Chapter 9
It begins
The months flew by quickly. Things happened so fast, I barely had time to catch up. Graduation was creeping up slowly, the seniors at Winston getting careless of their work. Me on the other hand, kept hard to my studies, to have good grades to get into college. Also, prom was coming up. I already knew who I was taking. Brad, of course. A few days before prom, I went shopping for my dress. The one that I wore often was going out of style, as Zach told me.
"Buy something much better, but the same color and style," he said quickly. I nodded.
"Yes, Zach."
"Why don't I go with you?"
"No, Zach, you stay here. I can do this on my own. I need to do some thinking anyway," I muttered, grabbing my purse. He stood up.
"Good-bye then. Have a great time," he said, and kissed my cheek. I nodded, and raced out of the room, and down in to my car. Since the accident, it had been fixed to perfect condition. I crawled in, and started the car, tearing out of the driveway. I drove down 3rd avenue, and parked the car in front of my favorite store that I went to often.
"Hello Miss Lawrence," Jill Gerder greeted me warmly from behind the desk. I smiled.
"Do you need any assistance today? We're having a twenty percent off sale this week," she said, typing something on her computer.
"No thank you Jill," I said politely, and paced down the long aisle of expensive dresses, the red and black ones appealing to the eye. After searching, I found two of the same gown. It was a long, a single off the shoulder strap. The only difference between them was black and red. I took both and tried them on, both looked good, which made it hard to choose. In the end, I called Jill over.
"Which looks better on me Jill? The red, or the black?" I asked, holding them both up to my body. Jill put her hand under her chin and thought.
"Well, the black one gives off the dark color in your eyes, and the red one is very your color. It is a hard decision," she said with a sigh. "Why don't you buy both?" I looked at the price tag on the dresses. A thousand dollars for each.
"Do you think Mr. James would mind at all?" I inquired, picturing him scolding me for buying two dresses for two thousand dollars.
"Mr. James called today to let me know that you could spend as much as you wanted here," she informed. My eyebrows shot up.
"Odd," I whispered, but shook my head and smiled. "I'll take both. I'm going to find some matching shoes." I bolted over to the shoe area, and picked out two of the same shoes. They were strappy sandals, very fitting for the dresses I chose. I grabbed a purse, and some hair accessories, and made my purchase final. She announced the price, and I handed her Zach's credit card carelessly. I'm getting better at this, I thought. She carefully put my purchases in boxes, and helped me carry them out.
"You are going to look good. Here," she tossed me a magazine that had many different hair styles.
"How much does it cost?" I asked.
"It's free for you darling," she replied, grinning.
"Thanks," I said, and crawled into the car. I drove down the street, wondering if I should do any more shopping. I decided that I had spent enough, and headed for home. I had the maids bring up my things, and I went directly into Zach's room, giving him the credit card.
"If I have it in my possession any longer, I'm going to max it out," I told him, setting the card on his desk. He smiled.
"How did everything work out?" he asked.
"It was great. I bought two dresses, because I couldn't decide whether I wanted black or red," I explained, heading for the door.
"Wonderful. Model them later tonight. I want to see them on you," he said, and returned to his paperwork. I nodded, and went into my room. The boxes had been laid on my bed neatly. I walked over to them and held up the dresses, looking at both of them. I would look good in these, I thought. I hung them up in my closet, and put my shoes on the floor under them. I put my hair items in my bathroom, and my purse on the back of the door. I smiled to myself, hardly containing my excitement for the prom, and flopped on my bed, watching some TV. I grabbed some lunch, and went for a quick jog.
As I jogged behind the block, I could hear someone running behind me. I slowed down to see who it was. It was Brian. I grunted, and folded my arms across my chest.
"Don't you think you should have changed your clothes before you come running?" I asked, looking over his attire.
"Never mind that," he said breathless, tossing his hand in my direction. "We need to talk."
"You're a persistent little boy," I quipped. He darted his eyes at me, then raised his eyebrows.
"So you're actually going to listen?" He sounded surprised.
"Yeah, actually, I am. Make it quick." I leaned against a gate in front of someone's yard.
"I still love you Skye. I really do. Madison lost the baby, she tripped down the stairs. We don't have to be together anymore. I can date freely now, and I want to date you. I still love you." He inched closer, I scooted farther back. I sighed and shook my head.
"You apparently don't get it," I muttered, walking close to him. He looked down at me. "OK, read my lips. I HAVE A BOYFRIEND. HE LOVES ME," I pointed to my lips for added emphasis. He grunted.
"He's nothing," he snapped.
"Oh really? Then what are you?" I asked.
"The right person for you," he retorted.
"Hmm," I replied, staring at him. I thought about it for a minute.
"Oh, sorry, you lost the game. Jimmy, don't we have a prize for him?" I asked. "Why yes we do Bob! A trip to. . . Losersville U.S.A!" I impersonated a TV game show host. He turned red for anger. "Now why don't you start packing? You have a long way to go to get to Losersville." I waved him away.
"You know, for a little thing like you, you sure are a bitch. I like them that way," he licked his lips.
"Thank you, thank you." I bowed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis is leaving the building." I started to jog.
