Chapter 35
Homecoming
Straightening my dress across my thighs, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The young woman who looked back at me looked nothing like she usually did. I inhaled sharply, taking in the details of my dramatically changed appearance. Short red curls were tied to the side of my head with a pearl comb, the ringlets just glancing the top of my shoulder. A pair of simple pearl earrings framed my features, adding a touch more dressiness to the look. My mom had also applied a light layer of makeup to my face for the first time in my life, and even to myself I looked unrecognizable. My eyes were framed by a light champagne-colored eyeshadow and lined with brown eyeliner and mascara. A light hint of lipstick graced my mouth, outlining a small cupid's bow I had never noticed before.
Most strikingly different of all was the dress. Arleen had outdone herself in her efforts to find me a dress that I would both love and look somewhat decent in. Its rayon and faux satin were a rich bronze color and hugged my figure only in flattering places. It extended almost to my feet, but up the right side was a dramatic slit that opened the dress past my knees. The top of the dress hung from my body by thin straps positioned far down my shoulders. The cut was simple and not gaudy or overly revealing in any way. It was just the type of dress I could get away with wearing.
My mom had realized after she picked me up that afternoon that I didn't own a single pair of shoes that would vaguely match my dress. After Dylan and I went out for a late lunch, my mother and I spent the rest of the day at the mall trying to find a pair of shoes that both matched the dress and that I could stand wearing. We settled on a pair of strappy sandals with a faint hint of a heel. They were completely impractical and would be miserable in the weather, but I wasn't going to be riding my bike to and from school, so that was a plus at least.
On my shoulder I carried a long-handled clutch that I borrowed from my mother, which served only one single purpose. After seeing that ghost yet again, boldly out in the open in front of everyone, I wasn't taking any chances. My lightsaber barely fit into it, and it would be a pain in the ass to get out in a hurry. But it was still better than not having it at all.
I looked back at the reflection of my face again. Despite how dressed up I was, I felt like a poser, and still had no clue what I was even doing going to this thing in the first place. But I knew that Dylan would think otherwise, so I supposed that was good enough for me.
"You ready, Lia?" my mom inquired from the hallway. "It's almost 6:15. You don't want to be late."
"Right," I responded, sighing at my reflection once more before opening the door.
I thought Mom was going to faint. She threw her hands to her mouth and practically squealed. "Lia, you look so beautiful!" she gasped. "I mean that dress looked good on you in the store, but putting it all together like this... Wow!"
"Thanks mom," I said as I felt myself blush in embarrassment.
Mom continued to fuss over my appearance, having me turn this way and that to adjust this and fawn over that. She then placed me against a blank wall in the hallway and proceeded to conduct a mini photoshoot. She put me in all kinds of different poses, snapping photos like a mad woman in an attempt to capture every angle of this "monumental event in my life".
I supposed a person's first school dance was something to commemorate, and I had to admit that the evening was already starting to feel special. This was the most dressed up I had ever been in my life, and despite the discomfort from the makeup, nylons, and the bobby pins stabbing my scalp, I had to admit I liked looking this good. Though it did seem likea lot of effort to go through to just stand around listening to bad music all evening.
After my mom concluded her photo shoot, we hopped in the car and made our way to school. The snow had finally ceased for the night, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting my brand-new dress wet. The Saturday night traffic was still heavy downtown, and as we rolled through the traffic lights, I gazed lazily out the window. The streetlights illuminated small crowds of people, bundled up to their cheeks, making their way between the theater and the bars. The lights from the store fronts twinkled and reflected off the damp car window, and I caught a glimpse of my unrecognizable reflection through the kaleidoscope of multi-colored light.
When we got to school, we had to wait in a long line of cars that wound their way up the driveway toward the gymnasium doors. A few of the wealthier and more beautiful kids had rented fancier cars for the occasion. I saw a white limousine pull up to the curb, and as it came to a stop, I saw a Senior jock guy, dressed to the nines in a crisp white tux, leap out of the back seat and trot around to the door on the other side. He extended his hand into the cabin as he opened the door, and even from this distance I could see exactly who was getting out. At first all I saw was the back of her head, curled to the heavens and freshly dyed a vibrant platinum blonde. As she stepped out of the car, hand in red-nail polished hand with her date, I caught full sight of Aurora stepping onto the sidewalk.
