Perfect Snapshots: Episode Twenty: Masks

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Episode Twenty: Masks

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Bella and I had fooled around until we wore each other out. I loved that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. She could barely keep her hands off of me, and she begged for my kiss, my hands, and my cock. I fell asleep with her in my arms quickly, but at two in the morning, I woke up with a start. I had some severe heartburn from the stupid hot dog that I decided to shove down like a moron.  

Slipping out of bed, I do so carefully as to not to wake her. She was laying on her stomach, nude with the sheets just covering her fine ass. Her hair was fanned out around her face. Moonlight streamed in through the window, just touching her peaceful face. She had her cheek resting on the pillow so that she could breathe. 

I couldn’t help but take a picture. She didn’t move at all. 

I took my joints and my cell phone with me after I slipped on my sleep pants. First, I went to the kitchen to get more medicine before I took a bottle of water with me to sit outside for a few minutes. 

“You’re up late,” Jasper greeted me when I called him. 

"Mm, I got heartburn, and I couldn't sleep," I complained quietly. "We had these chili cheese dogs that were fucking delicious, but holy shit it's going to destroy my chest." 

“Gross. I feel you. I just take a pill every day now.”

“If you just slowed down you wouldn’t need it,” I informed him with a smirk. “I know how you fucking eat. You animal. We both know what the problem is.” He laughed a little. “You know that I’m right.”

“Yeah, probably. So, how’s the little woman?” He decided to distract me. 

I laughed at his choice of words. Yes, she was indeed a little woman. "Um… She's… Damn. I don't know how to explain it. You're seriously going to love her. She's a tad sarcastic and mean, but she serves up with a sweet little smile and such easy charm. And I can't-" I stopped myself.  

“Can’t what?”

"I can't keep my hands to myself. I need to touch her. I need to kiss her. Last night, we kissed for literally hours. Hours. Like we were teenagers. And I'm going to tell you something that's TMI, and you will never repeat it, or I'll rip your dick off. But like… I legit didn't know sex could be this good. I thought it all basically felt the same and was the same with everyone, but she- Fuck. The way she moves is like nothing that I've ever felt before. All I want to do is fuck her all the time, and she's literally begging me for it. And I think my ego is going to pop at any moment if she keeps it up," I said in a hurried rush, embarrassed that I was talking to him about this. He started to laugh.  

“Bad sex is still good sex.”

"Okay, no doubt. But bad sex is not great sex. And it's not like once every three or five times is this extraordinary. It's every day. Every time. No toys. Hell, we got some lube, and we don't even need it because she's so goddamn wet for me." 

“Oh, Tony, you’re turning me on,” he replied dryly, making me laugh. “Okay, I gotta ask. How does she move that makes it so special? What is she doing?”

"She does things with her hips, and she's good at angling herself, especially when I'm on top. Holy shit, she moves more than me when I'm on top, and it's fucking incredible. I swear Vicky just laid there like she was bored half the time. But Bella gets off with just my dick. Like… Okay, that has never happened with me with another woman. Ever. I’ve been with three, in fairness, but I was with two of those many times and if they did it involved hands and mouths. Or toys.”

“So, Bella is a lucky girl. Most women can’t that way. Something like twenty-five percent, or whatever, can through penetration.”

“I love that you’ve researched this and can pull facts out of your ass.”

"I'm sorry that I am a mature adult who can handle learning about sex. Learning, I might add, is how you improve. And I don't know about you, but I want somebody to talk about my fucking the way you're talking about Bella's. And I bet she knew that little fact." 

“You’re annoying right.”

I heard him blow a raspberry. I chuckled, taking a sip of water. “So, the benefits of dating an older woman, hm?”

“I guess so. It might just be the benefit of dating Bella. I don’t think that I’ve had this much sex ever. By the way, I found that the best motivation to workout is watching a big breasted woman spend thirty intense minutes on an elliptical.”

“Oh,” he laughed. “I bet.”

