Burning Happiness
"So when you feel like hope is gone,
look inside you and be strong,
and you'll finally see the truth -
that a hero lies in you."
― Mariah Carey
Chapter 10: The Hero lies in you…..
A/N: Don't kill me! So sorry for the late update but school just started so I won't be able to update as frequently, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Please forgive me and I hope this makes up for it. :)
Last time on Burning Happiness:
"It's okay Stella. This is what people who love each other do" he said and I quickly got his meaning. I kneed him hard in his manhood area and ran.
"Stella, you're going to regret doing that!" he yelled after me as I heard him running behind me.
I took out my phone and notice that I still had Brandon's voicemail up.
"Brandon" I cried out to the phone "Help" and hung-up as I continued to run.
"Stella my Bella, you can run but you can't hide" Baltor yelled out with a sickening laugh.
Why the Hell do I always attract the crazies!.
Five minutes earlier… .
Brandon's point of view:
I looked the camera in the eye and gave my best panty dropping smile as the camera temporally blinded me.
When I got into the locker room, I heard a round of laughter from behind me.
"Oh my Brandon, what a beautiful smile" Sky said, from behind me.
"That's right you go girl!" Riven said with a snap causing everyone in the room to laugh. Well, everyone but me, because I just rolled my eyes.
"Oh ha-ha you guys are so funny, I almost laughed" I said with sarcasm, as I continued to change my clothes. I threw on a pink shirt, I knew how much Stella hated the color. Maybe I should stop by her house and tease her.
"Like OMG don't you wish your hair was as shiny and fluffy as Brandon's, Helia? And doesn't that pink just bring it out." Nabu said twirling his locks. There was a long silence before everyone turned and looked at Helia waiting for his comment.
Helia was rubbing the back of his neck before he finally said. "Umm if it was any other day, I would definitely add something to that comment. But, since my car just broke down yesterday, I kind of need a ride. So…."
I laughed and rolled my eyes. "At least, I have one friend on this team. Of course I'll give you a ride, Helia. Anyone else?" I asked my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Damnit! I need one too." Riven mumbled, making me laugh even more.
"What was that Riven?" I smirked, causing Riven to growl.
"You heard, me you son of a―"
"I thought you needed a ride….." I sang.
"Whatever are we leaving or what?" he said, as he walked towards the door.
"Yeah, but let call Stella real fast. It says I missed her call."
"Just call her in the car. Unless you have something more private to talk about…." He wiggled his eyebrows, and gave the world's stupidest grin.
Rolling my eyes, I smacked him upside his head. "You're such a pervert dude. Get your mind out of the gutter" Then I lead them to my car.
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"Helia, can you dial Stella's number on my phone for me." I asked as I tossed my iphone to him. Helia was riding shotgun because, I didn't feel like hearing Riven's mouth even for 15 minutes. So of course he was in the back seat pouting. He could be so childish sometimes, I honesty wonder how the hell Musa deals with it.
"Yeah hold on." He started looking through my phone for her number. "She left you a voicemail. Do you want to listen" he asked, as he handed my phone back to me. But before I could respond,
"Hell yeah!" Riven yelled as he snatched the phone from my hand, and pushed play.
"Riven he was asking me―" But before I could finish my statement, I heard my sweet Sunshine's voice on speaker.
"Hey, Brandon it's me Stella. I called to tell you that I'm home and I'm safe―" She started, but then I heard her voice being muffled. I immediately, became alarmed.
"Maybe she had a bad signal" Helia said trying to reassure me. I nodded and shook my head. Yeah that makes sense. But that thought ended as soon as it entered my mind, because I started to hear distant voices.
"Who the hell do you think you are? You filthy pervert, and if you ever even think about touching me I'll have the police on your ass so fast you won't even be able to say….. Baltor?" That's my girl. Don't forget to add that I'll beat his ass too and…. Wait did she say Baltor. Immediately, I parked the car and snatched my phone from Riven, turning it up louder. Then I chuckled when she added.
"What the hell happened to you?" But my face turned from a smirk, into a piss off frown, when I heard his response.
"You did! You did this, Stella. Why haven't you returned my calls? Don't you know I love you?" The rest of the car went silent as we continued to listen to their conversation.