She was a vision, like something fresh off the cover of a magazine. She lingered with her date on the curb even as the line of cars inched forward, forcing me to get a better look at her as we approached. Her dress clung to her coat-hangar figure, and her neckline plunged almost to her abdomen. Her perfectly round breasts sat precariously beneath the flaps of fabric, which somehow defied the laws of physics in order to keep her decent. The dress itself was covered in blinding pink sequins which glittered with every movement, giving her the appearance of a walking disco ball. Her long hair hung down her bare back, and her floor length dress trailed behind her in a sequined train. Her makeup was perfect, and she curled her red lips over her perfect teeth as she smiled and posed for her friends, who were rapidly snapping photos of her and her boyfriend like a rabid gang of paparazzies.
I spun around in my seat when I suddenly heard the sound of impossibly loud heavy metal coming from a truck that had just pulled up a few cars behind us. The air was filled with the sound of guitar riffs, gravelly baritones screaming incoherently, and a bass so intense it made our car vibrate. Even the Pink Monster turned around and gave them an unbecoming sneer. I strained to see whose truck had just pulled in, but I didn't need to know who was driving it to know exactly who had just arrived.
"Good lord," Mom commented with a roll of her eyes, "it's a wonder everyone in that car isn't deaf!"
We were only a few cars away from the curb now, and from this closer vantage point I caught sight of my date, awkwardly waiting around and trying to hide in the shadows. His dark blonde hair was styled neatly, with his part cut sharply on the left side, and the rest of his hair gelled perfectly into place on the right. He was clean-shaven and looked more put together than I had ever seen him. He was dressed in a black suit, his tie the same color as my dress, and in his breast pocket was a red rose. He cradled something protectively in his arms, but no matter how hard I strained I couldn't make out what it was.
Mom caught sight of Dylan as well and gave me a knowing smile. "Looks like your date's here," she commented. "He's cute. But Lia, you be sure you're careful tonight. Don't do anything stupid. And don't wander away from the main dance area, ok?"
"I'll be fine mom," I assured her, lightly patting my bag. "He's a nice guy. I'm perfectly safe."
"I know," my mom replied, and I did a double take when I heard her voice crack. "I just worry. It's a mother's job, you know."
"Mom, are you crying?!"
She laughed and brushed a tear out of her eye. "Just emotional," she answered. "My little baby's growing up so fast! Now you're going to your first dance, and you have your first date. Where did the time go?! The first day of Kindergarten seems like yesterday!"
"Oh Mom, I'll be fine, ok?" I whined. "And it's not like I'm going away and leaving the nest. It's just a dance! Relax!"
"I know," she said with a smile. "It's just amazing how fast this day has come."
I nearly rejoiced when we pulled up to the front of the school. Thankfully, Aurora and her entourage had finally gone inside, so I could at least get out of the car in peace. "Thanks for the ride, Mom," I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt. "I'll see you later."
"I'll pick you up at 11 when the dance ends," she replied. "Call me if you want to be picked up earlier."
"I will," I responded as I opened the car door, "love you!"
I closed the door behind me, and as I stepped onto the sidewalk, Dylan immediately saw me and practically ran over. He looked awestruck, and I shifted awkwardly as he gaped at me.
"Lia!" he gasped when he finally reached my side. He looked me up and down, and my face turned the same color as the rose in his pocket. "You look stunning!"
"Thanks," I said sheepishly, "you look great as well. The tie suits you."
"Here," he said as he fumbled with the mysterious box he was holding, "I got you this."
I raised an eyebrow in confusion as he struggled to open it with his shaking hands. When he finally managed to pry the lid off, there was a beautiful red rose corsage sitting on a paper towel in the bottom. Leaves and sprigs of baby's breath framed the flower, and the entire thing was tied to a white wristband. Tossing the box in a nearby recycling bin, he slipped the corsage onto my wrist, his cold hands trembling uncontrollably with nervousness.
"Dylan," I said as I admired it in the streetlight, "it's beautiful!"
His face turned red as he smiled. He offered a shaking arm out to me. "Shall we?" he asked.
I nodded and took his arm, placing my hand in the crux of his elbow as I let him lead me up the steps toward the gymnasium. Around us, various members of the yearbook club snapped photos of everyone who entered, and I squinted through the flashes. Ahead of us, Aurora lingered in the doorway, interviewing with someone from the school newspaper, who scribbled rapid-fire notes in a spiral notebook as she spoke.
