"I know you're trying, but you'll never unravel me"

sabrina claudio — "unravel me"

LILITH.

"I'm telling you, Griffin, there's a ghost in this apartment!" Is the first thing I hear once my ears fully wake up. My body and eyes go a bit slower, so, only focusing my ears on the strange conversation that's happening outside in the living room it makes my brain take more time to understand anything of it.

"Colin, shut up!"

"What are you doing?! We need to—!"

"Trying to hear it again!"

Silence follows for a minute.

"Maybe if I talk to it—"

"Talk to it?!" Colin brusquely stops Griffin. "If you talk to it, you'll invite him in! Have you not seen enough horror movies?!"

"He's already in!"

The sound of the front door opening also opens my eyes, finding the bright light of Lucifer's room around me.

"AH—!" Both Colin and Griffin scream at the surprise of what they saw coming inside the apartment. "Oh, it's you."

"I admit sometimes after I leave the gym I don't look my best," Lucifer speaks, bringing me the memories of last night to me "but I don't think I'm at the point of scaring you two."

"What are you talking about?" Griffin doesn't sound scared anymore, instead, his voice is calm and firm. "You never leave the gym looking bad at all—"

A sudden bang coming from the wall behind me wakes up my body, almost to the point of scaring me too like Colin and Griffin where a minute ago.

"There's a ghost!" Griffin's calm voice didn't last long, he's now again frightened.

"I heard it!"

Even if I'm not in the same room they're in, I can still sense how Colin and Griffin are hugging each other scared of their surroundings.

The softness is the sheets is now under the attention of my skin, soft and warm, giving me a quick sniff to my nose of Lucifer's smell.

I sit down, trying to get used to the light coming from the outside.

"Heard what?" The conversation still continues in the living room. Lucifer takes a couple of steps inside. "And may I remind you, Lilith's still asleep, so, keep it down."

My name coming from Lucifer's mouth  makes my brain now be fully awake to the point of realising why I was sleeping on Lucifer's bed. I asked him, my own begging and worried words, letting go of any type of dignity I had left.

"Look at you, caring that she has her full night of sleep, you're in deep—"

Another loud bang coming from the wall behind me. "GHOST!"

I look behind me to find the owner of the loud noice, but finding nothing but a white wall, my eyes go back to the desk in front of the bed where a million of drawings are hanged.

Another bang it's soon followed by a second one, and a third, and a fourth.

What the hell is that?

"It's faster now!"

"Guys, Lilith—!" Lucifer tries to calm his best friends, but he fails miserably when another bang happens and it's louder than the one before, leading the boys to scream even more horribly.

"Don't you hear that?!" Colin asks in a loud whisper probably to Lucifer, who doesn't sound as freaked as his friends.

"No..." He replies, in his normal tone.

"Shhhhhh, whisper!"

"I'm not gonna whisper for a ghost."

"Oh, but you will "keep it down" for Lilith?" Griffin's words make my heart flutter, full of butterflies running wild inside my stomach.

It's too early for this shit, stop.

Actually, I don't even know what time is it. Picking up my phone from the nightstand to unblock it, the shining numbers "11:47" appear right in front of my eyes. The sudden need to scratch my skin surrounds me when the clothes I'm wearing make me feel uncomfortable, and that's when I realise, I'm wearing the same dress from last night. How did I manage to sleep so peacefully?

"Lucifer, stop being loud!" Colin makes me go back to their conversation.

I get up to leave Lucifer's room and finally join the tiny freakout Griffin and Colin are having over the bangs coming from the wall. As soon as I step outside the room, the coldness of the floor sends chills down my spine. I quickly recover from it since a warm wind from the living room comes my way.

"For Lilith you're quiet but for a ghost that could posses us you're loud?!"

For me?

"Don't make it like that, Griffin. She's alive, that's the difference."

Another loud bang, followed by two more quieter ones. "Didn't you hear that this time?!"

I arrive by the living room finding Colin and Griffin wrapped around each other's arms while Lucifer has his around his chest, not at all freaked out by the noises.

"I heard it." I say, and soon regret it. Both Colin and Griffin turn brusquely to face me, and for the way they go extremely pail, if the next bang that I heard wasn't still coming from Lucifer's room, I would've believed the ghost was right behind me.

"AHHHH— Oh, Lilith."

"What's that noice?" I ask, getting closer to them.

Not being able to get an answer since Lucifer makes his way towards me, he stops right in front of my body as I stare at him and his worried green eyes, looking at me like I'm the most breakable piece of glass he has ever seen.

I'm not usually fond of people looking at me like that, makes me feel vulnerable, but maybe because of everything that happened last night, I don't mind Lucifer doing it.

"I'm sorry they woke you up."

I simply shrug my shoulders, not caring about it. "Is someone fixing a wall or a floor?" I ask more to Colin and Griffin who are now staring at the wall worryingly. Lucifer leaves my front and stands behind me, closely.

"We didn't get a notice! We always do!"

"Maybe they forgot this time."

"No! They never do!"

"Guys," Lucifer speaks behind me "we have a million of neighbours in this street. It's probably—"

Another loud bang. Louder than any other bang from before.

Both Colin and Griffin hug each other tightly. "HELLO?" Griffin soon gets slapped on the arm by Colin.

I can't help but let out a chuckle enjoying them both. When I feel Lucifer's chest touching my back, my eyes stare at him already finding his one mine with a little smile on his lips. He immediately looks away and acts like he's been staring at his friends since the beginning.

"Don't talk to it!" Colin stares at the ceiling. "Don't come in!"

"Now you're talking to it!"

Colin shakes his head, brusquely. "I'm sorry ghost I wasn't talking to you!"

"You're doing it again!"

Bang!

The loud noice makes my body step backwards in a startled motion. My back and waist inevitably touches Lucifer, almost to the point of falling because of the rough movement. I want to be focused on the strange noice, but, when a bulge can be felt against my waist coming from Lucifer's body, I can't help but have an immediate thought of what that could be.

I strangely look at Lucifer, confused. He seems to take bit to understand my look, but, when my eyes uncontrollably go down to his pelvis, he gives me a smirk before reaching down to my ear. "That's my wallet." Whispering to me, the feeling of his breathing touching my skin sends chills down my back. I have to bite my lower lip to hold a smile in. There's no doubt that Lucifer liked my reaction, since he grins even bigger before going back to Colin and Griffin, who are still hugging each other when my eyes do the same and stare at them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Where's my holy water?!" Colin starts looking inside his pockets.

Griffin, well... he lifts his fists into the air. "I'm ready to fight you little bastard!"

"I need to get my holy water!" Colin makes the motion to leave Griffin's side, but it's soon stopped by his friend grabbing him tightly.

"Don't leave me!"

I hear a chuckle coming from Lucifer. "It's like having two children..."

"Make a noice if you're here to hurt us!" Colin, while pointing at the ceiling, asks trying to control his scared voice.

"Why would you ask that—!" Griffin slapping Colin it's soon followed by another bang. "Oh, we're gonna die!"

"Make a noice if you come from heaven!" Silence. "Hell?!"

Bang!

Both Colin and Griffin stare at each other in disbelief. "The devil?!"

Colin shakes Griffin's body while he stares at the ceiling. Griffin closes his eyes as he mumbles something. While me and Lucifer, well, just enjoy their little show.

"Lucifer," Colin yells "do something!" He soon opens his eyes like big plates, realising what he just said. Looking down, he shakes his head brusquely. "Not you, Lucifer," he looks at his best friend, still behind me "you Lucifer!"

"I'm too exhausted to fight a demon right now."

"Do you think it's a demon?!"

"I don't know. Are you a demon?" Lucifer tries to hold his laughter while looking at the wall. Bang! "I guess it's a demon."

"Where's my bible?!"