"You can't be serious? I broke up with you, remember? We aren't together anymore!" Stella yelled, as I imagined her confused expression.
"No! You were just hurt and weren't thinking straight. We love each other!" he argued back.
"Baltor, I―" she started, before his annoying voice interrupted her.
"You're so beautiful" he said, and then there was silence. Before he added "God, I missed you"
And then there was more silence. A long annoying aching silence, which made me resist the urge to throw my phone through the windshield. I had to hear the rest. But as I continued to listen, my resistance was beginning to distinguish little by little.
"Baltor, sweetie you're drunk right now but if―" Stella started, trying to sound calm. But I knew better. There was nothing calm in her voice. I heard the fear, a terrible, horrible amount of fear. I've never heard her like this before, even with her dad situation. She knew her dad would never put her in danger. But now was different. She didn't know the outcome, a neither did I. Just thinking about it made my heartache. If that sick son-of-a-bitch even touches her….
"No! Shutup" he yelled and I soon heard a loud POP to follow his yelling. "You don't know how long I've waited for this moment and you're not going to spoil it by talking!" This time all my resistance was gone as I threw my phone, only for Helia to catch it with his fast reflexes. Damn Him!
While Helia held the phone, I heard more silence. No, that wasn't silence. If you listened closer you could hear it. You could hear Stella's soft, gentle whimpers. That's all I needed to know. I'm going to kill him.
"It's okay Stella. This is what people who love each other do" he said and I soon got his meaning. I'll kill him. I'll kill him. My thoughts were quickly interrupted by a loud shriek. If I didn't know either of them, I would have thought the scream, was Stella's. But since I knew both of them, I let out a low dark chuckle.
That entire conversation was destroying me little by little. But what hurt the most? The part where he put his hands on her? Or maybe it was the fear that he created in her. And just when I made my decision, I heard the icing on the cake.
"Brandon" I could hear her sobs clearly, as if she had it back on her ear.
"Help" She added, followed by sniffle and then the dial tone.
I sat there for a minute with a thousand of questions going through my mind. Where are they? Is she okay? What time did she call me? Will I get there in time? Did he already hurt her? Will I be too late? But suddenly a more rational thought appeared, and it shined the most. How are you going to find out if you don't make a move? NOW!
She depended on me, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let her down. And just like that my blank expression became one full of determination. I put the car in gear, and made a sharp U-turn.
"Where are we going?" asked Helia, he can be so naive.
"Going to her house. That was last place she was before that bitch stole her" I answered back without any emotion in my voice. I hated answering such obvious questions.
"No, we should go to the police station!" he argued back at me with determination.
"With WHAT, Helia? We don't even know where she is, let alone if she's okay. Let Brandon handle it his way, and just be there" This time Riven was the voice of reason, which is very ironic. But I knew there was a reason I hung around him.
Helia let out I long sigh before finally saying, "I still think―" or should I say, finally attempting to say before I interrupted him.
I slammed on my brakes hard, completely stopping the car. I didn't care if there was anyone behind me or not. (Luckily there weren't any) I had to make myself clear, as I turned my head towards Helia.
"Look, I don't want to hear any of your thoughts about the situation. I already have enough going through my head as it is. It's not your girlfriend, that's in danger, it's mine. So I only have one question for you. Are you in or out? Because if you're out you can get out and walk home for all I care. But for right now Stella's in trouble, and you're wasting my time." I looked him in the eye waiting for his answer. He shook his head, as if he's finally realizing the depth of the situation. Then he said 2 words.
"I'm in." and I shook my head, smirked and put the car back in gear.
"Good, now put Stella on the phone. I need to know she's okay" I said the last part more to myself, than to anyone in particular.
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Stella's point of view:
As soon as I heard I could just die in your arms, I knew it was Brandon. He's the only contact that I personalized the ringtone for. All the others are Beep Beep, but if I live through this I'm changing Baltor's to Why you so obsessed with me.
I quickly answer the call praying Baltor didn't hear it. I was hiding behind a tree, under a park bench. It was impossible for me to continue to run because I was beyond exhausted. I thought I was still in my neighborhood, but at this point I couldn't tell left from right.
"Hello?" I whispered into my phone trying to sound calm and collect, for Brandon's sake.
