The Devil's Trap

0.2

I stepped out of the Gold's Gym that was near my apartment, my face all red and clammy and my throat feeling all dry and tight like a ball of air tightening against the walls of my esophagus from all the running I did. I stayed a total of two hours at the gym today only working on my cardio and to say that all I was feeling was soreness was an understatement. My whole body felt like a stampede went it multiple times and instead of killing me, it just broke every single bone in my body. 

Of course, this is all my fault because I wanted to spend two hours of my time on cardio instead of switching to something else but I felt like doing cardio and my body will repay me by giving me the whole week to deal with sore legs and feet. 

"See you tomorrow Talia," Marc, one of the workers here said as I passed by his car. 

"Bye Marc," I waved stopping at my dark blue impala that looked mostly black. 

I quickly get in my car not wanting to spark up a conversation with Marc right now. It wasn't because I didn't like Marc, in fact, Marc was actually really nice and sweet but sometimes Marc made me feel a little uncomfortable every time he would flirt with me whenever we spoke. One time he straight up asked me if he could shove sharpies down my shirt. 

Like who the hell asks somebody that?

At first, I thought that he was just joking around so I laughed and asked him why he would want to do that and he just shrugged his shoulders saying he wanted to see if my bra was giving me the best support that I needed. 

To say the least, I didn't speak to Marc for a while and made sure to not go to the gym when he wasn't working but he eventually apologized and hasn't said anything like that to me again which I should be thankful of, which I am, but now it's just awkward between us. 

                                                                     ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───    

As soon as I reached the apartment I took a quick shower soaking my hair into my coconut soothing shampoo and conditioner and washed my body with Chyler's kiwi lime body wash. After I stepped out, I decided to just blow dry my hair before getting dressed that way I didn't have my hair sticking to my clothes and getting the back of my shirt all wet. I always hated it when I put my shirt on after getting in the shower and my hair got all wet. I didn't like that it stuck to my shirt and I could feel the water leaking into my shirt. Call me weird, but I always had to have a towel wrapped around my head and even then I had to have a specific type of towel to hold my hair up. The towel had to be thin and not too heavy, just like how the towel wrapped around my body had to be thick. 

It was a weird habit of mine and if I couldn't have either of those that way it made me very uncomfortable. When I go on vacation I had to bring my own towels because I hated the way the hotel towels felt against my skin, I guess I could blame my grandmother for that because she was the one who taught me that it was better to pack your towels anyway because you're never too sure if a hotel actually cleans their towels because one time in Vegas we stayed at the MGM hotel and the towel that my father used had a cigarette burn on it. To say the least, I've been packing my own towels since I was five.

Chyler barges into the bathroom directing my attention away from towels and my hands stop moving the blow dryer as I look towards her way while the hot air blows in my face. Chyler has a huge smile on her face as she practically skips over to the toilet and takes a seat on the closed lid. 

"Do you need me or something?" I asked as soon as I was done blow drying my hair not really liking the way that she was staring at me at the moment. 

Chyler nods her head crossing her left left leg over her right leg her smile still plastered on her face as she watches me wrap the cord to my light blue blow dryer up before placing it in the drawer. Once finished, I turn towards her with a raised eyebrow. 

"Do you want to go to a party?"

"A party? When?" I asked grabbing my straightener from the drawer.

"Tonight at James's frat house."

"I can't, I work tonight."

Chyler rolls her eyes shaking her head. "No, I called you in and got your shift covered."

"CHYLER! I need this job, why would you do that?" I asked turning around glaring towards her to which she chooses to ignore. 

"Talia, you're always working and never get to have any time for yourself," Chyler says shaking her head. 

"I may work all the time Chy, but I also need the money to pay my share of the rent."

Chyler shakes her head ignoring what I just said as she uncrosses her legs only to recross them once more as she gave me a bored look. "Lia, your parents pay for your college and you only pay four hundred for rent, and you already have five months worth of rent in your account."

"That may be true, but-"

"No buts Talia! You're going to this party whether you like it or not."