"Bye bye Brian," I said perkily, waved, giggled, and started down the street. I smiled all the way home, thinking of how red his face had turned when I told him to get lost. I burst into the house, laughing. Zach poked his head out of his office, giving me a puzzled glance.
"Nothing, nothing," I said, shaking my head, my hair flying about. He sighed, shaking his head and went back to his work. I went upstairs to shower and dress, and took my dinner upstairs. I called Brad and talked to him for about an hour, and crawled into bed.
The days flew by without warning. The prom was the next day, and everyone was running around my room, helping me get ready. Charlene Sheck had arrive, styling my hair the way I desired. I had my nails done, and my makeup was perfectly applied. Once everyone had stopped, and looked at me, I could finally glance at the mirror. My appearance made me gasp.
I looked beautiful! Spectacular! Amazing! The words rang in my mind as I examined every part of me, down to my toes. The dress color I had chosen was red. I blinked. Was this real? I smiled broadly, and looked at the others who had crowded around me.
"Thank you all," I told them softly. They all smiled and clapped jus as Zach had entered the room. His eyes widened as he walked towards me.
"You look. . . " he was at a loss of words. I smiled.
"Thank you," I said gratefully. He smiled. I heard Brad's car horn.
"I'll get it. You need to make a grand entrance," he said, kissed my cheek, and rushed out of the room. I sighed nervously, grabbed my purse, and waited until Zach announced Brad's arrival.
"Skye darling! Brad is here!" he shouted. I took a deep breath, and sauntered out of the room. They were both waiting by the stairs. Brad gaped as he watched me walk downstairs. I made a funny face, and turned to Zach. He was staring, something unfamiliar in his eyes. I smiled, and walked towards Brad. He took my hand and kissed it lightly.
"Skye, you look gorgeous," he said softly. I smiled and nodded.
"You look very handsome," I replied. He beamed, and I turned to Zach.
"Don't get into too much trouble," he joked, slapping my shoulder. I giggled nervously.
"Thanks," I hugged him, and turned to Brad.
"Let's go impress someone," he said, offering his arm for me to take. I smiled at Zach, and threaded my arm with his. We walked out of the house, Zach shutting the door behind us. I looked ahead at the limo that was waiting for us. We crawled in, and smiled at each other.
"Someone told me that there was going to be a red carpet, and the school media was going to be taking lots of pictures," I muttered, leaning back in the seat. Brad laughed.
"We'll have our 15 minutes of fame then," he teased. I laughed, and sighed happily.
"You look like a princess," he said softly, kissing my neck. I tickled, which made me giggle.
"Stop," I said playfully. He pulled away and smiled. The limo lurched forward in motion. I looked at the small bar that was stationed. A bottle of sparkling apple cider, and two champagne glasses sat on the table attached with a note.
Congratulations on getting this far. I couldn't give you real wine, but this is the closest thing I could get you. Have a great night.
Love,
Zach.
I smiled as Brad started to pour the drink into the glasses. He handed me one, and we made a toast.
"To one of the greatest nights," Brad declared, and clinked glasses with me. I gulped mine down quickly, and put the glass down.
The Sheraton Hotel appeared before us. Lights were everywhere, illuminating the pathway inside the hotel. I looked at Brad.
"They always over due things," I muttered, tossing my hand in the air.
"It still looks great." The driver came around and opened the door. We crawled out, Brad taking my hand. Camera flashes flashed in our eyes as I forced a smile. Some people requested interviews, but I refused, and walked inside.
"I told you," I told him softly. The band that was playing was blaring their music. I smiled.
"Lets go upstairs for a minute," I shouted, and dug my key out of my purse, leading him upstairs. I unlocked the door, and went inside. I tossed my purse on the bed, and went into the bathroom to see how I looked. I still looked OK.
"Do you plan on using this room later tonight?" Brad asked sheepishly from the other room. I poked my head out from the bathroom and furrowed my eyebrows. He smiled devilishly, and rubbed his hands together.
"I don't know, you'll just have to wait and see," I told him, and walked out of the bathroom.
"Because if we don't, it wouldn't matter to me," he said, kissing me. I sighed dreamily.
"Let's go back downstairs," I commanded, taking his hand and leading him downstairs. I found my friends and introduced them to Brad. They all welcomed him warmly.
"You look like a movie star," Ian told me. I laughed and shook my head.
We hung around and talked for a while, then Brad pulled me out to the dance floor, and put his hands on my waist.
"Did you come down from the heavens?" he whispered in my ear. I smiled.
"Brad," I chastised. He grinned, and I lay my head on his shoulder. He kissed my cheek and my neck.
"I love you Skye," he whispered in my ear. I smiled and closed my eyes.
"I love you too Brad," I repeated in his ear. He smiled, and kissed me. He brought me to him closer, hugging me tightly. The song ended, and we headed to the buffet table, picking up some food. I picked up a whole plateful, and plopped down in my chair and started to stuff my face.
"Hungry?" Brad asked. I laughed, took a drink of punch, and stuffed some more food. After I was full, we went back to the dance floor and danced until my feet were begging for mercy. I sat down, as did everyone else, as they announced the royal family of Winston High.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. I have the greatest honor, to announce our court this year. This year, the traditions have broken." As the principal babbled on, Lacy Dodger ran up to my table.
