"To Catch a Snake"
"Say it Loud" chapter eleven
Luna didn't know what to do, her sister Luan had a falling out with her best friend/soul sister, Abby over some false accusation that she made a move on her boyfriend, when it was he that hit on her. Luan was broken. Oh, she still made an occasional pun, and pulled pranks around the house, and even still performed at birthday parties, but she wasn't her old chipper self. Such a funk she was in, Luna had taken to sleeping with her every night since, to keep her company, and offer a warm presence to hold on to. Luna found it a struggle to get out of bed some mornings without waking Luan up, being that Luan would sometimes end up on top of her. But it was all worth it if it made her sister feel better.
Indeed, what to do, she knew that confronting Abby herself wouldn't work. Abby would just say "You're only taking her side because she's your sister." She probably wouldn't be able to get in the door, Abby not wanting anything to do with anybody who is friends or family with that wannabe 'boyfriend stealer.' Even if Luna was soul sisters with her, once the bond was shattered with Luan, undoubtedly, her relationship with Luna was severed along with it.
If Placido made a move on Luan while he was with Abby, who's to say that he has not made a move on other girls? Could he have had another, or more than one girlfriend in the past, or even now? Luna wouldn't put it past Placido, the boy seemed to be a little full of himself, especially concerning his body. Visiting his home with Luan and Abby, she had become accustomed to seeing him without a shirt on most occasions, even wearing only a towel around his waist while answering the door when they arrived. He met Abby at the pool, a place he could display his wares like a farmer at market. Oh, how girls seemed to eye him like a dog would eye the food on the table, waiting for a scrap. Luna herself had to admit she was attracted to his body, the boy indeed was ripped! He seem to take pride in whenever he would observe someone admiring his looks, and had no qualms with flexing his muscles as if he were competing for Mr. Universe. All he had to do was say hi to a girl, and she would melt. All of the above factors must have convinced him it was okay to go ahead and approach any girl he wanted, and have his way with her. If all of this were true, poor Abby, blinded by new love and hot looks to boot.
No surprise she took Placido's word over Luan's, who wants to hear bad things about someone they love, especially when that love is fresh and new, like Abby and Placido's was? Sure, she also loved Luan, but that was a love between friends, great friends that considered themselves like sisters, yes, but that love does not compare to the excitement that is the love between two souls potentially uniting together in matrimony, becoming not two, but one soul together, sharing their love in ways that one does not share with anyone else, no matter how close the bond. All that scoundrel had to do was cover his tracks with a lie, and Abby was blinded with rage. Of course Placido wouldn't lie to her! Luan had been eyeing him up and down like other girls, as well as she not having a boyfriend of her own, the poor girl could not hold it in any longer. She just had to have Placido for herself, soul sistership be damned!
"He made a move on me! He kissed me! He reached inside my pants and groped my vagina!" said Kathy after Debbie came to her with the accusation of her making a move on Placido.
"Oh, sure, just like he grabbed your hand and put it to his crotch? Like he forced your tongue into his mouth to play tonsil hockey? Please! Spare me your lies, Kath, I know you've had your eye on Placido, practically drooling over him enough to fill a pool with your saliva! It's a shame how easily you'd throw Jimmy over so you could have Placido in your clutches!-"
Debbie was interrupted by a slap to the cheek, sending her to the couch.
"YOU THINK I WOULD THROW AWAY A LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP OVER A BOY? I LOVE YOU, DEBBIE! I would not even think of doing anything that would drive a wedge between us! But if you're going to accuse me of trying to steal your boyfriend over some false allegations, then I think it is time to say goodbye! ENJOY YOUR CASANOVA!" shouted Kathy making her way to the door, then turning her face back to Debbie "At least Jimmy keeps his hands to himself like a gentleman, unlike that octopus you call a boyfriend!" she said with a slam of the door.
Still holding her cheek, Debbie was in shock. Who to believe, her newfound love interest, who was indeed the touchy feely type, or her beloved lifelong friend, who was always loyal to her? She was starting to feel deep regret, she came to her friend with a noose to hang her for her alleged crime, instead of giving her a proper trial to defend herself.
"KATHY, I'M SO SORRY!" Debbie shouted from her seat towards the door, tears now flowing down her cheeks.
"That's my boy!" said Javier, reacting to the news that his son found a new girl. "Following in your old man's footsteps! I have raised you right, my son! I can no longer call you boy anymore, you, sir, are a man!" he said putting his arm around Placido. "So tell me about her. How does she look, what's her name?"
Her name is Luna. She has dark brown hair, short like a boy would wear it, has paper clips for earrings, wears purple, a skull on her sleeveless shirt, a skirt and boots. Weird, I know, but she pulls off the look great. She is very pretty, and she plays a killer guitar, or axe as she calls it. We plan to meet at BiggC tomorrow, and who knows what else after!" Placido explained, with a sly expression with the last line.
"Different indeed, but she does sound awesome. 'Luna', that is a pretty name."
Grabbing a couple of beers out of the fridge, and handing one to his son, "A drink in honor of manhood! You deserve it, my man!" said Javier as he and Placido popped the tops and drank away.
Kristi was unsure, should she be doing this? Go behind her friend's back, and see her boyfriend, thereby betraying a relationship she valued? No, she had to do this, as some sort of sacrifice. Words were not enough, this situation called for action. She had invited Placido over for a swim in her family's pool. Her parents and siblings being gone for the night, visiting her sick grandmother. Kristi had feigned sickness to stay home. She adored her grandma, and hoped she would be well soon, but this was an opportunity too good to pass up, to lure Placido into her trap, and expose him for the cheater he was.