I sighed shaking my head. I really didn't want to go to this party, it wasn't because I hated partying, in fact, I loved going to them but like I told Chyler, I had to pay four hundred dollars in rent plus car payments and insurance. Being an adult isn't cheap but of course, she doesn't have to worry about any of that because her parents still pay for her car and her insurance but I don't get that kind of luxury from my parents. I might be one of those lucky kids whose parents were paying their way through college but I wasn't that lucky to have them pay for my car or insurance. I had to pay those myself and topping that with my rent and food and gas I'm looking over a thousand dollars a month. 

If I go to this party I'd be able to let loose and let go of all the stress that has been building up with my school work and work itself. It would be nice to forget for a while even if it meant playing hooky. 

"Alright, but you have to buy me food for two whole months." I sternly said plugging the straightener in the outlet. 

Chyler fist bumps the air standing up from the toilet giving me a hug from behind. "Thank you! I laid your outfit out on your bed! Make sure you do your make-up excellent!" She replied walking out of the bathroom. 

I roll my eyes parting my hair so I could curl it. "Stupid girl," I mutter under my breath shaking my head with a sigh. 

After curling my hair and doing my make-up to Chyler's liking, I walk down the hall and into my bedroom my eyes instantly landing down on the outfit that Chyler picked out for me. The shirt was a typical white crop top paired with dark washed high waisted skinny jeans and black heels. I smile liking the choice that Chyler picked out and quickly got dressed. I made sure to drench myself in perfume so I could smell good before walking out to the living room. 

Upon entering the living room my eyes land on my sassy but bubbly best friend pouring a bottle of tequila into six shot glasses with an old T-pain song blasting from the surround sound speakers connected to our flat-screen TV. 

"Finally, I thought you died or something. You took so long." 

I roll my eyes walking over to where she was. Instead of wearing jeans and a shirt like me, Chyler decided to go basic and wear a too short of a dress that stopped probably right smack center of her ass that showed more of it rather than covered it. Her dirty blond hair was curled and cascaded down her back barely stopping right above her ass as well. 

"Sorry, I had to make myself Chyler approved." 

Chyler turns her head, her eyes giving me a quick look over before nodding her head in approval as she screws the lid back onto the bottle. Chyler hands me three of the shot glasses a sly smirk on her face as she lifts one of them up. 

"Here's to getting s**t faced!" Chyler exclaims clinking our glasses together. 

I bring the glass to my lips throwing my head back in the process allowing the tequila to rush down my throat. My face scrunches up in distaste as I place my empty glass down, Chyler hands me another. I take the last two shots, each one slowly tasting better than the first one I had. 

"I called an Uber, he'll be here any second now," Chyler said taking the glasses we used away and placing them in the kitchen sink before walking back to where I stood. 

Chyler puts her leather jacket on and grabs her keys before walking out the door. Chyler locked the door behind her and put her keys in her clutch bag that I didn't realize she even had until now. Chyler and I walk down to the parking lot in search of a white SUV that had our Uber driver Paul. 

"Are you sure Paul isn't a rapist or something like that?" I asked wrapping my arms around my waist as a cold breeze hits my body making me shiver. 

"They wouldn't hire somebody like that Talia."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Don't go all John Cena on me. Talia if Uber did hire those criminals I wouldn't use the app on a daily basis."

"But haven't you seen the news lately? There are girls going missing or killed because of their Uber driver."

"They get into false Uber cars Talia. You have nothing to worry about." Chyler said placing her hand on my shoulder giving it a small pat as if trying to reassure me. 

"But what if Paul is the unknown killer?" I asked bouncing on my heels trying to keep warm. 

Chyler scoffs shaking her head grabbing her phone from her coat pocket. "You would like that Talia. You want some guy to murder you and have s*x with your body and do all that shit."

"It's called n*********a Chyler, and no I wouldn't want that to happen to me," I said slightly hurt by her words. 

"See! You even know the name of the action, no normal person should even know that term!"

"Just because I know the word doesn't mean I want that to happen to me or anybody for that matter," I said looking down at my shoes with a frown, my body already feeling warm from the three shots I had. 

Chyler just shakes her head rolling her eyes at my retort. I didn't want to fight Chyler on this, but I couldn't help but get all defensive when she said that about me. She knew that I hated it when people made fun of me for my interest in serial killers or when they judged me for my interest. She knew how the things people say about me behind my back secretly get under my skin in a negative way yet here she was practically saying it to my face. 

I just hope that it was the alcohol talking and that Chyler didn't believe that about me. 

                                                                         ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───