"You know, you were nominated as Queen this year," she whispered in my ear. My eyes widened.
"You're kidding me, right?" I asked. She shook her head.
"But I'm your competition. May the best woman win," she said, extending her long hand. I looked at her skeptically.
"Believe me, I will win," she hissed, and glided back to her table. I shook my head.
"What was that about?" Brad whispered. I quickly explained to him what Lacy had told me.
"Wow," he breathed, leaning back in his seat. I nodded, and he spread the word to the others at the table. They all gave me approving glances. I waited anxiously as they announced the other members of the court. Finally, she came to the King and Queen.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have great honor to announce the King and Queen this year. The Queen has achieved her spot in the royal family, because she has worked hard, and deserves this title. She worked hard academically, and socially, and adding a little bit of humor into the staff's life. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the King and Queen of Winston High School." She opened up the envelope, which seemed forever. Lacy stood up, heading over to receive the crown.
"The King and Queen of Winston High, are. . ." A drumroll sounded. I bit my lip nervously.
"Skye Lawrence, and Ian Buchanan!" The principal shouted. Lacy turned pale white and turned to her friends, who wore pained expressions. People screamed and cheered for me as I stood up with Ian to go to the stage. Tears filled my eyes as I walked up, but none of them fell because I didn't want to ruin my mascara. I laughed as I watched Lacy crumble to the ground, crying.
"All of these years I've been waiting, and still I fail!" Her friends went to her side. We went to the center stage, and received the crown. I stepped up to the mic.
"Well, I'm the Queen, huh?" I asked, looking around. "I didn't even know that I was nominated, let alone voted for, until a few minutes ago, when Lacy had told me. Thanks Lacy," I shouted towards her. She looked up at me and moaned.
"I really didn't expect this. I thought I would be nominated class clown or something. But I am honored. I've only been here one year, and now I'm Queen. Well, I'm going to stop babbling now, and let our King talk." I stepped aside. Ian stepped put to the podium, and held up his sword.
"I am your King! Obey me!" He shouted. Laughter erupted through the room. "Thanks guys, those who voted for me, uhhhh, yeah," he stepped off the microphone. The audience clapped as I made my way back to the table. Ian handed the crown to Brad.
"You're the king, not me," he protested.
"Aww, I didn't even want it. I wanted the joker dude," he said, giving the crown to Brad. He shook his head, and placed the crown on his forehead. I turned to him, and kissed him. The table hooted and hollered, and I waved my hand at them. They laughed, and I hugged Brad.
"Congratulations," he whispered. I smiled.
A few hours later, the prom came to an end. The limo took us home, and I fell asleep, because when I woke up again, I was being laid on my bed by Brad.
"You had quite a night," he said, sitting next to me. I sat up.
"Thank you," I said, and kissed his cheek, going to my closet to undress for bed. I slipped into my nightgown, and crawled into bed. Brad kissed my forehead.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight," I repeated, and kissed him. He smiled, and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I snuggled into bed, and closed my eyes.
Graduation passed as a blur. It was one of the greatest days of my life. All of my schooling was complete; I was ready for college. I went to a few parties, then crashed at home for the summer. I celebrated my birthday with a small group of friends, which would be the last time I would see everyone. For good.
Well into the summer, Zach had announced that he had let go all of the servants. "You did what?" I asked, sitting up in my bed quickly.
"Yes, I thought that they were all too nosy anyway, and we don't need that much looking after. I can clean," he said.
"But-but," I sputtered, but he pressed his finger to my lips.
"Don't worry about OK?" He told me. I nodded.
"Good," he said, and left the room. I shook my head and crawled out of bed, getting dressed. Zach is acting oddly, I thought. I went downstairs and made my own breakfast. I ate quickly, and went upstairs to call Brad, but the line was cut! I stormed into Zach's room.
"My line is totally dead! What did you do!" I demanded. He looked up.
"I decided to cut your line. You can use the phone downstairs can't you? And besides, it costs less money anyway. And we could always use more money, couldn't we?" he explained.
"You never cared about money before!" I hissed furiously. He sighed.
"Skye, please don't argue with me. Just use the downstairs phone, OK?" he asked politely. I sighed, nodded, and shuffled downstairs.
"Something weird is going on," I told Brad over the phone. I quickly explained what was happening, and he gave me a good answer.
"It's beginning," he said.
"What is?"
"You know exactly what is it. You be careful. I'm going to California for a month, so I can only call you. We leave in 3 days," he said.
"I'm going to miss you," I whimpered.
"I'm going to miss you too," he said softly. I sighed.
"I have to start packing. I'll call you later," he said, and hung up. I slowly hung up the phone, and looked around. Suddenly, I didn't feel safe. I felt as if I was watched all the time. A cold shiver went up my spine. I stood up quickly, glanced around, and went upstairs and changed into my swimsuit. I hurried downstairs quickly, going out into the pool area. I dropped my towel that was wrapped around my body and heard someone behind me. I turned around. It was Zach in his swimsuit also.
"I decided to go out for a swim since you were also," he said, smiling. He dropped his towel, and jumped in, rising to the surface after a minute. I stuck my feet into the pool, kicking them around a little. Zach swam over to me.
"Come on in, the water's great," he said, gesturing the pool.
