming voice coming from the other room.

“Sorry I’m late! Hurry up! Take your partner and let us start from part three where we left off last week. Let us begin!”

As soon as the person had uttered the word ‘begin,’ loud Latin music spoiled the silence, exploding in fast rhythmic beats. Following the beats were audible pitter-patter of steps clashing against the floor.

Bentley wiped his mouth with a serviette, offering a hand to Elyse. “Mrs. Williamson-for-the-night, would you like to dance?”

Why not?

Elyse simpered.

She couldn’t deny him a dance after all the effort he had put into that night.

Her hands locked perfectly around his neck, staring up at him. “Thanks Bentley. Spending time with you beats my own graduation party.”

He chuckled. “We could drop by later.”

“I’d like that,” Elyse said, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

They continued to dance alone to the vivacious music, ignoring the fact that they were swaying to a slower beat. It was only Bentley and Elyse there - nobody else but them. And that’s all what mattered to Elyse.

When they couldn’t dance any longer, they collapsed onto the floor of rose petals. Elyse placed her head on Bentley’s chest, feeling his whistling breathing against her ear, as they stared up at the disco-ball that shied away the darkness. Together, they witnessed the flashing glitters of light disperse in almost every direction.

“Don’t you love it?” Bentley said, blue eyes staring up. “It’s like watching the stars.”

“Like watching the stars,” Elyse whispered, only she was staring at Bentley instead.

- X -

01:53

The red numbers on her alarm clock seemed to mock her. She couldn’t sleep.

Bentley still wasn’t home.

It had been like this for so many nights now.

Elyse growled. She threw her beige bathrobe around her thin frame, staggering out of the bedroom and into the bathroom.

She almost smashed the mirror when she had seen her reflection over the basin. Just the thought of the shards of glass falling and nursing her bloody fist made her smile. Elyse’s face was gaunt with eye bags forming around her hazel eyes. Like usually those days, her golden hair was disheveled, her lips were dry and peeling and her complexion was deathly pale.

She looked like a nightmare and she didn’t give a damn.

What was the point with making herself look good? She had no one to impress. She had Bentley - but Bentley wasn’t the same anymore. He was different.

He didn’t care about her.

He only cared about himself.

Furiously shaking her head, she splashed her face with water before heading out into the corridor. It was then that she stopped at one of the rooms.

Taking a deep breath, she walked inside the room that had been reserved for their baby.

Everything was gone.

From one glance at the nursery, Elyse stepped back, stunned. She was appalled. She hadn’t been there since her baby’s death. And striding in to see...nothing?

She couldn’t stay in there any longer. Elyse felt disgusted from looking at the room.

Tears stung her vision as she wandered into the lounge room.

Why was she even still living there? What was she doing slumping around and waiting for Bentley every evening?

And Bentley…what was that asshole thinking? Did he really want to dispose everything as if nothing happened?

The nappies, the toys, the tiny clothing and all baby necessities had been packed into stacks of brown cardboard boxes. Only the pastel-pink walls that Bentley and she had painted remained there.

Elyse dropped onto the sofa, massaging her forehead. She then flicked through the channels and left it on a foreign movie. She blankly watched the television set, not bothering the read the subtitles.

She elevated her legs onto the small space that the wooden coffee table had available. Empty glass bottles of liquor stubs, beer cans and empty wine glasses occupied the rest of the table. She helped herself to another glass of Chardonnay, pouring the glass until it overflowed and stained the carpet. After draining the glass, she poured more, holding it to her lips and sculling it down.

Elyse threw the bottle away when she realised that no more liquid filled it.

Bentley didn’t like seeing her like this, but, again, she didn’t care. Elyse made mess those days to intentionally spite him. There was no way in hell she would accept his ‘charity’ money to go back to university. She had given up everythingup for him, and all he did was tell her off?

Please.

He was the accountant to a large firm. He was the goddamn breadwinner, for crying out loud! He earned the money for the both of them. Oh. And wait, what was she? The ever-so-humble housewife that sat around doing nothing?

And the amusing thing about it?

She wasn’t even his wife!

Ever since their baby had died, it had been awkward between them. Their relationship was different. It was like he couldn’t stand to look her in they eye anymore. It was like he blamed her for the death of their baby. He was putting all the blame on her!

When he was offered a promotion, Bentley began working more. Bentley was successful compared to her. He was going out into the workforce and actually doing something. And she…

She was doing nothing.

Her parents had kicked her out. Her best friend had her own family. Bentley hated her.

