CHAPTER FOUR: The mirror has two faces

 
Monica woke up to the sound of blue jays dueling outside her bedroom window. It was spring in the city and the birds and the bees were active. She stretched, yawned and sat up in her bed. Sunlight spotted her room and the sun catchers she had made in a stained glass class once, reflected dancing rainbows about the room. Reality came home and she realized that today was going to be a continuation of the dramacidal behavior she embarked on last night in making the decision to cheat on Torrid. She frowned.
 
“Fuck.” She said, “And I stood her up at the park too. Jesus Mon, when you fuck up, you really fuck up!" She spoke to the mirror of her vanity. She paused, thinking of her sister’s call. Had her sister spoken to Torrid? If so, what had she told her? She looked mockingly at her own reflection and sneered. No matter how she changed herself; pink hair or piercings and tattoos; Monica would always be haunted by her sister's face. Monica reached down and picked up the loaded puff from her body powder dish and smashed it against the mirror covering the face that leered back at her. Monica rushed to get showered and dressed.
 
 
At the park Torrid watched the doppelganger of her girlfriend walking towards her, she was tongue tied for a moment when she realized what a beautiful woman this was. Yes, Monica’s features, but so different, so confident. A flash went off in Torrid’s head. Oh shit! You doofus! That’s got to be Monica’s sister! She scolded herself for not remembering the phone call a few days ago from a strange woman. 
Torrid had just mounted her bike when her cell began to vibrate.
“Who the fuck?” she said irritated, removing her helmet to take the call.  
“What?” she answered.  
“Torrid Duncan?” the caller asked.  
“Monica?” Torrid said, surprised to hear her Girlfriend’s voice on the phone.  
“No, Torrid, my name is Drelica Truman, I am ‘Monica’s’ sister,” she explained. “Our mom gave me this number, I hope you don’t mind?”  
“I didn’t know Monica had a sister, “ Torrid said suspiciously.  
“Well we don’t get along very well, I am afraid. But the reason I am calling is—and this is gonna sound all kinds of crazy, but I had a ‘feeling’ that Monica was upset, or somehow going through some hardship.” She said, nervously.  
“Why are you calling me? Why don’t you call her? Are you some kind of nut?” Torrid asked, irritated. “What ‘feeling’?”  
“Well I would have called her, but I don’t have her number and mom only had your number.” She said, further explaining, “Monica and I have this –connection. I can’t explain it, but when one of us is in trouble, the other one has a gut feeling. I got a weird pang about six weeks ago and I called home, but mom wouldn’t take my calls. I had no way to get a hold of her, I finally went by the house when I got back into town and got your number out of my mother. I didn’t even know Mon had a girlfriend.”  
“Okay, uh…well, I guess I can give you her cell phone number. Got a pen?” Torrid said, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake.  
Torrid watched the beautiful blonde walk closer to her and she made eye contact with her as she passed by the picnic table where Torrid sat. The woman looked Torrid up and down with a sterile expression on her face; then she quickened her pace. Torrid stood up to approach her, and reached out to touch the woman’s arm when the woman turned and shouted, “Stop!”
Torrid froze. 
“What do you want?” Drelica asked nervously. 
“Uh…take it easy, I was just going to—“  “Stay back! Don’t touch me! I don’t have any spare change! But I do have mace!” she stammered out in one breath. 
Torrid couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. With a single move she disarmed Drelica and pulled her into a bear hug. She held her close and put her lips to the woman’s ear, the heat of excitement from both of them rising. It was fear, excitement and something under the surface that Torrid felt when she touched this woman. Torrid noticed right away how good she smelled. “Drelica Truman,” She said calmly, shaking off her momentary rush of arousal, “I am Torrid Duncan.”  “Torrid Duncan--?” she said, surprised as all get out. “Oh my god I am sorry! I thought you were a---“ She didn’t finish her sentence. Torrid mentally finished it for her and frowned. Torrid held her close meeting her eyes. Honey green pools meeting ice cold diamonds for what seemed like an eternity. At last, Torrid released her slowly from the hug and spoke. 
“I saw you, I was going to say hello. I was surprised…you said sister. You didn’t mention twin.” she said, handing Drelica her pepper spray back. 
“It’s a good thing you didn’t use that on me,” she said with a proud grin, indicating Lockjaw who was poised and ready. “That stuff pisses him off.”  Drelica started when she saw the large pit bull terrier standing behind her.
