004.

                                    

                                          
"good friends help you find important things when you have lost them... things like your smile, your hope and your courage."
- doe zantamata
                          
it had been two days since she met those "soc" boys. two days of pretending to be someone else. two days since she had pulled back into herself. and two days that she's been holding back that flood.
                          
venus couldn't lie, she has done a pretty good job with keeping her big fat secret. but holding that facade was exhausting. after all, nothing haunts a person like the things they haven't said.
                          
it's an endless, sad tangent really. 
                          
and through all her lies and nonsense she somehow managed to make a friend out of randy adderson. she had been on the phone with him every morning since they had met, and venus was able to only reveal little about herself.
                          
this morning was no different. better to have one friend then none, she figured, even if it's all built off of false perceptions.
                          
"a-are you sure, randy?" venus said unsure, twirling the telephone wire around her manicured finger. "it's just- bob seemed really upset that i spoke up against him the other day. i'm not sure he would want me coming to the movie with you all."
                          
through the phone a light chuckle was heard. it made venus uneasy, and it was in no way reassuring. "don't worry venus" the boy retorted. "i'm sure he's over it."
                          
letting out a deep sigh, venus nodded, even though randy couldn't see her. "okay, okay. i'll come," she finally agrees.
                          
"great! see you at 8?" 
                          
"see you then," she smiles slightly. the receiver clatters, and venus groans throwing her head back. 
                          
her father and bill had only recently gotten over the fact that the one small task given to her, to put gas in the mustang, was unfulfilled. 
                          
to be fair, she wasn't sure what they expected her to do. venus couldn't go back to the DX after what had happened. after all, she had just gotten bob to forgive her for "stepping out of line" after many beggings and apologies. 
                          
her father already wasn't the biggest fan of venus's new friends. quite honestly he had gotten a hunch that they were as terrible as the kids from his daughter's old school.
                          
it seemed as though venus wouldn't be their biggest fan either. not after tonight at least. because this summer night, that was unnaturally chilly and dark, became the best and worst night venus would ever experience here in tulsa.
                          
and it all started at the nightly double.
                          
they were in two separate cars, the soc boys. randy said it was because bob and his girlfriends were supposed to be meeting them there. venus didn't mind, and honestly she would have liked to make girl friends anyway.
                          
they had just parked their cars and the sun was already long gone, tucked behind the horizon. for just a moment, venus could look at the moon and let out a relieved sigh- everything was turning out to be good here in tulsa.
                          
but it was almost as if she had jinxed it, because in these next moments her world came crashing down.
                          
"so venus, you never talk about your family. what's your parents like?" bob said. venus tried to ignore the sinister tone that lurked beneath the question, hoping it was just how he always spoke.
                          
she adjusted her bracelet, and cleared her throat, trying to come up with a lie she could tell. "oh, my parents? they're-um, they're pretty average i guess. just your typical parents."