Masquerader

Chapter 6

               Moon was playing hide and seek with the stars that night. Cenne, Zoe, and Mary were sitting on a bench by the road, watching Vikings when Cheio and Jack came. Cenne was sitting on the right, Mary on the left, and Zoe in the middle, Jack stood in front of them and Cheio was standing behind Cenne. They talked about Vikings. Cheio was slightly moving his fingers through the hair behind the ponytail of Cenne. Cenne knew what he was doing and she let him do that. After a while, he asked her which shampoo did she use? Cenne gave him a 'what?' look.                
The next night, they were at the same place, all of them. Jack gave a chain to each of them, Mary and Zoe. It was a golden chain with little red, blue, and green rhombuses. Cheio brought his hand forward to show Cenne, it had the same chain in it. He said, "That's yours." Cenne didn't say anything and he continued,  "Can I put it on your neck?" She was astonished and said, "No, thank you so much. I'll wear it myself." But he insisted and everybody else also. She still resisted. Everybody was saying, "Let him, it's just a chain, Cenne." So she let him. He held her hair in one hand and then asked her to hold it for him and put on the chain on her neck. All this time, Cenne was just stunned. She didn't really know what to say or do. That night Cenne couldn't sleep so she was on the roof, walking randomly when her eye caught the sight of two boys coming down the street. To her astonishment, it was Jack and Cheio. It was one and a half in the morning. They were looking at her, Cheio waved at her. She was just staring at him. She loved to see him, no matter where no matter when as long as it was Cheio,  She could look at him all day and all night and she would never get enough of him.  They went to the park and stayed there for a while and went back. When she opened her account at noon, Cheio had texted her asking her, " Why were you up so late?" She replied, "I could not sleep." 

                    They walked in the park in the evening, they were fasting and walking. Even when they weren't fasting and were on periods. They still walked which was freaky but it made Cenne a lot thinner. Zoe was already smart and Mary was perfect. They used to walk while Cheio and Jack would be sitting there at some spot. They talked to each other on chat.
                     At night when they were all sitting at their usual spot and Cheio, like always was standing behind Cenne. He came in front and sat right next to Cenne. As much as she liked him she got double as mad, she stood upright that moment. He asked her to sit but she refused. So he got up and let her sit. After a while, he asked her to come behind the bench as he wanted to talk to her about something. She went with him. She was heated. He said something and she got more offended. She said," So take it back." He replied, " Okay, return it." She had the chain in her hand and when she gave him, he straightened his hand so she would place it in his hand and she did but he held her hand which got her super mad. She didn't even ask her friends to come with her, she just stormed out.  When her friends saw her they went behind her but before that Cheio had given them the chain. Zoe and Mary came after her. They went to their street where they sat on the footpath. Mary gave her the chain, Cenne resisted but Mary insisted. She took it. The next night they were all together at the same place when they saw maple's brother passing by and he was looking at them. They didn't meet again.
                         The three girls went to the mall again, Jack asked Mary where were they? She told him and he asked them to stay there, he was coming with Cheio. They had come out by then. They were waiting for them at a bus stop. They saw them coming on a bike but they didn't stop and went straight. Jack called Mary and asked again where were they. She explained and then they came there. Cenne was sitting on the second last space, Mary was standing and Zoe was on the first seat. Cheio sat on the last seat, on Cenne's left while Jack sat on the right of Cenne. Mary took pictures of them. Jack showed them cigarettes and gave each to everyone. Cenne was holding that cigarette in her hand and she realized it was the first time she held a cigarette. Jack offered her a lighter but she refused. Everybody refused. Cheio asked Cenne to come with her, just a walk by the road but she spurned even though she wanted to. She was usually home by ten or if she were in her street by 11. But she was late and she knew something wasn't right. They were at a distance of at least thirty minutes from home and they had to walk there. They said goodbye to the boys. Jack shook hands with Mary and Zoe while Cenne and Cheio were a little back. Jack came towards them and Cenne was going when he said, "A goodbye?" So she came towards him and shook his hand and went back with Mary and Zoe. They had just gone a few steps ahead when Jack and Cheio also started to come with them. It was a creepy place, dark and silent so Cheio said it wasn't safe for you guys to go by yourself from here. They were all together and Cenne was looking here and there hoping there wasn't anybody watching them because many people knew Cenne and her family in that town and she was worried as she was late. Cheio said sarcastically, "Why are you so worried? Does your girlfriend lives here?" Cenne didn't reply but Mary said, "She's not a lesbian." On that Cheio commented, "It's allowed in our country to live as a lesbian." Cenne still didn't give two fucks. They left them where there were lights and people and went back the whole way to get Cheio's bike. When she reached her street, there were kids playing around which on seeing her came running towards her and told her that her father is in a fury and he has been looking for her for so long. Cenne knew she was in a mess. She went straight home and saw her father at the end of the street who was then coming back. Her mother was asleep and Lua was out of town. When her father came home he asked her in a loud and shaking voice, "Where were you? Why are you so late?" She told him she was at the mall. He was really angry. He grounded her. She didn't go outside the next day. The day after that Mary was going back home. She was on her periods and was in pain. She asked Cenne to come to her Aunt's house and meet her and bid goodbye but she was really scared of her father. She still asked her mother but she said, "I cannot allow you when your father has stopped you from going outside. If you really want to meet her, ask her to come. Or if you wanna go then go but I won't help you when your father gets all angry." Cenne told Mary the situation and she came to her house. They were sitting in the drawing-room, Cenne had his father's phone with her and she was talking with Cheio and she regretted it so much. She loved Mary. She wanted to spend time with her but sometimes she gets so stupid and dumb. She went. Cenne was standing in the window when she saw her that evening in the back seat of her uncle's car when they were taking her to the bus station. She felt so sad watching her go so far away.