I let out a chuckle. "To hit the demon with it?"

Griffin finally leaves Colin side to point at the ceiling. "Make a noice if you're a man!"

Bang!

That's when I truly feel terror inside of my chest. "Another man in this apartment?" I shake my head. "Now I'm starting to get scared."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Lilith! You're making him angry!"

"My purpose in life."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It's even louder and faster now.

Silence follows. Soon after, Colin and Griffin both stare at each other as they firmly nod. "It's coming from Lucifer's room."

"Oh, really?" Lucifer asks behind me while his two best friends leave the living room into the hallway. "Tell the demon to clean my room if he's gonna start living there."

Smiling at me as I look at Lucifer, he points at the hallway with his head to follow them. I listen, wanting to keep enjoying the little show.

Finding Colin and Griffin standing by the door of Lucifer's room, both staring at each other, I start believing they're about to play rock paper scissors on who's gonna go in first.

Colin pushes Griffin's shoulder. "You first."

"Me?! You!"

"You!"

"You!"

They both stare at me as Lucifer and I both arrive by the side. "Lilith."

Excuse me—!

"Me?!"

"You're the Crime Justice major," Colin nods as he points with his head the inside of the room "you've seen dead bodies. Nothing scares you anymore, right?"

"A demon might! I don't want to get possessed!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"It's even faster now!"

"Lucifer?!" I hear Colin ask as Lucifer leaves my side and enters the room. "What— don't do it we love you!"

Standing there like a normal Friday morning, Lucifer shrugs his shoulders. "See? Nothing."

"Don't you feel a type of burning in your skin?" Griffin asks.

"Nope."

"His name is Lucifer," Colin slaps Griffin's arm "maybe he has a pass or something."

"Her name is Lilith," they both point at me "we're screwed!"

Watching Lucifer walk closer to me to then proceed to grab my waist and pull me inside the room with him, I have to fight the urge to get a bit crazy on the fact that my chest liked his big hands around my waist, controlling my body.

"Nothing." He repeats, as nothing happens around us.

The most loud bang that's happened by far sounds around us. Scaring me, I look behind finding the same white wall from before. Lucifer doesn't wait either, but instead of looking at the door, he suddenly grabs my waist tightly.

"AH!"

"What was that?!"

"Someone' fixing a wall—"

Colin, Griffin and Lucifer carrying on with the conversation it does help my stomach on not freaking out over the fact that Lucifer is still holding my body.

Scratches on the wall does help me too.

Wait— did I hear scratches?!

"And the scratching?!" Colin walks closer to Lucifer and I to join our bodies. "Are they fixing a wall with a cat?!"

Griffin does the same. "Shhhhhhhh!"

We all go quiet when the banging intensifies. Just as we're all hugging each other, trying to truly define if we have a demon in the apartment and get ready to call a priest, a new noice sounds from a far. I close my eyes to let my ears take my full strength, but it's soon not enough, the new noice becomes stronger around us.

Screaming? No. Laughing? No, that's not it either...

The noice joins the banging with a quick rhythm, almost like how a drum and plates compliment each other when a drummer plays it.

It's a woman. I quick think to myself when my head understands it a bit further. A woman... a woman...

Oh?

Oh.

I finally get it. She's moaning. The strange new noice is a woman moaning and the demon banging on the wall is the frame of a bed.

"That's..." Lucifer doesn't finish his sentence behind me, almost as surprised as me.

I slowly nod, frankly in disbelief of what my ears are hearing. "Yep."

While the noice doesn't stop, I turn to Colin and Griffin to see if they understood what's truly happening on the other side of that wall. And when I find Colin's eyes big like round plates first, I may have gotten the feeling he did. "The ghost got himself a lady?!"

I slap myself on the forehead.

Griffin does what we we're all wanting to, and slaps Colin's arm. "It's our neighbours, dumbass!"

I can see how he finally understands in his eyes, the fear slowly transforming into surprise and confusion. "Scratching the wall too? Damn..."

"Who do you have on the other side of the wall?" Griffin asks, looking at Lucifer.

He doesn't respond. Instead, he looks at the wall like it's gonna give him the answer. They all do, and when their faces completely change to disgust, I can't help but grow an extreme wonder on who they're thinking about while the moaning of the woman is still playing on the other side. Clearly having a really, really, really good time.

"Who?" I ask, since non of them says a thing.

"The old man Jack?!" Griffin brusquely shakes his head, trying to get an image out of his mind. "Gross, dude!"

Lucifer just closes his eyes with strength and tilts his head to the side, regretting the image he also just created inside his head.

"Who would've thought old grumpy Jack still got it?" Colin, in the other hand, doesn't seem as disgusted as his two friends. He just smiles at himself. "Not me! And with that rhythm? I'm gonna give him a high five the next time I see him! Seventy and keeping that rhythm? I definitely want to be like old man Jack when I grow up."

The banging suddenly stops as well as the moaning, so, that leads to everyone understanding what just happened and for Colin to start clapping. "Good old man Jack!"

I'm glad I don't know old man Jack, because for the looks of Lucifer and Griffin, I'm sure I wouldn't like the image they can't seem to get rid of.

Before anyone gets to say something, a familiar noice sounds on top of the bed. This time, (thank God) isn't any type of moaning or banging, just my phone ringing as it lays on the pillow.

Colin, quicker than me, grabs the other pillow and scared of it, starts to hit it repeatedly with the while strength his body has. "AHH! Die, demon, die! Die! Die!"

"Colin!" I walk towards him to prevent him from killing my phone. "That's my phone!"

Brusquely stopping as the ringing stops, Colin drops the pillow like what just happened was the most normal thing in the world. "We still have to be careful, you know?"

"A phone ringing can be a demon?" Lucifer asks, teasing.

"Yes! Anything can be a demon! As far as we've heard, we only heard a woman moaning, not the old man Jack! Maybe that woman was fucking a demon! People get be that kinky!"

Ignoring him to look at my shining screen and seeing that my mom was the only who called me, I slap myself on the forehead again. Not because I missed her call, much worse than missing a call from a mother, but because Colin accidentally answered it and he pressed the speaker button with the pillow.

Mom just heard everything that was said.

"Who's fucking who?" I hear my confused mother say on the other side of the line. "And why am I hearing a male's voice instead of my daughter's?"

My thumb tries to undo the speaker option, but it's useless, my phone and the attack that it received from Colin it made it go numb. "Hi, mom." I close with my eyes with strength, regretting ever leaving my phone on the bed.

"Lilith? Why are y'all talking about an old man fucking someone?" She doesn't sound worried, my mom leans more to the confused side. "A demon? Are y'all high?"

"What?! No!"

"See," Colin prevents me from exposing myself as he takes my phone out of my hand "here's the thing ma'am..." he brusquely stops to then turn and face me "is your mom married?"

"No—" I instantly regret saying that for the way that Colin's smile goes from sweet to cocky, knowing exactly what's gonna be his next move.

"Well," his tone goes slower and flirty "hello Ms. Avery, how are you today?"

My hand doesn't wait a second and slaps the side of Colin's arm. "Don't flirt with my mom!" Letting out my words out in a loud whisper for my mom to not be able to hear it, it's soon followed by Colin staring at me without making his cocky smile disappear.

"That was kinda hot, Lilith. Hit me again, baby." His joke is soon stopped by Lucifer, who brusquely pushes the hand that's holding my phone closer to his mouth.

"Keep talking."

"Can someone explain what is happening and why is this boy trying to flirt with me?"

"Hi, hello, Ms. Avery, let me explain to you what you just heard." Colin stops again. And this time, he doesn't look at me, instead, he stares at the phone like something clicked inside his brain. "Trying? What do you mean trying?" He asks, offensively.

My mom doesn't respond, but I know she's letting out a smile right now, even if she's still confused.