"In the sports bra from the tattoo shop and tight ass yoga pants. Also, a reason that you'll love her. She lifts weights, too. I watched her bench press one fifty this morning without breaking a sweat, and if she weighs one hundred pounds, I would be shocked. And you know that machine that I splurged on and got for my back? She can do as much as me! And while we were working out she told me at home she maxes out some of the leg machines at her little gym. And I fucking believe her. Her thighs are so thick." 

“Wow. Well, I’m not surprised she’s extra into fitness. I imagine she has some mortality issues with her husband dying suddenly and all.”

“Oh,” I breathed. “I guess you’re right. Probably. Hm,” I hummed.

“I can also see why she’d want to go for a younger man for the same reason.”

“Or, woman.”

“Did she confirm?”

"She said she liked women's asses to a gay male friend of hers on the phone. They were talking about yoga pants. So, I think so, but I'm still going to wait until she brings it up." 

"Mm, probably wise. God, how hot if is she, though?" 

"Right?" I snorted, rubbed the back of my neck. "I keep trying to remind myself that doesn't mean that I'll ever get to see her with another woman or that we'll have a threesome, but my mind is literally running wild with possibilities. But the idea of her with someone else and me watching? Fuck. Just holy fuck. So hot.”

“It’s always the quiet ones…” He teased. I clicked my tongue and laughed. “Any man would. Seriously. Don’t worry, you’re normal.”

“Bella being more experienced than me is a little intimidating,” I admitted. “If she enjoys being with women, I promise that she’s probably better than me.”

“Uh, good? Yeah? Not a problem, mate. Isn’t that why you become a celebrity? To date women wildly out of your league?”

I laughed again, leaning my head back on the cushion as I looked at the black starless sky. "Maybe. She asked me something the first time we were together, and I keep thinking about it." 

“What’s that?”

“She asked ‘what if I’m really, really kinky.'" I chuckled at the memory. "I said ‘promises, promises,’ which she liked. But I’m vanilla as fuck. I mean, I have kinky shit that I think about and want to do but have never done. What if she’s kinky and way more experienced, and she gets bored with me?”

He began to laugh hard. "Are you fucking kidding me? She's not going to get fucking bored with you, you dumb cunt. You're six foot five, fucking handsome, smart, rich, funny, and an eager little fucking puppy dog. She seems like a good girl, but she's still going to have fun playing with you. She'll be able to get whatever she wants out of you, so you better be careful." 

"She's not like that at all," I promised. "She is not interested in this celebrity thing or the money. Bella… I don't know how to explain it. She's got such a good gentle, kind heart. She helped her best friend start a charity and worked in the office and as a volunteer for years now. They help people do culture stuff. And it's so cool to listen to her talk about it! It's so pure. Bella isn't the kind of woman to ask for something without reason or…" I trailed off, not knowing how to finish my thoughts. "Damn. Just… I am so excited right now. Sometimes it's hard not to just randomly start jumping up and down in joy." 

“Aw,” Jasper hummed, chuckling. “You should every once in a while. I think you’ve earned it at this point. Seriously. Good for you. I hope that she’s everything you say she is. I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Me too! Seriously, you two will love each other. You’re both that kind of person who can be friendly to anyone.”

“It sounds like you’re dating a female me, to be honest,” he taunted. 

“Legit, I’ve thought about that at a few points. And I do see the parallels,” I admitted. “But,” I popped the b, “I think the traits you share are ones that all good people do. So, it’s not surprising.”

“You are such a suck-up. Don’t stop,” Jasper deadpanned.

I laughed. "Seriously. She looks nothing like you, though. The complete opposite of both of us. Well, with the exception of her one very cool blue eye. Oh, and she has tattoos too. But hers are hidden, and yours are all over. I took a picture of her a little while ago while she was asleep, of her back, in the moonlight with her sexy tattoos." 

“Oo. Can I see?”

“Mm, no.”

“Aw, why not?”

