Song of the chapter is
Wicked Game by Chris Isaak

-62-
-Veronica D'Rosario-
-Present-

___________

Malhotra Mansion
21 December, 2030
3:30 pm

"So who wants to go shopping with me?"

Zoya's question seemed to pierce through the coveted silence that was prevailing in Kartik's living room. All of us had one thing in mind.

Tonight was showdown.

Despite being "adults", the six of us were feeling the weight of each other's vulnerability through and through. It was almost like we were in a shared silent agreement. The kids in us were scared, and perhaps so were are our present selves.

The common question lingered.

What if this was it?

What if this was truly the last day that the six of us were going to be together like this? What if these really were the last moments of our lives? What if tomorrow didn't bring hope?

What if tomorrow didn't exist for one or more of us?

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat as I felt Moose squeeze my hand tightly. I shared a glance with him as he said to Zoya, "I'll take you."

"I'll come with." I added.

A silence followed Zoya's curt nod before Kartik spoke, "You do know you have to shop for weapons, right? Not lipsticks and heels."

His attempt at lightening the mood seemed to have had an effect as Zoya flipped him the bird in response and the rest of us chuckled softly at the response.

"I'm just saying...." Kartik said, grinning. "You girls often lose yourself when it comes to shopping. Right babe?"

He asked turning to Siya but she seemed to be in her own world.

"Siya?"

"Huh." As her train of thoughts were interrupted, I saw nervousness flash in in her face. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Nothing." Kartik dismissed, realising Siya's state. "It was nothing."

Siya nodded softly. Zoya and I exchanged a glance.

"Alright then, let's get going." Zoya piped as she stood up and brushed her skirt. "You have to buy me icecream on the way back, Himanshu."

"And why would I do that?" Moose asked, raising a brow.

Zoya tilted her head to the side. "If this truly is my last day on earth, are you seriously gonna deny me my death wish?"

"Gosh you're so dramatic." Saina commented. Zoya gave her a pout.

"I'll bring you the blueberry cone." Zoya offered her. Saina grinned wide. "Deal."

Moose shook his head at their conversation.

"I'll just run to the washroom real quick, okay?" I said to Moose and walked upstairs to my room. As I tried unbolting the door, it stayed jammed. I tried twice more before giving up. Seeing no other option, I ran towards the washroom attached to Kartik's bedroom and relieved myself. Flushing, I washed my hands in the cold tap water when all of a sudden, my eyes spotted something in the trash next to the sink.

I shut the tap off and bent down to rummage through the trash to find what I was looking for. A second later, my fingers touched something plastic.

I pulled it out and stared at it, my eyes widening slightly.

It was a pregnancy test.

A positive pregnancy test.

_____________

As I sat in the passenger seat of Moose's car, my thoughts drifted back to the afternoon.

Currently, Zoya and I were sitting at our local superstore's parking lot waiting for Moose to return with all things we needed for tonight's plan. He had suggested that it was best for him to get the supplies because we were still in the polices' suspect list and it wouldn't do us much good if they saw camera footage of us buying a hammer and duct tape at the store.

If Detective Gomez was indeed involved with the killers, then it would just give him more ammunition to pin the crimes on us.

As Zoya played with the ends of her hair beside me in the driver's seat (she claimed that she felt lonely in the backseat), I pondered over my recent findings.

Who could've taken the test? And if it really was accurate, then it meant that one of us was actually...

"Hey Zoya." I turned to her.

"Hm?"

"I wanted to ask you this before but didn't really get a chance." I initiated. "How are things with officer Ravi?"

"First of all, please stop calling him officer in front of me. It makes me nauseas for some reason." She retorted immediately.

"Why?"

"Because I still can't process the fact that I'm dating a police officer for god's sake." She said and it made me chuckle. "I mean look at me, V. I'm Zoya Afreen, professional troublemaker. Heck! My nickname in school was sabotage chick. My reputation screams bad girl."

"But you're not one."

"I know but the reputation is so cool!" She whined in a funny way. "I don't wanna lose that for a guy."

"But you really like him, don't you?" I asked.

She scrunched her nose as a crimson hue flooded her cheeks. "Yeah, I really do."

I smiled seeing her giddy as she went on, "I mean... he's so different from all the other guys I've dated, you know. Like he's gentle but also rough.... he's caring but also stern. And he's funny, not the 'cracking a misogynistic joke and calling it dark humor' kind....like actually funny!"

I smiled and looked down as I dreaded my next question.

"So like....have you guys...you know...done the deed?"

