“Tristan! Someone’s here to see you!”

The yell came at about 10am on Saturday. I had been wrestling with another world history paper when my dad suddenly called for me to head down to the sound of the knock on our front door. It must have been Zoey, I thought. It’s not as if I’d forgotten that she said she’d be dropping by, but since things had changed, naively, I believed that she would’ve gotten the message and stayed away. I saved my work and locked my computer before heading downstairs.

The doorbell rang a second time. She was being impatient. Did she suspect that I planned on avoiding her?

As I approached the door, however, I began to have my doubts as childish whispering spilled over from the other side. Girl scouts maybe? I haven’t seen any in a long time though. I patted my pockets for money and realized that I had forgotten my wallet upstairs. I didn’t plan on accompanying Zoey so it made sense, but I felt bad all of a sudden. I’d just have to ask them to wait.

“Hey!” said the first girl as I opened the door.

“Hey!” said the second girl.

“Hey,” said the third girl.

“Fey! Energy! We practiced this! You said you were gonna get it right!” the first girl said.

“Sorry, I wasn’t feeling it.”

The triplets, who couldn’t have been older than eleven, looked back at me as I stared at them all in awe. The synchronized, pure white outfits and their almost perfectly identical demeanor was such a surreal experience. Well, their demeanors were almost perfectly identical. The third girl seemed to be doing her own thing as her downtrodden look contrasted completely with her two upbeat sisters.

“Um,” I said finally. “Can I help you?”

“Yes!” said the first one, as all three stood at attention. “I’m May!”

“I’m Kay!” said the second one.

“I’m Fey,” said the third one.

“Fey! Energy, energy!” said Kay.

“Sorry, I’m just not feeling it…”

“Oh my gosh, he’s not gonna listen to us now!” May said.

Why was this happening to me? All I did was open the door and I suddenly felt like a babysitter. I’m terrible with kids, how am I supposed to deal with situations like this?

“If you guys don’t need anything, then I’m gonna close the door…” I said.

“WAIT!” May spoke up. “Here, we’re having our monthly meeting in two weeks.”

She handed me a pamphlet and I accepted it without thinking.

“Order of Lady Irma…?” These kids were cultists.

“We’ll see you there!” said May.

“We’ll see you there!” said Kay.

“Let’s just go,” said Fey.

“”FEY!!””

“Sorry about her,” said May. “We want you to show up! It’s gonna be really fun, okay?”

“Huh? Oh, right… yeah, sure.”

I stared down at the pamphlet. The Jacob Hill Concert Hall. Did they really make enough money to rent this place out for a monthly meeting? And would they even fill this place out? I didn’t like it. The thought of going to something like that, no matter how prestigious, would make me feel like a gullible idiot.

When I looked up from the pamphlet, the triplets were gone without a trace, just as suddenly as they had appeared from behind the door. It’s like I had dreamed them up. Or perhaps I had. It was possible that I was asleep and just imagining all of this.

“Ow.”

After pinching my cheek, I decided that I wasn’t actually dreaming after all. What a strange turn of events this had been. Well, it wasn’t Zoey at least so there’s some silver lining to it. Or so I thought. As I shut the door and turned around, seated on the sofa in the living room as if she owned the place, was that very Zoey Brahm. Her hands resting on her folded legs as she looked over at me with her infamous smile. Her face was much clearer than it was yesterday. I imagined that she must have gotten some decent sleep since then. My father, who had called me over, was mowing the lawn so he wasn’t around to insert himself as he had a week ago.

“How did you get inside?”

“I let myself in. The girls walking up after me was just a coincidence. Not that I’m complaining, I enjoyed the show. Interesting choice in attire for our date, by the way.”

I looked down, and found myself still wearing the t-shirt and boxer-briefs combo I’d gone to bed in. The realization that I had accidentally shown those three such clothing made me want to die inside. When I looked up, she was standing in front of me, and she snatched the pamphlet from my hand.

“Order of Lady Irma monthly meeting… how boring.” She crumpled up the pamphlet then tossed it back at me. I caught it reluctantly.

“I didn’t think you were still coming,” I said.

“Of course I am. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“And what’s the real reason? You mentioned a double date.”

I had been involved with her for long enough to figure out that pattern. Everything she did had some sort of ulterior motive or goal. This would never be as simple as just a date. She was planning something with whoever else we were going to meet.

“Yes, well.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “We’re going to be going out with Laura and her boyfriend.”

“Laura...? Why have you been so interested in her?”

“That’s a long story.”

“We’ve got time.”

I was done being pushed around by her. She refused to elaborate on why she wanted me to hack Laura Young, but that was before. If she truly does need me, then she’d need to keep me in the loop on whatever she’s doing. And, with a relieved sigh, Zoey communicated that she understood the situation.

“It finally feels like you’re seeing the real me.”

“Oh really?”