“Because I said so,” I snorted. 

“Fine. Whatever. How’s your chest feeling?” 

I rubbed my sternum with the heel of my palm. “It’s better.”

“What do you have on for tomorrow?” My friend asked me curiously. 

“I’m doing a panel at a con. We’re going early so that I can shop for dumb shit,” I explained. He went with me to cons all the time when we lived together. We both loved them. 

“Bella going, too?”

“Yup.” I beamed to myself. “She seemed excited too. She said she liked cons.”

“So, she’s a nerd too?”

“She said she used to play DnD and vampire the masquerade,” I replied way too cheerfully. “And she loves video games. Remember how she talked about them in the video?”

“Hm,” he hummed quietly. “What time is it there?”

I pulled back my phone to look. “Fuck, after three. We’ve been talking for ages. I’m sorry.”

Jasper chuckled a bit warmly. “Don’t be sorry. You know that I love talking to you, too. Go to bed, though. Try to get some rest. Text me later.”

Smiling to myself, I was glad I had gotten to talk to him. Even if my chest hurt through half the conversation. I realized that I had forgotten about my box of joints. I didn’t need them, after all. “Yeah. I will. Goodnight.”

I slipped back into bed beside Bella. She rolled into me, her hand sliding down my stomach softly. 

“You okay?” She asked quietly. 

“Yeah, just my tummy,” I mumbled.

She snorted softly, pulling the blanket around us both. “Poor baby.” Even sleepy, she was somewhat sarcastic.

Pushing my face into her hair, I closed my eyes. "I know. I made myself suffer. I took something, and I'm feeling better already." 

I fell back asleep quickly in her grip. When we woke in the morning, we were in the exact same position. After a quick workout and a hot shower together, we both got ready for the day. I was just going to dress normally and wear a big ugly mask, as were Seth and Tyler. Bella declined.  

That didn’t mean that she didn’t get ready in her own way, though. She made full use of her new makeup and styled her hair into tightly braided pigtails down her back. Once again she wore knee socks, this time with a blue jean skirt and the perfect Star Wars shirt. It was the same one she had worn the day we went to the zoo together. 

She was hot as fuck. 

Bella held my hand as we walked through the crowded space together. I was having way too much fun shopping with her. I was in a good mood and indulged in my every whim. I was making lots of money, so why not? It was a weird way to show off. I had to send the bodyguards or Seth and Tyler to the car to drop my new toys off a few times.  

“Can I take your picture?” I asked Bella teasingly when we had a few minutes alone as we shopped. She rolled her eyes but nodded. 

I brought my camera up and snapped a few quickly. Then I switched to the video. 

“Are you having fun today?” 

“A lot. It’s so loud, though.” She made a little pouty face before it curved back into a smile. “Are you?”

“Yeah,” I said jovially. “You’re so beautiful today. I love your makeup. You’re so good at it.”

She blushed, her expression bashful as she smiled to herself. “Eddie, you’re so sweet. Thank you. You like the green lipstick?” She smiled to showcase it for my camera. 

“I do. I’d like to kiss you if it weren’t for this stupid mask,” I complained. She giggled. “If I thought that I could get away with it, I would sneak one.”

“You can kiss me tonight,” she offered smoothly. 
“Mm, I planned on it.” I pulled her closer to me with my hand on her waist. 

“If I didn’t hate this mask so much, I would want to kiss you right now too,” she remarked puckishly before pulling away from me in a giggle. I swatted at her ass but just missed, making her tilt her head back in wicked laughter. She wiggled it at me and the camera. 

I chuckled to myself as I turned it off and put it back in my pocket. I liked it when she showed off for me. There was something nice about the fact that she didn't really change in front of the camera, though.  

I was looking at the messenger bags at a booth while Bella looked at one with steampunk stuff. My nerdy and dirty mind enjoyed the idea of her in the corsets and little dresses. It was probably a good thing that no one could see my blushing face. 

