Death By Strawberries

Alenna Demi

Lei Fang sat at her bed, sharpening her knife. That Hitomi, she thought. Don't know WHAT she's thinking. The thought of the brown haired eighteen year old girl pierced her soul. Just thinking of it brought a cold shiver down her spine. The memory was painful as well as hateful. Why, just a few weeks ago, Lei Fang had found her and dear old Jann Lee in each other's arms. Lei Fang felt a wave of disgust sweep over her. Her Jann Lee. And Hitomi was supposed to be her best friend. Jann Lee was hers. He saved her life from a group of what Lei Fang called bad people. And that was way before the tournament. She knew it was no big deal but......at least it was earlier than Hitomi met him. Which was when the third tournament started. Hitomi had no reason to betray her. She was young and totally unaware of herself snatching people's boyfriends.

Lei Fang would never forget that cursed moment. Why, they didn't even bother which room they were using. She had just come home from Tai-Chi practice. She called out to her boyfriend to tell him she was home and, unexpectedly, there was no response. She had only stepped into the hall when she heard hushed voices in her own bedroom. She went towards the door and quietly opened it, only wide enough for her to see who was in there and what was going on. There, she saw, was her best friend and her boyfriend in a tight embrace. She just had time to see Jann Lee's expression. His wonderful brown eyes were gazing lovingly into Hitomi's, which were blue and filled with wonder. Lovingly. Lei Fang hated the word. It reminded her of Jann Lee's eyes, which scarcely looked at her after his little affair with Hitomi.

The memory had kept bothering her for weeks. She had bad dreams and couldn't sleep. She couldn't look at Jann Lee without feeling hatred. Lei Fang tried anything to deal with her problems. She even told Christie about it. Being expertise at killing, Christie of course had convinced Lei Fang into murdering Hitomi and leaving Jann Lee the blame. Well, it was supposed to be Christie's idea of a big joke but instead, it inspired her. Get Hitomi away from Jann Lee, that was it. Everything would be fine if Hitomi was gone for a while, wouldn't it?

Staring at the twelve inch knife in her smooth, innocent hands, she decided that she didn't need to make an opportunity to leave trails of evidence for the police. Her eyes swept around the room, trying to find something useful. They landed on the bowl of fresh strawberries on the table. Something clicked in her mind. She had an idea.

Lei Fang woke up in the morning, having her plan all set. Hitomi's liking for strawberries was known by everybody. Lei Fang would just have to feed her one. The poisoning job was left to Christie. Yes, she, Lei Fang, had decided to poison Hitomi by a strawberry.

She stepped out of her hotel room. Blazing sunshine shined down at her. She was wearing Albatross, a bikini with two shades of blue . She and Christie have prepared a whole bowl of strawberries, everyone of them poisoned, just like the evil stepmother poisoning Snow White.

They came to Niki Beach, Hitomi's favourite resting place. Hitomi was lying on a recliner, with sunglasses on. She was wearing Milky Way, pink and white with a skirt that made her look like a cheerleader more than a fighter.

Christie sniggered. "I'll leave it to you then," she said. "I'll be watching. Good luck."

Holding the bowl of strawberries, Lei Fang headed towards Hitomi as Christie went to hide in the trees.

There she was, lying there with that sweet swimsuit and everything. Like she's really sweet and innocent. Lei Fang thought darkly. She probably didn't even know what she was doing then, that Hitomi. Lei Fang took a deep breath, and stepped up to her.

"Hi, Hitomi!!" She faked a very cheerful voice and plastered a big smile on her face.

Hitomi saw her approach and lightened up. "Hi, Leifang!!! How's it going?"

Leifang sat down in the recliner beside her and placed the bowl of poisoned strawberries on the small white table between them. "Well, I love this place! In China, I seldom could go outdoors by myself because we had all those posh vehicles and that huge mansion and I was always stuck at home. Even if I had the chance to go out I was stuck in a car! But look at this! The sun and everything. It's simply wonderful, don't you think?" She was trying to start a conversation.

"Of course! It's way better in the sun than indoors all the time." Hitomi said, seemingly more interested in her tan than Leifang's private life.

Leifang thought quickly of a way to distract Hitomi and make her eat the strawberries. "By the way, have you found a volleyball partner yet?"

"Oh, I haven't." Hitomi's big smile faded a little.

I've touched a delicate spot, have I? Leifang thought wickedly. This is the chance to get your attention. "You haven't?" She said, making her voice sound a bit disappointed. "How about teaming up with me?" So there!

"Really??" Hitomi's eyes grew wide. "Thank you so much! I'm sure we'll make a good team!" Sure, Leifang thought. But not for long..

"Of course." I'm loosing her now.... Leifang was desperate. Hitomi haven't even noticed the strawberries. She looked at Hitomi, who was now pulling out a bottle of suntan lotion. Oh no, she can't eat when her hands are covered in lotion! Leifang thought. She needed to think of something, now! Since nothing came up, she decided to just drop the bombshell. "Hitomi, I brought a bowl of strawberries with me and I thought you would like some." She said carefully.

Hitomi smiled when she saw the bowl. "That's so nice of you." Then she went back to her suntan lotion. Eat the stupid strawberries damnit!!!! Leifang screamed in her mind. Should she just give up? Or should she wait a little more? No, Leifang was tired of waiting anymore. She stood up, grabbed a strawberry, and stuffed it into Hitomi's mouth. Hitomi's eyes went a little wide in surprise, but managed to swallow it. Yes!! Leifang almost cried out loud. "Oh, it's so fresh and juicy!" Hitomi exclaimed.

"Well, I guess I have to be going now." Leifang stood up to leave, silently celebrating her success. She took the bowl of strawberries away with her and left.

She went back to her hotel room after disposing the bowl of strawberries. Christie was already there. "Hey! What took you so long? I was waiting behind a big pine tree and you kept talking to her without doing anything at all so I got bored and decided to wait for you here. So....did you do it?"

"'Course!" Leifang squealed. "I did it! I did it!"

"Ah, and we just have to wait a few hours for the effect!"

Leifang laughed out loud. She can finally wreck her revenge!! No one could touch Jann Lee now.

"Let's go to eat breakfast."

A few minutes later, Leifang and Christie arrived at the dining place to have breakfast. Hitomi was sitting in a corner eating a big cream doughtnut. "That'll do. Then no one will ever know what poisoned her." Christie said darkly.

"Yeah. And Jann Lee and I can have some peace and quiet for the next few weeks." Leifang said with a big, dreamy smile on her lips.

When it was about time to have lunch, a small plane came to fetch a sick Hitomi from the island. They were flying her to a hospital. She would have to stay there for at least five weeks. Leifang could have a good time on the island now, and after that, there were three weeks she could spend her time with her boy friend. Only her and Jann Lee.....

The End.

Author's Note: That's it then! Please tell me what you think. Review!!