“It does. Whoever that girl it is that you were in love with all this time, she wasn’t me. This is me.” She suddenly began circling me with deliberate steps, drawing her index finger along my shoulders. “You caught a glimpse of it with Dream Paralysis, but you’ve been looking away all this time, haven’t you? You were too disillusioned to admit it. To admit that the girl you’ve been obsessing over for all these years was such a cold thing.”

“Yeah.”

“Yep. But now you’ve finally seen and accepted the real me, and your world has crumbled to a million pieces. You don’t know how to navigate the situation, so you’re playing this weird game where you also try to act cold, but your obsession with me keeps you from cutting me off completely.”

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She was trying to get in my head. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that she was the one who was capable of hacking others.

“In that case,” I said. “I should just cut you off completely. There’s no point in associating with you if my predicament is that dire.”

“No, there is.”

And as she said that, she hugged me from behind, just as she had when she pressured me into releasing the bees that day. I felt her slender arms wrapped around my body once again. I felt her firm breasts pressing against my back. I felt her breathing tickle my ear. Who knew that a hug from the devil could feel this much like heaven? And yet, this familiar sensation, the one that I’d grown to associate with the evil deed I’d committed that day, only fanned the flames of my hatred for Zoey Brahm.

Yes, I hated her. How could I not after everything she’d done? But unfortunately, and she probably understood this better than I did, hate and lust are two entirely different things. Or are they? Perhaps they’re the same. Perhaps my hate for her has only been compounded with the sexual desire I have for her. I’m no psychiatrist, so I couldn’t say for certain. The only thing I did know was that, in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to have my way with her.

“You feel it, don’t you?” she asked.

There was no point in confirming what that ‘it’ was. She knew exactly what she was doing.

“Stop it, I’m not going with you.”

“Why don’t I watch you while you get dressed? Wouldn’t that be fun?” I couldn’t hold back the erection. The blood flow to my lower region betrayed my better senses. It was impossible. Even if she was the devil, she was still Zoey Brahm. The thought of having her eyes examine every inch of my body was still appealing to me. “Sorry, that was a joke.”

“Right…”

She pulled herself away from me, then circled back to my front.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Of course, since my erection had been poking an obvious mount into my shorts, I ended up turning away from her. The sudden turn must have looked odd to her.

“I’m… going to get dressed.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll just wait in the car then.”

She got me. I couldn’t just say never mind after saying I’d get dressed. My half-assed excuse had forced me into promising something that I didn’t want to do. Did she plan this? No, of course not. This was just me being an idiot. She was just happy that I’d be going with her. I’m an idiot, I realized. Even if I promised it, she’s such a manipulative person that it probably didn’t matter if I changed my mind. She’d find a way to guilt me into going. My dad was home, after all. There was no way of fighting my way out of it without explaining to him just how terrible Zoey Brahm was.

But I decided that it’s fine. I’d just do this one thing. That’s all. Just this singular favor, and I’d take control afterwards. I can’t have these lustful thoughts of Zoey control me forever. I needed to put my foot down if I wanted to be free of her.

After getting dressed into something more presentable for a double date, I headed back down and met Zoey out at her car. Apparently, my dad had come out to mow the lawn, and he ended up stopping to talk to her about Radiohead since she’d been listening to the song ‘All I Need’ through her car speaker while waiting for me.

“She’s a keeper, son. Hold onto her tightly,” he said as he returned to his lawn.

Oh, if only you knew, dad. You poor, sweet, pitiful, naive soul, if only you knew. Even I don’t truly know. What did Zoey want to do today? What cruel fate was Zoey about to bestow upon that poor couple? I didn’t know. But as I strapped my seat belt on and looked over at Zoey, who was reversing out of our driveway, I felt a tsunami of unease blowing over me. Once we’d taken off, she caught a glimpse of my expression then laughed.

“It’s going to be a normal date, I promise,” she reassured me.

“What does that mean? Why are you doing it then?”

“Why? Well, the short version is that Lawrence is worried about who her boyfriend is, so we’re going to vet him.”

“Lawrence? Why does he care?”

“I think he secretly wants to sleep with his sister.”

“What the hell?”

“Sorry, that was a joke. Though, I think Lance would’ve appreciated that one,” she laughed. “I don’t know, he’s just protective of her. She’s a naive, trusting, God-fearing girl who hasn’t so much as kissed a guy before. I think he’s just worried that she’s being taken advantage of.”

“Like, how?”

“Like he just wants to sleep with her then dump her when he’s bored.”

“So, like exactly what he does?”

“Yep.”

We sat in silence for a minute or two as the words hung. This whole thing sounded like something Zoey was completely uninterested in. Checking on Laura’s boyfriend? What does that have to do with anything? That’s why she had me hack Laura? For Lawrence?

“So why are you doing it?”

“Because he threatened to tell everyone about me.”

“Oh, that’s horrible.”

“Try not to sound too excited,” she smiled. “But yes, it’s stupid. And the worst part is that it would hurt him too. But he doesn’t seem to care. It’s like protecting his sister is more important to him than his own reputation. I misjudged him, clearly. I thought that he only valued himself and basketball, but clearly, I’d missed something else entirely.”

