Captured (A Modern Medusa Story)

CHAPTER 33: PHOEBE💙

"Here you go, Miss." I heard a maid place a bouquet on my dressing table. "A few jasmines and marigolds, like you ordered."

"Thank you." I nodded in her direction before she excused herself.

The scent of the wildflowers swiftly permeated every nook and cranny of the room, excessive but not intense enough to provoke any hypersensitive reptile. Just how I wanted it. I smiled as I got up from my bed and reached for them.

The door swung open all of a sudden, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin.

"The idea of trying to impress a girl with wildflowers is a little absurd, don't you think?"

Papa's voice echoed with poise, as if he wasn't intruding on my privacy.

"I'm not trying to –"

"Would you be interested in learning a hassle-free way to keep snakes out of your yard?" I heard him push the curtains open before his strides came back to me.

I surely didn't want any snakes out of my yard –

"Strong scents. Like peppermint oil. It's the best really. Remember what I taught you about the Jacobson's organ?"

I rushed through old memories of the couple of personal zoology classes he had given me when I was younger.

"I think so." I nodded.

"Yeah. Very, very sensitive."

"What about wild jasmines and marigolds?"

Papa moved forward to sniff the bouquet in my hands.

"Um – They aren't so bad. They're okay I guess."

I smiled, glad.

"So you think she'll like them?" I asked, a spark of hope in my voice.

"Perhaps. Though I don't think it's easy for any normal girl to appreciate a bunch of wildflowers from Zeus knows where. Fake ones are always better."

I wasn't sure if that was true, or men were simply horrible at romance. Besides, was it worth it to take love advice from a guy who couldn't even keep a wife?

"This one's different, trust me. I think she'll love them." I couldn't hold back my smile.

And I could sense him looking at me all awkwardly. For a herpetologist's daughter, I probably sounded like an idiot. But I knew what I was doing.

I knew Averista. And she was going to love these wildflowers.

"She'll definitely hate them." Another voice broke into my bedroom. "But you should give them to her, nonetheless."

Another intruder I hadn't invited.

Noreen.

Funny how the people I didn't need were always here for me.

"Of course. Like you know anything about girls." I ridiculed, taking a seat in my chair.

"Well, hello to you, Noreen." Papa greeted the girl.

"Hello to you too, Quinn."

Quinn? I could vomit right there. When had she even started calling him that? And why does he seem comfortable about it?

Noreen planted an audible kiss on my father's cheek, making sure it was loud enough for me to hear. And I didn't know what made me more grossed out, Papa's laughter afterward, or how I could tell that the distance between their bodies was, without a doubt, zero.

"Don't you miss your best friend, Phoebe?" Papa let out, and I could tell he was smirking like the jagweed he was.

"I think that question fits you more." I uttered, irritation prominent in my voice.

What was up with them, anyway? If they wanted to make out, they could literally do it anywhere but in front me.

Or were they trying to insinuate something? Like what – they were getting married? I sure as hell wasn't going to call Noreen my fucking mother. Not for a billion dollars.

"And you're crazy." I shot at Noreen under my breath.

"Whatever. My suggestion still stands," she said. "And don't ever say I don't know shit about girls. I've been with one before!"

I wanted to roll my eyes so bad at that.

"Oh, please. All you fucking had was a horrible drunken two-seconds-long kiss with somebody's girlfriend at sixteen."

"Somebody knows a lot about me." Nory chuckled before touching strands of my hair. I smacked her hand away, but she took a chance and leant into my ear. "Do you also know that I hadn't started questioning my sexuality until I saw you?"

Okay. That's enough of Noreen for today. I pushed her away, exasperated.

"Please don't flirt with my daughter, Noreen." Papa warned before heading to the door. At least somebody was distressed about her behavior as I was.

"Okay okay. She's out of bounds, I know." Nory backed away but only dropped herself on a chair close to mine. Why the heck was she even here?

"Good," Papa stood at the door, I think. "And if anyone should be giving love advice, then it's Phoebe. To you."

I didn't need a sense of sight to detect the disappointment on Noreen's face. I could feel it in her sneer.

I beamed.

The door closed, and the sound of Papa's footsteps disappeared downstairs.

Then Nory moved.

A few weird noises here and there. What was she searching for? Her heels clanked to the bathroom and back. She placed something heavy on the table, but I still couldn't make out what she was up to.

"What's that – what are you doing?"

"Putting these beautiful flowers in some water for you, princess. Obviously," she stated, as if her actions were clear as a bell. "We don't want them wilting dead now, do we?"

It struck me. Her choice of words.

Like the way she drove me home after I got drunk at that party and when she caught me into balance when I slipped on the stairs . . . she was doing it again.

Being nice.

And I wasn't sure if I could handle it.

Rude Noreen was far easier to go along with. I guess I was never going to fathom the equation of her. Friend or paid friend? The lines were being crossed more times than I could count. It was tough to come up with a conclusion for it when everything was getting so blurry.

And I was never going to get used to it. And maybe never question it because once again, having a normal conversation with my 'best friend' was one of the things that scared me. I was too used to her evil ways. Too accustomed to her demons that I never thought there could be a possibility of an angel hiding underneath that – mask?

Not this niceness. No.

"There you go," Noreen murmured once she was done. "Perfect. Like you."

Not this.

Before I could even process all of that was unfolding, she was moving again.

"Just in case you need any help with an outfit," she called out. "I'm here."

I needed lots of help. But –

"Brave of you to think I'll let you help me with any outfit after that stunt you pulled last time." I crossed my arms.

"What stunt?" Her voice was pure surprise, and it pissed me off how she fast forgot her sins.

"You lied to me about the damn theme color, Nory."

"Oh," again, surprise at its purest. As if she weren't the devil with six horns. "My apologies. That wasn't intended, I swear. It was an accident."

Once again, I was taken aback. Noreen never let out an apology casually like that.

Something was off.