Without warning, the sound of heavy metal grew to a whole new level of deafening, and our hands flew to our ears instinctually. Dylan and I spun around to see a black pickup truck pull up to the curb, revving its engine unnecessarily as it did so. All four doors of the extended cab flew open, and like a clown car, an impossible and illegal number of people leapt out onto the sidewalk. They were dressed all in black save for their hair, which was dyed a multitude of colors across the rainbow. Sure enough, among the crowd of goths was Liz, her spiked hair dyed a vibrant blue, sporting more gothic attire than I had ever seen her wear before. She wore a black, floor-length trench coat, knee-high platform black boots, lots of fishnet, and a spiked collar and wristbands. Her friends wore similar attire, and there were more spikes between them than the back of a porcupine. I recognized heaving bulk of Shane, wearing black plate armor under his coat and his hair dyed neon green. He picked Liz up and carried her whooping and hollering on his shoulders as they ran screaming toward the gym. As they got closer, I noticed that all of them were wearing makeup that looked uncannily similar to the band Kiss.
I glanced over at Aurora and laughed out loud when I saw the mortified look on her face.
Shaking our heads and laughing in disbelief, Dylan and I linked arms again and made our way into the gym. We showed the chaperones our tickets and were immediately fitted with neon wristbands that glowed under the black light at the entrance. After handing off our coats to be checked, we made our way into the gym, and immediately the bass to a pop song almost as loud as the goths' heavy metal hit our ears like a freight train. The gym floor was covered in moving, multicolored lights, but there was a striking lack of dancers.
"It's still early," Dylan commended. "C'mon, let's go see what they have for food."
Still arm in arm, he and I trotted over to the cafeteria table that had been dragged into the gym and set up against the folded bleachers. It was covered in a cheap, plastic, green tablecloth that likely came from the dollar store. Sprinkled across it was just as cheap-looking black and gold confetti. On the sad table were trays of stale crackers and orange plastic squares that I could only assume was supposed to be cheese, some celery sticks and a bowl of warm ranch dip I didn't trust, and a tray of underripe fruit. I took a couple of strawberries, while Dylan braved some of the cheese-like product.
"Well," I said as he took a bite, "is it actually cheese?"
"It might have been once," he said with a grimace.
"That bad?" I laughed.
"I'm still gonna eat it," he replied with a shrug as he braved another orange square.
We took our snacks and made our way to the opposite side of the gym. The teachers had taped green and black crepe paper swags across the folded bleachers in a sad attempt at decorating. On the back wall of the gymnasium, a portable stage was set up, and on it was a microphone and two folding chairs decked out in crepe paper and fake white flowers.
More people had started to file into the cafeteria by this point, and most of them tore at the food table like a pack of starved hyenas. A chorus of screaming erupted as Liz and her crowd ran into the gym, and I practically snorted with laughter as they ran straight to the middle of the dance floor and mockingly danced to the music, screaming and cheering all the way.
"I wonder how many energy drinks Liz has had," I heard a voice say behind me.
Dylan and I whirled around to find Emily, whom I barely recognized, standing behind us and looking in the direction of Liz. Her hair was neatly folded in a bun on the top of her head, and her eyes were graced with a light layer of mascara. Her dress was a rich royal blue the same color as her eyes, which looked just as tired as they had the last time I had spoken with her. The collar on the dress was high and modest, ending in a small cap sleeve at her shoulders, and the hem extended just past her knees. In her hands she held a clutch that bulged at the seams in the same way mine did.
"Hi Em," I said awkwardly, trying to avert my eyes away from her clutch.
"You look beautiful, Lia," she commented with a smile.
"So do you," I replied as a lump began to form in my throat.
Dylan looked between us nervously but said nothing, and for a few moments a tense silence hung in the air, despite the volume of the rap song that was now playing.
It was Emily who eventually broke the silence. "It was good seeing you, Lia," she said, and I didn't need the Force to sense her discomfort. "I hope you and Dylan have fun. We'll be here if you need anything."
Before I could ask, she gestured to a section of the back wall where all five Padawans stood huddled in a close circle, looking a combination of intimidated and uncomfortable. The boys were dressed in almost identical black suits, with Galon being the odd one out wearing a polka-dotted bow tie and a pair of wing-tipped black and white shoes. Kabea wore the plainest and most boring-looking black dress I had ever seen, and her appearance lacked any sort of ornamentation, or effort for that matter. She shifted uncomfortably every time she moved, and even at this distance I could see a scowl written on her face.
"Great," I mumbled sarcastically. I bit my tongue to keep myself from firing back with something worse, for Dylan's sake mostly. Taking the hint, Emily left to rejoin her Padawan friends.
Dylan placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You two will work it out someday," he replied. "I have faith in you."
