Nine Ways How

Chapter 5| join the cult

E L A R A

It's nine o'clock in the night, and I'm sitting on the couch with Nero napping on my lap. I didn't have a hard time making him friendly with me; he feasted on his meal mannerly. He's a nice cat, and I can't get enough of playing with him.

I had some snacks that I found in the kitchen, but I'm starving, and I can't just enter somebody's kitchen to cook, especially when I don't remember how to cook.

Maybe I should go out, taking Nero with me. I turn off the TV and pick up my mobile. My eyes get stuck on the Gallery icon on my home screen beside the Spotify app. Should I open it?

"Oh no," I mumble as I don't realize when my thumb shoots the gallery app and it gets opened.

The first picture that grabs my attention is of my brother and me. He looks exactly like me. I tap on it and swipe through numerous pictures of sunsets, the moon, the city, and my random selfies.

I tap back and swipe to older pics. I zoom in on one. I'm sitting on the right side of a boy underneath the sun on the grass at some place; our faces aren't visible much as the picture is clicked from behind. It's dated 2019, more than a year ago. Who's he?

I swipe again and see somebody's hands braiding my hair from behind while I'm sitting down with my back against the bed. These soft hands with a grey-colored scrunchie rolled around the wrist are there. This picture is also taken from behind, and I catch a small glimpse of brown hair.

Who's he, again?

I see various pictures of my family and me at club parties. Tears fill my eyes looking at my parents so happy with me. I don't remember them, but looking at these pictures, I can tell we were a small, happy family.

I close the gallery app, realizing if I don't, I'll get a headache.

I open the Instagram app. I've only seven posts of myself; the last one is around three years ago, with my tongue out and eyes shut. It feels like I was that funky, and voguish girl. But how could I be? I find these pictures creepy.

I'm hungry. When will they come back? I can't run away; I have Nero to take care of until they return. I don't even know who they are or what work they do. I'm stuck here. Do they use Instagram? Should I try searching for them?

But I don't know their full names. Except Neville Hendrix.

I tap his name on the search bar. It's loading.

Verified account?

I don't believe it's his account, but the clear picture of him in his profile pic, staring straight into my eyes, says otherwise.

I tap it, and my mouth opens, my body freezes, and my eyes widen. I'm stunned reading 'As the first two albums ever of Join The Cult Band have debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, Join The Cult is the first group with a trio of No. 1 entrances.'

I swipe more, a screenshot from Twitter saying 'Neville Hendrix's "Burn The Cig" single becomes the first song by a lead male artist in Hot 100 history to spend 43 weeks in the chart's top 10,' followed by a caption 'Thank y'all mfs.'

I swipe more and gaze at a picture of Neville, Erin, and Leo on stage. In front of them is a massive crowd, people numbering in the thousands.

So he isn't a pub performer. He's a freaking musician, the lead vocalist of an English rock band called—Join The Cult.

I throw my head back, close my eyes, and sigh heavily. I switch the mobile off and put it down on the couch.

All this time, I was with people many would gladly eat broken glass to get attention from.

A deep lump runs down my throat. How can I be so silly not to understand that?

It's enough for me to want to sink through the floor.

🪐

I've been sleeping for a few hours. It feels warm. But why am I feeling warmth suddenly? I jump, shocked by hearing a blare. I realize I've got a blanket on my body, and Nero is nowhere here with me.

Are they back? Or is there some intruder?

I pick up the flower pot kept on the table and take small steps towards the kitchen, from where I heard the noise.

I see Neville standing in front of me, all exhausted.

He isn't in the clothes he left with. He's wearing off sleeves jersey clothes, with shorts. Even in this chilly season, he's wearing shorts, and it appears like he just got back from playing some game, carrying a water bottle, sweat running down his jaw.

Several questions run through my mind. Where is everybody? Why didn't he wake me up when he got back?

Of course, he doesn't care enough to tell me anything.

He just passes by me, without saying anything.

He puts down his mobile on the table, and his eyes glimpse at the wrappers of stuff I ate earlier. I slam my forehead slightly and stand still when his gaze turns back to me.

"Why didn't you order anything to eat, huh?" he asks while picking up his cap kept on the table.

He orders spaghetti and some other dinner for both of us. I clean the mess I'd created on the table while he takes a shower. I didn't expect him to be this comfortable with me like it's normal for him to have an unknown girl around him.

He doesn't speak straight with me, though.

Abruptly, the door of his room gets opened, and he comes out. He's wearing very simple clothes, still, how can he make me feel zoo inside my stomach...

He comes near me, and I shift further on the couch. He sits too and takes Nero on his lap, caressing him. His brown eyes frequently dart on Nero.

"We need to talk," I say.

My confidence falls so badly when his eyes immediately look at me, straight into my eyes, his face unreadable.

"You have an appointment with the doctor a day after tomorrow," he mumbles, picking up the plate of lasagna in his hands.

Well, this is not what I asked for. Why is he like this? "Thanks for notifying me; now that you're home, I need to leave for the hotel room I've booked. I can't live here like forever," I say sensually and smile while standing up.

I gather up my mobile, and my eyes couldn't help but glimpse at Nero; he is staring at me too. I smile widely and lift him up in my arms gently as he was sitting beside Neville; he is so tiny I can hold him with one hand and with another broken one. I caress him and kiss the top of his head softly.

Even though we just spent half a day together, I'm going to miss him so much. I glance at Neville staring at us playing, "Maybe you never gave anybody a chance to befriend him; he's really a good cat," I say and smile.

I give Nero back to him and begin to stride toward the main door. I listen to the plate setting down on the table.

The next thing I hear stops me from moving any further, "Elara," my name from his mouth never fails to make me feel on cloud nine.

🎸