Bryexe: She Lives in a Dollhouse

Bryexe: She Lives in a Dollhouse

Chapter One

Bryexe was unlike any girl Aidan had ever seen. He looked at her from a few desks away, feeling like he could stare at her for hours. His brown eyes took in her pale skin, magenta lips, and sharply drawn-in eyebrows. She wore a tiny top hat clipped to the side of her pin-straight hair. Her hair was short—a bob style that caressed her jawline and exposed her neck. Aidan noticed her hair was so black that it had a tinge of blue in it. He felt like he could drown in its darkness.

If Aidan could describe her with words, he would choose mysterious, mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic, and many more of those New Age-y, mystical-sounding words.

Aidan made up his mind to ask her out. He’d never seen her hanging out with another guy, so she had to be single. He’d actually never seen her hanging out with anyone, for that matter... She didn’t seem to have any friends. He’d be the first one to strike up a conversation with her, get to know her, and ask her out. There’s no way she would say no. A loner like her would jump at the chance of going out with a popular guy like Aidan.

Bryexe’s eyes looked down at her book, long black eyelashes pointing at the pages. When the bell rang, she simply closed her book and slipped it into her coffin-shaped purse. As the students left the classroom, Aidan purposely trailed behind to walk alongside her.

Kaleidoscopic? Bryexe asked him casually as they both stepped out into the crowded hallway. I like that. That’s a new one.

Aidan felt a chill roll up his spine. Bryexe looked up at him and flashed a small, mischievous smile, then walked away. His knees locked and he just stood in the hallway, a dumbfounded look on his face. Students bumped into him as they passed by.

Move it! some kid yelled, and he snapped out of it. He quickly shuffled the opposite direction, thinking maybe it was best not to ask her out. Or even talk to her.

At all.

Chapter Two

Ooo, a cat whisker! Bryexe cooed as she picked the stiff little hair from her black sleeve. She took a glass vial from her purse, uncorked it, and placed it inside with the other whiskers. The girls at the next lunch table were disgusted and turned their backs to her.

What the heck? one of the girls complained, but Bryexe paid no mind. She needed the whiskers to make a protective poppet for her cat.

THAT’S the girl! The one I told you about! Aidan said to his friend and elbowed him in the ribs. His friend shifted away from him uncomfortably.

"Are you sure that’s her, Aidan? his friend asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Are you sure you’re pointing at the right girl?"

Aidan looked around the lunch room. Every student was busy eating, laughing, and playing around. Then there was Bryexe. The tables in her radius were empty, save for one, and she stood out with her eccentric and dark look.

Aidan rolled his eyes. Yeah, the only girl that looks like Hot Topic’s CEO. I guess I don’t even need to point.

So what’s so scary about this girl? his friend asked. She’s goth, so what? Tons of girls are goth.

But not like this one, man, Aidan insisted. "She knew what I was thinking, like she could hear it. I think she read my mind. She’s creepy as hell!"

Didn’t you want to ask her out yesterday?

"Why don’t you ask her out? Aidan shot back. Matter ‘fact, I dare you. Let’s make a bet."

His friend gave him a condescending look. Seriously? A bet? That’s what we’re doing now?

I bet you a hundred you won’t. One look from that girl, and you’ll creep out too.

His friend whistled loudly. Man… one hundred bucks? There’s a new system coming out next month. I could use the discount...

His friend thought for a moment. He looked over at Bryexe, and he couldn’t remember a time when she was not sitting by herself. Even though a group of girls sat at the next table, they never seemed to talk to her or have any interest in her. Maybe she felt lonely, always being by herself, reading books instead of hanging out with friends. He figured she’d be happy to go out with someone, and he’d make a hundred dollars in the process. It would be a win-win situation for both him and the gothic girl.

Alright, you’re on.

Hey, is this seat taken?

Bryexe looked up to see Liam Cobain, the cute guy that Aidan was always hanging around with. She really hoped Aidan hadn’t sent him over with a love note or something. She cringed at the thought.

It’s not taken, obviously, Bryexe said. And I see you had surgery to remove Aidan from your hip. How did it go, Cobain?

Liam forced a laugh as he pulled out the chair and sat down. He’s alright, don’t worry about him. And just call me Liam, by the way.

Liam fixed his green eyes on her, determined to woo her.

I like your last name better, she said. Cobain—like the dead singer. But Liam works too.

Liam forced a smile.

Bryexe looked straight into his eyes. An awkward silence fell over the table. Liam held the eye contact, not wanting to be the first one to look away. Bryexe’s eyes didn’t waver.

Before things got any weirder, Liam casually asked, So, pretty fascinated with dead people, are we?

Not particularly, Bryexe replied, her icy blue eyes boring into his. But I’m not particularly fond of the living, either.

Liam smiled, and she found him handsome. He was pretty ordinary by her standards, but his smile was perfect—his canines were long, making him look vampiric. She found that irresistible in a guy. He had no baby fat on his thin face, and his brown hair was thick and perfectly messy.

Listen, there’s a dance on Friday. I want you to go with me, Liam said, going for the kill.

What is this, a teen movie? Bryexe scoffed. Aidan over there just paid you to take me out—most likely a bet.

Liam shifted in his seat. He broke the eye contact to look down at his hands, which were now folding and unfolding on the table.