"Thanks Dylan," said as I gave his hand a squeeze.
By then the crowd had grown considerably, and now a few of the braver individuals had started a miniature mosh pit in the middle of the dance floor, dancing nonsensically to the music. I caught sight of Taylor, arm in arm with Michelle, waltzing into the gym and wandering over to the food table. A few minutes later Katherine, wearing a lacey yellow dress, walked in holding the arm of one of the boys from our math class. Unfortunately, I knew that none of my other friends would be here tonight, and the friends that were here would be busy with their dates, or in Liz's case with her hyperactive group of friends. Tonight, it was just going to be about Dylan and me, and oddly enough, I was okay with that.
Within the hour, the mosh pit had grown to a moderate size, and the food was practically gone. Dylan and I exchanged snarky comments into each other's ears about the music and the quality of the dancing, laughing after each sarcastic quip. The majority of the people on the dance floor were preppies and jocks, with the occasional intermixing of a normal person, ROTC student in a dress uniform, or a band geek. The music was, admittedly, terrible, and the nonsensical and downright degrading lyrics were the subject of many of our jokes. Eventually, Katherine and her date joined in the dancing, albeit less enthusiastically, and Taylor and Michelle danced half-heartedly a small distance from the main crowd. In the middle of the tangle of sweaty bodies I caught sight of Aurora, who was bringing her sexy back in full swing on her boyfriend's lap. This earned a laugh from both of us.
Finally, the DJ played a pop song that Dylan and I both agreed we didn't hate. About ten seconds in, he extended his hand toward mine.
"Shall we?" he asked. "We are at a dance, you know."
"We don't know the first thing about dancing," I responded as I let him take my hand in his.
"Neither do they," he replied as he led me to the main throng.
As we got closer, my heart pounded so hard I thought for sure it would give out. We had been standing or sitting directly next to each other all day, even huddled under the same blanket, but there was something about this context that made me nervous to be so close to him. He must have felt the same way because as we swayed back and forth in time with everyone else, he made sure to keep a reasonable distance between us. Thankfully, some of the discomfort ebbed over time, and after a while we were dancing and laughing. Once in a while, Liz and her gaggle of goths would descend on the mosh pit, dance with any preppy or jock they could find, and cackle when they were chased away.
At one point, Liz and her friends started a conga line, and surprisingly almost everyone in attendance joined in on the fun. When the line waddled by, I grabbed Dylan's shoulders and we jumped into the fray, and a bunch more people joined in behind us. Everyone in the human chain bounced up and down as we snaked around the gym, and I couldn't help but laugh jovially as I jogged to keep up with the pace. At one point we danced by Emily and the Padawans, who hadn't moved from their spot near the back wall all night. I waved to them as we passed, earning a few raised eyebrows.
About halfway through the dance, a girl in a light pink dress stepped up onto the stage, and on cue the DJ lowered the music. The eyes of every person in attendance, including Emily and her crew, gravitated toward the stage to watch what the preppies had been waiting for all night: the revealing and coronation of the Homecoming King and Queen.
The chair of the Homecoming committee, a Senior girl on the field hockey team named Jess, tapped the mic to silence the room.
"Welcome everyone to HOMECOMING!" she announced enthusiastically. "Is everyone having a good time?"
The crowd cheered in response, and I heard one of the gothic guys scream "FUCKING BRILLIANT!" over the noise.
"Awesomeeee!" she continued, ignoring the jeering noises the goths were now making. She held up a sealed envelope, and the preppy girls lost their minds. "I have here in my hands," Jess had to shout into the mic, "the results of this year's election for Homecoming King and Queen!"
Another cheer from the crowd, followed by heckling from the goths.
Jess hastily opened the envelope, holding the paper within it above her head for a few moments to hype up the crowd.
"NOBODY GIVES A FUCK!" one of the goths bellowed above the screaming preppies.
"Aaaaaand the results are in," Jess announced. "Ladies and gentlemen, this year's Homecoming King and Queen are…Brian Shilling and Aurora De Lyon!"
I covered my ears as the preppy screaming reached a painful decibel. Through my muffled ears I could hear the goths jeering and whistling as Aurora and her boyfriend made their way onto the stage. Aurora looked overjoyed to be up there, while her boyfriend looked to be little more than a brainless ornament for her arm. She hugged the Homecoming committee chair, her overdone face bursting with joy as she brushed away fake tears.