"Hey! I know you! You're a friend of Eddie's! You were on a video today." I heard someone say, but I couldn't see where it was coming from. I quickly turned my head towards the voice, making the mask spin around. Bella laughed loudly, putting her hand delicately over the eyes.  

“I am,” she continued to snicker. 

Embarrassed, I quickly fixed my mask.

“I really liked the one from today! I watched it at breakfast,” the little booth girl stated excitedly. 

“Oh, which one? I've not seen yet. We filmed a bunch actually.”

“The one at the tattoo shop!”

“Oh! Yeah, that was so much fun,” Bella answered with a wistful smile. I smiled to myself as well.

“I loved your tattoo! It's making me think about my next ink,” the girl said as she showed off her own tattoo collection on her arms. 

“Wow! Thank you! Yours are great, too! I really love my new one so much. It's a little itchy right now because it's real scabby, though. So, I did okay? He said I did well, but I think he was just trying to be nice to me,” she asked worriedly. 

“Girl, I loved it. I'm glad you made a bunch with him. He needs to get some more women and especially people who aren’t so... white. He's gotten Seth and you this year but most of his friends are white as fuck. He used to at least have girls in them, but it's been a while. Everyone seems so nice, but it would be nice to see a little diversity." 

I could have kissed her for her answer. Yeah, she wasn't wrong. We were really white, and there were lots of guys. We needed her. And Bella needed to hear it. I was even happier for my mask right then. I couldn't control my face. 

"I think that would be a great idea. He always likes filming with new people. It's something we've actually somewhat talked about. He moved this year so that probably has something to do with it. He's still trying to find people here. He's shyer than you'd expect," Bella made an excuse for me. I really didn't. But I did love filming with her. She squeezed my hand gently.  

“I actually ordered one of your pictures. From your website. It's a poster of like some green abstract looking piping,” the girl blurted out. I could see Bella’s eyes get wide even through the blurry mesh of the eye holes. 

“With the subway sign beside it? I know which one you're talking about. With the weird pipes and the mosaic old wall. That's awesome! It's one of my favorites. That green so good in that picture. That one and this fallout sign are my favorites,” she said with a happy enthusiasm. Well, I knew what photos of hers I would be buying next. 

“Oh, my god! The one that is at night with the sign above the open door with the yellow light? That one is next when I get paid again! I'm getting them framed, too. My roommate loves them as much as I do. They are so awesome!” She praised my little girlfriend, who was obviously not used to it. She smiled widely, biting her bottom lip as she blushed and laughed a little to herself. 

“Aw! You're going to make me cry! Thank you so much! I see that sign almost every day. That's actually the back way into my apartment.”

She leaned in a little. “So, is Eddie like he is in the videos?” The booth girl whispered. “I mean, he seems really nice.”

“He's lovely. Always fun to be around. Very kind and always a gentleman," Bella answered her warmly, the tone of voice making my heart double in speed. She was totally sincere and so sweet. Once again, I was grateful for the ugly mask.  

“So, are you done taking pictures of him? On his Twitter, he talked about you coming over to take pictures last week,” she asked curiously. 

I had mentioned Bella on twitter several times, usually linking her website to a video with her in it. I had done that a few times, including in the morning. They always got lots of retweets. 

“Yeah, I'm done taking them for the magazine. I'm here on vacation now with my boyfriend,” she explained as she pointed one of her little fingers at me with a smirk on her lips. 

I liked it so much when she called me her boyfriend. 

“Hi,” the girl greeted with a grin as she waved at me. “A con is such a great thing to do on a vacation. Will you be working with Eddie again to make more videos?”
I loved her questions. They were great. I loved it even more that Bella was willing to answer with me standing there like the eavesdropping asshole that I was. 

“Yup, I think so. He offered me a job taking pictures for him, actually. It's pretty good pay. Great benefits. I'm considering taking it.” I squeezed her hand, feeling like dancing in place. 