No one was there for her.

No one cared.

Bentley should have kicked her out ages ago. She clenched her teeth.

And now he was coming home at suspicious hours. He wasn’t there to comfort her. He wasn’t there to make her smile. He wasn’t there to make her laugh. Elyse had given up so much for him and all he did was treat her like dirt.

She had left her own parents for him. She had left security and a comfortable lifestyle to live with him. Her career was down the drain and he…was cheating on her. What other answer could there possibly be?

She had suspected it for quite some time now. He was always on the phone, always coming home late, always lying to her that he loved her.

Liar.

Elyse had even called Jo despite the months she hadn’t kept contact with her.

“I know what he’s doing! He’s screwing his new secretary!”

“Ellie, don’t be ridiculous!” Jo had reasoned out. “That’s impossible. Bentley would never do that to you.”

“Oh, he is!” Elyse had exclaimed in response, a hint of livid desperation in her voice. “Why else would he be coming home late? Does he think I’m stupid? Ever since our baby died, he’s been blaming me! It’s my entire fault, isn’t it? He hates me because I miscarried!”

“Ellie-”

“No! It’s true. He hates me for it. Bentley hates me!”

That had to be the explanation why Bentley had become so distant.

Having been fed up with the foreign movie, she switched the television off and wandered back into the bedroom. Elyse felt her way through the dark and stumbled, swearing when her toe hit something solid.

She bent her knees, feeling what she had tripped over.

It was a cardboard box.

She turned on the light, advancing towards it. Elyse looked closer at the label stuck on the box and saw that an address was scribbled in Bentley’s messy writing. Temptation made her fingers tear open the masking tape. As she peered in the box, she saw clothing neatly folded inside it - Bentley’s clothing.

Bentley was going to leave her.

He wouldn’t. No. Bentley couldn’t.

“Don’t be stupid, Elyse. I’m not going anywhere.”

Did he hate her that much? Was it all because she couldn’t bare him a stupid kid?

From the nights they’d have their silent dinners, with Bentley wolfing down his food and her opting to have wine instead of decent meal. From the screaming matches they’d have over how she was moping around doing nothing. How was it her fault? Why couldn’t he see that their baby had died?

He didn’t care.

Bastard.

And now he was going to leave.

Elyse heard the sound of the front door close. Quickly, she closed the lid of the box and stuffed it back under the bed. His footsteps were becoming clearer. Elyse sneered. She turned off the lights and hurdled over her beige bathrobe that she had stripped, pulling the doona cover over her head.

His footsteps stopped. She could feel him staring at her. Elyse then felt their bed sink as he lied down next to her.

It was then that she smelt it – the scent of another woman’s perfume.

Lavender.

Elyse could feel her blood boiling. She couldn’t breathe. Her eyes were open, wide-awake as she stared at the ceiling, growing impatient as she waited for him to fall asleep.

If she couldn’t have him, no one else would.

She didn’t know how long she stayed laying there seething in smoldering anger. Her fingers were itching for a knife. Forget smiling at the thought of smashing the mirror. The gratification of killing Bentley with her own hands was more satisfying. Seeing the blood run down his chest and feeling the knife penetrating his heart would make her smile. He had betrayed her. Her Bentley had betrayed her...

“Would you ever cheat one me?”

“Never.”

Liar.

When she felt Bentley’s arm go over her body, she knew that he had fallen asleep.

Eyes blinded in red, she lifted Bentley’s arm off from her and slid down the bed. She snatched up a suitcase and stuffed the first pieces of clothing she could find into it. Before storming out of her bedroom, she heard Bentley’s soft snoring for the last time.

She laughed hysterically.

The bastard was going to get what he deserved.

How dare he make her feel guilty? How dare he yell at her when he was the one sleeping with another woman? How dare he.

She was still seething as she stirred the soup. She wasn’t going to kill him with a knife. It would be too messy and she didn’t want to spoil her hands with his waste of blood. She glowered, stirring around the saucepan passionately and with an ecstasy of excitement, she unscrewed the cap of some washing detergent and added it to the mix. She laughed.

“Elyse…”

Shut up! Shut up! Get out of my head!

“I love you.”

You fucking liar.

Elyse spat into the soup, casting the stainless steel over it. She slammed the pre-made pasta into the refrigerator.

She grabbed her suitcase, but as she looked around she realised she was missing something. It then struck her.

