Chapter 1: Short term pains

I knew that most people were, well excited to go to the dance, but I was petrified. No, that's an understatement. I was horrified. Not because I didn't have a date-I don't really care about that-and not because I was self conscience of how I looked. I was going with my friends, but I knew he was going to be there. He always seemed to make my life worse, than what it already was. He doesn't even like me, so why would he even bother. I glared at the gym door as if I was about to be sucked into a black hole that would never let me out again.

"Hayden, what are you staring at?" Jess looked worried, nothing out of the usual. Of course she knew what it was; she gave me that look that was intent on making me spill my thoughts. I couldn't not tell her so, as she expected, I spilled my thoughts.

"It's him." My tone was dead and clear, I didn't want to give her the wrong impression. She looked at the door too, then at Karen. Karen understood. They both sighed, this was becoming a problem. It was practically eating me alive.

Day after day I went to class and day after day he did the same thing. He really should keep to himself. I wasn't about to miss prom because he was there. On second hand, I think I might. I know people say don't run from your problems, but I was really good at doing that.

"If you want to turn back now, we could always go next year?" Right when the words came out, Karen nodded, agreeing with Jess. They were doing it again. They were my best friends and whatever my problems were; they made it their problems too. I wish they wouldn't do that, for me at least. They always had to miss things cause of me, well it was their own faults for making the choice, but still I carried that burden. "No. I'm going face him, even if it kills me." I regretted the words once they slipped out.

Jess sighed, Karen slouched her shoulders, and I stood there still staring at that stupid gym door. I really wished I would just be invisible, but of course I was usually the center of attention. Not because I was popular-that is simply a big over statement- it was because I'm so clumsy and usually end up falling or making a fool of myself. Everyone knew that, so they always stared at me because they knew I would trip. I was a class clown; I owe that to my lack of coordination.

I stood frozen at the door, my heart stopped. I could hear it, it was practically screaming, I wondered if everyone else could hear. I felt my skin tense, yes, instant regret, he was here. I looked over at him without being too obvious, he was grinning. I knew that grin. He walked over to the bleachers, and started to talk to some of his friends. I still stood at the door, I knew what he was thinking and I wasn't about to let him get away with it. Then I had the strangest urge to get away. I quickly walked to the bathroom, Jess and Karen followed. I went over to the sink and breathed in and out.

"Hayden, are you okay?" I could hear the panic in Karen's voice. Jess walked over and started rubbing my shoulder and then she said almost in a whisper, "If you want to leave, we could go at any moment." She paused, knowing I would not approve of that idea. I got up and looked myself in the mirror. I looked like I was about to be sick. Darn it, he already did it. Why didn't I notice it, he must have done it when he was grinning that sickening grin. I looked over every inch of my face, no doubt he did. I looked in the back of the mirror only to see Jess and Karen staring at me in horror. They knew he had done it. I sighed and then turned around.

"I guess there's no point in leaving now." He can't do it twice in one day, so why should we leave? Jess quickly changed the subject once I said that and she tried to seem hopeful in starting a conversation.

"Um, hey, Hayden I saw that Derek kid staring at you! Maybe he'll ask you to dance?" Yup, defiantly hopeful. I didn't even like Derek, or know who he was.

"I'm not in the mood; however I know you want to dance with your cousins' friends. So go ahead. And to be honest, I don't think I'm in any condition to dance." I pointed at my pale face. Then I quickly added, "Karen, you go too. It's about time you mingled with people other than me and Jess. You're better than that." I hoped she knew I was joking. She nodded and went off with Jess.

I was all alone now, and I knew the suffering was only a minute or two away. I breathed in and out. A few minutes passed by, the pain was here. I couldn't focus, I just about screamed, but I didn't I thought better of it. It felt like part of me was drifting away. The pain was all over my body, but mostly in my chest-right where my heart is. As crazy as it sounds, I felt like I was getting weaker. There was a quick pain-that was also the worst-and it was like someone was ripping out my heart, but kept trying to cut it at the same time. I bit my arm as hard as I could-I knew I was going to regret that later, when I have a bruise-not feeling it because I was in so much pain, on the inside. I have felt this before, and I knew it would be over in a little while. I stopped biting my arm, I took my arms to hold my head up straight, and I was experiencing the worst headache ever. I felt dizzy, and then I looked up.

I saw something, it looked like…dust? It was moving and there was a lot of it. It looked, creamy in a way. It stayed right above my head and the drifted out of the room, and then I noticed tears streaming down my face and blocking most of my vision.

I got up, only to fall back down again. This was not due to my inability to have any coordination though; it was due to the affect of the pain. I owe all of that to Marshall. How could he do this to me? On prom! I should have never come; I knew he would betray me. I got up once again, now I didn't fall. I looked myself in the mirror only to blush and then infuriate myself. I would have never braced myself for the reflection I would see in the mirror. I was not alone.

"What are you doing here?" I couldn't control my anger, "Can't you read? This is the girl's room." I slowed down my words and emphasized girl's room. He stopped and his face turned blank, now he was full of embarrassment. I guessed.

He only stepped back towards the door, "Look. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." But he didn't leave.

"Ha ha, like I haven't heard that before," I hoped he heard that sarcasm in my tone. He did. "Anyway, get out of here, remember girl's room." His eyes narrowed.

"Only if you come, I need to talk to you." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Whatever happened to him wanting to stay away from me? I really don't get him at all. I know he hates me, why the sudden change?

"Fine, but if you're trying to say sorry, again, I'm not listening. You know you always say you don't mean to hurt me and then you just go back on your word. Every time!" As I babbled on about my complaints as we walked out of the girl's room, he kept his face down. Then once we were out he stood there perfectly still. He wasn't even looking at me, and then he started to walk away. "Hey I wasn't finished!" I complained, again. Then I started to walk towards him and I tripped, over my own feet probably. He turned around and apparently he was laughing. I quickly stood up brushing my dark, blue, velvety dress.