"Wait, let me get used to the water for a minute," I told him. He folded his arms across his chest. After a while, he dove under, and his hands came up and grabbed my waist, pulling me in. I screamed, and held my breath. He laughed, and brought me to the surface. He held me close to him.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
"G- Great," I choked nervously.
"Good," he breathed. I smiled weakly. He put his chin on my shoulder, his head next to mine. I looked away.
"Skye, you're so beautiful, why can't I find a wife just as caring, and beautiful as you?" he asked with a sigh.
"I don't know," I sputtered.
"You'd be the perfect wife." The dream, more like a haunting nightmare, had popped into my head. I bit my lip. "What kind of wedding do you want?"
"I don't know," replied I.
"You should think ahead of these things. It's not that far away," he advised softly. I nodded.
"I'm going to do some laps," I used the excuse to get out of his hold. He released me slowly, and I swam over to the other side. I started doing laps, my arms aching quickly, but I ignored it. It was better than being around Zach at the moment. Zach leaned his arms over the edge and watched with a smile of amusement. After I had called it quits, I dragged myself out of the pool, and sprawled out on a lounge chair. Zach laid on the one next to me, lying on his back. I closed my eyes, not expecting to feel Zach's lips on mine a few minutes later. I didn't move, I didn't breathe. His lips lingered, and soon, he pulled away. He must have thought that I was sleeping, I thought. He sighed, and walked back inside. I waited a minute until I opened my eyes. Was that a dream? Was that real? My breath was gone from the suprise. I sat up, wiping my mouth, and slowly walked inside. Zach saw me.
"Did you fall asleep?" he asked, a sheepish smile on his face.
"No," I lied quickly, going up to my room.
"Oh," he said and shrugged. I trapped my breath inside of me, and walked upstairs. I changed quickly into a sweatshirt and jeans, and locked my door to my room, watching TV until deciding to go to bed. I tossed and turned throughout nightmares, waking up constantly during the night.
Two days later, Brad had come over to say good-bye. I was in tears, because I was going to be so scared while he was away. I couldn't run to anyone if Zach does something. Brad commanded me to stop crying.
"Stop! You're going to be fine! I'll only be gone for a month," he cried, throwing his arms around me. I sniffled.
"But I have no one to run to!" I wailed. He sighed and stroked my hair.
"I promise I will call you everyday," he said. I smiled.
"That's better," he said, lifting my chin. I dried my tears.
"I promise when we get back, we can go on our own trip somewhere," he promised. I nodded.
"I have to go now, we have a plane to catch. I love you so much," he said, kissing me. I closed my eyes.
"I love you too," I whispered, and smiled. He walked back to his car, crawled in, waved, and drove off. I watched as his car dissapeared down the street. I felt truly alone now without Brad. I shuffled back into the house, and went up to my room, crawling into bed. Zach entered the room.
"Are you OK honey?" he asked. I hated that he had all these pet names for me now, after he had kissed me.
"I'm fine," I grumbled. He sat down on the bed.
"I know that feeling," he muttered. "When the person you love leaves, and you have no one to love."
"I'll always love Brad," I snapped. He shook his head.
"Don't you think that you should, see someone new? I mean, you have known Brad for a long time, don't you think you should test the waters?" I looked at him like he was crazy.
"I tried that, and look how that turned out!" I nearly screamed.
"It was just a suggestion," he muttered.
"A really stupid one!"
"Skye!" he bellowed, standing up. I stood up, trying to meet his gaze, but he was about 5 inches taller than I. He stared down at me coldly.
"How could you say such a thing?" I whimpered. His gaze relaxed.
"I'm sorry," he said slowly, and pulled me into his embrace. For a minute, I welcomed it, but soon, I wanted to squirm away.
"Let's sit down," he said, wobbling over with me to the bed. I flopped down.
"I know you love him," he said softly, smiling warmly. I nodded, and lay back, softly breaking the embrace. I sighed, more of relief than sadness, and stared up at the ceiling.
"You've been hurt a lot. I don't want you getting hurt," he said, lying beside me.
"Brad isn't going to hurt me," I snapped.
"How do you know that? He could just be using an excuse not to see you," he retorted.
"You're not making me feel any better," I fired back.
"That's not the matter right now."
"That's not the matter! You just said that you don't want me to be hurt anymore! And now your hurting me with your accusations about Brad!" I screamed, sitting up. He turned his steel gaze towards me.
"I don't, but the truth hurts."
"It's not the truth!" I flared, narrowing my eyes.
"You'll see, you'll see," he muttered, sitting up and standing. He turned to me, shook his head with an evil grin, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I grunted, and changed for bed, throwing my clothes angrily on the floor, and putting on my nightgown roughly. I crawled into bed, but then suggested to myself that I should lock the bedroom door, and the lobby door, and did so. I climed into bed, still angry and fell asleep.
During the night, I was awoken by something. I moaned quietly, turing over on my back, then listened to the sound that had woken me. It was Zach picking the lock to my door.
"Oh no," I whispered, wanting to dart out of bed and put the chain lock into use, but he opened the door before I could move. I snapped my eyes closed. Zach tip toed over to my bed, and crawled over top of me. I pretended to be asleep, again. He kissed my lips, then rained kisses all over my face, fingering my hair.