"I’ve watched Ten Things I Hate About You and every other teen movie from the ‘90s. She continued, How much did he bet?"

Liam got up to leave. One hundred bucks.

Well, sit your skinny jeans back down, Bryexe commanded. You can take me out, but I want half.

You want fifty bucks to be taken out? Liam asked in disbelief, flopping back down on his chair.

Hello?? Have we forgotten how incredibly insulting your bet was? We’ll go out, but we’re not going to a stupid school dance. We’re going somewhere else—I pick the place and what we do. You got that?

Liam sighed. Fifty dollars was still not a bad deal. Alright. Whatever you say.

Good, Bryexe said with a triumphant smile. She took out a black Chinese fan from her purse and opened it with a swoosh! She covered her face with it, then lowered it to show only her bright eyes. Her eyelashes were impossibly long and dark. Now go tell Aidan you’ve dazzled me with your intellect.

She winked at him, and he could swear he felt a rush of cold from her icy blue eyes. Liam stood, forcing a sly smile as if he had just won an argument, in case Aidan was looking his way. He tried not to stumble as he walked back towards Aidan’s table with shaky knees.

So, tell me, Aidan said as Liam sat down. What happened? More of his friends had arrived at the table. Having already heard the story from Aidan, they all looked at Liam, amused and eager to see what he had to say.

What do you think happened? She said yes right away, Liam lied. That girl’s never been asked out. I’ll probably skip the dance and take her to a movie or something. Girl needs to get out. I feel sorry for her, always sitting by herself…

Liam Cobain was trying to act smooth as he rambled on, but from the paleness in his face, Aidan knew the girl had scared him too.

Chapter Three

The bell on the door chimed as Liam entered the dimly-lit coffee shop. He was welcomed by the soft murmur of hushed conversations, tangled with the sound of smooth jazz playing in the background. The aroma of roasted coffee beans instantly perked him up. He felt a tingling sensation in his stomach when he spotted Bryexe sitting at a small round table. She was wearing a corset top, a fluffy skirt, and Lolita shoes—the outfit was a combination of pitch black and neon green colors. She looked like something straight out of a fashion magazine.

Bryexe looked at him with those frosty blue eyes and waved at him to come sit down.

Liam was floored by her smile. He’d seen her many times, quietly reading on her own, a serious look on her face. He never knew just how incredibly adorable her smile was.

Even though he was suddenly happy to be meeting with her, he still looked around for familiar faces. He didn’t want to be seen out with the weirdest girl in school, even if it was on a bet. As he approached Bryexe, he noticed that her stockings were in the shape of spider webs. The word sexy popped in his mind, surprising him.

I got us a super-charged coffee for the night, she said, holding up the large cup with two straws. She smiled innocently and batted her eyes twice.

Liam sat down and eyed the cup cautiously. What’s in it? he asked.

Nothing much. Just a few shots of espresso, lots of sugar, and cream.

Liam took a sip and shuddered. It was strong.

Change of plans, Bryexe said. She placed a crisp fifty dollar bill on the table, pressed her hand on it, and slid it his way. "I’ll give you fifty if you help me with something tonight."

Liam was surprised. So… you don’t want your fifty?

Nope.

"And you want to give me fifty? For what?"

Bryexe smiled. Tell you now, and what? Risk you chickening out? Just ask yourself if you want the money, and to spend the night with me to make good on your bet. That gives you one hundred and fifty dollars total. Not too bad, is it?

Liam was extremely suspicious, but the money suddenly became good. Real good. It would save him hours of mowing lawns for money. He looked up at Bryexe, but her poker face was hard to read. He wondered if she was playing some kind of trick on him, but couldn’t really figure out why she would want to. So he grabbed the fifty from under her hand, and their fingers touched. He felt a cold spark go from his fingers all the way up to his wrist.

Bryexe smiled triumphantly. She put her ruby lips to one of the straws and sipped some coffee. She shuddered. Ooo! Sugar rush! She giggled and sipped some more.

Liam couldn’t help but laugh… nervously.

Chapter Four

I guess it would only be fair to tell you where we’re going, Bryexe said while she drove her 2002 Volkswagen Beetle. We’re going to my house, and I live in a dollhouse.

A what? Liam asked. Surely he had heard her wrong.

A dollhouse, Bryexe answered casually, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Well, I live with my aunt now, but we’re going to my mom’s house, which is where I used to live. I grew up at the dollhouse.

Liam waited for her to say more, but she didn’t. Okay… so what does that mean, ‘a dollhouse’?

"It’s an enchanted dollhouse, Bryexe replied. She grabbed the necklaces that hung from her rearview mirror. She kept them from swinging violently when she violently pulled into the driveway. As you can see…"

After almost choking on his seatbelt, Liam looked up at the immense house. It had the unmistakable look of a classic dollhouse. It was an old Victorian home, painted in dark colors of black and blue. It was two stories high, with sharp steeples that looked like witch’s hats. All around it were small balconies with crooked railings.

Whoa, Liam whispered as he stepped out of the car. This house is huge! Looks like some type of ancient castle… So what are we doing here?

We’re looking for something a bit… paranormal, she answered. Liam looked at her. That’s all you need to know right now.

Liam shrugged his shoulders as they both approached the front door. Everything felt paranormal around Bryexe.

Standing in front of the huge, black gothic door, Liam felt a pang of fear, and he wasn’t sure why. He suddenly