“Oh my God! Is that monster yours?” She asked, stepping behind Torrid. Torrid frowned at her beloved Lockjaw being called a monster and she was about to say something when she felt Drelica’s hands around her waist, and felt her warmth against her back. 
“Don’t worry—he only eats the bad guys.” Torrid smiled. She was glad that Drelica smiled back, and she had a fabulous smile. So different from Monica. Torrid couldn’t understand it, but for some reason her sister seemed to be a warmer, more down to earth woman, even though she was just taken by surprise by a stranger. She felt herself sink inside a little. Thinking of Monica, she was reminded of her relationship woes, and the most recent incident of Monica standing her up this morning. 
“What are you doing here, if I may ask? Were you looking for me?” Drelica asked. 
“No, I was walking my dog. I do it every Saturday. Monica was supposed to meet me here, but—“  “Let me guess, she stood you up?” Drelica said, folding her arms over her chest. “Doesn’t surprise me, Torrid.”  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Torrid asked irritated. 
“My sister is just that way. One day everything is fine, the next—poof! She goes ape shit, freaks out and self-destructs. Sounds to me like she is hitting another cycle of the flake and break.”  “Flake and break? What the fuck are you talking about? And what do you know about it?” Torrid was getting pissed. 
“I know my sister, Torrid. I am sorry to tell you this, but I think she is getting ready to bolt on you. Mom told me you have been together almost a year and a half, right?”  “So?" Well, she runs in cycles; always has ever since we were kids. She’ll be perfectly normal, then after 18 months, she just goes---off.” Drelica said. 
“What do you mean—‘off’?” Torrid asked. 
Drelica looked at Torrid. It was obvious that Monica had a taste for the wild and wicked side of life. This woman was covered in tattoos and piercing and looked like some sort of urban primitive. Still she was beautiful with her ice blue eyes, dark complexion and raven hair. She had the look of a native, and Drelica smirked to herself, my sister’s painted savage. She could see the attraction since she knew her sister liked to walk on the wild side all the while playing the princess in the tower. Well I can see why Monica would want her between the sheets! But she’s definitely not the one you take home to mama.  
“Look Torrid, you know, maybe I shouldn’t say anything more. I don’t know you, or what kind of—relationship you have with my sister.”  “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Torrid asked, folding her arms in front of her chest and raising her eyebrow. 
“ And on that same note, I have no idea what kind of relationship you have with your sister. I don’t know why she never told me she had a sister, or what happened with you two, since it was you who told me you aren’t talking. But whatever the fuck it is, Ms. Truman---I don’t give a shit,” she said irritated. 
“Dr. Truman.” Drelica corrected. 
“What?” Torrid asked, confused. 
“I’m not a Ms, I am a PhD. Dr. Truman. I am a doctor of paleontology.” She said proudly, folding her arms in front of her chest and raising her eyebrow. 
“What the fuck is that?” Torrid asked with a smirk on her face, “That’s not an ass doctor is it?” She chuckled. 
Drelica narrowed her eyes.
“Well, seeing that I am an expert on things primitive I’ll put it in terms that a throwback such as yourself can understand—I dig up dinosaurs.”  Torrid just stared at her for a long second, feeling really dumb. She looked down at Lockjaw who looked back up at her and wagged his tail. “You’re no help,” Torrid said to him under her breath. 
 
Monica drove to the park looking for Torrid, but she held little hope of catching up to her since she left her house an hour and a half late. She was angry at herself for fucking everything up, but she also knew she couldn’t go back. Only forward. She’d make the best out of it all. The novelty on Torrid had worn off, and Drew was new, but he was a smaller version of Torrid. Although his cock was real, she smirked. She liked men. She always had, but they were easy and when she wanted a challenge, she supposed that’s why she was attracted to women. In college she had seduced many girls. She smiled and said, never ask them if they are a lesbian, just ask them if they want their pussy eaten. Monica had everyone fooled, especially herself.
 
Not finding Torrid, she decided to go to Drew’s apartment and see how he was holding up under pressure. She also wanted to break it off with him before the Amsterdam trip. He needed to focus on his work, and she wanted to make a clean break from Skin Deep. Now that her sister was back in town, she’d have to cut and run –again. Too bad, Torrid—you were good, and I do love you, but, I am too wild to tame. She smiled at having tamed Torrid’s wildness. 
Or had she really?
 
 to be continued in chapter five