"Oh Skye," he moaned, holding my hair in his hand, smelling my lavender shampoo. "I'm glad I can have you all to myself." My heart stopped. My nightmare was becoming my reality. Tears formed under my eyelids, but I dare not let one escape. He remained for some time, kissing me and moaning my name. His hands started to crawl dowm from my shoulder, so I had no choise but to turn over in my sleep and moan. Zach sighed, and left the room, locking the door behind him. Once he was gone, I opened my eyes, and started to cry. I can't let him do this to me!
It begins
The months flew by quickly. Things happened so fast, I barely had time to catch up. Graduation was creeping up slowly, the seniors at Winston getting careless of their work. Me on the other hand, kept hard to my studies, to have good grades to get into college. Also, prom was coming up. I already knew who I was taking. Brad, of course. A few days before prom, I went shopping for my dress. The one that I wore often was going out of style, as Zach told me.
"Buy something much better, but the same color and style," he said quickly. I nodded.
"Yes, Zach."
"Why don't I go with you?"
"No, Zach, you stay here. I can do this on my own. I need to do some thinking anyway," I muttered, grabbing my purse. He stood up.
"Good-bye then. Have a great time," he said, and kissed my cheek. I nodded, and raced out of the room, and down in to my car. Since the accident, it had been fixed to perfect condition. I crawled in, and started the car, tearing out of the driveway. I drove down 3rd avenue, and parked the car in front of my favorite store that I went to often.
"Hello Miss Lawrence," Jill Gerder greeted me warmly from behind the desk. I smiled.
"Do you need any assistance today? We're having a twenty percent off sale this week," she said, typing something on her computer.
"No thank you Jill," I said politely, and paced down the long aisle of expensive dresses, the red and black ones appealing to the eye. After searching, I found two of the same gown. It was a long, a single off the shoulder strap. The only difference between them was black and red. I took both and tried them on, both looked good, which made it hard to choose. In the end, I called Jill over.
"Which looks better on me Jill? The red, or the black?" I asked, holding them both up to my body. Jill put her hand under her chin and thought.
"Well, the black one gives off the dark color in your eyes, and the red one is very your color. It is a hard decision," she said with a sigh. "Why don't you buy both?" I looked at the price tag on the dresses. A thousand dollars for each.
"Do you think Mr. James would mind at all?" I inquired, picturing him scolding me for buying two dresses for two thousand dollars.
"Mr. James called today to let me know that you could spend as much as you wanted here," she informed. My eyebrows shot up.
"Odd," I whispered, but shook my head and smiled. "I'll take both. I'm going to find some matching shoes." I bolted over to the shoe area, and picked out two of the same shoes. They were strappy sandals, very fitting for the dresses I chose. I grabbed a purse, and some hair accessories, and made my purchase final. She announced the price, and I handed her Zach's credit card carelessly. I'm getting better at this, I thought. She carefully put my purchases in boxes, and helped me carry them out.
"You are going to look good. Here," she tossed me a magazine that had many different hair styles.
"How much does it cost?" I asked.
"It's free for you darling," she replied, grinning.
"Thanks," I said, and crawled into the car. I drove down the street, wondering if I should do any more shopping. I decided that I had spent enough, and headed for home. I had the maids bring up my things, and I went directly into Zach's room, giving him the credit card.
"If I have it in my possession any longer, I'm going to max it out," I told him, setting the card on his desk. He smiled.
"How did everything work out?" he asked.
"It was great. I bought two dresses, because I couldn't decide whether I wanted black or red," I explained, heading for the door.
"Wonderful. Model them later tonight. I want to see them on you," he said, and returned to his paperwork. I nodded, and went into my room. The boxes had been laid on my bed neatly. I walked over to them and held up the dresses, looking at both of them. I would look good in these, I thought. I hung them up in my closet, and put my shoes on the floor under them. I put my hair items in my bathroom, and my purse on the back of the door. I smiled to myself, hardly containing my excitement for the prom, and flopped on my bed, watching some TV. I grabbed some lunch, and went for a quick jog.
As I jogged behind the block, I could hear someone running behind me. I slowed down to see who it was. It was Brian. I grunted, and folded my arms across my chest.
"Don't you think you should have changed your clothes before you come running?" I asked, looking over his attire.
"Never mind that," he said breathless, tossing his hand in my direction. "We need to talk."
"You're a persistent little boy," I quipped. He darted his eyes at me, then raised his eyebrows.
"So you're actually going to listen?" He sounded surprised.
"Yeah, actually, I am. Make it quick." I leaned against a gate in front of someone's yard.
"I still love you Skye. I really do. Madison lost the baby, she tripped down the stairs. We don't have to be together anymore. I can date freely now, and I want to date you. I still love you." He inched closer, I scooted farther back. I sighed and shook my head.
"You apparently don't get it," I muttered, walking close to him. He looked down at me. "OK, read my lips. I HAVE A BOYFRIEND. HE LOVES ME," I pointed to my lips for added emphasis. He grunted.
"He's nothing," he snapped.
"Oh really? Then what are you?" I asked.
"The right person for you," he retorted.
"Hmm," I replied, staring at him. I thought about it for a minute.
