An Eternity of Dead Sun (An Eternity of Eclipse Novel Book 2) (27 page)

Dawn cut off her words when she made eye contact with Coco and saw that she was glowering at her. Ara’s smile subsided as well. Coco had already been snobby when they were introduced to her. Now that they had inadvertently dissed her acting abilities, it appeared that Dawn and Ara were on her shit list.

“Anyway,” I began, wanting to lighten the mood. I belatedly noticed some white poster boards in their hands. “Are those posters for your church meeting?”

Ara bobbed her head as Kina, upon being reminded of their church planning event, pivoted to Dawn and asked, “You know that quote we found?”

“What about it?” asked Dawn.

“‘God is love’ and ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ Where in the bible was it again? I need to put that in when I make the posters.”

“Um, let me check.” Dawn began to rummage through her satchel to look for her bible.

“The first one is 1 John 4:7-11,” Coco answered from beside me, surprising all of us. Kina, who had always been cold towards me, looked at Coco with acute interest. Unfazed by the surprised stares, Coco resumed and added, “And the second one is Matthew 5:9.”

Kina and Missy exchanged astounded glances before they turned back to Coco.

Missy decided to test her by saying, “‘Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.’”

“Romans 12:9.”

“‘God loves a cheerful giver,’” Kina whispered.

By now, everyone, including myself, was staring at Coco in utter disbelief. How was it possible that she intuitively knew every quote from the bible?

Coco took a moment to ponder the answer. “2 Corinthians 9:7.”

A stupefied silence overtook our table. It was so quiet that when our waitress came to get our orders, she was momentarily taken aback by how hushed we were.

“You know
every
part of the bible?” Missy asked incredulously after Coco and I placed our orders.

“I really enjoy reading the bible,” Coco replied, her voice authentic. She released a soft sigh. “It brings me peace.”

“Are you a Christian?” Kina asked, unable to hide her intrigue.

A guilty smile appeared on Coco’s face. “I’ve been slacking.”

N
o kidding
!
I concurred in my mind, still flabbergasted that this newly converted Demon was so religious.

“We all do it. No one’s perfect,” Kina said affably, showcasing a friendlier side. She laughed graciously, the aura radiating from her warm and embracing. “I didn’t realize you were religious. We just assumed that anyone who hangs out with Grace is an atheist as well.”

I didn’t miss the nasty connotation in that calm voice of Kina’s, and when I saw Dawn and Ara exchange uneasy looks, I knew they hadn’t missed it either. Oblivious, or ignoring the obvious discomfort exhibited by her two childhood friends, Kina strummed along, finding more interest in Coco. Next thing I knew, the dinner ambiance did a complete 180. The conversation evolved and pretty soon, all I could hear from Coco, Kina, and Missy was chattering about how involved they were in the community and how much religion had played a part in their lives.

And as they bonded, I continued to sit there, blinking at Coco in quiet disbelief.

It was shocking to learn that Coco was so religious. From how she spoke about her faith and her respect for her religion, one would never entertain the possibility that she was actually a human-turned-Demon.

Suddenly, Kina eyed me with a hint of malice in her eyes. I instantly froze in my seat, for I knew what was coming. Her day would not be complete unless she picked on me.

“Chanel,” she initiated delicately, “how did you and Grace meet? Forgive me, but it doesn’t seem like you two have the same personality at all. I mean, you’re so outgoing and upbeat, and Grace is so . . . you know . . .” She gave an awkward shrug that made Ara and Dawn stiffen in worry. “Grace.”

Coco laughed, sparing a glance at me like I was a dead weight she was forced to carry around. “She’s a bit boring, isn’t she?”

“She’s just studious,” Dawn corrected, while Ara added, “Grace has an introverted personality, but I wouldn’t say she’s boring.”

I could tell that they were annoyed with Coco for throwing me under the bus, especially when she was supposed to be my “friend.”