"There you are, Placido," she said as she greeted Placido at the door, wearing a towel over her bikini clad body. "I have been eager to get some 'swimming lessons' from you for soooo long!" she said, letting her towel slip, revealing her cleavage.
Yes, she was forward, enticing Placido into making a move, but that was the intention, for him to make the move, and be caught on camera, the camera Kristi had set up, surveying the entire pool area.
"Please, let this work! This is for Amanda, and whatever girls unfortunate enough to meet up with this creep!" Kristi thought to herself as she led Placido to the pool.
Abby was in her room after another get together with Placido, lunch at Slick Chick, then a pleasant time walking Abby home the six mile distance. They parted with a hug and kiss at the Taylor's front door.
Entering the house, Abby was greeted by her family. Her mother and father could always expect a kiss on the cheek after their daughter came home from wherever she was. Today, said pecks came with little enthusiasm. Hugs for each of her brothers left them feeling empty, as her arms bent with her hands touching their shoulders, and lasting hardly a second. Abby was a hugger, if you were privileged to have her love, hugs with her were snug, and lasting at least several seconds. You knew for sure that she loved you.
After the blow up with Luan, Abby was a different girl. She smiled less often, her greetings were less enthusiastic, she spent more time in her room. Even time with Placido was not enough to bring her old self back. She even attended church less often.
Abby was brooding on her bed, thinking about Luan. She believed Placido when he told her that Luan came onto him. Placido has no reason to lie to her, right? But should she have come down on Luan the way she did? Whatever happened to forgiveness? She didn't let Luan explain herself. She denied Placido's accusation. Didn't Luan deserve the same trust that she gave Placido? They knew each other for four years, sharing their deepest, most intimate secrets, they have seen each other naked even! Willfully! They loved each other's families. Luan loved the Taylors', and Abby loved the Louds'. Now a boyfriend comes along and things go topsy turvy just like that? He gets more trust than a sister figure?
"Oh, Lord Jesus, what should I do?" she prayed, tears starting to form.
Oh, how she would love to go to Luan and apologise for not hearing her out. Would Luan even listen? What gives her the right to assume that Luan would hear her out and they would immediately embrace, declaring their love for each other and renewing their bond as soul sisters?
Abby got up and grabbed the framed photo that used to stand on her nightstand, and laid back down on her bed. It was a photo of her and Luan, on a beach along Lake Michigan when Luan joined the Taylor family on vacation. She and Luan were standing ankle deep in the water, hugging each other tightly, their cheeks touching, and they were smiling.
She clutched the photo tightly to her chest. "Luan, I'm sorry! Please forgive me! Please forgive me!" she said as she wept bitterly.
Luna stood in front of the full length mirror in her bathing suit, consisting of her usual shirt, half torn off, covering her chest, and leaving her abdomen exposed, and bikini bottoms. She was checking herself, turning her body to look at her butt, hiking up her bottoms for more exposure, hoping that she looked good enough to elicit advances from Placido. Anything to get that no good cad to slip up, and thereby exposing him for the cheat that he was. A knock was heard on the door.
"Is that you, Leni?" asked Luna before opening the door.
"Yes, Is that you, Luna?" said Leni, her old, sweet, ditzy self.
Bringing her palm to her face, "Yes, it's Luna." as she opened the door to let her sister in.
"So, what do you think?" asked Luna as she modeled her swimsuit, turning to let Leni see her front and back.
"You look totes adorbs!" said Leni as she eyed her younger sister up and down, and gave her a hug.
"Thanks, sis." said Luna returning the hug. "Now Leni, are you sure you remember what you have to do today? Watch Placido and I at BiggC, then follow us to the pool. Watching carefully, and if Placido makes any sort of move on me, you take a picture, right?"
"A picture of…" wondered Leni, not sure.
"A picture of Placido, like either kissing me, or grabbing me. Anything that you would not do to Lincoln, you take a picture of Placido doing it to me."
"But I kiss Linky a lot, and give him hugs." said Leni, still confused.
Sighing in exasperation, Luna explained "Not a kiss on the cheek or forehead, Leni. A kiss on the lips, or using the tongue. Remember we want to catch Placido making moves on me, so we can prove to Abby that he is no good. So hopefully she will come to realise that Luan did not hit on Placido in the first place. You want Luan to feel better, don't you?"
"Of course I do. It hurts me to see her being sad." said Leni with a frown at the thought of Luan brooding in her room most of the time.
"It hurts me, too. And that is why I want to do this, to expose Placido for the dirty, rotten, good for nothing cheat he is." said Luna, clenching her fists.
"We have to do this for Luan, sis. And for Abby." said Luna with a hand on Leni's shoulder.
"For Luan and Abby!" said Leni, her and Luna sharing another hug.
"I love, you, Luna." said Leni with a kiss to Luna's cheek.
"I love you too, Leni." Luna returning the affection.
Breaking from the embrace, Luna took off her swim top to change in to her normal shirt.
"Remember, Leni, do not let Placido see you. I'm not sure if he would recognise you, but we can't take any chances." said Luna as she slipped on her shirt, then grabbed her skirt and placed it on over her swim bottoms, then placing her boots on, then putting in her paperclip earrings.
"I'll try." said Leni as she left the room.
"For Luan" said Luna to herself, following Leni.
End of chapter eleven
*Here's hoping that Luna's plan will work. I am thinking of changing the direction of this story, nothing to do with what has happened thus far, but what is/was to happen in future chapters. I have leaned towards both directions. I guess I'll wait and see how things go!