Rituals for Love ✔

Three

Her house was empty, which now that I think about it, I remember her parents were away.

Okay, what parents just leave their kid alone, for a week and in said kid's senior year? Not mine that's for sure. They don't trust me very much lately, not that I've given them any reason to. I doubt my parents even know hers are gone.

Lightbulb. I was hit with the inspiration for a wonderful idea. 

"Lucy, do you think I could just stay here for the week?" I scrambled for a decent reason besides I hate my family.

"I think, it would do me some good to get out of my room. Maybe some girl-time is just what I need to refresh?"

Good job, Addison. That should do the trick.

I stood in the archway leading to the living room, the one her mom let us in. Don't get me started on Lucy's OCD riddled mom.

"Why are you being so weird?" Lucy came into the room carrying a dented metal box. She sat it on the coffee table and left the room again.

"I'm not being weird." Clenching at the first comeback I could think of.  "Uh, you're weird."

Weak. 

"Oh! Ouch! No say it isn't so?" Her words were heavy with sarcasm. I couldn't see her but I'm sure she's clenching her chest.

Can you say dramatic?

"You've never said the words girl time to me before, ever, but sure no need to worry on my end." Her dry tone was not lost on me.

"Whatever." I threw myself onto the faded purple couch.

"If you want to stay here for a few days I don't care. Either way, you're staying tonight." She followed that with a burst of mock evil laughter.

That is how my best friend entered the room with a giant and dirty book, that in a few moments she would tell me is the Book of the Dead. I would make the mistake of laughing her off.

"So I know how we're going to get rid of your boy problem." She beamed at me, tossing her dark hair up in a ponytail. She was a natural-born goth, that's what she likes to say, anyway.

"What? How?"

"Let me change, you may want to as well. You want to borrow some sweats?" Alright, don't answer my questions.

She didn't wait for an answer.

"That's not an answer," I muttered as I got up to follow her.

She just went down the hall to the door COVERED in signs and posters. Mostly of rock bands clad in black and posing with a bored expression on their faces, there was a flaming skull, and a landscape of a graveyard, among them.

Rebel without a cause. 

I wasn't sure what she was thinking but I know when she gets like this, it's just best to go along with her.

Her room looked as exactly what you would expect a "hell princess" to have. Black lace, splashes of red, a skull here, some wrought iron there. Overall, the room was pretty just dark.

She had thrown a pair of gray sweatpants on her bed for me. I went to the other bathroom and left to her own devices. Which is kinda scary now, that I think about it.

I rushed out of the bathroom and down the hall.

Uh oh. Lucy wasn't in her room. Tossing my jeans on the floor in front of her bed. I sped up my pace as I stumbled into the living room, I almost tripped over my feet.