Sweet But A Psycho

Teacher Beshy called our group on stage and read our summary for the class. "Group 3 Scenario: Craige is a famous celebrity. But when his stalker found out that he's in a relationship, she did everything to break them apart. And so, he sought help from an infamous detective."

After listening to the summary submitted by Joshua, I suddenly envied Ameera for her role. 'If I were to do this for real, I would prefer to play the crazy and deranged character.'

Or at least that's what I thought until Ameera and Craige started the first scene. They stood at the center of the stage and suddenly Ameera hugged Craige from behind. "I will never let you go."

Craige didn't move and closed his eyes. "Enough. Stop doing this."

I smiled. 'Is this what they call role reversal?'

"No!" Ameera cried and hugged him tighter. "I won't let you do this to me! Don't do this to us! I can't live without you!"

"Ooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!" Everyone in the audience roared in unison.

'Dobby really has the knack for making the cringiest lines ever.' I shook my head, thankful that my emotional scene with Craige was only after he died. Although, I was strictly instructed to cry my heart out.

"ENOUGH!" Craige shouted in an angry voice as he turned to Ameera and grabbed her by the shoulder. "I don't love you! I've never loved you! And I'll never love you! So please stop! I've had enough!"

'Ouch?' I looked around. 'No one's reacting to that? You guys can only hear sweet things?'

Then he stormed out of the stage, leaving Ameera in a daze on the floor. I watched the distress on her face turn to rage as a single tear flowed down her cheek. 'She really got better at squeezing her tears out at the right timing since the last play.'

The next scene was between Craige and Joshua in the 'police station'.

Joshua took out his notebook and pen. "Tell me how this started."

This was the part that we were slightly worried about.

Craige hung his head low. "She wasn't like this at first. We were friends. Like really good friends. But then she started becoming aggressive and delusional since my dating scandal came out. At first, it was just threatening letters addressed to my girlfriend, then it became dead birds and the last one was a photo of my girlfriend soaked in pig's blood. I tried to reason with her many times but she just kept on getting worse. I don't know what to do anymore."

'SAFE!' I let out a deep breath and so did Ameera beside me which made us laugh softly. This was really crazy because in the next scene, we will be killing each other.(Correction: It's more like I'm letting her kill me.) But I found myself actually enjoying this, like my body could not stop pumping adrenaline.

"I was really worried that he'd forget his lines." She whispered to me.

I nodded. "I can't believe he managed to memorize his lines in such a short amount of time."

Joshua patted Craige's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll do my best to keep you and your girlfriend safe."

They both exited the stage and that was my cue. As I promised to them, I clenched my jaw and swallowed my pride. 'Just this once. Just this once, I will cooperate.'

Holding my phone against my ear with a smile, I walked sassily towards the center stage then said my lines in a disgustingly sweet tone. "Hey, babe! Oh? You're almost here? Come faster! I can't wait to see you! I missed you too! I love you to the moon and back! Mwah!"

*Internal barfing*

As soon as I ended the call, "You witch!"

Ameera threw herself at me and we both fell on the ground. She put her hands near my neck and pretended to throttle me.

I smiled internally. 'She's too nice for her own good.'

I held her wrists and made her tighten her grip around my neck and actually hold it. Then I said my lines with a high-pitched tone. "That's right! Just kill me! If this is the only way to make you leave Craige alone, then kill me!"

Craige was supposed to come in after I said my lines and stop Ameera from killing me.

"Die! Die! Die! Just go ahead and die already!" She shrieked and I frowned.

'Where the hell is Craige?'

I discreetly looked at the offstage area and saw Craige with a shock-stricken face while Joshua was watching me with interest as if waiting for my next move. That's when I understood what was happening.

'I freaking told him not to mess with the script!!!!'

I turned back to look at Ameera and she was crying.

'What does he expect me to do? Kill her instead?'

Then she said with a pleading voice, "Just go ahead and die already…"

'Eh? Those words sound familiar...'

Then it struck me.

'Shit. Not now...'

My chest tightened, my hands trembled and my breathing became labored. I hastily grabbed Ameera's necktie and pulled her close so that she could hear me. "I… can't… Ha… b-breathe…"

Ameera blinked in confusion because she was barely holding my neck until I made her tighten it.

But before she could say or do anything, her weight was suddenly lifted off me in one swoop and Craige was there beside me, tapping my shoulder. "Zee!"

And something very unexpected happened that completely caught me by surprise. I took a deep breath as I clutched his shirt. My heart was still pounding hard on my chest but to my utter relief, I was conscious. I looked up at Craige who looked genuinely worried.

"Craige!" I blinked my eyes in astonishment. "That… what… how.."

His eyebrow twitched and mirrored my confusion. "Are you okay?"

I nodded slowly, eyes glued to him. "I t-think so."

"Can you stand up?" He discreetly looked around and I understood what he was thinking.

I nodded again and he helped me up. "Thanks."

Then without letting go of my shoulder, he turned to Ameera and asked with a voice so cold that it could put Antartic to shame. "What were you trying to do?"

Ameera looked up at him, still shaking with shock. "W-what…"

"Did you just try to kill her? Are you out of your mind?!" He angrily bellowed and that made her flinch.

"I...I d-didn't…" She stammered and looked at me with a panicked gaze. I took that chance to discreetly wink at her and her eyes rounded in both surprise and realization. She scrambled to her feet and ran away.

And Craige ran after her.

Then I ran after him.

As soon as I met Joshua at the offstage area, I glared at him. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged and smiled smugly while stroking the fake gun that he got from the prop room. "I was thinking that you killing Ameera and me accidentally shooting you in front of Craige would be more interesting. I think I can trust him better to do the dramatic part. He doesn't have a reason to ruin the climax on purpose."