"Oh, sorry, you lost the game. Jimmy, don't we have a prize for him?" I asked. "Why yes we do Bob! A trip to. . . Losersville U.S.A!" I impersonated a TV game show host. He turned red for anger. "Now why don't you start packing? You have a long way to go to get to Losersville." I waved him away.
"You know, for a little thing like you, you sure are a bitch. I like them that way," he licked his lips.
"Thank you, thank you." I bowed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis is leaving the building." I started to jog.
"Bye bye Brian," I said perkily, waved, giggled, and started down the street. I smiled all the way home, thinking of how red his face had turned when I told him to get lost. I burst into the house, laughing. Zach poked his head out of his office, giving me a puzzled glance.
"Nothing, nothing," I said, shaking my head, my hair flying about. He sighed, shaking his head and went back to his work. I went upstairs to shower and dress, and took my dinner upstairs. I called Brad and talked to him for about an hour, and crawled into bed.
The days flew by without warning. The prom was the next day, and everyone was running around my room, helping me get ready. Charlene Sheck had arrive, styling my hair the way I desired. I had my nails done, and my makeup was perfectly applied. Once everyone had stopped, and looked at me, I could finally glance at the mirror. My appearance made me gasp.
I looked beautiful! Spectacular! Amazing! The words rang in my mind as I examined every part of me, down to my toes. The dress color I had chosen was red. I blinked. Was this real? I smiled broadly, and looked at the others who had crowded around me.
"Thank you all," I told them softly. They all smiled and clapped jus as Zach had entered the room. His eyes widened as he walked towards me.
"You look. . . " he was at a loss of words. I smiled.
"Thank you," I said gratefully. He smiled. I heard Brad's car horn.
"I'll get it. You need to make a grand entrance," he said, kissed my cheek, and rushed out of the room. I sighed nervously, grabbed my purse, and waited until Zach announced Brad's arrival.
"Skye darling! Brad is here!" he shouted. I took a deep breath, and sauntered out of the room. They were both waiting by the stairs. Brad gaped as he watched me walk downstairs. I made a funny face, and turned to Zach. He was staring, something unfamiliar in his eyes. I smiled, and walked towards Brad. He took my hand and kissed it lightly.
"Skye, you look gorgeous," he said softly. I smiled and nodded.
"You look very handsome," I replied. He beamed, and I turned to Zach.
"Don't get into too much trouble," he joked, slapping my shoulder. I giggled nervously.
"Thanks," I hugged him, and turned to Brad.
"Let's go impress someone," he said, offering his arm for me to take. I smiled at Zach, and threaded my arm with his. We walked out of the house, Zach shutting the door behind us. I looked ahead at the limo that was waiting for us. We crawled in, and smiled at each other.
"Someone told me that there was going to be a red carpet, and the school media was going to be taking lots of pictures," I muttered, leaning back in the seat. Brad laughed.
"We'll have our 15 minutes of fame then," he teased. I laughed, and sighed happily.
"You look like a princess," he said softly, kissing my neck. I tickled, which made me giggle.
"Stop," I said playfully. He pulled away and smiled. The limo lurched forward in motion. I looked at the small bar that was stationed. A bottle of sparkling apple cider, and two champagne glasses sat on the table attached with a note.
Congratulations on getting this far. I couldn't give you real wine, but this is the closest thing I could get you. Have a great night.
Love,
Zach.
I smiled as Brad started to pour the drink into the glasses. He handed me one, and we made a toast.
"To one of the greatest nights," Brad declared, and clinked glasses with me. I gulped mine down quickly, and put the glass down.
The Sheraton Hotel appeared before us. Lights were everywhere, illuminating the pathway inside the hotel. I looked at Brad.
"They always over due things," I muttered, tossing my hand in the air.
"It still looks great." The driver came around and opened the door. We crawled out, Brad taking my hand. Camera flashes flashed in our eyes as I forced a smile. Some people requested interviews, but I refused, and walked inside.
"I told you," I told him softly. The band that was playing was blaring their music. I smiled.
"Lets go upstairs for a minute," I shouted, and dug my key out of my purse, leading him upstairs. I unlocked the door, and went inside. I tossed my purse on the bed, and went into the bathroom to see how I looked. I still looked OK.
"Do you plan on using this room later tonight?" Brad asked sheepishly from the other room. I poked my head out from the bathroom and furrowed my eyebrows. He smiled devilishly, and rubbed his hands together.
"I don't know, you'll just have to wait and see," I told him, and walked out of the bathroom.
"Because if we don't, it wouldn't matter to me," he said, kissing me. I sighed dreamily.
"Let's go back downstairs," I commanded, taking his hand and leading him downstairs. I found my friends and introduced them to Brad. They all welcomed him warmly.
"You look like a movie star," Ian told me. I laughed and shook my head.
We hung around and talked for a while, then Brad pulled me out to the dance floor, and put his hands on my waist.
"Did you come down from the heavens?" he whispered in my ear. I smiled.
"Brad," I chastised. He grinned, and I lay my head on his shoulder. He kissed my cheek and my neck.
"I love you Skye," he whispered in my ear. I smiled and closed my eyes.
"I love you too Brad," I repeated in his ear. He smiled, and kissed me. He brought me to him closer, hugging me tightly. The song ended, and we headed to the buffet table, picking up some food. I picked up a whole plateful, and plopped down in my chair and started to stuff my face.
