I know The Devil

Chapter 028| Monday Bacons

~ Remember those walls I built?

Well, baby, they are tumbling down

And they didn’t even put up a fight

They didn’t even make a sound.

Beyonce – Halo

I would have sprinted back to the class if not that Law Tyler’s hand was clasped around mine as we rounded the vacant corridors and I saw him staring at the stairs of the basement.

No fucking way!This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

I had never had a reason to visit there previously. Though it was a rare, if ever, used wing of the building but students were strictly prohibited from accessing the basement,

“C’mon live life a little,” Law cajoled even as he tugged me forward and I followed trying not to think about the echo of our footsteps as we descended into the darkness of the basement which was deafening. A feeling of unease was beginning to form deep in my guts, but I allowed my rationality to dictate my steps.

“I’m not usually a picky person but an eerie creepy basement is not in any way, a place to profess deep affection to your girlfriend at all.”

Law Tyler was gravelly quiet and I swallowed hard peering into his face but not seeing his expression since the room was barely illuminated. I wonder what we were doing here especially as I was aware that all the doors must have been locked as there was no homeroom down here and thus no reason to keep them open.

My eyes widened in horror as Law produced a bunch of keys from his pocket.

“Maybe I had been exaggerating a bit about the pizzeria and 77 moral conducts of the school being broken in the Evans high school regulation handbook but now I’m pretty sure we have simultaneously broken over 200 rules without breaking a sweat and although you are gorgeous that doesn’t give you a right__”

My rant was temporarily halted as the door swung open and provided me entrance into the pitch-black room.

“Go inside.”

I turned to look at him with fear in my eyes, “I really don’t want to.”

“Do you trust me?”

“More than a sensible person should a guy they just met a week ago.”

“Just go in.” He cajoled.

I didn’t know if it was because of how amused he sounded which assured me that it can’t be all bad or the frightening thought that I can jump over a cliff if Law compelled me to with that sexy accent of his, I took a step forward then crossed the threshold of the room.

As I found the light switch and flicked it on, my mouth dropped. The insides of the dark basement came aglow, Soft music and low lighting assaulted both my ears and eyes. Candles and Red carnations were lined on the floor, and beautiful chrome balloons hung on the walls and ceilings, I could see an arranged set of foldable tables, which on top of it sat a bliss white orchid bouquet, with two foldable chairs tucked into it at both sides.

The incorporated flower petals, harmonious music and low lightning just made the moment seem almost surreal and I snuggled against Law’s warm body the moment I felt it against my back.

“What do you think?” He gruffly asked and I smirked.

I could still see a little ladder at the side of the room, his former clothes which now I realized he was no longer wearing, I bet covered in sweat hanging on top of it and the thought that he had been trying to arrange all of this and had even miss classes in the process warmed my heart more than I’ll like to admit.

“I’ll roll my eyes if this happened in a movie,” I mumbled even as I turned to meet his eyes, his hands now below my waist and holding me to him.

He gave me a playful grin, “And now it is happening to you?”

“I now see that cheesy can really be beautiful,” I chuckled lightly, “You told me and now you are showing me. Besides, I’m just realizing that I never knew what a great dinner restaurant looked like until now. Thank you Law, this was so much better than Monday Bacons.” I finished the last part with a slight drawl and mocking smile.

“Anything my lady,” he whispered huskily in an intended French comical accent that was more British. My hand brushed against his for the briefest of moments before he took it, and kissed the back of my palm while maintaining heavy eye contact which made me feel silly especially as I let him lead me to the dining table.

He drew my chair and I sat down pretending I was in a dinner gown and not my pastel-coloured hoodie and black baggy shorts.

He poured me a cup of champagne and I took it, looking at him over the rim of my wineglass even as he opened two plates of steaks, he rubbed his hair and gave me a sheepish grin that made me grateful I was already seated else I might just lose my bearing.

“I didn’t know if you love your steak fully cooked or not so I made both.”

“I don’t eat steaks.” I reminded him looking amused.

I saw a flash of anger and guilt in his eyes but it was almost like I imagined it because he was opening yet another plate of Salmon, lasagna, and lastly a chocolate fondue for dessert.

I smacked my lips together even as a goofy grin grew on my face, “So much better than Bacons.”

The whole school, watched as Law held his sports car door open for me and I entered, feeling like I was walking on a frickin moon.

The ride to my house was quiet as I was deep in thoughts which Law noticed because the moment he stopped in front of my house and I made to alight, he held back my hand loosely.

I met his gaze.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

I gave him a tired smile, “I’m a practical girl so I’ll prefer a dollar since pennies aren’t in circulation.”

I watch amused as he indulged me, placing a dollar on my lap and leaned back, a signal he was all ears.

I sighed. Guess I was going to be that girl anyway. The melodramatic pessimist who makes her boyfriend’s efforts to make her happy seem like trying to melt a rock.

“Something bad is going to happen.” I blurted out because I always believed in the snapping bandaid quickly method when breaking a non-desirable news.

He placed a finger below my jaw, forcing me to look into his eyes, “Why would you even say that?”

I felt like I was going to cry at the despair in his eyes at my words, “It is the Prudence curse,” I continued even though I knew I was sounding delusional and crazy. “Whenever too many good things start happening to me, something really awful always comes along to crash it all on the floor. Like a pack of cards which the waves would soon carry, I can tell that soon a bad omen would drown all my happiness,” I smiled sadly, “I sound like a bag of crazy, don’t I?”

He brushed a lock of my hair animatedly with his finger. “I’ll never think you sound crazy, ever.”

I lean against his chair, “I’m just so scared.”

“You don’t need to be.”

“I’m cursed!”

His eyes were hardened and snapped at mine, “You ain’t cursed!”

I sat up, desperate to convince him otherwise, involve him in an argument I very much wanted to lose for the first time in my life. “My favourite birthday was my seventh year birthday. Rob threw me a surprise party and invited all the children from the hood. I’d worn a stupid birthday hat and had a goofy big grin on my face unaware that, that night was the first night my brother would try getting involved with crime, reason? He wanted to keep a big smile on my face all the time!”

“That means nothing! It is all bullshit.” He countered.

“I figured you’ll say that, so I was way ahead of you and had already piled up another case study. When I had gotten a scholarship to Evans high school, I felt like I was handed the moon! I was so stupid, naive and had dreams. I’d thought I’ll have students who would flock around me all wanting to be my friends, two people would fight over showing me around the gigantic building I’ve always stared at in awe, which was featured in the back of a what’s popping magazine my brother’s best friend had and would always bring along whenever he was coming over to my house. He’ll just casually call Rob when he sees me gawking at it and jokingly comment that his little sister dreams to rub shoulders with dollar signs. They would always laugh but none of them was aware that a dream had been birthed in me,” I looked away, “A dream that turned around to bite me hard in the ass. Nobody looked my way except to hold their nose like I was stinking,” I sniffed as the bad memories came flooding back to me.

“A week after I got a shy wave and grin from Gloria, my brother was arrested and has been awaiting trial for two years. Can you see that this is a pattern? A curse?”

“No that’s all a bunch of freak coincidences.” He held my hand, “Nothing is going to happen this time because I have got you.”

I nodded, trying to be optimistic, to believe in him, to believe in this love we are making but he had lied. I wished I had turned even once while I alighted then I would have caught the sad look in Law’s eyes and knew things were soon going to turn foggy and bleak for me.