If Bentley was going to die, she would ring the authorities. Elyse knew that he wouldn’t be able to contact the neighbours since they were already at work. Elyse furiously knifed the phone cords and yanked Bentley’s mobile phone out of the charger, tossing it into her suitcase.

Until she had cut the Internet cables, she was absolutely satisfied with her work.

Storming out of what used to be Bentley and her apartment, she fetched Bentley’s toolbox and left over planks of wood from their backyard. After nailing the outside of the back and front doors, she tossed the keys down the nearest sewer.

Tossing the suitcase in the SUV, she gave one more look at her old apartment before stepping hard onto the accelerator.

Bentley would die there.

The idea of that made her laugh deliriously.

- X -

Hey Bentley,

I’m at Jo’s. I’ve cooked you breakfast. It’s in the fridge. I made your favourite – my famous pumpkin soup with spaghetti and bolognaise sauce with meatballs. You’d better be grateful. I took a lot of time making it. Choke on it if you don’t like it.

I love you,

Elyse

- X -

“So, what’s it going to be?” Bentley asked excitedly, fists grinding on his kneecaps. “A boy or a girl?”

Elyse giggled. She had never seen Bentley so content before.

Elyse edged forward, waiting for the doctor’s response in anticipation. She didn’t mind which gender her baby would be. As long as Bentley was the father, she couldn’t feel any happier.

The doctor’s mouth twitched, clearly amused at the young couple’s enthusiasm. “Congratulations. It’s a girl. A healthy one too, must I add.”

Bentley and Elyse nodded, trying to take the news as maturely as they could. That was, until Bentley stood up, cradled Elyse’s body into his arms and then spun her around the room.

“Let me go, Bentley!” she screamed shrilly, laughing at the same time, as her feet kicked the air.

“I’d have to agree with her on this one, Mr. Collins,” the doctor said. “We are still in a clinic and you’ve got to take into consideration that your partner is pregnant.”

“Sorry,” Bentley apologised, unable to hold back a grin.

The doctor beckoned them out, congratulating them and informing Elyse to take care of herself.

As the pair left the clinic, Bentley was still grinning. “A girl!” he said proudly.

“Didn’t you want a boy?”

“I’ve always wanted a sister. This definitely makes up for it,” Bentley said.

“She’s going to be beautiful,” Elyse gushed.

“Just like you.”

Elyse looked at him. “Corny.”

“You know I am,” he laughed, smacking her ass.

“Thanks,” Elyse rolled her eyes. She let her hand fall into his bigger one as they ambled out of the clinic, taking the longer way to where his motorcycle had been parked.

“I think I’m going to sell Amber.”

“You’re going to sell your motorbike?” Elyse said. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t want my pregnant girlfriend being driven around on it. It wouldn’t be safe. I think I’ll buy us a car.”

“Us?”

“Yes, us. You’re already living with me. The car might as well be yours too,” Bentley shrugged. “Though, I really want to move out of the apartment we’re staying in. It’s falling apart.”

“But we’ve got a few of the nursery things set up already.”

“So? We’ll move into a bigger house later. Anything you’d like to request for our future house?”

“Yes. It has to be two levels.”

“A double-story?” Bentley blinked.

“Yeah. I’ve always wanted one, like you’ve always wanted another girl in your family. Since you’re getting your dream come true, I might as well get mine.”

“You’re quite specific.”

“I was only kidding.”

“I know, but who cares? We’re going to be a family!” Bentley exclaimed.

Just as Elyse was about to respond back, she choked back a surprised gasp as she felt Bentley’s mouth cover hers. She closed her eyes, deepening the kiss. If she had thought that that day was Bentley’s happiest moment in his life, she’d be lying to say it wasn’t her’s either.

Being there with Bentley, knowing that their kid was going to be healthy and that she was in love with her child’s father. What more could she ask for?

When they broke apart, Elyse could still feel his smile on her lips.

- X -

She woke up on white satin sheets. She woke up with a dry throat. She woke up knowing that he would be dying or dead. She preferred the latter. She wanted him dead.

If the police was going to find out what she had done, she didn’t care. He deserved it. She was exhilarated. Who knew that murder could feel this good? Elyse thought she would have regretted it, but somehow, she didn’t.

If she had never met Bentley, none of those bad things in her life would have happened. She’d have her family, Joanne and an education.

‘He deserved it,’ she had repeatedly told herself over her eighth glass of wine that morning.

And the more she thought about it, the more she knew that she had done the right thing.

If Bentley was dead, she could continue living. Just thinking about him lying on the ground and not being able to escape from the poison made her somewhat fulfilled.

