Carryl's P.O.V
I don't why or how but somewhere along the line my life turned into a fairytale. Okay, I know the how but not the why. However, I had long since ceased to question the blessings in my life. My dreams no longer seemed distant and yet reality was somehow much sweeter.
Moonlit dinners under the glittering sky lights in different continents, two eager and attentive lovers who would slay the world at my behest and friends who were more than a family to me. From a desolate dark desert, my life had bloomed so beautifully and so fully sometimes it still felt like a dream.
I walked to my Mercedes, a present from Eli for my birthday and couldn't help but ran my fingers across it fondly. The metallic blue hood gleamed brightly in the summer sun and I hated to admit but knowing it's was mine brought me a measure of satisfaction. I had three other cars each one gifted to me on my birthday by Park or Eli. I wanted to reject the Lamborghini, the second car they bought me but Sam had pinched any rejection away from me. "Those were our cars", he said, "the more the better." Gregory and Jonathan eagerly agreed so I let the sleeping dogs lie.
As I pulled out if the parking lot, Eli came out rushing towards me her silk dress bellowing behind her from it's thigh high slit. Even now, four years later, she still looked like a goodess. Age did nothing but make her better in everyway way, an atrocity considering she was perfect to begin with. She swore off having children but every now and then I couldn't help but imagine how beautiful hers and Parks children would be. Everytime I brought it up they looked at me like I had gone mad, like I had suggested the unthinkable. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why.
"Baby don't forget we have organized the party for you and your friends so come back straight after. Okay?" She asked tucking away an errant strand of hair from my face
"I won't forget Munchkin." I said giving her my best smile. She shook her head but said nothing standing back to allow me through.
She hit the trunk of my car just as I was about to go past her causing me slow down to a stop. In long quick strides she was at my window again. She pulled me by my gown and planted a kiss on my cheeks, then another on my forehead, and nose and my other cheek and the last one at the corner of mouth. She grabbed my face pulling me to her as she inspected her handy work.
"You are not allowed to wash your face or wipe it."
She walked away from me and my stomach was in the floor before I even gathered the courage to look at my face. Knowing Eli she had done something that could not be ignored. I adjusted the review mirror and I couldn't say I was very surprised. My entire face was littered with red lipstick she must have worn specifically for this reason because her normal one's didn't budge from her lips.
I resisted the urge to wipe my face as I adjusted my graduation cap. It was going to a trying day for me but at least I had the party to look forward to. I wasn't even at the gate before Park called me. I looked at the device wondering if I should pick it so Park could tell me how proud he was for the tenth time or just let it ring. I toyed with the idea but flashes of the leather whip had me picking it up. Park was equal not one for disobedience.
"Hello?"
"Baby do you want anything else. Just think of anything else you would like and I will make it happen."
I rolled my eyes at him, a luxury I could not afford when he was around. He was such a bear, big and cuddly but could rip your throat out in seconds and feast on your thrashing body.
"No I think I told you everything I want, but I'll let you know as soon as I think of something else" 'for the millionth time'.I silently finished not being brave enough to say the last part out loud.
I drove at a much slower pace soaking in the farmiliar scenery that comprised of greenery and suburban houses. Nostalgia was being a bitch today. I couldn't help but think back to my life before Eli and Park. My tired walk back to depressing and lonely, where the only scenery were my hopeless dreams.
Much too soon I was pulling up in the school's parking lot. Gregory was the first I spotted, standing a head taller than anyone else. He had already graduated along with Jackson but as cliche as it sounds, not even an army could keep him away from Sam's graduation.l did not have to see him to know Jackson was not far behind. The four of us had bonded during my father's funeral and ever since then we had become inseparable.
I spotted Sam standing behind Gregory, he looked hangover and knowing Sam he probably was. The boy was a budding alcoholic and if it weren't for Gregory lord knows he would have been one by now. I was in no place to judge him though, I knew how fucked up life could get as long as he was coping we would all be here for him.
I was pulled into a bear hug that was now farmiliar to me. I sunk into the embrace glad for the second of calm before the storm that was rushing at me. I was already getting weird looks but nobody knew how to blow things out of proportion more than my friends. Jackson spun me and I had the pleasure of watching his jaw drop as he took in my face.
"What the hell dude. We all know your taken, you couldn't keep your shenanigans to yourself during graduation."
"It was Eli."
I couldn't help but giggle as he dropped his hand that had been moving towards my face. He was, with no doubt, thinking about the time he was suspended over a cliff with nothing but the rope in Eli's hand preventing him from plunging him into oblivion. Any feelings he might have had for me were quickly swept away with terror especially after Park tried drowning when he caught him trying to kiss me.
To be honest Park and Eli were boderline psychopaths. Boderline in that they choose to play sane when in fact they were cold hearted brutes that had an obsession with me. While that obsession favoured me the few times that I had crossed them gave me a taste if the hell I would gi through if I ever left them. I liked to pretend I was free but truth was I had as much freedom as a house cat. All would be well as long as I stayed in the house and let my owners take care of me.
Sam doubled over as soon as he spotted my face and Gregory was not far behind. They bastards drew more attention to us than my face would have. It took a few minutes for them to rein in their laugh and by the end of it Sam was on the floor with Gregory haunched over him tears streaming from his face. The fuckers.
The ceremony took longer than necessary and at the end of it I had to walk across the podium to get my degree. My entire face tried to match Eli's shade of lipstick as the graduates cheered and whistled probably because of the kiss marks. I walked out of the podium and di not stop until I was safely in my car. My friends joined me thirty minutes later.
We took a few pictures or maybe a lot of pictures as we said farewell to our school. It had been a rollercoaster of emotional growth and academic excellence and by the end of it we had gotten a degree that I was not sure I would get the chance to use and friendships that would probably last a lifetime.