"Rachel?"
Rachel barged through the doorway, offering no greeting in return. She paced the room, clenching her fist repeatedly. Her mind kept replaying every moment of the past few days in sickening detail. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw up.
Janet only made it worse. The confession of love reminded Rachel of the similar words in her diary.
I think I love her.
It felt like she was right back in that moment days prior, just before she fell under Violet's control.
She could hear someone talking, but the words didn't register.
She dropped her travel bag, bringing her hands to her head as she continued her march through the room. "Jesus, this is so fucked," she muttered to herself.
She thought about Janet's confession to wanting to control her, to keep using her. Janet was becoming just like Violet, Rachel realized. She already had the hair to match.
She reached into her pocket and began running her fingers over the paper within.
She almost couldn't believe what she heard. If Janet thought Rachel would just forget everything that happened and forgive her, that Rachel would allow Janet to do what Violet had done, then she was clearly deranged.
She wondered where it all went wrong, wondered when Janet had changed. She had been such a sweet and caring friend -- an innocent, unassuming person. Was it because of the device, or was the demon just hidden inside this whole time? Rachel didn't know.
She felt hands on her shoulders, shaking her. She looked up and noticed Emma for the first time. She looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was and how she came to be here.
"Rachel, what the hell is wrong?" Emma had never seen her friend like this before. It was even more of a surprise given how jovial Rachel was just the other day. At least now she was able to grab the girl's attention, to some relief.
Rachel dropped her hands to her sides. Her face was a kaleidoscope of emotions -- anger, sorrow, betrayal, disgust. "Can I stay with you for a few days?" she implored.
Emma took the unexpected situation in stride. "C'mon, sit on the couch and tell me what happened." With one hand around Rachel's back, she lead her into the room, helping her sit. Making her way back to the kitchen, she called out over her shoulder, "Let me get you something to drink first, though."
With her elbows on her knees, Rachel stared at the ground, almost hyperventilating. She tried to focus on her breathing. She was away from Janet for now. She was safe. She just needed some time to figure things out, to decide what she was going to do. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Emma's dog hobble over on her three legs.
Sitting next to Rachel, Bella placed her large paw on Rachel's arm and tried to pull it closer. The unintentional force behind it caused Rachel to wince in pain.
Rachel removed the paw of the Anatolian Shepherd before leaning in to give the her a tight hug.
Emma grabbed a glass from the cupboard. "Would you like some water? I can also make a pot of coffee, if that's more your thing." She glanced at the bowl of cereal on the dining table that she was about to dig into before Rachel knocked on the door. "Oh, or some sugary milk."
Rachel was busy rubbing Bella on the ear, causing the stump of the dog's rear missing leg to wiggle in reflex. "I'm fine," she answered, almost too quiet for Emma to hear.
Emma studied the distracted, miserable look on Rachel's face. With a sympathetic sigh, she realized what must have happened. "I'm sorry, Rach. You seemed so happy with him, I'm sorry it didn't work out." She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oops, I promised Janet I wouldn't mention your boyfriend until you brought him up. Although... I guess all things considered that doesn't matter anymore..." She walked back towards Rachel.
Rachel gave her an inquisitive look. "Boyfriend?"
"Yeah," Emma confirmed, standing over Rachel, "you mentioned some guy in the lunch room a week ago, remember?"
Rachel didn't. That could only mean that it was one of the memories that Janet removed, still causing her trouble days later. If Rachel had said something like that back then, the person she was likely referring to was...
I think I love her.
"And then the other day, you were all smiles, so when I asked Janet if you got with him, she said yes. I was so happy for you at the time, though of course that was before... Is that not what this was about?"
That fake smile was because of Violet, Rachel knew. So this phantom boyfriend was both Janet and Violet. The notion gave her a twisted form of amusement. She did her best to stifle the despairing laugh before she realized Emma was waiting for a response. "Yeah, that's um... you figured it out." She didn't like to lie to her friend, but it seemed likely that this wouldn't be the last.
Emma took a seat next to Rachel and placed a hand on her thigh. "Of course you can stay here, as long as you need. I'm just curious... is there a reason you don't want to go back home?"
Rachel's face hardened. "I can't, I... I can't face Janet right now. She... Janet betrayed my trust." It was the best she could think of to say. It's not like Emma would ever believe the truth about what Janet had done. Even to Rachel it seemed unreal.