I heard a deep sigh from the other end of the phone. He must have been worried to death after that last voicemail.
"Stella? Thank god you're okay. You're okay right? Cause if you're not I swear to god I'll kill him" he rushed out making me chuckle even through the tears that streamed down my sweaty face.
"I'm fine" I whispered back trying to stop my voice from shaking, but it didn't help.
"Good. Do you know where you are?" he asked, making me crying even more, because I didn't know the answer.
"No." I sniffled out as I continued to whisper. "All I know for sure is that I'm hiding under a bench, and that I'm outside." I said as unwanted tears flowed freely from my face.
"Stella, you have to stay calm for me okay?" he continued on refusing to let my answer his question as he let out a desperate sigh. "I need you to get up from behind the bench and―"
"No" I said without and consideration whatsoever.
"Listen Stella. I need you to describe where you are. I just passed your house, so I need you to―"
"I can't" I cried out trying to keep quiet, hoping Baltor was still far behind.
"Yes you can! Stella how am I suppose to be there, if I don't know where there is? Do you want me there?" he said asking the dumbest question on earth.
"Yes, of course I want you here! But I also don't want to be raped or killed!" I yelled quickly regretting the words as soon as they left my mouth.
The line grew quiet for a second as I heard him take a deep breath.
"Stella, do me a favor, and don't ever say those two words for the rest of your life."
I sniffled as my breaths started to get even again. "I'm sorry." I whispered knowing how hard it must be for him to know that I've given up hope.
"It's fine. But Stella, I still want you to look at your surroundings. I need to know where you are, so can you do that?" he asked and just when I was about to respond with another no, he added "For me?"
I shook my head, before realizing he wasn't there to see my silent yes.
"Okay, but please don't hang up on me." I sighed as I began to rise.
"Not in a million years, Sunshine" and just hearing my nickname gave me just enough power to stand straight up and begin to talk.
"There's a small lake, almost as small as a puddle but not." I started. "A little park, a lot of trees, kind of like a forest and for off in the distant there's a small―"
"Swing set?" he asked and I smiled.
"Yeah how did you know?"
He took a deep, deathly breath before responding. "I didn't say that Stel,"
I slowly turned my head to see Baltor with his signature smirk.
"Stella I've been looking for youuu" he sang with nothing but evil in his voice.
"I know exactly where that is, Sunshine. Please hold on." I heard Brandon whisper, as Baltor started to approach me. I turned to run but then I heard a loud gunshot. I turned around to find a tree about 2 feet away from me, with a bullet sized hole inside of it.
"Not so fast sweetie, I'm tired of playing." He said with a sickening laugh. "Wow, I've never seen a silent Stella. I guess I leave you speechless huh?" he added as he continued to laugh.
I quickly regain control of my facial expressions again. "I'm not stupid. I know you would never kill me." I said with so much certainty that I almost believed myself. But this gesture only caused him to laugh even more.
"Conceited aren't we? Stella, haven't you heard of the saying, Never say Never?" he rose his eyebrows.
"Well how about this? I will NEVER date you again. And I was NEVER in love with your sorry ass! And I will make sure you will NEVER touch my again as long as you live. And I will NEVER see you again. So never say never my ass! And those are promises not threats" I yelled, hoping to save time by getting him angry. I could tell half of my plan was working by the sound, of his low pissed off growl.
"Fine! If can NEVER have you, neither can anyone else." And the next events happened in slow motion.
I saw Baltor aim his gun.
I heard Brandon yell, "NO, Stella" over the phone. But for some strange reason he sounded a lot closer.
I heard the loud gunshot.
I saw a flash of pink. I hated the color, but suddenly had a new appreciation for it.
I felt the impact. But even through Baltor aimed for my head, I felt all the pain coming from my heart.
A/N:I'm so sorry about my slow updates, but school just started and…. Let's just say I could do a lot better. So I'm so sorry for the delay. I'll try to update sooner but no promises. Anyways fan of the week is ShiningSunray. I hate to do repeats but she made me smile the most! (I'm pretty sure you already know you rock! :)So please review and tell me what you guys thought about the chapter!
Ps. I love pink. It's my favorite color, but I have a feeling Stella would hate it so I did what I did :) thanks for reading!