Griffin takes my phone away from Colin's hand. "Griffin here. Hello, Ms. Avery. See, here's what happened. This morning Colin, the boy who tried to flirt with you and I—"

"Again, tried?!"

"We heard a banging noice. We thought that it was a demon, and it all escalated quickly, but it turns out it was just our neighbours having a good old time. Nothing to worry about!"

We all wait and wait for my mom's response, hoping that her confusion has transformed into an "okay!" situation. Even though knowing my mom, there's cero change she'll do that. I, still hope to hear her moving on. "Mom?"

"I don't want to ask because the worst thought just came to me."

"Don't worry, Ms. Avery," Colin takes my phone again "we're taking care of your daughter. She's in good hands!"

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

I try to wave my hands dramatically for them to shut up since my mom doesn't know a thing about me living with them. She's a cool mom and all, but having three male roommates and not telling her about it isn't gonna go pass her. Not at all.

"The best hands!"

Both Colin and Griffin ignore me. So, I wave my hands even harder to the point of feeling like they're gonna snap out of my arms and fly out the window.

"I use a great cream, they're all soft and shit! Unbelievably good!"

"Lilith is a great roommate!"

Fuck and double fuck! Please, shut up!

"You certainly raised her well."

I'm dead. Dead, I say!

Slapping myself on the forehead with the palm of my hand, my chest skips a beat nervous of what my mom could say next.

"What?" Colin asks, cluelessly.

I close my eyes with strength likes that's gonna make the situation go away. Maybe if I ignore it...

"I haven't told her..."

"She haven't told me she was living with three new roommates, that's why Lilith is silently freaking out right now." Her tone is slow, the same one she did when she found out I sneaked out of school from a call from the principal and she said "So, my daughter has the flu, huh?"

"Oh..."

"Yeah, oh indeed."

"Three? It's just us two!" Colin tries to save the situation. "No three! That's better, right?"

Silence comes from my mother, telling me she already knows that's a complete lie. "Hello, Lucifer." I know she's smiling like she unfolded my most deepest secret.

Lucifer, who's been trying to keep quiet and not be a part of what's happening by staying in his place and not making a sound, closes his eyes with strength just like I did a minute ago and scratches the back of his head, nervous. "Hi, Ms. Avery. How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, trying to not look into old "history"." I recognise what's she doing immediately, since, you know, Lucifer's supposed to be poof right now. "That would be a shame, wouldn't it, Lilith?"

I don't open my mouth, not knowing what to say. My ability to not get into trouble with my mother hasn't always been good. It's always been terrible.

"I think Lilith is incapable of saying anything else since she's afraid she'll get into more trouble," Colin saves me "so, can I ask what's the reason of your calling today, Ms. Avery?"

"Colin, is it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Tell my daughter that I was planning on asking her if she wanted to come home for the weekend, but, after this lovely conversation with you guys I don't think I'm gonna ask her." With her sweet tone, my mother says the most threatening words ever. "Would you tell her that, Colin?"

Slowly turning to me, Colin faces me with a tiny smile. "Your mom says—"

I smile too, sarcastically. "I heard her, Colin, thank you."

"Don't get mad at me," Colin shakes his head, like a disappointed mother "I'm not the one who's living with three beautiful straight men and lying to my own mother about it. Do you know how that must make her feel?"

I blink in disbelief.

"Yeah, Lilith, do you know how that makes me feel?"

My mom knows I'm hating this, the image of her smiling as she thanks the karma for coming for me appears in my head. So, slowing removing my phone away from an innocent looking Colin, I smile at him, ready to let him know siding with my mother wasn't a good idea.

"I'm gonna kill you, slowly and painfully." I smile, even bigger when his disappears "You better sleep with both eyes open, because one won't be enough to see me coming."

Colin steps back, like the ghost he was afraid of is me this time. "I'm scared now."

I hear a chuckle coming from Lucifer.

"You guys should come."

"It's a trap," I whisper to the guys "she's gonna find a way to ground you guys too." Well— maybe it's not such a bad idea. "You guys should come, if I go to Hell, I'm gonna drag y'all with me."

But, Colin, shakes his head as he talks to the phone. "Unfortunately, I have to train, ma'am, but thank you for the opportunity to meet you. You sound lovely."

"Thank you, Colin, you sound lovely too."

Sticking out his tongue, Colin immediately gets slapped on the arm by me. "I'm gonna fuck your dad."

"He's fun and handsome, so, go ahead."

"And I have to study, Ms. Avery," Griffin adds "even though I would love to hang out with your beautiful family, I am more scared of my physics teacher. She's close to what I feel Hell is like."

"What a shame, Griffin!" Silence follows. I bite my lower lip knowing that's gonna come from my mother's mouth. "Lucifer?"

Looking at him, I immediately shake my head for him to deny the invitation. We've been here before, where Lucifer has said yes to an invitation from someone from my family. It didn't end well. So, why would Lucifer say yes this time? "I'm dead if I go, aren't I?" He asks me.

"Yes, you certainly will." My mom replies before I can. "But you'll be more dead if you don't come. Unfortunately for you, I do know what your face looks like."

Oh, she's good. She's definitely good.

"See you this afternoon!"

And just like that, the call is over. I press the back bottom on the screen and it works perfectly.

Yeah, now you work.

I stand there in silence contemplating the idea of Lucifer spending the weekend in my hometown, Forwell. Seeing my childhood house, my bedroom, meeting the strange people that saw me grew up. A part of me that only Ada knows and that I've never been thrilled of the idea to let anyone see it. My college life is a part of me and then my hometown is another, like two different worlds that I have to snap my fingers to cross. Now Lucifer is gonna know it too? Him?

"As much as your mother sounds lovely," Colin gets my attention "she does sounds terrifying."

Griffin nods. "Now I know where you got it from."

Yeah, nothing like threatening like your own mother. Absolutely perfect.

Patting Lucifer's shoulder, Colin shakes his head. "It was nice meeting you, pal."

Griffin does the same as soon as Colin heads out the room. "We love you!"

They both leave, leaving a nervous Lucifer and I alone while the silence surrounds us.

I truly don't know how to feel. I remember the last time Lucifer said yes to enter my family life and be a part of it by going to grandmother's dinner. I felt horrible, like a private part of me was being ripped out and opened for the world to see. Now, my mind just doesn't know how to see it. A bad thing? A good thing? A thing that shouldn't matter to me since it's not such a big deal? Maybe it's because my brain hasn't really fully processed it, but right now, Lucifer visiting my hometown doesn't feel like anything at all. I'm not mad, angry, disappointed, I don't even want to argue with him about it... what's this feeling called?

"Is the motorcycle alright to go there?" Lucifer asking me, brushing away his nerves, gets my attention.

We both stare at each other like yesterday never happened.

It truly is something common for us to act this way.

I slowly shake my head to answer him. "You'll get lost, it's not easy to get into Forwell."

He shrugs his shoulders, defensively. "It'll be fine."

Honestly, I was gonna ask him to take a ride with me since my own words on how to get into Forwell are better than any other map or gps out there, but, thinking of Lucifer getting lost is a lot more fun. 

"Alright, I'll take a taxi but you can go there however you want. I'll send the address. Don't get lost, Donovan. If it gets dark it'll be more difficult." I turn to leave the room trying to hide the laugh that wants to come out when the thought of him getting lost and looking stupid appears in my head.

I hear a fake chuckle coming from him, offended that I suggested that. "I won't, Avery."

LUCIFER.

Alright, I'm gonna be honest, I did get lost.

The moment that the gps told me to turn right when there wasn't a path to turn right, it all went downhill from there. I ended up getting further and further away from the destination, until I reached a strangely looking diner where I'm sure a murder happened there. Turning my motorcycle wasn't easy, stopping and leading me to meet three random ladies that looked like the three sisters from the Greek mythology, the ones that cut strings (meaning that someone's gonna die) and have one eye that they share with each other, I sure believed I was the one who was gonna die. Or they wanted to sleep with me, I don't know which ones is worst.