The girl clapped her hands together happily. “Oh, yes! Please do it! Don't you live in New York, though?”

“Yeah, but I don't mind flying back and forth for a while. Flights out of New York are always cheap.”

“Right. Same with L.A. By the way, I love your makeup so much. Do you do tutorials? Like on YouTube? Do you have your own channel?”

Oh, yes, helpful little booth girl. That is a great idea. Bella could definitely make makeup tutorials on YouTube. I could help her with that. And she could do cooking ones too. Actually, Bella could do whatever kind she liked, and people would watch.  

“Um, no, I don’t. I've not watched a bunch of tutorials either, to be honest. Only a few in passing.”

The girl seemed surprised. “Then how did you learn to do it so well?”

My girlfriend looked embarrassed. “Oh…. One of my best friends is a makeup artist. He worked on Broadway for ages and now he's running his own little theater. He used to practice on me and my two other best friends. He'd give a Ted talk during makeup practice about makeup before Ted talks were Ted talks if you know what I mean? He should do tutorials. He taught me everything.”
I smirked to myself when I realized that sometimes her mouth ran away with her too. We had some interesting things in common. 

Bella bought herself a dress, a necklace, and a bracelet from the very helpful booth girl. By the time she was done, it was time for me to prepare for the panel. 

“I didn’t think of you as the steampunk type,” I said to her cheekily as I took her bags from her for at least the moment. 

She giggled. "Truthfully, I love costumes and stuff. That dress is kind of subtle, though. I can wear it out for sure. And I love costume jewelry. The cheaper, the better. But it's not really about that. She bought something from me." 

“You shouldn’t feel obligated.”

“Mm, well, her stuff was really nice. So, it’s not like I regret what I bought. I think it’s all very cute. I did buy more than I would have otherwise, like the dress. I probably would have got the jewelry. But it’ll come back to me.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked, smoothing my hand up her back as we moved through the crowd. 

"She'll buy more from me now. And she'll tell her friends that she met me and that I was really nice. We had a conversation, and we connected. That I bought some of hers too. She'll show them my pictures, and maybe they'll buy some, too. And if not, at least I'm supporting another artist, and that's what is more important." 

“Isabella, I find you very impressive,” I whispered in her ear as I came to the door that I needed to walk through to be on stage. In a second, I would have to become Eddie. I would rip off one mask and exchange it for another. 

I pulled off the big head as I put my arm around her waist, pulling her up to kiss her neck so as not to mess up her lovely makeup. She wrapped her arms around mine and hugged me tightly in return. 

“You’ll be amazing out there, Eddie,” she breathed in my ear. “Break a leg, huh?”

“Yeah,” I squeezed her as I lifted her up a little by the waist. She giggled again. 

As soon as I stepped out, Eddie came out in full force, my arms outstretched at my sides as they cheered for me wildly. Everything after that was sort of a blur. I knew what I was doing, it came naturally. But it didn’t feel like me. My smile was perfectly controlled, as was my voice. Everyone was eating out of my hand and begging for more. 

Afterward, there was a meet and greet where I talked to fans, took pictures, and signed autographs. I got complimented over and over again, told I was their favorite, or how they loved my work. I loved talking to them in this controlled setting with their smiles. Especially the kids.  

Whenever I would glance back at Bella, she would grin at me from behind her camera. She was busy having fun taking pictures of other people in the costumes they had put on.  

I wondered if maybe one day we could cosplay together. She did say she liked costumes. It was a fun idea, but one I would save for later in the relationship. Asking your tiny girlfriend to dress up as an anime character because you find it hot is probably not something you request in the first month. 

We decided to pick up chicken for dinner on the way home since everyone was hungry. Bella sat in the backseat with me, her head on my shoulder as she held my hand. 

When we got back to the house, she started to pull out the food from the Zankou's bags. We had gotten way too much. Two whole chickens, pita bread, and all the sides that they had along with tons of garlic sauce. We all liked it, and it would not go to waste.  

