#coralsnakes

A snake.

“C-careful, china,” she tries to murmur, but it’s like Nadine doesn’t hear her. She’s holding the snake behind its head, and it’s curling around her forearm. Chloe takes a couple of steps and flanks Nadine, clutching her elbow, inclines her head.

“Which one is the bad one?” she says. “Red touches black...you’re...how does it go?”

The tongue whispers in and out of the snake’s mouth and Chloe feels a shudder as her hair stands on end. She wants to step back, but her eyes flick back up to Lesedi, who is watching her with some interest.

“Your--er--hubby, he’s all right with this, then?” Chloe says, louder, pointing to the red-yellow-black striped reptile Nadine is dreamily ogling. “He doesn’t worry about getting a little bite in the middle of the night?”

She barely catches Lesedi rolling her eyes.

“Snakes are misunderstood, you know. You should try petting Suri. Her scales are so shiny and soft.”

“But your--”

“Jonathan isn’t scared of her, no,” Lesedi says breezily, inspecting some beads at the end of her gorgeous braids. “He knows my snakes are part of the package.”

Chloe looks down, sees Nadine having lifted her arm now, the tongue flicking in and out, the snake’s tail in constant motion. Because Nadine is petting it. She is running her other hand’s finger down its back gently. Chloe wishes she was that snake right now.

“All right,” Chloe mutters, and reaches over, squinting, before drawing her hand back. “Nope. I think I’ll g-go wait in the car, love, something’s just--I--” she takes a deep breath as Lesedi laughs.

But at least the sound wakes Nadine out of her reverie.

“Ja, go on, back to your mum,” Nadine says, and holds the snake out, letting Lesedi grip its head. It slithers off effortlessly, its movement so smooth that if it weren’t for the rapid animation of the layered stripes it wouldn’t even look like movement. It’s like it’s being pulled on a string forward. Uncanny.

Chloe can’t help it. She winds her fingers around the forearm vacated by the reptile, thumb smoothing Nadine’s skin.

“Only a little poisonous,” Lesedi says with a smile. “You chickened out?”

“Chloe is the real Indiana Jones,” Nadine says.

Lesedi blinks at her.

“The--the guy in the hat,” Chloe stammers. “Raiders of the Lost Ark? ‘Snakes, why did it have to be snakes’?

“I get it...“ Lesedi says. Slowly. “I just...assumed...don’t you lot have the taipan in Australia? You’re scared of a little coralsnake?”

“Yeeeah, about that,” Chloe says, laughing awkwardly. “Think it’s why I’m not their biggest fan.”

“Have you seen one?”

“Oh, of course, love. I had one as my maths teacher.”

Lesedi’s laugh tumbles out before she can hide it, and Chloe’s hand climbs down to clasp Nadine’s. Even though Nadine is looking at her with dangerously raised brows. Even though Chloe can feel a conversation coming along about how to properly act in front of Nadine’s friends.

“Come on,” Lesedi says, rubbing her eye delicately, “Were you bitten by one as a child or not?”

“I don’t think she’d have survived if she had,” Nadine says, turning to the door.

“He bit everyone who failed his class.”

“Chloe.”

“Right,” Lesedi said flatly.

After an awkward goodbye--Chloe bit her lip at the hug Lesedi gave Nadine--they were in the courtyard, walking to the parking lot, and Chloe was bracing.

“You know you don’t have to worry about her,” Nadine says, sighing, as they stop at opposite doors of her car.

“You--what--” Chloe splutters. “The--the snake?”

“Really?” Nadine drops into the driver’s seat, “Acting isn’t your forte.”