Then, when I did saw the path that I had to turn right, I couldn't help but smile proudly at myself. But, did it too soon. The gps kept telling me that I had to go strength ahead, and then I'd get to my destination, "keep going forward," the gps said in my ear with that woman's voice "for five miles." Sure, lady, I'll do that. But, tell me how am I gonna go pass this brick wall that is ahead of me? Am I gonna have a Harry Potter moment?

I sit there on top of my black Honda while the noise of the engine enables to me have a straight thought. Where the fuck am I? The barking of a dog makes my attention go to the fence next to me. The Doberman doesn't scare me, but the old lady that comes out of the house with a disapproval look does. She stares at me like I'm a murdered, but I better not be thinking twice of killing her, she'll definitely manage to kill me first.

Taking it as a hint, I turn around my motorcycle once again and make my way out of the dead path hoping to finally find my way inside Forwell.

"Turn right." The woman says again in my ear. And this time, I do see a path to enter. The trees become greener, the leaves fall majestically down to the grown grass, the wind is warm and hugs my body like a summer night. My motorcycle runs smoothly, making me enjoy the ride under the sunset a lot better. Moments like this make me wish to have my music blasting on my ears, listening to The Neighbourhood and think of my destination and the people I'm gonna see.

Lilith is the first and only person that comes through my mind as the trees quickly fly by. Her smile under the moonlight, her laugh over the music, her pinkish lips smiling at me and her dark eyes staring at mine. The feeling inside my chest from the image makes my heart blush, pound at the realisation that in a couple of minutes I'm gonna see her. That curly messy hair, that smooth skin and sharp nose, thick eyebrows wrinkling every time she's deep into a thought.

My surprise when she didn't get mad at me after her mother invited me did caught me off guard. I was waiting for mean words, screaming, her being annoyed at me. She just suggested that I shouldn't get lost (which I did, but I'm not gonna tell her) and then turned around not arguing about it. It did built a bit of hope inside me, building the idea of her finally realising that we could be friends, that hate isn't the only feeling we're destined to feel about each other, and maybe, maybe, me being invited to her hometown is the beginning of that.

"Straight ahead for one mile." The woman speaks again, returning my head to the trees around me. The wind, somehow, has become warmer. The trees even more greener and just everything about the place looks calmer than the ladies I've come across coming here. It's like a different world that I stepped in.

When my eyes locate a statue of a...cow? I have to slow down my motorcycle to have a better look at it. It's upside down, laying on the grass like it's scratching its back. I've never seen a cow smile, but this one, has the biggest happiest smile I've ever seen.

Continuing, when the sign that says "Forwell" with big brown letters and white background passes my right side, after the cow, the proud feeling comes back inside my chest. But I erase it quickly, not wanting to ruin my good luck.

The trees become houses, the grown grass is now perfectly cut while the noises of birds chirping transform into a group of kids playing baseball by the right side of the road. As soon as my motorcycle hits Forwell ground, it immediately gains the attention of everyone walking by the street. A town that looks like a movie scene, with cottage houses of every colour, green tall trees, a sidewalk cleaner than any punch coach has taught me to throw, and a big looking carousel in the middle of the town, the people around make me believe a big and black motorcycle isn't something that they see every day.

If I could count the heads that have turned around and stare at me and my Honda, I would. Just believe me when I say there's a lot. Even kids, that were playing between each other, stopped to turn around and give me their attention.

What surprises me is that they're not judgemental. Some kids opened their mouths as they stare at my motorcycle, others pat their friend's shoulders to turn their attentions towards me, and I swear I heard some kid say "it's like the Batmovil!"

The adults, some of them look at me confused, wondering who's this strange man with black jeans, black boots, and black leather jacket and what is he doing on their town riding a motorcycle. Did I mention before I like to wear black? No? Other people nod at me, liking my ride. An old lady with grey hair up in a pony tail, wearing a red leather jacket as soon as she lands her eyes on me and my motorcycle, she gives me a thumbs up followed by the rock and roll sign. Shame that she can't see my smile from the helmet.

She's followed by another old man, he's probably the same age as her, but that's the only thing that they have in common. He's wearing a dark brown sweater with a disproving look on his face. His arms crossed, his eyebrows furrowed and a shake of the head, slowly and disappointed. Like me riding my innocent looking motorcycle is a crime.

"Turn right." The woman speaks again. "And you'll arrive at your destination."

Doing what the gps says, it leads for my eyes to have a wooden house in front of me, at the end of the path. From a far, it looks like it's all covered in plants and leaves. The white of the fence can be seen just a smidge, but the more I get close to it, the more detail of the house I see and the bigger my love for it becomes.

It reminds me of those houses that you see sweet people live in movies, where the main character goes for comfort and in the background a soft piano is playing. Even if instead of that, Cherry Bomb by The Runaways is loudly playing inside, it doesn't brush away the warm feeling it has.

"Hello world I'm your wild girl!" The sound of someone singing right after I turn off my motorcycle can be heard from the house. Stepping out of it, as the song keeps playing, I let myself stare at the house.

The fence matches the two columns it has by both sides of the tiny stairs that lead into the porch. Also wooden, even if no one is stepping on it, it still makes a noise when the wind blows. One of the columns gets my attention. It has all red lines over it, like a marker, roughly erased by some corners since it has to be old. The names Lilith and Teddy with smiley faces next to the words are on top of the lines, Lilith is higher than Teddy, which makes me believe it's how they used to tell their height. Going back to the door as I step up the stairs, the drawing on paper hanged on the window next to it makes me let out a little smile. It's stick people, the taller one is Lilith's mom, I can tell by her long and black hair, the one next to it is Lilith, with her dramatic curls and big smile. The last one is Teddy, shorter than his family next to him, still, with crazy curls, matching the ones he has in real life.

"Next, next, next!" The sudden silence by the song ending and Teddy's voice makes my eyes lead by the other window on the left side. Catching a glimpse of what's inside, my eyes can't help but love what they're seeing. Lilith waves a T-shirt around on top of her head as the next song plays. Teddy bangs his head, making a mess of all of his curls in the process. I don't quite recognise the song, the name of it, but the voice of the singer I've heard it before. Vienna likes her and plays it loudly in her room. Avril Lavigne, I think.

"He was a skater boy she said see you later boy!" Both of them sing at the same time stealing a little laugh out of me, admiring the two siblings have a fun time.

Somehow, even if Lilith is not in my full view, jumping around the room, she makes me lose myself in her. The way her body moves, how she sings the song on full volume like her life depended on it. Her fun smile and mesmerising self, steals yet another smile out of me. I stand there, feeling like I could watch her all day.

"Lucifer?" A familiar voice softly speaks behind me. Brusquely turning to see the owner of the voice and finding Lilith's mom, Celia, I can't help but hate the idea of her noticing me staring at her daughter.

"Oh, Celia," I scratch the back of my head, nervous "sorry I was just..." mesmerised by your daughter? Admiring her? What's the best answer for this?

It doesn't seem that Celia cares about my answer, though, with her black hair loosely falling behind her back, rosy cheeks and glossy lips, she goes up the stairs with grocery bags in between chest and arms. "Those two started when I left to get groceries half an hour ago and they're still at it. They're truly the souls of every party."

"I don't doubt it."

She doesn't say hi the moment she walks pass me, or even a wave of the hand, Celia grabs the handle of the door and gets inside. Slowly turning around, she faces me like she's waiting for me to follow her and welcome myself into her home like me visiting is an usual thing. The fact that Celia seems comfortable to let me, a strange man for her, walk into her house does surprise me, not gonna lie.