“Would everyone like a beer?” I offered. Bella nodded as I kissed her cheek. 

“I’ll take one,” Seth said cheerfully. 

“Me too, boss,” Tyler answered as well. 

“You know, it's taking everything I have not to tell you about the Zankou's chicken murders,” Bella spoke in a joking tone as she sat down at the table. 

This was one of the times that I wasn’t sure if she was fucking with me or not. And then Seth reacted, getting very excited as he sat down too. 

“Isn't that such an interesting story! Everything about it is so wild. Cancer. The bad sons. The white suit.”

“This is why you're single,” Tyler insisted meanly to Seth. “No one knows what you’re saying.”

He was right. I had no idea what he was on about.

“Hey! No! I do! And true crime has been a thing for centuries,” Bella added quickly. “It's usually just that women are more into it. But I think it’s cool that he likes it.”

“I wonder why it’s more of a lady’s hobby,” I mused out loud as I took a leg and a breast for myself along with a mix of all the sides. I threw three pieces of pita onto my plate as well. 

“That's easy. Women are more likely to suffer a violent attack in their lifetime. One in two women is sexually assaulted. One in four will be abused by their partner. The number one cause of death for a pregnant woman is homicide, usually by the baby's father. And nine out of ten murders are committed by someone the victim knows. A spouse, a parent, a family member usually. Women start dealing with violence at a very young age. You have to learn about it, just to protect yourself if anything else. Then it just becomes a morbid hobby after a while,” Bella explained smoothly as if she had stood on this soapbox before. 

I wasn’t really sure what to think. I had four sisters and currently seven nieces. I hoped those numbers were wrong. I would kill any man that harmed my girls. Or Bella, for that matter.  

“Do you really think one in two women is sexually assaulted? I think I can say with a fair amount of certainty no man at this table has ever done that. It just seems so high,” I insisted in horror at the thought. 

Bella licked her lips before she answered. "Not only do I think that number is low, but I would also say the number is closer to seventy percent. Probably higher, honestly. Sexual assault is such a broad term, and every woman has been groped and has not reported it to anyone. But we've been taught that we've done everything wrong. My skirt is too short, my shirt too tight, I had a drink. I walked alone. You can't rape your wife. Every woman might not have been raped, but every woman has been forced into a corner, groped, or had gross threatening things said or done to them. They have been made embarrassed or catcalled for simply being a woman, at the very least. I mean... I was dragged behind a dumpster when I was, like, seventeen and was assaulted. He didn't rape me, but he was planning to. He was on probation for raping two young girls about six years before. He had been out for three months. Can you imagine? It's people like him who probably raped dozens, if not hundreds, of women before they get caught that make the world unsafe for women." 

Fucking motherfucker fucking son of a bitch goddammit fuck fuckity, my brain babbled a mix of curse words. 

She looked embarrassed, and I knew she hadn't meant to say any of that out loud. Her mouth really did take over sometimes. She stabbed at her food, her cheeks heating as her eyes focused on her plate.  

I rubbed her back gently. I didn’t need to throw my anger out there for her. 

“I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you went through that.”

“It's alright. It was worse for him,” she countered with a forced smile. I couldn’t fathom that being true. 

“How is that even possible?” Tyler questioned as he looked at my girlfriend with wide worried eyes. Both of my friends were watching. 

“Uh,” Bella began to nervously chew on the side of her thumb before she answered. “Well... I used to carry around my granddaddy's knife, on my belt, you know. From a really young age, too. Because, of course, Texas. Pretty little thing with mother-of-pearl in the handle. Maybe three inches long. It was handy for opening things and such. Anyway... He, the guy, um... lost an eye and a testicle. I scarred his face up pretty good, too, though I don't remember too much of what exactly happened. I slashed a lot, I guess? I kind of blacked out. I tend to do that if I get too stressed out. It’s a problem.”