“Will we even find anything that’ll put his mind at ease then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if he’s paranoid now, even if you say that her boyfriend’s a nice guy, then won’t he just ask you to keep monitoring them indefinitely?”

“I’m not going to do that.”

“What if he threatens you again?”

She didn’t respond. It seemed like she had believed that this would all end after the date. That she would either find some dirt on him, or that he’d believe her claim that everything was fine and leave her alone. But as someone who knows obsession, someone who’s experienced Benjamin Otto first-hand, it never just ends at that. And since his leverage against her had worked, he probably would continue using it to get what he wanted.

“Then I suppose I’ll have to convince him to leave it at that.”

“I see.”

I didn’t bother asking how she planned on doing that. If there was one thing I learned about Zoey in these past few weeks, it’s that she would drag you to the depths of hell to stop you from getting in her way. In any case, the car ride was mostly silent after that conversation until we arrived. Neither of us had anything to say to one another for the rest of the trip. Our relationship was strained, and for good reason. But I decided that we had to put on an act for those two. I was once again doing Zoey a favor, despite holding within myself deep resentment towards her. Was I truly capable of separating myself from her? It felt like I was just being thrown around by her like always. Is this really okay?

“Okay, let’s go,” she said as she parked the car.

We were in the main open air parking lot of Deer Valley State. I had never been on campus before, so the experience was as nerve-wracking as it was refreshing. As I left the car, I was greeted immediately by the fall grass decorated by stone pathways that no doubt led to the different important areas on campus. And at the center of it all was a statue of some historical figure mounted on a horse that I didn’t recognize.

“Who is that?” I asked, pointing at the statue.

“A politician,” she said before walking over to the benches near the statue.

“I see.”

I honestly thought it was some war general, but if Zoey said so then it must’ve been true. It suddenly dawned on me after a few moments that he had an uncanny resemblance to the guy on the twenty-dollar bill. Was it really Andrew Jackson? He’s a hero in Deer Valley so it wouldn’t surprise me. I considered asking Zoey, but she didn’t seem too interested in humoring my questions. Was she in a bad mood? It’s not like I wanted to be there either, but I was at least trying to make the most of it.

With a sigh, I followed her to the seat. Our wait for Laura was relatively uneventful for the most part. The two of us sat quietly, her staring at her phone, and I, looking aimlessly at our surroundings. It was a gorgeous campus for such an out of the way town. I couldn’t help but wonder what my life would be like once I started coming here.

I turned back to Zoey, who was zoned in on whatever it was she was staring at on her phone. It was different from the one she usually had. I would know, having used her old one multiple times while using Dream Paralysis.

“Did you get a new phone?” I asked.

“Hmm? Oh, no. This is the phone I use for the photography club. I don’t give out my real number to everyone.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

I’d never seen that phone, but I guess it made sense to separate work from personal stuff. The dedication she had towards that club was coming under a new light now that I’d changed my view on Zoey. It all seemed like some cheap trick to get everyone to like the version of herself that she broadcasts to everyone.

“Hey, mind sparin’ me some change kind sir?”

A vaguely familiar voice called out to me from behind. Of course, I remembered who it was. It was the homeless guy from back when Gwen and I went to The Cage. His disheveled look, dirty clothes and distinctly pungent smell were still all as distinct as they were last week.

“Oh, you’re the kid from the other day. Gwen’s boyfriend.”

“Oh, hey. Uh, what was your name again? Was it Omar?”

“Nah, Omar’s the kid I’m takin’ care of. Name’s Sam. What’s up with you though? You two timin’ or somethin’? Who’s this new… oh it’s you.”

His eyes narrowed when he realized who I’d been sitting with.

“Oh, it’s the crack fiend. Hello. Begging for more crumbs on campus this weekend?”

“It ain’t for crack. I told you, I quit. I gotta take care of my boy Omar now.”

“If he’s even real.”

“He is, your boyfriend here can attest to that. Shit, why’d you go and leave sweet old Gwen for this uppity bitch, man?”

He scratched his head then walked off, displeased by the conversation. It seemed like their last talk had gone just about as well as this one.

“Why were you so mean to him?” I asked.

“What? An old guy begging college students to feed his drug addiction is cool to you?”

“Didn’t you hear him? He’s taking care of his kid.”

“You shouldn’t believe everything people tell you. When someone has nothing to lose, they’re capable of a number of things, and lying is very far down that list.”

“As opposed to you, who’s capable of lying all the time.”

She giggled. “Jaz is right, you are funny.”

She couldn’t antagonize me even if she wanted to. Dream Paralysis is just that important to her. And even if she did, it would be the tipping point that she wouldn’t be able to match in a conflict between us. All she could do was passively accept whatever I threw her way. In that sense, she’s kind of pathetic. But that’s exactly why I’m going to be more assertive after this. She has nothing to chain me back anymore. From now on, we’ll be playing this my way.