"I'm not actually gonna kill you." She says. "Lilith has explained everything to me, so, I owe you a thank you."

"No need to thank me." The second my eye catches a chips bag falling from one of the grocery bags she's carrying, my reflexes makes me hold the bag before she can say anything. Celia does stare at me for a bit, unsure if me doing that leads to me wanting to earn her trust. "She needed help so we gave it to her. It wasn't a problem."

Without giving me an answer right away, Celia gives me a look that only mothers know how to do. It reminds me when mom is having a conversation with me and manages to find the truth even if we're not even talking about the covered lie. "Only roommates, huh?" I simply nod, not knowing what to answer to that. "Does she sleep with you?"

"What—?" Her question grabs me extremely off guard that I almost drop the bag I'm carrying.

"In the same bed." She lifts her eyebrows. And I swear, I saw a little joyful smile forming on the corner of her lips, enjoying my nervousness.

"No." I quickly reply. "She has her own room, ma'am."

"Are you lying to me, Lucifer?"

No, because I don't want to die. "No, ma'am."

She nods, satisfied with my answer. "Good. You're a good guy, Lucifer. And I do like you. But if you ever break my daughter's heart," her tone goes calmer and slower, letting me hear her words carefully "after she kicks your ass, just know I'm coming next." Why would I ever break Lilith's heart? If I ever get the chance to have it in the first place, I would treat it like the most fragile piece of glass in my mother's house. Still, I believe every word Celia is saying, scared for a bit of the terrifying Avery women. "And everyone around this town will also go after your ass, that's for sure. And believe me when I tell you, this town is pretty, but the people inside of it are one weird group. Crazy, if I put it in a better way— Do you like chocolate, Lucifer?"

Her sudden question makes me doubt myself, if her words were a reality or a dream of mine. "I do."

Taking out something from the bag she's carrying, a tiny piece of wrapped chocolate is out before she hangs it to me, like she didn't just threaten me if I ever hurt her daughter. "Here." Carrying on like nothing, Celia turns around after I grabbed the chocolate and leaves my eyes once she fully walks inside the house. "Lucifer's here!"

I don't know much about this woman, but she sure reminds me of Lilith. Like mother like daughter.

The music from the inside goes quieter, soon followed by two sets of foot walking closer to the front door. "Who?!" A little boy's voice speaks.

"Satan!" Celia's head pops out of the door staring at me, like I'm some sort of lunatic for staying out of the house. "C'mon, you, unless you know how to give the bags a pair of legs, walk inside."

I follow her, not knowing how to do what she asked.

"Satan?!" The same voice asks.

Suddenly, when I'm about to stare at the house that I'm in, a familiar face appears stealing every attention my eyes can give. "Oh." Lilith says, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms on her chest, clearly very excited to see me.

I, on the other hand, just stand there staring at her messy hair lazily falling on the side of her face, her bright skin shining under the little sunlight coming through the window and comfortable clothes, making her look the most relaxed she's even been like a car man mesmerised on a car race and every driver driving by. So out of it, that I don't realise in time to pick up a falling chips bag from the groceries.

"Good," Lilith says "you're breaking them just for the movie night."

"Lucifer!" Teddy's voice breaks my trance on his big sister.

With his big curls bouncing on his way to me, Teddy immediately hugs me, welcoming me like I'm his best friend that he hasn't seen in ages. "Hi, buddy." I can't help but smile at how adorable Teddy seems to be. Of course, by the way Lilith stares at us weirded out by the hug, I'm thinking she doesn't believe the same thing.

Once Teddy breaks me free, he proceeds to make a handshake that I completely follow afterwards, giving the impression we have been practicing it for days straight.

"What— what was that?" Lilith asks, confused, as she points at us both.

Teddy looks up at her proudly. "That's how men say hello, Lilith, you wouldn't get it."

She chuckles. "Cool. Where's the men you're talking about?"

"Ha, ha, very funny." Teddy goes back to me. "Hey, Lucifer! Are you up for a movie night?"

I shake his curls to make them even more of a mess than they already are. He seems to love it, giving me a sweet smile. "With you it sounds like fun."

His smile goes even deeper, and his eyes shine like a disco ball, almost as if I could see the hundreds of movies that he has in mind for us to watch tonight. "Excellent..." He whispers to then turn around and leave towards somewhere I don't know.

"Did you get lost?" Lilith gets my attention by slightly pinching my left arm, like just by being her wouldn't be enough for me to give her my full attention.

Yes, I did. My brain thinks over and over again, the murdered diner, the old ladies that wanted to predict my death, the threatening woman from the house with the Doberman, and the path that I swear appeared out of nowhere like magic. The more I step inside this town, the more it looks like I stepped into a different world full of wizards and witches. I'm intrigued by everything I've seen so far, the people, the statue of a cow, the carousel in the middle of the street, and the mean looking guy that I'm sure he put a curse on me, but, the look I give Lilith is simple uninterested, like me getting lost and facing a ton of things that only a main character in a series would go through didn't even happened.

"No, I actually got here with no problem."

"Sure, and I'm Jennifer Anniston."

"Hey! Did you manage to grow the bag a pair of legs or what?" Celia's can be heard from the right side of the house.

"What?"

Rolling her eyes, Lilith takes the bag out of my hands and walks right where her mom's voice was.

I follow her, wanting to see more. And I do. The moment the coldness of a room because of the opened door by the left side of the wall leading to a tiny backyard, a kitchen with a white fridge by the door, counters that match perfectly the walls, light yellow, but the walls with green leafs painted all over them, a sink on the counter in front of where I'm standing, kitchen utensils such as pots and pans messily laying there, and a dark brown table in the middle of the room with chairs that don't match not even one of them, is all my eyes can see. The groceries that Celia just bought are on top of the table, slowly being put away by Teddy and now Lilith, who left the bag I was carrying next the other one.

"Did you saw Harry?" Celia asks me as her head is inside the fridge, organising stuff.

I slowly make my way into the kitchen, noticing another door by my right side, but I can't see anything on the other side since it's closed. "Harry?"

"Harry, the cow." Celia stares at me now, casually, like she has answered that question a million of times.

The cow that I saw earlier is called "Harry"? "The statue?" I ask.

"Yes. Did you say hi to it?"

"Was I supposed to?"

"Lucifer," Lilith stares at me, offended "you always say hi to the cow! Otherwise it's bad luck!"

Celia shakes her head, taking out a couple of bananas out of the bags and then putting them on top of the fridge. "We're gonna have to drive by again and make you say hi."

"Harry is probably very offended right now."

Teddy agrees what her sister says and slowly shakes his head, as he leaves chocolates cookies inside a cabinet by my side. "Poor, poor Harry."

"Hey—" Lilith brusquely saying leads my eyes to her, and noticing that she's not staring at me but something between my hands, it causes me to look down and find the tiny piece of chocolate Celia gave me a minute ago "why does Lucifer have a piece of chocolate?" No answer. So, slowly turning to her mom like her brain is processing a thought, Lilith automatically points questionably "Mother, did you give Lucifer a piece of chocolate?"

"Yes, I did." Celia responds, like it's nothing. Lilith stares at me, offended once again. And I, well, feel very regretful of taking this tiny piece of chocolate.

"Okay, I explained the situation to you so it wouldn't end up on you killing him but that doesn't mean that you get to give him chocolates... before me."

Celia turns to her with a smile, grabbing another chocolate from the bag. Lilith smiles, excited. But before she can grab it, Celia brusquely moves it backwards. "Did you clean your room?"

"Mom, I'm in college now..."

"Did you undo your bags for the weekend?"

"No..."

Dropping the chocolate on the bag once again, Celia soon grabs another thing. "Then an apple for you." A big and shiny apple comes out of the bag, ready to be eaten by Lilith. But all she does is shake her head disgusted.