Elyse heard Bentley’s phone beep.

Getting up from the hotel’s bed and kicking the bottles of red wine away, she scrambled for the phone. She inwardly groaned when she saw that she had missed the caller. Any bet it would be that bitch that had stolen Bentley away from her.

The new woman that Bentley loved.

Elyse was right. As she had scrolled down to see that the last caller on Bentley’s phone, she saw the ‘Anne’ glaring at her.

Elyse checked to see who else had been keeping in contact with him…

All she saw was Anne.

A plain name like Anne. A plain name like Anne that had taken his heart. At least no one could have him now, the bastard.

Elyse then saw Bentley’s messages flashing on the phone’s menu. She opened them. The first text message had been sent to him about four hours ago.

The address is 17 Anderson Rd, right?

Now that Elyse thought about it, it was the same address that she had seen written on the cardboard box that Bentley had packed. It clicked. It all made sense. Bentley had planned to leave her for this other woman. Anne was the woman he was going to elope with. The woman he’d go away with. The woman that would have caused her to be left out in the cold.

The woman who had left her out in the cold.

Elyse clicked the next button and saw another message addressed to him by the same woman.

I’m guessing that it’s that address since you haven’t replied. Stop being so cheap, Bentley. Get your ass here already! I’ll see you then! Remember to bring me flowers! xoxo

Bitch.

Bentley hadn’t gotten her flowers ever since he had found out she was pregnant.

Elyse grabbed the keys to the SUV, went down the lifts and made herself comfortable into the driver’s seat. Turning the navigating system on, she drove to the address that Anne had provided.

She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. Was she going to kill the slut? Elyse didn’t have a motive as she had with Bentley. Perhaps it was curiosity? Perhaps Elyse wanted to know Bentley’s ideal woman since he had tossed her away for the whore.

It only took her fifteen minutes to reach her destination.

Elyse pulled over on the opposite side of the house. Just staring at it made her feel jealous of the bitch even more.

The garden was beautiful.

Carnations and roses grew by the neatly trimmed and maintained hedges that bordered the house as a fence. And, in the middle of the garden, was a fountain of angels squirting water from their watering cans into a small pool where goldfish swam. It was a double story house too, a home that Bentley had jokingly promised that they’d one day live in.

Liar.

Her heart wrenched at the thought. Killing him with a knife seemed to have been the better option now.

She didn’t want to think of Bentley any longer. Without a second thought, Elyse knocked on the rainbow-stained glass door. Elyse took a step back, waiting for a beautiful lady dressed in designer labeled clothes to answer the door.

To Elyse’s surprise, Joanne answered the door.

“Elyse! Finally! We were wondering when you’d make it,” Jo smiled.

Bemused, Elyse gazed at Jo. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, don’t be silly! It’s my son’s birthday today, don’t you remember? Since you’re running low on cash, I’ll forgive you forgetting to get him a present.”

If it was Jo’s son’s birthday, that meant it was Elyse’s too. As a matter of fact –

“Elyse, hurry up!”

Elyse followed Jo into the house. “Whose house is this?” She stared up at the chandeliers that elegantly draped down.

“Stop asking questions! Just hurry up! We’re all waiting for you.”

“We?”

Jo didn’t reply. Elyse looked around, confused. The house looked relatively new. Bubble wrap still covered some of the furniture that they had gone past and the white walls still appeared to be coated with fresh paint. Elyse explored further into the house, heels clicking against the tiled ground. When Elyse turned back to look for Jo, she had disappeared.

What the hell was happening?

Elyse sauntered back to the direction where she had seen Jo heading to last. It was then that she spotted a large dark room. It was strange. All the rooms that she’d gone past were all brightly lit, only the room in front of her was dark. Elyse took a step closer, having been attracted to its mysteriousness.

She wasn’t scared. She had already committed murder. She couldn’t possibly be scared from merely entering a dark room?

Perhaps the lights weren’t working. Perhaps that was where Anne was sleeping. Maybe she’d kill her then. Elyse had walked passed the kitchen a couple of minutes ago. Maybe she’d go back and get a knife from one of the drawers?

No.

She needed to make sure that Anne was in the room first. Plus, if Jo would see her holding a knife with a murderous intent, she’d think Elyse was mentally unwell. Maybe Elyse was? She didn’t care.

Jo? If Anne was keeping contact with Bentley and was planning to meet him there, maybe Anne knew Jo. Bentley had been cheating on her with her best friend’s friend?