“Studious, boring . . . It’s all relative, isn’t it?” Coco dismissed airily, causing Ara and Dawn to glower at her in revulsion. “She walks around with a stick up her ass most of the time.”

My face turned beet red as a gleeful smile pulled at Missy’s lips. She loved that Coco was speaking so horribly of me.

“Hey Chanel,” she prompted casually, “the other day, I was having a conversation with some bible study friends and we were talking about atheists. I was thinking how regrettable it was that they do not see the light. Do you have any tips on how to get these unfortunate souls to be more open-minded?”

“Missy,” Dawn said warningly, already knowing where this conversation was going. She didn’t approve of it and wasn’t making any more effort to hide it.

“More open-minded?” asked Coco.

Missy nodded, her dislike for me taking over her rationale. She ignored Dawn and ruthlessly continued with her thoughts. “Yeah, those atheists are so sensitive. They get all offended when you’re trying to help so they don’t end up in Hell. What can we say to these people so that they can see the light and make themselves useful and do good things in life?”

“Missy, that’s enough,” Ara hissed from the side. Her eyes were unyielding. Ara had never been one of those Christians who pushed her religion down someone’s throat, and with me sitting at the table, she couldn’t have been more protective of me.  

Next to Missy, I could see Kina smirk, her eyes traveling over to me before returning to Coco who had just asked, “Do good things in life?”

Missy nodded, still productively ignoring Dawn and Ara.

Coco evaluated Missy. Then, she said something that would forever change my negative opinion of her.

“Do you not think your question itself is close-minded and out of line?” Despite the shock that met their faces, Coco plowed on, her eyes fiercer than I had ever seen them. “Being a good person is relative, and no one has the right to judge others for that. So to answer your question, I would say to believe what you believe in and not be nasty to others who have a different belief than you. You are not only pushing them away, but you’re also giving them a reason to generalize against the whole Christian community. People like you are the ones who represent the bigger community, and sadly, it is bad apples like you who always stick out like a sore thumb in the minds of others.”

When it looked like she was done, Coco glanced at me and added, “And I think it’s pretty fu
c
ked up that you would bring this up while Gracie is sitting here. You know that she isn’t Christian and you know that this would make her uncomfortable, but you did it anyway. That’s pretty classless and conniving.”

It appeared as if Missy, whose face was getting redder and redder with rage, was about to bit
c
h Coco out.

She was stopped when Kina placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

Offering a contrived smile that was faker than plastic, Kina thoughtfully said, “Now it’s explained why the two of you get along so well. Thank you for your pearls of wisdom, Chanel. It wasn’t Missy’s intention to offend Grace, but I could see how it came off that way.” She turned to me, her expression as sweet as sugar. “I’m sorry about this, Grace. Missy got carried away. She didn’t mean to offend you in any way. I hope you understand that.”

I gave her a fake smile that rivaled her own. “I know you guys didn’t mean it like that. It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

“Good. You’re always so sweet, Grace. Thanks for not harboring any hard feelings.”

I presented her with another fake smile, and Kina nodded back before glancing at her cell phone.

“Anyway, we need to get going now. The girls and I still have to help plan for our church event.” Her eyes rested on me as the rest of the girls started to head for the exit. “Have a great dinner.”

“It was nice meeting you, Chanel,” said Dawn, her eyes glittering with warmth. It was apparent that Dawn and Ara’s opinions of Coco had morphed from a negative one to an extremely positive one. She looked from me to Ara. “The four of us should hang out together soon.”

A smile bloomed across Coco’s face. It was her first genuine smile of the night. “That’d be nice, Dawn. I’d like that.”

“My place then,” Ara whispered so that Missy and Kina wouldn’t hear. “I’ll text you guys the details.”

“Okay, Ara,” I responded, smiling at the enigmatic tone in her voice.