"Mom!"

"Ha!" Teddy laughs with a piece of chocolate between his hands... that I have no idea how he managed to grab one without anyone noticing.

Annoyed, Lilith takes out the sticker from the apple and quickly sticks it on Teddy's forehead, so roughly, that his head swings back from the movement.

I have to let out a chuckle too, but I immediately regret it, getting a threatening look from Lilith. "You don't laugh because the next sticker has your name written all over it." For the first time in my life, I feel like the little brother.

But, I don't let it be known, instead, I say to her with a cocky smile: "Must be a lovely sticker, then."

She just rolls her eyes, even more annoyed.

Fuck, she looks beautiful—

"Lili, why don't you give Lucifer a tour of the house while you threaten him, wouldn't you?" Celia interrupts my thought. "Teddy has to do homework."

"Uh?" He looks up with chocolate all over his lips, like a little kid. "I already did all of my homework!"

"Opening your book and then closing it a minute after isn't doing your homework."

"Who says?"

"Your mother," Celia grabs his shoulders to lead him into the right side of the house "the one who knows everything and is always right. C'mon, move along." She points at Lilith and I. "You too, I still have a bit of things to buy for tonight."

"Fine." Lilith complaints, following Teddy as her mom leaves towards the front door, to leave again. "If he doesn't come back it's because I killed him."

"Have fun!" And the sound of the door closing hits my ears.

Alone in the kitchen, I leave the chocolate on my pocket as I follow her to God knows where.

Well, it doesn't take me long to see where Lilith is heading. As soon as I walk pass the front door and go left, a light brown couch appears in front of me, taking me to believe this is the living room. With a TV in front of it, a side table with a chicken lamp (that doesn't surprise me anymore), a tiny desk behind the couch full of letters, a radio on the left corner of the room and big windows covering the walls, I recognise the room by the one that Lilith and Teddy were dancing before.

Not knowing where neither of them went, I look at the room searching. Starting to think they're pulling a prank on me since no one appears after a couple of minutes, my body stands there quietly, totally seeing this coming if it is from the Avery siblings. But, with quick steps, Lilith suddenly appears followed by Teddy, with a tiny red dot where the apple sticker was.

"Next time," Teddy starts to rub his forehead "I'm gonna put a sticker in your forehead." He tries to sound convincing, but all Lilith does is chuckle.

"If you want a foot up your ass, if I were you, I totally would."

Lilith doesn't even stare at me as she walks pass me, instead, grabbing my arm and pulling me backwards, she leads me into the kitchen again. "C'mon, let the tour begin before my need to kill you grows. And to be honest, I'm pulling back because my mom really wants you here tonight, God knows why."

"What's tonight?" I ask.

"Didn't you hear Teddy? It's movie night."

"How many things does your mom have left to buy? Popcorn?"

"Oh, Lucifer," Lilith shakes her head with a smile, like me asking that is the stupidest thing that has come out of my mouth "movie night in the Avery house isn't like every movie night you have seen."

"Lilith and Lucifer," Teddy sings as he walks pass us "sitting in a tree..."

His big sister doesn't give him a second more to keep singing, with her quick hand she grabs Teddy's neck and leaves it under her arm, wrapping it around Teddy's head and enabling him from talking. He tries to be free of her grip, but a strength that I've only seen drunk Lilith have, she manages to not even flinch while his little brother twitches under her strong arm.

"So," she talks as if nothing is happening, once she arrives by the door next to the fridge "if I'm gonna give you a tour of the house we have to start from the best part of it." She takes a step outside and turns right, towards a wall. "The washing machines."

The what—? I step outside too following her to find out she wasn't kidding. On the right side, there's two machines, one to wash the clothes and the other one to dry it. I stare them, cluelessly. "Why are they the best part of the house?"

She immediately laughs (while Teddy is still trying to break free). "Because they are so loud that they annoy Pedro until he's all red and angry, he starts to walk like a cartoon character waving his hands around and looking like smoke is gonna come out of his ears. It's hilarious!"

"Who's Pedro?"

"You'll meet him tonight— Would you stop moving?!"

Letting go of Teddy, he brushes his curls with his fingers. "You're the worst sister ever!"

Flicking her on the arm, I have to bite my lower lip to prevent a laugh from coming out and getting a threat from Lilith again. "Ouch, you poop head!"

She returns the flick. "Ouch!"

And, like everyone would expect, the fight of flicks begins.

"Stop it or I'll tell mom that you used her red lipstick for a Halloween costume last year and that's the reason it was all smudge and broken! It wasn't a rat!"

Teddy loudly gasps. "You wouldn't!"

The washing machine making a strange noice, it leads my eyes to it fading away the conversation (more like siblings fight) that Teddy and Lilith are having.

A paper that's on the wall gets my attention right away.  It's white and a square with colours all over it. But it's not a drawing, the more I read it, the more I understand they're instructions for the washing machines. I wouldn't have paid attention to it, it's a normal thing to have instructions on what soap to use, how to handle the machine, and many other things, but the handwriting and all the colours makes it look like it was done by a little kid. The big letters and clumsy lines, the circles representing the buttons that have to be pressed, the smudge colours that tell me that is old, and the wrinkles on the paper that remind me of the old drawings that April used to give me when she was a little kid and the paper looked like it went through war.

"Fine!" Teddy's voice makes my attention go back to them. "I'll go and do my homework."

Making a mess of her little brother's curls, Lilith then pushes him to leave the tiny backyard and walk inside the house. "Love you, poop head."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too."

And Teddy disappears from our sight.

It doesn't take me much to go back to the drawing and making the intrigue on it even bigger. Did Teddy make this when he was younger? Then, why would Teddy make it?

"What's all of this?" I ask to Lilith once she goes back to me. With an innocent shrug, she stares the piece of paper.

"I wrote it, when I was eight."

"You did?"

"When mom was working two jobs I had to take care of many things around the house. One of them was the laundry, so, I did this to remind myself how to do it because I would be dead if my life depended on how to work the machines." She chuckles. I, on the other hand, stay quiet seeing a part of her I've never seen before. I would've never imagined Lilith having to take that kind of responsibility when she was little, I don't know, it just never crossed my mind to truly think about her childhood. It looks like Lilith notices my strange look since she gives me a little smile, and another shrug of her shoulders. "Teddy was a little baby, I had to take care of him."

My mouth doesn't know what to say, still processing the information of her prior life. So, I just let out: "Must've been a lot of work for a eight year old."

"I got used to it. The older I got the more I could do, so, I was happy that I was able to help mom." Her sweet tone doesn't make me feel bad for her, something that she's maybe used to people do when they hear about her childhood, or maybe not, I don't know, but it does make feel a type of proudness for her. When I was eight, I remember liking helping around the house, like doing laundry, but there were other times that I did do it with annoyed face wishing to be playing video games or baseball outside with my dad instead. Hearing Lilith talk about how she was happy that she could help more, it does make me question how bad of a kid I was back then.

"Mom tried to give us the best life she could," Lilith continues "even if we had nothing she tried to give us everything. She made sure we didn't end up having the same life she had when growing up, and, I'll always be thankful for that. Rather have little then have everything and be controlled by..." suddenly stopping, she shuts her mouth not wanting to keep talking. Knowing what name was about to come out of her mouth, I don't push it either. Maybe talking about her grandmother isn't a good idea.

"Alright!" She grabs my arm to lead me into the kitchen once again. "This is getting sad, c'mon, let's go! This is the kitchen, blah, blah, blah, this is my room," she points with her head to the closed door in the kitchen "don't go in there or I'll kill you." Walking pass the front door into the left side of the house, we both walk inside the living room. "This is the living room, the couch you'll be sleeping, the stairs, upstairs is my mom's room, Teddy's room, don't go in there unless you want his smelly deodorant to stick with you for a couple of weeks, and the bathroom where you can go at any time you want." She brusquely turns around to face me while I just try to process everything she just said to me. "Got it?"