"Hungry?" Brad asked. I laughed, took a drink of punch, and stuffed some more food. After I was full, we went back to the dance floor and danced until my feet were begging for mercy. I sat down, as did everyone else, as they announced the royal family of Winston High.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. I have the greatest honor, to announce our court this year. This year, the traditions have broken." As the principal babbled on, Lacy Dodger ran up to my table.
"You know, you were nominated as Queen this year," she whispered in my ear. My eyes widened.
"You're kidding me, right?" I asked. She shook her head.
"But I'm your competition. May the best woman win," she said, extending her long hand. I looked at her skeptically.
"Believe me, I will win," she hissed, and glided back to her table. I shook my head.
"What was that about?" Brad whispered. I quickly explained to him what Lacy had told me.
"Wow," he breathed, leaning back in his seat. I nodded, and he spread the word to the others at the table. They all gave me approving glances. I waited anxiously as they announced the other members of the court. Finally, she came to the King and Queen.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have great honor to announce the King and Queen this year. The Queen has achieved her spot in the royal family, because she has worked hard, and deserves this title. She worked hard academically, and socially, and adding a little bit of humor into the staff's life. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the King and Queen of Winston High School." She opened up the envelope, which seemed forever. Lacy stood up, heading over to receive the crown.
"The King and Queen of Winston High, are. . ." A drumroll sounded. I bit my lip nervously.
"Skye Lawrence, and Ian Buchanan!" The principal shouted. Lacy turned pale white and turned to her friends, who wore pained expressions. People screamed and cheered for me as I stood up with Ian to go to the stage. Tears filled my eyes as I walked up, but none of them fell because I didn't want to ruin my mascara. I laughed as I watched Lacy crumble to the ground, crying.
"All of these years I've been waiting, and still I fail!" Her friends went to her side. We went to the center stage, and received the crown. I stepped up to the mic.
"Well, I'm the Queen, huh?" I asked, looking around. "I didn't even know that I was nominated, let alone voted for, until a few minutes ago, when Lacy had told me. Thanks Lacy," I shouted towards her. She looked up at me and moaned.
"I really didn't expect this. I thought I would be nominated class clown or something. But I am honored. I've only been here one year, and now I'm Queen. Well, I'm going to stop babbling now, and let our King talk." I stepped aside. Ian stepped put to the podium, and held up his sword.
"I am your King! Obey me!" He shouted. Laughter erupted through the room. "Thanks guys, those who voted for me, uhhhh, yeah," he stepped off the microphone. The audience clapped as I made my way back to the table. Ian handed the crown to Brad.
"You're the king, not me," he protested.
"Aww, I didn't even want it. I wanted the joker dude," he said, giving the crown to Brad. He shook his head, and placed the crown on his forehead. I turned to him, and kissed him. The table hooted and hollered, and I waved my hand at them. They laughed, and I hugged Brad.
"Congratulations," he whispered. I smiled.
A few hours later, the prom came to an end. The limo took us home, and I fell asleep, because when I woke up again, I was being laid on my bed by Brad.
"You had quite a night," he said, sitting next to me. I sat up.
"Thank you," I said, and kissed his cheek, going to my closet to undress for bed. I slipped into my nightgown, and crawled into bed. Brad kissed my forehead.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight," I repeated, and kissed him. He smiled, and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I snuggled into bed, and closed my eyes.
Graduation passed as a blur. It was one of the greatest days of my life. All of my schooling was complete; I was ready for college. I went to a few parties, then crashed at home for the summer. I celebrated my birthday with a small group of friends, which would be the last time I would see everyone. For good.
Well into the summer, Zach had announced that he had let go all of the servants. "You did what?" I asked, sitting up in my bed quickly.
"Yes, I thought that they were all too nosy anyway, and we don't need that much looking after. I can clean," he said.
"But-but," I sputtered, but he pressed his finger to my lips.
"Don't worry about OK?" He told me. I nodded.
"Good," he said, and left the room. I shook my head and crawled out of bed, getting dressed. Zach is acting oddly, I thought. I went downstairs and made my own breakfast. I ate quickly, and went upstairs to call Brad, but the line was cut! I stormed into Zach's room.
"My line is totally dead! What did you do!" I demanded. He looked up.
"I decided to cut your line. You can use the phone downstairs can't you? And besides, it costs less money anyway. And we could always use more money, couldn't we?" he explained.
"You never cared about money before!" I hissed furiously. He sighed.
"Skye, please don't argue with me. Just use the downstairs phone, OK?" he asked politely. I sighed, nodded, and shuffled downstairs.
"Something weird is going on," I told Brad over the phone. I quickly explained what was happening, and he gave me a good answer.
"It's beginning," he said.
"What is?"
"You know exactly what is it. You be careful. I'm going to California for a month, so I can only call you. We leave in 3 days," he said.
"I'm going to miss you," I whimpered.
"I'm going to miss you too," he said softly. I sighed.