"I see," Emma said before her eyes went wide. "Oh my god... Oh my god, really?!"
Rachel was once again confused by Emma's reaction.
"I can't believe he would cheat on you with Janet..." she said to herself. "How did you find out? Did you catch him in the act?" Emma fidgeted on the couch as she waited for Rachel's response, her innate craving for gossip overshadowing her better judgment in the moment.
Rachel was about to deny the allegation until she realized she no longer cared what Emma might think of Janet. She deserved it anyways. "Yeah," she whispered.
"I never would have expected that of her." Emma shook her head.
There was a lot Emma wouldn't have expected of Janet, Rachel mused. She wished the conversation could move on so she didn't have to dwell on it. Perhaps going to Emma hadn't been the best of ideas.
With a clap of her hands on her knees, Emma jumped up, startling Rachel out of her thoughts. "Well, I know just what to do." With determination, she returned to the kitchen and opened up one of the cabinets. Fishing around, she pulled out a bottle and slammed it on the counter.
"Over the years, I have created the perfect solution to dealing with a situation like this. I call it Emma's Miracle Breakup Remedy, or EMBR for short. Patent pending," she said with showmanship and a wink. "Also a working title, but it's guaranteed to reignite the fire within you to help you move on faster than ever."
Bella's tail began to wag in response to the excitement as she goaded Rachel into providing further attention.
Rachel couldn't stop the smile from forming on her face at Emma's antics.
Emma noticed. "See? It's already working!"
She set about gathering the required ingredients. "Gotta make some drinks first, though. I'll let you try my favorite. It's just some lime juice and a liqueur, and then something called Crème de Violette." She emphasized the last ingredient with a terrible imitation of a French accent. "Top with champagne, and... voilà!" She presented the drink with confidence. "There should be a lime to garnish, but I don't have any."
With a flurry of movement, Emma whipped up another glass for herself with practiced experience. When finished, she walked one over to Rachel. "No talking yet, just drink. It's called a stormy morning." She made her way back to the kitchen, tending to her own glass as she began making two more.
Rachel stared at the drink, a vibrant shade of purple at the bottom that diluted into the clear champagne on top. The ingredients made Rachel uncomfortable, reminding her of a certain someone that she wished she could forget. However, telling herself that it was just a drink, she took her first sip. To her surprise, it wasn't bad. The sweet, floral notes helped to calm her mind.
"So, the plan," Emma began, drawing Rachel's attention. "First step, we get drunk. At least three of these. Only then do we move to step two, which may be my favorite step. I haven't decided. The second step is simple, but guaranteed to be effective. We just shit-talk those assholes and scheme our revenge until we fall asleep." She was standing next to Rachel now, holding her glass out. "Shall we?" When they clinked glasses, Emma scurried to her spot on the couch, excited to begin.
The two made small talk as they worked through all the drinks that she made. Emma insisted that there was to be no discussion on the matter until she said they were ready. She had to get up to make more, but by the start of the fourth glass, they were both starting to feel the effects.
"So we just kept swimming out together, ignoring the buoys with the warning signs. I forget which of us mentioned it first, but it suddenly started to feel like we were going really fast with very little effort." Emma's voice was full of excitement as she regaled Rachel with her story, despite her slurred speech. She was sharing her affection with Bella as well, rubbing her head as she spoke.
"I guess the tide must have been pulling us out," she said with a laugh. "I have never swum... swam?" She glanced upwards in thought. "Swam," she decided with a confident nod. "I have never swam so hard in my life before. I mean look at me," she made a show of her body, "not exactly the athletic type. Thought I was going to be carried out into the ocean." Emma extended her arm and wiggled it through the air, mimicking the waves. "Maybe I'd have been picked up by pirates or something."
Rachel scoffed. "What would pirates want someone like you for?"
Without missing a beat, Emma answered, "Gang bang?" She laughed as Rachel struggled to not spill her drink. "Hey, being a pirate might be lonely! And who am I to deny someone a reward for saving my life? Or someones." She nudged Rachel with her elbow.
Rachel leaned against Emma as she nursed her drink. "So, did you make it back to the bay?"
"Nuh uh, drowned right there, never to be seen again." She waited for Rachel's reaction until both of them burst out laughing together.
Calming down with a sigh, Rachel opined, "I'd love to go to Hawaii."