My words get stuck in my tongue since my brain has gone into dumb mode, making all my thoughts into a crazy tornado, losing myself in Lilith and her determined look.

"Oh," Lilith continues when a thought hits her head (lucky for me, since I don't know if my tongue was gonna recover) "and if you're going to go to it in the middle of the night don't step on this..." she goes up the stairs and steps on the third one, making a loud sound that could probably be heard in the next street "because you'll wake up the entire house. Had to learn the hard way when I was trying to sneak out, while I stayed in Teddy's room, and my mom woke up because of it. She was more mad because I woke her up than me trying to sneak out."

Brain, are you alright? I ask, waiting for answer. No. I know, it's all happening faster than me riding my Honda. I've noticed that Lilith sometimes seems to be the person that moves quick, life is at full speed and she doesn't waste an opportunity, what I didn't know is that while in her hometown she transforms into a higher level of that Lilith. Moving like time is running out. Or maybe it's just me, since I'm not used to this.

Going back to her, I find her eyes glued on her phone. "TEDDY!" She screams loudly, matching the step from a second ago.

Brusquely, Teddy's body appears going down the stairs. "I'm here."

"That was quick for a guy who was doing his homework."

Teddy chuckles, like his answer is going to be obvious. "I wasn't."

Making a mess of his curls once again, Lilith wraps her arm around his shoulders and roughly brings him closer to her. "Mom texted me to meet her by the carousel for the town meeting."

Teddy looks at her, excited. "There's a town meeting tonight?"

"Yeah." She matches his excitement. "I hope we see some fighting."

Wait— "Fighting?" I ask, trying to at least answer a question in the mix of the thousand inside my head.

Lilith leaves his brother to then pat me in the back, before walking towards the front door. "You'll love it. C'mon, let's go!"

I have to stand there in silence for a minute to give my brain a break. First, Celia dropping off the groceries and then a going after to get more like a quick switch, Lilith and Teddy both fighting then saying I love you a second later (that doesn't make me feel weird, thought, typical sibling behaviour), the quick house tour by Lilith and then a town meeting that Lilith hopes to see a fight. A fight? What kind of fight? Because the fight that I'm thinking isn't "town meeting" behaviour... I think. I've never been to a "town meeting" before. And, on top of all of that, the Avery family letting me in like I'm an old friend that they haven't seen in a while, comfort and trust wasn't even doubted. For some reason, I was expecting Lilith not even giving me a word, her mom making me feel like the most untrustworthy person that could ever step into her daughter's life, and her little brother not even acknowledging my presence. The fact that I've seen them before does cross my mind, I'm not a total stranger, still, is it weird for me to feel like this?

Probably.

"Lucifer, c'mon! If mom gets mad because we're late I'm definitely blaming you!"

Damn, do they ever slow down?

"Lucifer!!!!!!!!!!"

I think not.

I immediately erase my thoughts and walk towards the front door to join the Avery siblings. But finding them staring at something outside like they just seen their mom while doing something bad, it does wake up my intrigue on what's on the other side.

"Oh, oh." Teddy slowly shakes his head, as I join them.

"The Jeffersons are gonna kidnap your bike, Lucifer."

Looking to where I remember parking my motorcycle and finding a man and a woman around it, admiring it and watching it like they just found gold, my feet don't move towards them, instead, my brain slowly tries to remember where I've seen the woman before. With grey up in a ponytail, a red jacket and black jeans matching her spiky boots, the woman brushes his hand against the sit of my Honda. Softly and gently, like it could break at any minute. Her hand with red shiny nails making a rock and roll sign after the man says something, the image of her walking down the street as I was getting to Lilith's house comes to me, making her the same woman.

"Hi, Lizzy! Hi Johnny!" Lilith greets them leading them both to turn around and face the house, giving me the opportunity to finally watch their faces.

The woman, Lizzy, has a black line all around his eyes, an extreme faded pink on her cheeks and red lips matching her jacket and nails. Her smile makes her look like a nice lady, happy and sweet, those who would cook cookies every day at noon, even if her clothes lead her to seem a wild woman, those who have beer in the middle of the night while banging her head to The Rolling Stones. The more I stare at her, the more I believe she can be both.

The man, on the other hand, Johnny, matches the woman's hair, grey and long reaching his waist. He's wearing black gloves without covering the top of his fingers, going perfectly with his rock and roll outside. All black, jacket, jeans, and boots. I can't see his eyes since he's wearing sunglasses, big circles and red. But his smile, again, just like the woman, it makes him look like the grandpa you see playing golf every Sunday morning.

They're both probably in their seventies.

"The bike!" Johnny says, pointing at it, with a low warming voice. "Who?! When?! How?!"

"It'll take a second." Lilith whispers to me.

"Who does it belong?!"

"There it is." As she says this, Lilith turns to like she's waiting for me to answer.

So, I say: "It's mine."

"I didn't know you were friends with Lilith!" Now Lizzy speaks, with a low and raspy voice. Turning to Lilith, she points at her. "What a crime you not bringing him earlier!"

"Sorry, I was too busy committing other crimes."

"Look at the sizes of those tires!" I find Johnny kneeled down. "Damn!"

"And that colour! The way the seat shines but the motorcycle is as matte as my soul!"

"That handle! I'm sure this beauty rides better than anything we've seen."

I nod, proudly. "It does."

I hear a chuckle coming from Lilith just before my heart jumps a beat, ready to hug Lilith in a heart beat.

When she touches my arm and pushes me to start walking, it doesn't help my heart on calming down. "Let's go before they start drooling all over your motorcycle."

"Yeah," Teddy agrees, following his sister "that's not something I want to see."

"Are we gonna see you in the town meeting?!" Lizzy yells behind us.

"Yes!"

"Bring your motorcycle, dude!" I hear Johnny say.

"If it disappears," Lilith adds before I can, only for me to hear "just know it was them."

"I'm pretty sure those two never change ages, they look the same since I can remember." Teddy gives a quick look to the Jeffersons behind us, far enough to not be able to hear our conversation.

"The Jeffersons will never die because they follow rock and roll, and rock and roll never dies."

Teddy does the sign with his left hand. "Right on." While I, just slowly shake my head trying to get used to the rhythm this town has, where something seems to happen every second of the day.

"The more I see of this town the more I'm intrigued by it."

"Oh," Lilith chuckles "you've seen nothing yet. Believe me. At the end of the day you'll start to think if everything you saw was real or just a crazy dream."

Like she said a magic spell, as us three walk down the street with houses on our right and the road on our left, a man dressed as a hotdog drives by on a bike. I have to give it a second look to truly process it.

"I wonder when Xavier is gonna find another job." Teddy makes my eyes go to him, and finding a look that tells me the man in the hotdog costume is a normal thing to see in this town, I don't look at it again.

"He won't." Lilith shakes her head, with the same look Teddy has. "He loves that costume."

"Remember when he wore it for a week straight?"

"How could I forget..."

Before my brain gets the chance to even put a full thought process on the hotdog man, a loud and horrible sound comes from my left. Expecting the worst, I look to where it come from. And finding a marching band full of kids, of probably twelve or thirteen year olds, I don't even have to look at it twice to process it. My eyes are getting used to everything strange that goes around on this town, thank God.

"The marching band." Lilith says with a nostalgic tone. "The years go by and they never get any better."

"Hi, Lilith!" A little boy waves dramatically at Lilith by my side, the huge smile on his tiny face can be seen from miles.

"Hi, John! Playing good!"

The little kid smiles even bigger, proud of himself for getting that compliment from Lilith. "That kid's older brother always had a crush on Lilith." Teddy gets my attention. "He used to leave flowers for her every Sunday. I loved it when he left food, I got to eat it too."

