Playing Death |ONC 2021 Longlister

Chapter 20

"You know I'm very glad this worked out," said James tentatively, looking over at Vansh.

"Me too," he smiled warmly back. "Let's focus on work now and get something to eat then?"

"Unless your mom likes me very much and wants to invite me again," Jay said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah well, that is true, she does love you, prefers you and everything," Vansh said, poking his papers with his stray pen as he scribbled something down.

"That she does," Jay paused. "But you know I love you more right?"

"Get your ugly loving ass to work," Vansh blanched. "Don't ever say that again."

Jay shrugged and went back to scribbling and taking notes. "Are you planning to write the lyrics first or should we practice music? Maybe I'll take my guitar out."

"Sure why not," Vansh gestured towards where the guitar lay encased in black and propped against a corner, safe.

"Alright," Jay responded as he unzipped the case and gently held it, strumming the chords with his fingers testing it out.

The boy was good.

He held it as he strummed it once, twice with a chip and then played along to an old familiar song as Vansh laughed and mouthed the lyrics. Vansh jotted something down as Jay played some music and talked. They seemed okay. Okay was a good word.

I calculated how many souls I had collected. Five hundred now. I was close. Painfully close but also so far away. I wondered if Vansh wanted to even overthrow the boy at this point. It seemed...too real to be a pretense.

I would have to ask him about that soon. On the other hand, I knew that if he wanted nothing to do with the deal about Jay, he would have mentioned it sooner. Jay went out to get a glass of water and just as I was about to call Layla, she swooped in and took a seat next to me.

"How are things yo?" she inquired, panting slightly as she readjusted her makeup and watched them.

"Good. I think they are bonding quite well so this might make an impact on Jay a lot," I mused. "The only thing is, I am not sure whether they are actually bonding or if the boy is such a good actor. Watch."

Jay returned with snacks as they mingled. Jay was tuning his guitar while Vansh scribbled something down every few minutes while secretly glancing longer than necessary at Jay too.

"Oooh, maybe they both are gay," Layla looked at them, scrunching her eyebrows. "They do look very happy though. Gotta give props to the boy damn."

She pondered over something. "Do you think he'll be a good accomplice in hell?"

She twisted and played with the thought. "It's not that hard to make demons no?"

"Yeah," I said. "It's not, but I don't think he is as dark as you are making him out to be."

"Maybe he is. Who can tell?" she shrugged nonchalantly. "Still noting him down for future purposes."

She giggled an evil laugh, her eyebrows drawn together and pupils dilated in excitement.

"Calm down yo," I laughed. "Getting way too excited over there."

"Well, you can't really- oh, they are back."

We noticed them for a while more until Layla was tired of standing and crouching under a place where they wouldn't spot us.

"Why don't we go to a spare room and talk there?" she ventured as she floated away. I nodded, following her. It was getting boring to look at them now.