Dumbfounded, I turned to Craige. "You agreed to this?"

"Never. We stick to the original plan." Craige declared coldly then entered the stage.

I took a deep breath to suppress my anger and gave Joshua a warning look. "Stop messing with the script if you want me to keep cooperating."

Then I followed Craige on stage without looking back.

Craige lay on the center of the stage. Unmoving.

I slowly approached him and my footsteps became heavy with every step that I took.

"No." I whispered in denial.

Then I dropped myself in a kneeling position beside him, hands shaking as I touched his face.

"No." Firmly convincing myself that that word could change anything.

My breathing became slow and heavy then my chin quivered as tears welled up in my eyes to the point that my vision became blurry.

"N-no." My voice finally cracked.

I put a hand on my chest and grasped my blouse tightly. A whimper escaped my lips as I let a deep breath out. "Please, no."

"NO!" Finally letting the tears overflow, I sobbed uncontrollably while shaking Craige's limp body. When he didn't move, I leaned my head on his chest and my cries slowly became weak until it stopped.

Hidden from view, I smirked proudly. 'No sweat.'

I heard footsteps behind me and when it stopped, everyone in the audience gasped.

'Is Ameera shooting me, really that surprising?'

"Zeanne Haile."

But to MY surprise, it was Joshua who spoke and his tone was grave. I felt Craige stiffen beneath me, so I furtively held his hand to signal him to stay put. Then I sat up straight and slightly turned my head to look at Joshua who was pointing a gun at me.

'I TOLD YOU NOT TO MESS WITH THE SCRIPT! Why are you so intent on killing me?!'

He was looking at me with contempt. Then the lines that he was supposed to tell Ameera were suddenly recited in front of me.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Ameera Mansouri..." He glanced at Craige. "...and Craige Clinton."

"What?!" I asked with incredulity.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. And if you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." He clenched his jaw and his face twitched as if suppressing anger.

'Seriously? You really want to do this?'

I stared at him for a long time… then I chuckled which surprised not only him but probably everyone in the auditorium. Including myself.

I lowered my head and my shoulders shook as I started laughing convulsively. "Ahahahahahahahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"

"S-stop!" Joshua ordered.

"Ahahahahaha! Haha! Haaaa…" I let out a deep breath as I stopped my laughter. Then I raised my head to look at Joshua who seemed to be really shaken. The corner of my lips lifted on one side. "Wah. This is fun."

He frowned. "Fun?"

I slowly got on my feet. "You don't think so?"

"Don't move or I'll shoot!" He angrily shouted, determined to stay true to his character till the very end. But I caught a hint of nervousness in his voice.

I moved closer to him and he nervously stepped back.

"Haile!" He pointed the gun at my head, blocking my view of his panic-stricken face.

I playfully peered at him by tilting my head to the side with a smile. "I've never felt this exhilarated for a long time."

'But what will you do if I don't go along with your script, Josh?'

"You're crazy." He muttered and I knew that he really meant those words.

"You just figured that out?" I touched the end of the gun and slowly moved it towards my chest. My nose crinkled as I bit my lower lip with a smile, trying to keep myself from getting too excited or I might snap and lose myself.

'Focus.'

Losing grip from reality now would be quite a disastrous scene with this current character and scenario in my head. So I did my best to keep my cool and focused on MY script. "You're not going to shoot? Isn't that how this story was supposed to end?"

His eyes rounded in surprise when I spoiled the ending that he carefully planned.

"But that would be too boring, wouldn't it?" With an elated smile on my face, I tugged the gun closer to me and him along with it. Then I reached for his collar with my other hand. "I have a better idea."

"What?" He nervously muttered.

I smirked then tilting my head, I swiftly pulled him by the collar and closed the distance between us. With my lips hovering over the side of his lips, I smiled when I heard everyone gasp in surprise. Including Joshua.

Taking advantage of his petrified state, I snatched the gun from him and twirled it in my hand in a flashy way before sticking the muzzle of the gun into his temple.

Then I whispered in his ear. "I kill you. The end."

***

Dear Dairy Milk,

"BANG!"

I had so much fun today.

For the longest time, I've always been on the edge.

It's been so long since I enjoyed acting like this.

Also, some kind of miracle happened earlier.

That was a really close call.

What the hell happened?

How am I okay?

****

The (Discarded) Script:

Scene 01: Ameera clinging to Craige

Ameera: I will never let you go.

Craige: Enough. Stop doing this..

Ameera: I can't live without you!

Craige: I don't love you!

Scene 02: Police agency

Joshua: Tell me how this started.

Craige: She wasn't like this at first. We were friends. Like really good friends. But then she started becoming aggressive and delusional since my dating scandal came out. At first, it was just threatening letters addressed to my girlfriend, then it became dead birds and the last one was a photo of my girlfriend soaked in pig's blood. I tried to reason with her many times but she just kept on getting worse. I don't know what to do anymore.

Joshua: I will keep the both of you safe.

Scene 03: Attempted Murder

Zeanne: (On the phone) Hey, babe! Oh? You're almost here? Come faster! I can't wait to see you! I missed you too! I love you to the moon and back! Mwah

Ameera: You witch!(Strangle Zeanne)

Zeanne: (crazily shouts)That's right! Just kill me! If this is the only way to make you leave Craige alone, then kill me!

Craige: (enter and stop Ameera)

Ameera: (Realized that her plan failed. Runs away)

Craige: (Chase Ameera)

Zeanne: (Chase Craige)

Scene 04:

Craige: (dead)

Zeanne: No!(5x)---(Cry like you lost your world!!!)

Ameera: (points gun at Zeanne from afar)

Joshua: (points gun at the back of Ameera's head) Ameera Mansouri, you are under arrest. Miranda rights blah blah blah!

*The End*