The DJ switched up the music as a couple of the other members of the Homecoming committee ascended the stage. The King and Queen were each fitted with a crown, and Aurora was given a massive bouquet of green and yellow flowers. Brian's crown was a traditional pointed king's crown, cheaply made and gaudy-looking with its fake gold finish and plastic jewels. Aurora's tiara was made with the shiniest silver sequins I had ever seen, and the slightest movement of her head cast a reflection so blinding I couldn't look at it directly. Together, Aurora and her boyfriend sat on the decorated folding chairs that would serve as their thrones while the yearbook photographers swarmed them for pictures. Aurora beamed a pearly-white smile and waved like a true royal to her adoring fans in the mosh pit below.
After a few waves and some photographs, the microphone was handed over to the newly elected royalty. The Homecoming King was the first to take the mic, and he had to wait a few moments for the eager girls to stop screaming.
"Hello Central High School! How we all doin' tonight?" he announced, earning more screaming from the girls. "So uhh, yeah I just wanted to say thank you for electing me Homecoming King. Uhhh- Go Ravens!"
He was met with more screaming as he passed the mic over to his Queen, and Dylan and I couldn't help but snort in laughter.
"Even though we lost today," Dylan laughed.
" 'Ello everyone!" God damnit, that fake French accent was fucking unbearable at this volume. "Oh zut alors, zis iz such an 'onor! Zank yew sooo much for electing me 'omecoming Queen! I am overwhelmed at zis opportunity, and I can't tell yew 'ow much zis means to me! I 'ave put so much effort into this, and I am so 'appy yew all appreciate it! I love yew all, and I 'ope yew all 'ave a wonderful night!"
The crowd erupted into another chorus of cheers and screaming, and one of the goths shouted "GET THAT THING OFF THE STAGE!"
"In honor of our new Homecoming King and Queen," Jess announced over the noise, "we'd like to play a song for you, specifically requested by the royal couple. We hope you enjoy!"
After some more cheering, the DJ followed up with the first slow song of the night. Dylan and I glanced at each other awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.
"Well?" Dylan asked, gesturing to the dance floor, his ears turning the same color as his boutonniere.
"Sure, why not," I replied with a shrug.
Dylan practically tripped over himself as he led me by the hand further onto the dance floor. Neither of us had a clue how to slow dance, so we took a cue from everyone else and simply shifted our weight between our feet in time with the rhythm. He held one of my hands, and I tensed when the other came to rest on the small of my back. He was as tense and nervous as I was, and for a while we danced in awkward silence. All around us, couples were making out or giggling to each other. In my peripheral I caught sight of Michelle giving Taylor a smiling kiss.
Eventually, Dylan broke the anxious silence. "Thanks for coming with me tonight," he said softly. "I've had a really wonderful time so far."
"Me too," I said with a smile. "Sure beats sitting at home alone watching TV, right?"
"Hell yeah," he said with a laugh.
The space between us was so uncomfortably small I couldn't look directly at him. It felt like butterflies had grown in my chest, and my hands felt clammy and numb as I held his shoulder. I swallowed against a growing dry lump in my throat, and I could feel sweat starting to condensate on the back of my neck. I could feel his body heat against mine, and I could feel every movement of his body as we danced. I had never been this close with someone of the opposite sex before, and my stomach and heart fluttered nervously as the song drew on.
"You know, Lia," Dylan broke the tangible silence again, "I know I've said this already, but I've had a lot of fun with you today."
"Likewise," I said as I felt my face turn red once again. I hoped that the dance floor would be dark enough for him not to notice.
Before he could continue, Liz and her friend Rob galloped by, clutched hands extended and swaying excessively in mockery of the slow dancers.
"I think you're really cool, Lia," Dylan added, ignoring Liz and Rob as they flailed about.
"I think you're cool too," I responded. "I never thought I'd say that, given how much time we spent bickering those first couple of months."
"Same here," he admitted, "but I'm glad that we stopped that crap. I'd love to hang out with you more often." He laughed as his next thought popped into his head. "You can show me Star Wars again sometime. Maybe now I'll be more open to it."
I laughed heartily, and my forehead brushed against his shoulder as I did so. "You got it, mister," I teased, "I'll turn you into a diehard fan in no time!"
"Sure you will," he teasingly challenged.
"I dunno," I joked, "I think you'd fit right in with the Star Wars club."
"I'll pass on the capes, thanks," he said with a wink.
We both laughed as we continued to dance, the closeness becoming less awkward with each passing verse. The song seemed to last for ages, and when it was over, Dylan hesitated for a moment before letting me go.