Well, maybe it was a little bad for him. Still, not worse. He deserved it. But, Jesus. 

“Holy fuck!” Seth gasped loudly. He was totally impressed with her. “You don’t remember what happened at all?”

"I know the basics of what happened. Obviously. He pinned me to the wall with my arms behind my back, and he tried to pull up my skirt." She looked down and swallowed. "The knife practically fell into my hands. I do remember that. How it felt slippery and sharp. I cut my palm. I have a little scar." She lifted her hand. I hadn't noticed a scar but knew I would look for it now. "He had exposed himself, and I frantically swiped low to get that away from me. He kind of lunged for me and I must have panicked because I stabbed him in the eye or face. My flight or fight instinct is heavily weighted towards fight. Anyway, he ran one way, and I went the other. I was covered in so much of his blood. And my own. He went to the hospital, unsurprisingly, and they arrested him in the emergency room not long after. Luckily, there wasn't a trial or anything I had to suffer through. They just revoked his probation and tacked on another twenty years with no possibility of early release this time," she concluded, forcing a smile towards the end.  

“Crispy Christ on a fucking cracker, Bella! Fight or flight? How about shank a bitch?” Seth yelled like an asshole. Instead of being offended, Bella laughed loudly and looked entirely amused, her smile sweetly embarrassed. “Don't piss you off, huh?” He pushed her arm. 

“I may be short, but you know who else was short? Bruce Lee. I'll fuck someone up. I'm scrappy,” she said dryly. “I don't carry that knife around anymore, though. Now I have a leatherman tool, like a Swiss army knife. It was Aiden's. It has a couple of knives in it, but that's more for handy reasons. New Yorkers frown upon open weapon carrying. In Texas, it's fashionable.”

I was glad Seth was there to give that to her. I couldn’t have made a joke if I tried. I was fuming. Who could do that to her? 

Bella looked at me worriedly, her hand smoothing over my thigh under the table. “Sorry, I didn't mean to make dinner conversation dark. Well, this dark.”

“It's alright,” I mumbled. “I just kind of want to kill that pile of shit that hurt you and other poor women,” I told her truthfully. 

“Oh, no. Don't do that,” she breathed. “He's got another twenty years probably in prison and killing him would bring him respite from the hellscape that is the U.S. prison system. In Texas no less. I want him to be in perfect health, so he can sit alone every night in a cell with no air conditioning with his one eye and his one ball and remember that he is sitting there because of a tiny little girl who wasn't scared of him and his sad excuse of a micropenis.”

Shit… She was kind of terrifying. Seth was right, don’t cross her. 

Tyler laughed nervously. “Now that's nightmare fuel. A one-eyed, one testiculed, pedophile sitting in the dark, in prison, thinking about the one that got away.

“I'm sure that's a horror movie already. Like every sequel,” she suggested to him sarcastically before shrugging. “Not the ball part. That’s all me.”

“Can you imagine a knife being out while your pants are even down? Let alone anywhere close to it?” Seth questioned as he looked between Tyler and me. “Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Fucker deserved a Bobbit.”

Tyler had taken enough of the extreme darkness and decided to slightly change the subject. “Do you like horror movies? You enjoy true crime. Seems in the same genre.”

“They're fine, I guess. It depends on the movie. I've only really watched a handful in the past few years. I'm not a big movie person in general,” she answered. 

“Yet, you're dating an actor,” Seth said mockingly as he looked directly at me. I wanted to flip him off. 

"I just don't enjoy the movie-going experience. I'd rather watch at home and Blockbuster is gone, so I miss a lot of stuff. My roommate has all the streaming services, so I catch more now than I did. But I'm super behind pop culture, sadly," Bella elaborated quickly.  

“What don't you like about it? Going to the movies?” I asked. 

"It's expensive. They're dirty. You can't talk during them, or knit, or play on your phone. Or pet your cat. Out of every ten films made one is good, two are decent. And the rest are boring at best and hot offensive garbage at worse. I can't pause to pee. You can't drink cheap wine straight out of the bottle. I think I could go on, but you get the point," she listed off with a bit of sass, her head bobbing a little as her list got sillier.  