Then we stood. We stood for five minutes, just staring at each other. There was sorrow in his light brown eyes, hidden by his dark red hair. Even though I could see it I refused to get over my feelings of hatred for him. He wasn't going to soften me up, just so he can hurt me tomorrow. He started to speak, and then stopped and seemed relieved when Jake, one of his friends, called him over.

"See ya tomorrow." He gritted through his teeth.

"What are you tal-" He cut me off by leaving. I stood there, by the bathroom, all alone, and looking confused. Then I saw Jess and Karen walking towards me, well more like power-walking. They looked worried, and then stopped right when they reached where I was. Jess brushed part of her hair behind her ears and coughed. Then she started a conversation, which was going nowhere. She went on about how Eric Johnson almost asked her to dance, but chickened out. He was one of her cousins' friends. Karen was "listening" to her, but if I'm right-and I usually am-she was staring at Dan Herish.

Jess was a talking machine. But, she was Jess. She was small, blonde, had short hair, a very nice tan, and blues eyes. Karen, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She has long black hair, brown eyes, her skin was pail white, and is very tall. Maybe that is why they didn't get along. Even since Karen had moved to Appleby, Texas last year she has only made two friends. Me and Jess, but Jess doesn't really talk to her that much. They talk to each other, but no more than really a hello or goodbye, sometimes.

Then there was me. I wasn't anything other than ordinary. I had long light brown hair, you might say almost blonde. I wasn't the tallest girl in the school, but not the shortest. Though I think I would win the prize for the greenest eyes. I had these two pair of bizarre bright green eyes. I had a tan that was almost permanent all year long. Nothing was special about me, yet nothing was really repulsive about me either. I was the girl next door.

Then I noticed, one of Marshall's friends grinning Marshall's grin. I looked at where he was staring; he was staring at a girl in the corner. I think her name was Brenda, from my History class. I don't remember, but she suddenly stopped talking to her friends and ran to the bathroom. The grin on his face now turned into a horrified appalled look, he dropped his head and put his hands up to support his low hanging face. The scene was all too familiar to me, I shuddered. I didn't want to stay for the prom anymore; I leaned over to Jess and said in a stiffened voice, "Let's get out of here. Please, I can't stand one more minute." She looked confused, but didn't protest. Then she turned to Karen.

"Karen, I think it's time to go."

"Okay, but next time we have to stay a little bit longer. We only have two more years left to go to the prom." We walked out the main entrance of the gym. Then we passed through the school and out the door. I looked back at my high school, seeming so ordinary. Nacogdoches High School was anything from ordinary though, well not the school, but mostly the students. I forced myself to think of anything except the grin on Marshall and his friend's face. I did struggle, but I tried to think of how the prom went. Though, it was hard because we only stayed there for a half an hour. I felt bad because I know that Karen was really looking forward to prom.

"Karen?" I asked, slowly.

"Yeah?"

"Um, are you upset we missed pretty much the whole prom?"

"No, not really. It wasn't at all how I imagined it would be, but thanks for asking." I knew she was lying for my sake. I could hear the trembling tone in her voice, she was unsure if she should tell me the truth. I let it go, and then we started our short, quiet, awkward, car ride to Jess's house. Of course we made plans after prom, since we didn't have dates to make the night special we thought a sleepover was good enough. We drove in Jess's new car. She just recently got her licenses and since her family is practically rich, her mom got her a car. A nice, new, shiny, red convertible, but Karen and I were anything but jealous because now we no longer had to ride the bus or get dropped off by our parents. She was now our ride to school. We put the top off while riding to her house, if there was one thing we knew about Texas was that it was always warm. So when we pulled into Jess's driveway we all froze. There were so many police officers at her house, so we just froze. One approached us.

"Is there anything I can do for you ladies tonight? If not, I'm very sorry, but we're going to have to ask you to leave." He waited for us to answer, I pushed Jess's shoulder.

"Oh, um, I live here." She sounded confused, but then her face straightened.

"Oh, you must be Jessica Garth. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm very sorry to tell you," He paused taking a breath, almost as if he was preparing her for what was to come. "Your brother is missing." He said in a dead silenced tone. I gasped, so did Karen. We all looked at her, waiting for a reaction. She didn't move.

"Jess," I started, "Are you ok?"

"Um, no, I think I need to talk to my mom." She was becoming very pale, a very disturbing color.

"Of course, I'll get her for you." The police officer walked away to go get Mrs. Garth. A minute passed of silence, and then we saw Mrs. Garth running for Jessica. She saw us, and cleared her throat. It was obvious she had been crying.

"Oh girls, would you mind if we could have the night to ourselves? If you don't mind." She was trying to hold her emotions in, apparently she forgot all about our plans for tonight.

"Sure Mrs. Garth. Hayden and I were just about to walk home anyway. Right, Hayden?"

"Right, see you later then Jess. Just as Karen said, we were about to walk home anyway."

"Thank you girls. I hope you understand." And without any hesitation Mrs. Garth was pulling Jess into the house. Karen and I took our bags out of Jess's car and started to walk home. It wasn't far. We all lived in the same neighborhood any way. We walked in silence; we were shocked by what we just witnessed. David? Missing? What could have happened? Just then we heard a sound coming from the bushes next to the street we were walking on. We stopped dead on our feet, and turned towards the bushes. It was definitely bigger than a bunny or some other creature that usually hides in bushes. It came closer. We still couldn't move. My breath was becoming uneven now, and so was Karen's.