Jealousy runs wild inside the pit of my stomach. I could leave flowers for her every Sunday too, you know, but it probably would end up on her looking at me weirdly since why would the guy she hates leave flowers for her?

"He was intense. But, yeah, the food was good."

"He's probably here, since, you know, he still leaves at home."

"Does he? Nice."

"Nice"?! What does Lilith mean by "nice"?! Does she want to see him? Who's him? If I see this boy—

"Oh, man!" Teddy interrupts my dramatic jealousy moment. "Is Oliver playing Demons and Dragons right now?!" Confused on what's he talking about, I stare where he is and find an arcade at the beginning of a new street, where a million of stores are. "I have to make sure he doesn't beat my record, I'll meet you guys later." Like a fast cheetah, he enters the arcade like his life depended on it.

"Pinch him, that's not forbidden!" Lilith shouts.

"What's forbidden, then?" I ask to her while my insides like the smile on her face.

"I once disconnected a machine before a boy could pass my record in Dance 2015. You'd be ban for a month if you do that after I did it."

Why am I not surprised that Lilith did such a thing? She has suggested to jump out a window if it meant not meeting my family. Still, the more I hear, my brain can't help but take a second to digest the new information about the girl next to me.

<< The girl you love.

Oh, shut up.

"Here," Lilith points with her chin at something behind me "we'll wait for mom."

Turning around my eyes immediately locate the carousel I rode by when going to Lilith's house. Even if I'm still strange at the idea of a carousel in the middle of the street, a fountain that's right behind it gets my attention first. It's not big, like the one in Joyce's and Philip's backyard, smaller than the carousel with a tiny horse inside of it, spitting out water, light brown almost white, with rusty edge because of its old age. Call me crazy, but my eyes don't find it strange anymore.

"If I ask you why a carousel and a fountain are in the middle of the street are you gonna look at me weirdly, like I'm the crazy one?"

Lilith chuckles making her follow towards the carousel. "The question is, my friend," <<my friend...>> "Why not? It's been here for ages, even before the Jeffersons were born."

Looking at it like the marching band a minute ago, with nostalgic eyes, Lilith then looks at me as an idea shows all over her face.

"Talking about the Jeffersons, let me show you a trick they taught me when I was little." Stepping on the carousel, going in between the rusty horses of every colour, she suddenly stops by one on the left corner, one that's in the back, almost invisible for my eyes since I've stayed in the street.

"C'mon, you idiot" Lilith calls me "or you'll miss it!"

"Miss what?" I walk towards her. The rusty smell of the machines hits my noise, so strongly, that it makes me wonder if the carousel is still working.

A loud noise gets my attention. Lilith, with her hand made into a fist, punches the horse in front of her three times. The first two almost close to each other, and the third one, she waits a second before doing it. Soon, the carousel, making a loud noise like it's starting, and quickly shaking under us, the lights of every colour turn on, like a Christmas tree, kid's music sounds around the machine, and the horses move in a circle while also going up and down. Like a typical carousel.

The surprise look on my face it's probably not unnoticed by Lilith, who gives me a chuckle when I go back to her. "The machine will stop in two minutes, but it's enough to give you a full look of the town." Grabbing my arm, she forces me to look towards the outside of the carousel.

"There's the church," she points at the white tall building with a big golden cross on top of it "the building where we have the town meetings," a dark town house next to it "a diner that mom, Teddy and I go all the time, the burgers are to die for. A flower shop that I'm pretty sure they grow weed on the back, the corner where I slipped and broke an arm while I was on my skater girl phase. Don't ask. The other corner where if you go deep enough you'll see a naughty drawing I did on the wall before I left for college. They're still trying to look for the one who did it." She chuckles, cheekily. "The music shop where Lizzy Jefferson introduced me to the old rock, and the thrift store were the lady that works there is as terrifying as she can be but it's also the place where I made my first move on a girl when I was eleven. So, I like it."

My eyes immediately shift to her once the street full of stores is over. The little smile on the corner of her lips is what gets my stomach to feel the typical tingle on the pit of it. Her face shines with admiration over her town, as if looking at it brings her all the happy memories that her and her tiny family built on it.

I can't imagine what it must feel like. Running away from a part of your family because of how bad it was, feeling cornered and controlled. Having to look over your shoulders every second of the day because you don't know when someone is gonna stab your back or tie strings on you to treat you like a puppet. Knowing Lilith, it must've been a nightmare for her. Maybe that's why her town is so special for her, besides of being the place she grew up in, it's the place where she could finally be happy and be herself without being afraid. It's her home. Her safe place.

"What?" Her confused tone makes me snap out of my thoughts to realise that I've been staring at her... also with a little smile. "Are you planning my murder, Donovan?"

I simple shake my head, slowly. "You're an interesting woman, Lilith Avery."

The music of the carousel becomes louder than our voices before Lilith can say anything back. Matching the volume of it, the machine makes scratching noises that I'm sure it can be heard all over town. It all becomes crazy, like the carousel has noticed it shouldn't be on since the controls are off.

"I know!" Lilith nods, cockily.

I soon find myself fading away the noise when I go back to Lilith's dark eyes even if the machine is louder than my own thoughts. The look that she has on me makes my heart speed. There's no hatred, no annoyance, not even a slight change of her giving me an insult, just Lilith staring at me with kind eyes. I, don't look away, wanting to have this image of her inside of me for as long as I can, not knowing that if she's ever gonna give me this look ever again.

"The more I get to know you, Avery," I let my mouth say "the more I...!" But I stop, knowing what it was gonna say.

"The more you what?!"

My body has to fight the urge to kiss her right on this moment. I don't know if it is the bright lights of the carousel, the moment, or just the noise fucking with my head, but it's getting harder and harder to prevent it. And her sweet look turning into the one I've seen before, moments before we kiss, it doesn't help me either. Like she turns off her brain and lets the moment take her. Her eyes shining and her lips relaxed, Lilith doesn't look away waiting for something to happen.

What if I kiss her? Would it be too bad? Would it be as dramatic as the end of the world?

I lean closer to her, putting my thoughts aside and getting ready to fulfil my desires to kiss her. The more closer we get, the more my heart speeds.

Lilith doesn't say anything, not even a confused look comes from her, she just stays still with her eyes locked on mine. I wait for her to slap me, move back, ask me where am I doing. I expect for the worst, but she doesn't. Nothing comes. My heart feels like it's gonna jump out of my chest enjoying the fact that Lilith is letting me kiss her—

"I swear next time I see Oliver it's over!" Teddy's voice surrounding us the second after the machine stops, fading away all the loud sounds and bright lights, it brusquely makes me step away from Lilith, who also snaps out of her lost thoughts and turns to her family behind me. "That piece of—"

"Language, Teddy. If you're gonna say a bad word it better be a creative one."

Turning too, trying to not let my nerves take over my body to the point of being noticeable, my eyes immediately locate Lilith's mom and little brother with a new man. I recognise him from the hospital and Joyce's dinner. It's Jackson, Celia's boyfriend. He's staring at us like he knew what was happening, but a second later looks away, not wanting to let it be known for the rest of the family.

That doesn't matter. When I look at Celia, with her smile on the corner of her lips and cocky eyes, it doesn't build a doubt in me that she knows. Which, obviously, makes me even more nervous than before.

"It's time, guys, the town meeting is about to start." And just like that, they both turn around with clueless Teddy behind them.

Lilith follows them first, trying to ignore the moment from before and growing me the intrigue if she regrets the moment where she was letting me lean close to kiss her.

I stand still for a moment before following them too, feeling like an idiot, regretting that the words "can I kiss you?" didn't come out of me. What could've happen is gonna hunt me for the rest of my fucking days.

...