I knew that they felt guilty about how Missy and Kina treated me, but I hoped that my smile would assure them that I wasn’t upset with them. I understood the tough spot they were in. It was between their childhood friends and me, and that type of predicament would suck for anyone. 

With a whisper of apology, Ara and Dawn each gave me a kiss on the cheek, wished me a good night, and waved goodbye to us. From our seats, Coco and I watched as they filed out of the restaurant with their takeout.

“What a bunch of bit
c
hes,” Coco grumbled after they disappeared from our vantage points, referring to Kina and Missy.

“You actually stood up for me.” I blinked in shock, giving my delayed reaction now that our audience was gone.

“Just because I think you’re annoying and boring doesn’t mean that I dislike you,” Coco told me in a matter-of-fact tone. She took a big gulp from her Piña Colada.

“Well, thank you for standing up for me.” I smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to act around her now. Just because she stood up for me didn’t make us best friends. However, it did make her a better person in my book. “That was really considerate of you.”

Although she shrugged carelessly, I could tell she was happy that I acknowledged her thoughtfulness.

“That sucky Creator of mine did charge me to watch over you,” she offered lightly. “I guess protecting you from mean girls is also part of the job.” She looked me over, her features seemingly exhausted from all the religious talk. “I’ll forgo my diet and order cakes and more alcohol if you do it too,” she bargained, the desperate light in her eyes matching mine.

Something about the religious talk had made her completely miserable and she was desperate to escape it.

“Okay,” I beamed, excited to eat junk food.

The tofu and salad did not fill my stomach, and after the tough interaction I had with Missy and Kina, I needed all the fatty food I could get. Not to mention, I hadn’t been able to enjoy someone’s misery in too long. Since Coco was radiating a high level of misery, it seemed only fitting that I reveled in her sorrow.

Coco tiredly waved our waitress over. Under her breath, she quietly muttered, “I guess you’re not so boring after all.”

●●●

After a few hours, I had stopped eating and drinking. I had also come to the consensus that it was no longer enjoyable to be in Coco’s company. The alcohol no longer made her miserable; it just made her irrational. In a blurring succession, drink after drink disappeared into her mouth, and time and time again, she would order more. It got so extreme that I felt obligated to intervene.

“Maybe you should stop drinking,” I suggested, attempting to grab the glass from her.

It just occurred to me that she was my only protector for the night. I was only screwing myself over by allowing her to get drunk. Who was going to watch out for me if some psycho attacked me? After realizing this mistake, I was now trying desperately to rectify it. Regrettably, Coco was not a willing participant in this endeavor.

“No, you little midget. No!” she slurred, nearly pushing me off the booth. She ripped the glass cup from my grasp, spilling a couple drops of her Piña Colada on my vintage Chanel dress.

“This is one of a kind!” I wailed, showing more concern for my dress than for Coco and her sanity. I was already poor. I couldn’t afford any more pretty dresses, and I was horrified that one of my favorite white dresses now stunk of alcohol.

I whipped my head back to her. Blinded with the need for revenge, I angrily grabbed the Tabasco sauce on our table and ruthlessly poured the contents of the bottle into her next mixed drink. Callously, as she was too busy finishing what was left of the drink she had spilled onto me, I moved the mixed drink close to her.

Unaware of the shadiness I displayed, she gulped down the mixed drink, and that was it.

“Bleeuuh!”

Her cheeks blew up like a blowfish, and with the speed of an Olympic sprinter, she gunned out of the booth and made a beeline for the bathroom, eliciting gagging sounds on the way there.

I hadn’t planned on running after her because I honestly couldn’t care less about Coco. However, when I saw people stare at me from across the room, judging me for being a bad friend, I muttered a curse to myself. To save face, I ran after her.

I poked my head into the women’s bathroom.

“Coco?”

From beneath one of the stalls, I spied two knees kneeling before a toilet. I gently pushed the door open. I stepped in just in time to hear all the beautiful sounds of someone vomiting their entire dinner out.