"I'm gonna grab some water," I announced as soon as the music switched to some rap song neither of us could stand.
"Want me to come with you?" he asked.
"Nah, I'm good," I replied as I started to walk away. "Hold our spot on the floor. I'll be right back."
"You got it, captain." He called back.
I laughed as I made my way out of the gymnasium and down toward the locker rooms, where the restrooms and the drinking fountains were located. On my way by I noticed that the Padawans had spread out and were wandering around different parts of the gym, and Emily was missing entirely. I shook my head to dispel any sense of worry. Perhaps she was just out getting some air. I had to admit that it was awfully stuffy in the gym, and it reeked of perfume, cologne, and body odor.
Several of the hallway lights had burned out near the women's bathroom, casting deep and sharp shadows over the area. Luckily there wasn't anyone waiting in line at the drinking fountain, so I was immediately able to quench my thirst from the hot, stuffy air of the gym. From the bathroom behind me, I could hear the echoes of a group of giggling preppies. Consumed in my own happy thoughts of my first slow dance, I failed to notice who was among them until it was too late.
I stood up and turned around at the exact moment the Pink Nightmare emerged from the bathroom, her gang of friends in tow. She froze in her tracks, her face instantly contorting into the deepest scowl I had ever seen her wear.
"Yew," Aurora sneered as she crossed her arms, causing her breasts to squish together. "Vhat are yew doing 'ere?"
I attempted to walk away, to ignore them and go back to my waiting date. I bit my tongue and turned to go back the way I came, but one of Aurora's friends stood directly in my path. In the dim light I faintly recognized her as the brunette from lunch earlier that week.
"Get out of my way," I growled to the brunette, but she simply crossed her arms and refused to budge.
"Answer me, yew freak!" Aurora shrieked. "How DARE yew come 'ere vhere you're not welcome and bring your stoopid freak friends vith yew!"
"I didn't come with them," I insisted, still staring down the brunette in my path.
"Connarde!" Aurora spat. "Yew brought zem 'ere to torment me and laugh at me! Yew freaks RUINED my speech!"
My pulse quickened as they started to close in on me, and out of instinct I backed toward the water fountain. Soon they formed a semi-circle around me, and with each moment they loomed closer, like a pack of lionesses just waiting to pounce on their prey.
"I had no control over what they said!" I countered, my hand instinctually inching toward my purse. "Like I told you, I didn't bring them. They may be my friends, but they came on their own!"
"Oh bullshit!" the brunette snapped. "You're all here just to make fun of us and ruin the dance we've been preparing for all year! Look at the way they're fucking dressed! They did this just to ruin Homecoming for the rest of us!"
"They're dressed no more ridiculous than you or the Pink Nightmare over there!" I barked in return, my anger beginning to build and make my fingertips numb. Suddenly, despite the dim light, I could see them perfectly clearly in my mind's eye.
Aurora gasped in horror, but then her surprise quickly turned to rage. "Vhat did yew say to me?"
"You heard me!" I shouted, turning my attention back to her. I could feel the air around me becoming heavy and electrified. "You are ALWAYS making fun of me for absolutely NO FUCKING REASON! I have done NOTHING to you but put up with you and how fucking fake you are! Every goddamn English class you sit there and click your tongue at me in disgust, snicker at me, and roll your eyes at everything I say and do. All semester I've sat there and taken it, but not anymore!" My voice was shrill by this point, and I could feel my face growing hot with rage. "I've had enough of you, you self-absorbed piece of shit!"
Aurora's eye began to twitch, and she quickened her pace toward me. I inched to the side to better hide myself in the shadows. "Vhat's there to not make fun of, hm? Yew fat freak!" she scoffed through a smile. "Yer dress… it looks like a rusty guardrail." This earned her laughs from her friends. "Yew are stoopid, yew are lazy, yew are gross, and yew are pathetic. Star Wars?" She and her friends giggled. " 'ow childish!"
I grit my teeth in fury, and as my anger built, I felt everything become clearer and more focused. It felt like I could feel their movements mere nanoseconds before they happened.
"If it were just yew 'ere," she added, "and yew stayed out of my way, I might've left yew alone. 'owever, yew had to bring your disgusting friends to ruin my night! And fer zat…we are going to make sure yew pay!"
It felt like my fingertips were going to spark, and as they fully closed in around me, I shot them an evil smirk.
"Oh, are you now?" I whispered menacingly. I let out a soft, malicious chuckle as I saw the implied threat of my tone begin to sink in.
