cherry wine - ongoing

xi. | black

❝ she had given almost her all
her heart was now broke
he's kissing and sealing her lips
but secrets were just smoke ❞

xi.
black | make a deeper, darker wine, scarcely sweet
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janet gave keith my number. i had no idea why. the sibling duo was also very keen on caring for me, again, i had no idea why. they had insisted that i stay the night. i probably would've bonded with janet a little more, trying to fill the ophelia-shaped hole in my heart. janet truly was a good friend.

after years of felix being my only friend, i had one more. and a potential two as well.

things were beginning to look bright. i felt like i was finally learning how to swim, instead of life's currents practicing puppetry on me. i was finally beginning to grasp the fleeting leash, and prevent myself spiralling into a bottomless black hole.

after the pilates class last weekend, keith and jan had invited me to hangout with them, immediately after the class. we walked side by side outside the glass doors, me being a step ahead of them both as i caught jan nudging keith who just scoffed. we reached the alternate side of the gym building where i'd seen keith for the very first time.

he was wearing a black beanie that day, his pale skin a stark contrast to his black leather jacket. at that moment i could've never guessed that he was jan's brother. janet's light mocha skin and dyed platinum hair rivalled his brown strands and light-hued complexion.

"he's adopted," janet had told me one evening, not meeting my eyes. "but i love him more than i could ever love my real brother, if i had one." she smiled at me and all i could say was, "oh."

that didn't change the fact that the siblings had the exact same personality and that their playful banters were a pleasure to watch. the endless cycle of  "you suck!" and  "no, you," always had me giggling, my eyes twinkling like they never did at home.

but my home was felix, he was my safe place. i was his, i hoped.

but my king had numerous maids to tend to, that my measly pawn self hadn't known at the time. i wasn't his queen.

but i loved him. he was all i had.

we reached the other side of the red stone building as an eye-catching, wall length landscape caught my eyes. graffiti. but the most beautiful one i had ever set my eyes on. my breath caught in my throat.

spray painted to perfection, the splatter on the wall looked like a distorted portrait—as if picasso had drawn mona lisa with the addition of keith's own twist, in the form of blood red sprinkles added as an overlay.

"this is..." i gaped at keith, "woah," it was no doubt i was rendered speechless.

"speechless, aren't you?" keith grinned and winked at me, though i noticed he was fiddling with his grey beanie.

"jay-jay here had the exact same reaction, well a little mo-" janet punched him, cutting of his monologue as he groaned in pain.

"she started crying!" he exclaimed, sniggering. janet flicked his nose as his hand rose to cup his now scarlet nose.

i couldn't resist, "you...you look like rudolph."