She turned towards me in a slow-motion, cartoonist way and asked, bewildered, "V?"

"Oh come on, don't be dramatic!"

"It's you who's being weird." She said, laughing. "Why are you suddenly interested in my sex life? And 'done the deed', seriously? Why can't you just say fucked?"

I closed my eyes as her words scratched like nails on board.

"I'm just trying to make small talk." I said, feeling extremely awkward. "And you know...just trying to make sure you guys....are being... safe."

"Oh my god." She laughed even harder. "Are you about to give me the talk?"

"Zoya!"

"Oh god!" She chortled. "You know....if I think about it for too long, you are like an adoptive mother to me. Even more so than my actual mother."

I shook my head.

"I mean you always helped me out whenever I got into trouble back in high school. You helped me get a job at the Paper Lantern when I needed it. And you were the one who actually included me in the group first." She explained. "Thank you for always looking out for me."

"It's no big deal." I said, smiling. "I was an outcast, just like you. For different reasons ofcourse, but I understood you."

She smiled, giving me a hug.

"Thanks mom."

I chuckled.

As we parted, she said, "As for answering your previous question,... don't worry, I'm being completely safe. God knows what would I do if I ever were to become a mother!"

As she said those words, I mentally checked her off the list, knowing fully well, she couldn't have been lying.

It couldn't have been Saina because of whatever circumstances had unraveled over the past weeks.

And I didn't take it.

So that only left....

"Why are you in my seat?" Moose knocked on the driver's window from outside as he stood with two big shopping bags in hand. Zoya snickered at him from inside before shimming back to her original seat. Moose unlocked the door and got in, handing her both the bags.

"Why couldn't you have kept it in the trunk?" Zoya whined as she sat sandwiched between the bags.

"So that if a police officer stops me on the way to the house, it doesn't raise suspicion." Moose reasoned and that shut Zoya up for a while.

As he ignited the engine, he looked at her over the rearview mirror and said, "Also, your butterscotch cone is in the second bag."

And a content Zoya remained happily unfazed the whole way.

____________

It was currently seven at night. Dark clouds loomed over the sky, impeding the upcoming doom.

Finishing my cup of coffee, I went over to the kitchen to put my cup in the sink when I found Siya standing alone and absentmindedly washing the dishes.

I sighed vehemently and walked over to her. As I started helping her with the dishes, she looked at me with slight surprise in her eyes and giving me a knowing glance, went back to being absorbed in her thoughts.

I could only imagine what she was feeling.

Should I talk to her about it?

"Siya."

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Hm." Her voice came feeble.

I inhaled sharply and looked at her. "Are you really?"

She stopped what she was doing and slowly looked up at me. Her eyes had fear evident in them. And it wasn't the fear of dying.

It was the fear of her future.

I wrapped my arms around her and caressed her back ever so softly. Her body slowly and gradually relaxed against mine as I felt the bridge of her nose softly brush against the crook of my neck.

I could hear her silent whimpers.

We stayed like that for a while before she slowly moved back. I wiped her tears and held her hands.

"What if.....we don't make it, Veronica?" She whispered cried. "What if something bad...happens?"

"We will make it." I reassured, my voice not shaking. "I promise we will...all make it."

"But what if...."

"You're braver than you think you are, Siya." I said. "We are all scared and confused and terrified. We're all seventeen....once again."

She sniffled, looking down.

"But we are together,... just like we were eleven years ago. We defeated it once....and we'll do it again." I continued. "We'll protect each other, no matter what."

She looked up, her eyes reflecting a question.

I smiled and softly touched her belly. Her express turned from confusion to shock.

"It's okay. I know."

She started nodding negatively before beginning, "Please don't...."

"I won't tell anyone." I reassured, understanding her dilemma. "But you promise you'll have to be careful."

She gulped visibly and nodded slightly.
I reached over my backpocket and slowly took out the pocket knife that Moose had brought for my protection and handed it over to her. She looked at me with curious eyes.

"Just for precaution."

"Thanks,...Veronica." She nodded, putting it in her jean pocket. We both inhaled in unison and gave each other a nod.

Even if our future looked bleak in that very moment, the comfort of having each other was enough to bring a momentary amount of peace.

_____________

the dynamics in the friend group have changed so much over the two books! I love the canon of veronica and himanshu being the parent friends while the rest are sort of like their children!

anyways, 1 down, 9 to go!

don't forget to vote, comment and share the book as much as possible!

next chapter will be updated tomorrow!

love,
Bosedisha