"Make them suffer," I heard my inner voice growl in sadistic glee.
Oh, I intended to.
I let them strike first. The brunette made to grab me by the arm, but before she could do anything I reached out with my other hand and grabbed her through the Force. I held her in midair for a moment, enjoying her gasps and her struggling, before thrusting her back toward the bathrooms with a simple wave of my arm. She let out a delicious scream as she was hurtled backwards, and I could hear the air get knocked out of her lungs as her back hit the tile wall. She slumped forward, clutching her chest and gasping to regain her breath.
For a moment, the other girls stood and looked between me and the brunette, horrified looks written all over their painted features. I took advantage of their distraction and let the energy build up in my arms again, and as I extended both hands with a feral scream, I willed the air around me to hurtle them back in the direction I had thrown the brunette. They shrieked as the Force obeyed my commands, and they were all instantly thrown back toward the bathroom. They all hit the floor, screaming and crying and holding various parts of their bodies.
Finally, it was just Aurora and I alone, precisely the way I wanted it. She looked back toward her friends and then at me, the horror and the gravity of her mistake written all over her face. I drank in her fear, fed on it, and used it to give me focus and to re-build the reservoir of Dark Power within me.
"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" She screamed, all traces of her French accent suddenly gone as she too a few fearful steps back. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"
I chuckled in amusement, and it was the most ominous sound I had ever heard come from my own mouth. "What's the matter?" I taunted as I stalked toward her, closing the distance between us again. "Suddenly forgot how to be French?"
"You're a FUCKING FREAK!" she wailed in a hoarse voice.
"Better a freak than the shallow, vicious cunt that you are," I said with a fresh smirk.
Before she could get any further, I extended my hand and focused all of my mental energies on her neck. I imagined myself squeezing those delicate throat muscles, feeling her windpipes slowly crush under the strength of my grip. I poured every ounce of concentration into that desire, and to my delight, the Force obeyed my commands once again. Aurora's hands immediately flew to her throat, and her taunting was reduced to little more than quiet, broken gags.
"I'm going to enjoy this," I growled. I reveled in her suffering, and I soon found myself becoming lost in the ecstasy of it. But I didn't care. It was intoxicating, and I wanted more. Her pain would give me power. She deserved what she was getting. I had endured her torments for so long, and now I finally got to revel in the sweet taste of my revenge. This had been so long coming, and I was going to relish every second of it.
Suddenly I heard a deep, quiet laugh from the shadows behind me. I maintained my concentration, but I could feel another, darker presence slowly creeping up on me. The presence felt familiar and was not at all welcome.
"Gooooood," the voice of Darth Saeleth whispered over my shoulder. "Make her suffer. Make her pay for what she has done. Her pain will make you stronger."
Aurora's friends, who had started to get up, suddenly stopped. Their eyes were glued to the space behind me and their faces were frozen in expressions of terror. I didn't need to look behind me to know that the Sith Lord had shown himself and was slowly creeping up on me. Aurora herself continued to gag, and at Saeleth's urging I tightened my grip, causing her to claw at her throat frantically. Her body slowly lifted into the air, and her feet kicked wildly as she struggled in futility. Her fingers drew lines in her neck to match her nail polish, and her renewed pain invigorated my senses.
"Kill her," Saeleth urged. "You know she deserves it. Crush the life out of her."
Oh, I wanted to. I had put up with her and her bullying for too damn long. It was time to strike back, to show her who was more powerful. To show her and everyone else that Amelia MacIntosh was not to be messed with.
But part of me hesitated. I had her life in my hands, and I could snuff it out with a single thought. But part of my brain recoiled at the thought of taking her life, and soon it became a battle of wills within me whether or not to let her go.
I suddenly felt more presences in the hallway. We were not alone anymore.
"LIAAAAAAA!" I heard Emily scream as I felt her running down the stairs. "LET HER GO, LIA! LET. HER. GO!"
They were here, all six of them. All six of those damn Jedi that had haunted my every step for months. They were running towards me. They had every intention of stopping me, from taking this moment away from me.
I wasn't going to let that happen.
When I didn't respond, Emily screamed my name again and lunged toward me. I heard the sound of lightsabers igniting, and in my peripheral I saw Saeleth dart out of the shadows. He lunged in front of me, his lightsaber drawn. The air was filled with the distinctive cracking and spitting of two lightsabers locking. He had moved just in time to block a swing from a… Jedi lightsaber? Whose was it? Did Emily…? No, hers was magenta. The blur I saw was blue. Whose was it?