“Fair enough.” Tyler smiled at her. “I'm with you. I'd rather watch at home, too. Miss Blockbuster so much.”

Actually, I didn’t like going to the theater all that much either unless I was with someone else. “I've only been to the movies once since I've moved. I don't want to go alone.”

“When we went to see Infinity War,” Seth replied. 

“Stupid movie,” I began to complain. He had loved it. We fought about it for days. “No, we're not arguing about this again. You won't change my mind. Terrible, long, boring, and stupid. A waste of great characters. I could have written a better script in my sleep. Don’t at me with your shit.”

“And too much CGI,” Bella interjected. She had a good point. “I saw it at a volunteering event. Black Panther was pretty good, though. I just want a movie with the sister and general though and their pet rhino. Sciencing shit up.”

“I'd watch the fuck outta that,” I agreed as I finished my beer. 

“They'll have to figure out that black people AND women love good strong female characters, no matter the color, as long as she is well-developed and well written. Both groups are so starved for entertainment they'd go see it no matter what. Same with Asian and gay audiences,” she sighed, “but that won't happen anytime soon. Because fuck us, I guess. Why would we want an interesting movie? Good luck if you’re a gay mixed-raced kid. No representation for you.”

“It's a shame,” Seth agreed with her. We had this conversation too. “Maybe one day.”

“You'd get along really well with my girlfriend,” Tyler declared, looking over at Bella. “I think you have some things in common. You'd agree with her on a lot of things, especially in the entertainment industry. Are you going to be in town on Halloween?”

“I fly out on the Friday after,” she explained. 

"You and Eddie should come over to my place for Halloween. We're going to grill out and watch movies, drink, pass out candy. Karaoke. Seth is coming. Some more of my friends and my girlfriend's friends, too. If you don't have any plans?" Tyler asked, glancing between Bella and me.  

She looked over at me curiously. “We haven't talked about Halloween yet. You wanted to go out.”

"I hadn't thought about it yet. I'm always down for eating, but it's up to you, love." I had just been grasping at straws when I said I liked Halloween and wanted her to spend it with me. I was surprised it worked so well.  

“I meant to invite you sooner,” Tyler spoke to me. “But I figured you probably had better plans. Some swanky ass Hollywood party.”

“Ah no, mate. I'm barely leaving the house these days.” I shook my head. 

My girlfriend grinned slowly, and I returned it. She looked back over at my friend. "It sounds good to me. Is it like a costume thing?" 

“It's not required but encouraged. My girlfriend is dressing up. So am I.”

“I am, too,” Seth added. “It’s a surprise. It’s going to be awesome,” he said excitedly. He loved to cosplay too.  

“Should we bring something? Food or whatever?” She wondered after she nodded. 

“You could bring like a side and a dessert. Or, a bunch of beer. I mean, it's up to you. Anything would be great.”

She smiled at him charmingly, and he ate it right up. "I can make something really good."  

“What should I bring?” Seth asked with wide worried eyes. “I didn't realize I needed to bring shit.”

Tyler wasn’t going to make his friend bring anything. The only reason he said anything to Bella was that she asked. 

“Grab like a couple of bags of chips or cookies. Or, beer. You know, the staples. We're making hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, and chicken. A bunch of veggies. Salad. Baked potatoes. Rice. My girl's a vegan for health reasons,” Tyler explained to Bella. “She's got a very sensitive tummy. So, we'll have a big spread for everyone.”

“You could get her some Oreos, then. They're vegan,” she suggested jokingly. 

“Are there any Oreo murders?” I murmured a bit sarcastically before I could stop myself. Bella laughed, looking over at me as she widened her eyes to make herself look more innocent for a second. 

“No, I don't think so. But, I'm still dying to tell you about the Zankou's one.”

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