Asshole!

Elyse shook her head. What was she waiting for?

Holding her breath and pushing her hesitation aside, she entered the room. When her body indulged into dark, she immediately jumped when an explosion of shouts killed the silence.

“SURPRISE!”

The lights flickered on and she was greeted by many of her high school and old university friends who were cheering and holding party poppers. Colourful streamers littered the floor and balloons danced in the air. Elyse’s stomach turned when she saw ‘Happy 21st, Elyse!’ plastered on one of the walls.

“Happy Birthday, Aunt Ellie,” her best friend’s three-year old son greeted, hugging one of her legs.

“Jeff, get off your aunt,” Michael said, grinning. He tugged Jeff away from her and carrying his small body into his arms. “It’s been so hard hiding behind your back for so long - especially getting this house ready for you-”

“Getting the house ready?” Elyse said, stunned. She was overwhelmed. A party? She was finding it difficult to breathe.

“Yes! Bentley’s been worried sick since…well, the baby. Where is Bentley anyway? I’m guessing he’ll be here soon. Anyway, all of us have been preparing this party for you,” her best friend’s husband filled in. “Actually, Jo’s been worried sick too. It was her idea to give you this birthday party in the first place.”

“Jo?” Elyse repeated.

“I hear my name!” Jo declared, energetically. She ran towards Elyse, enveloping her into a tight embrace. “Ellie, Happy Birthday!”

A soft aroma filled Elyse’s senses, something slightly musty and sweet scented. Joanne’s perfume smelt like…

“Lavender?” Elyse whispered, beginning to tremble.

“That’s right,” Jo said. “It’s my new perfume. Do you like it?”

“You’re Anne?” Elyse said, connecting the dots and hoping that her guess was wrong.

“I had a feeling you knew what was going on! I told Bentley it was stupid that he call me Anne. Michael’s never been this romantic with me,” Jo sighed. “He’s so sweet. I can’t believe he managed to buy this house for you without you noticing!”

“House,” Elyse said blankly.

“Anything you’d like to request for our future house?”

“Yes. It has to be two levels.”

“… miss that surprised look on your face. Where could be Bentley be hiding? I can’t believe he’s not here. Michael darling, can you call him? Call his mobile-”

“Don’t,” Elyse said, suddenly remembering that Bentley’s phone was still in her purse. “Try ringing the home phone.”

“Okay,” Michael replied, searching for his phone in his pocket, taking it out and dialing Elyse’s home phone number.

Which has been cut off…

“It’s strange. It says the phone’s not available or that it’s been disconnected,” Michael said. “Something like that.”

“Elyse, maybe we should go back to your apartment-”

“No!” Elyse cried out, “No!”

“Elyse?” Jo said, bewildered. “Are you alright? You’ve been drinking again, haven’t you? I can smell-”

“I can’t go back, Jo. I can’t,” Elyse shook her head.

“Elyse!” Jo called after Elyse, but she was already running.

She turned right, then left and soon enough she was lost in the architecture of her new home and found it impossible to find the exit. And then she noticed the room - a pastel-pink painted nursery.

The small crib, the lacey curtains and the knitted rug that was had an embroidered name that read ‘Amber’.

Elyse dropped onto her knees, looking around at the room in horror. Guilt, regret and rage screamed at her head. She had been wrong.

Bentley had loved her all along…

- X –

(a/n)

i. I know that it isn’t really confirmed whether Bentley is dead or not, but it’s really up to your imagination. The way I see it, it can work either ways. But, from my point of view, I personally think of him as dead.

Don’t kill me. Okay, kill me. I am obviously mentally disturbed to write something like this, but I couldn’t help myself. I thought of up this story when I was reading through SKoW’s 27th Challenge. Unfortunately, as I wrote it, it kept going away from requirements. Nevertheless, I’m still acknowledging SKoW in this One-Shot because it was the main plot bunny to this story.

ii. THANKS going out to the lovely angels and effects for helping me choose Bentley as a name (or I should thank my friend’s surname? Haha), being my emo DJ, being the other half of my muse and motivating me to get this done. Another thanks also going out to the fantastic Listerine (that I gargle my mouth with) for teasing me with how Bentley’s appearance should look like Ron Weasley. You two girls rock my world.

iii. To my Clutched On readers, the plot will NOT be like this. I’m sorry for not updating Clutched on for a while, but this story needed to be written. Ever since I sneaked a glance at SKoW’s 27th Challenge, I couldn't resist writing this.