All of this broke my concentration, and Aurora fell to the ground, gasping for air. She coughed and gagged, clutching at her throat as she hacked and dry heaved in a crumpled mess on the floor. I ignored her and spun around to face the Jedi, and I gasped when I saw who Darth Saeleth had just defended me from.
It was Kabea.
I looked between her and Emily, my eyes wide in a mixture of surprise and betrayal. Emily, too, looked flabbergasted, and for the first time, looked to have no control over the situation.
"So much for protecting me!" I spat at the Jedi. "Looks like the Sith continue to do a better job of that than you ever could!"
"Mission or not," Kabea countered, "I won't let you do this! I won't let you hurt innocent people!"
"Kabea!" Emily cried. "Don't do this! You're only going to make it worse!"
"Stand down, Kabea!" Galon joined in the urging.
"Don't you see?!" Kabea exclaimed. "She's already lost! We can't keep this up anymore! It's pointless! We need to end her and the Sith NOW!"
"KABEA!" Mader shouted back. "We're supposed to obey the Council! We're better than this!"
"Well they're wrong!" Kabea screeched.
Through the arguing I could hear Saeleth chuckle. His laughter started off quiet and subdued, but as their dispute intensified, it erupted into maniacal. As he laughed, I could feel a surge of Dark Side energy building within his body, and I instinctually took a few steps back.
"You young fools," he jeered, earning a renewed snarl from Kabea. Before she could react and strike again, Saeleth thrust his hand forward, and the air around him warped violently. The Jedi, too absorbed in their own in-fighting, were caught completely off guard, and all of them were sent careening back toward the stairwell.
I yelped in surprise as I too was caught up in the explosion of Force energy and flung backwards. With a cry of surprise and pain I slammed hard against the tile floor and rolled a few times before coming to a stop. Out of sheer instinct I managed to cling to my purse, and when I finally stopped rolling, I attempted to yank my lightsaber out of its depths.
But before I could, Saeleth lunged at me in a blur of dark clothing, and I cried out again when he scooped me up in his arms and ran into the darkness. I could sense the Force feeding speed and strength to his legs as we moved at dizzying speed through the locker room maze, out the emergency exit, and into the night.
Author's Note: "Connarde" is a French explicative. Loosely translated, it means "jerk" or "asshole", but it is versatile in its uses and in the strength of its meaning.
Also, hi everyone. Wow, what weird times we are living in right now. I hope you are all doing well and are staying safe and healthy during this pandemic. I hope you are all hunkered down and practicing social distancing and staying home. I for one am in one of the major outbreak hotspots in the US, and it is frankly terrifying. I haven't left my home in over a week, and I'll be working from home for both of my jobs until at least May.
This forced quarantine at home has been good in some ways, as it has forced me to slow down and really take time for myself and my loved ones. I am so sorry that it's been so long since I have updated this fic. The holidays were immediately followed by other life insanity that made things really busy, but in a good way. But now that I can't leave my home, I want to finally come back to all of my writing projects!
This is definitely a very scary time for everyone, and since we are all stuck in quarantine, I figured I would put the pedal to the metal on my edits and get this chapter out. It's not as polished as I want it to be, and since this is a major plot development chapter, I've struggled with my own perfectionism. But I figured that now would be really the perfect time to update. I know Fanfiction probably isn't high on anyone's priority lists right now, but for those of you who are looking for a distraction from all the scary insanity in the world right now, I hope this chapter can be that distraction for you. It's important that we all take some time to take care of ourselves during this difficult time, and I hope that I can bring at least some happiness into your lives right now with this update.
With that said, I don't know when the next update will be. In my profession, working online from home makes things 10x harder and take 10x longer than they normally would, and I have found myself suddenly swamped with work. But now that I don't have a commute or any other commitments, I can finally take some time to work on my writing, specifically my book. Yes, the book is still going, and I've decided to split this monstrous story into two books. And the rough draft first book is almost done! (then comes editing for the rest of my life and then bribing people to beta read it, haha) It's surreal and exciting, so I unfortunately will be making that my main priority during my free time. But I will work on this fic when I can, as I promised myself and you that I would finish it someday. Don't worry, we are nowhere near the finishing line yet. In fact, things are just getting started for Lia ;)
Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me and stuck with this fic for so long! I really love and appreciate all of you, and my heart goes out to all of you who may be going through a tough time right now. But just know that I love you all and I hope you are well. Enjoy this chapter, and I will see you in the next chapter as soon as I can!