"I have to start packing. I'll call you later," he said, and hung up. I slowly hung up the phone, and looked around. Suddenly, I didn't feel safe. I felt as if I was watched all the time. A cold shiver went up my spine. I stood up quickly, glanced around, and went upstairs and changed into my swimsuit. I hurried downstairs quickly, going out into the pool area. I dropped my towel that was wrapped around my body and heard someone behind me. I turned around. It was Zach in his swimsuit also.
"I decided to go out for a swim since you were also," he said, smiling. He dropped his towel, and jumped in, rising to the surface after a minute. I stuck my feet into the pool, kicking them around a little. Zach swam over to me.
"Come on in, the water's great," he said, gesturing the pool.
"Wait, let me get used to the water for a minute," I told him. He folded his arms across his chest. After a while, he dove under, and his hands came up and grabbed my waist, pulling me in. I screamed, and held my breath. He laughed, and brought me to the surface. He held me close to him.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
"G- Great," I choked nervously.
"Good," he breathed. I smiled weakly. He put his chin on my shoulder, his head next to mine. I looked away.
"Skye, you're so beautiful, why can't I find a wife just as caring, and beautiful as you?" he asked with a sigh.
"I don't know," I sputtered.
"You'd be the perfect wife." The dream, more like a haunting nightmare, had popped into my head. I bit my lip. "What kind of wedding do you want?"
"I don't know," replied I.
"You should think ahead of these things. It's not that far away," he advised softly. I nodded.
"I'm going to do some laps," I used the excuse to get out of his hold. He released me slowly, and I swam over to the other side. I started doing laps, my arms aching quickly, but I ignored it. It was better than being around Zach at the moment. Zach leaned his arms over the edge and watched with a smile of amusement. After I had called it quits, I dragged myself out of the pool, and sprawled out on a lounge chair. Zach laid on the one next to me, lying on his back. I closed my eyes, not expecting to feel Zach's lips on mine a few minutes later. I didn't move, I didn't breathe. His lips lingered, and soon, he pulled away. He must have thought that I was sleeping, I thought. He sighed, and walked back inside. I waited a minute until I opened my eyes. Was that a dream? Was that real? My breath was gone from the suprise. I sat up, wiping my mouth, and slowly walked inside. Zach saw me.
"Did you fall asleep?" he asked, a sheepish smile on his face.
"No," I lied quickly, going up to my room.
"Oh," he said and shrugged. I trapped my breath inside of me, and walked upstairs. I changed quickly into a sweatshirt and jeans, and locked my door to my room, watching TV until deciding to go to bed. I tossed and turned throughout nightmares, waking up constantly during the night.
Two days later, Brad had come over to say good-bye. I was in tears, because I was going to be so scared while he was away. I couldn't run to anyone if Zach does something. Brad commanded me to stop crying.
"Stop! You're going to be fine! I'll only be gone for a month," he cried, throwing his arms around me. I sniffled.
"But I have no one to run to!" I wailed. He sighed and stroked my hair.
"I promise I will call you everyday," he said. I smiled.
"That's better," he said, lifting my chin. I dried my tears.
"I promise when we get back, we can go on our own trip somewhere," he promised. I nodded.
"I have to go now, we have a plane to catch. I love you so much," he said, kissing me. I closed my eyes.
"I love you too," I whispered, and smiled. He walked back to his car, crawled in, waved, and drove off. I watched as his car dissapeared down the street. I felt truly alone now without Brad. I shuffled back into the house, and went up to my room, crawling into bed. Zach entered the room.
"Are you OK honey?" he asked. I hated that he had all these pet names for me now, after he had kissed me.
"I'm fine," I grumbled. He sat down on the bed.
"I know that feeling," he muttered. "When the person you love leaves, and you have no one to love."
"I'll always love Brad," I snapped. He shook his head.
"Don't you think that you should, see someone new? I mean, you have known Brad for a long time, don't you think you should test the waters?" I looked at him like he was crazy.
"I tried that, and look how that turned out!" I nearly screamed.
"It was just a suggestion," he muttered.
"A really stupid one!"
"Skye!" he bellowed, standing up. I stood up, trying to meet his gaze, but he was about 5 inches taller than I. He stared down at me coldly.
"How could you say such a thing?" I whimpered. His gaze relaxed.
"I'm sorry," he said slowly, and pulled me into his embrace. For a minute, I welcomed it, but soon, I wanted to squirm away.
"Let's sit down," he said, wobbling over with me to the bed. I flopped down.
"I know you love him," he said softly, smiling warmly. I nodded, and lay back, softly breaking the embrace. I sighed, more of relief than sadness, and stared up at the ceiling.
"You've been hurt a lot. I don't want you getting hurt," he said, lying beside me.
"Brad isn't going to hurt me," I snapped.
"How do you know that? He could just be using an excuse not to see you," he retorted.
"You're not making me feel any better," I fired back.
"That's not the matter right now."
"That's not the matter! You just said that you don't want me to be hurt anymore! And now your hurting me with your accusations about Brad!" I screamed, sitting up. He turned his steel gaze towards me.
"I don't, but the truth hurts."
"It's not the truth!" I flared, narrowing my eyes.
"You'll see, you'll see," he muttered, sitting up and standing. He turned to me, shook his head with an evil grin, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I grunted, and changed for bed, throwing my clothes angrily on the floor, and putting on my nightgown roughly. I crawled into bed, but then suggested to myself that I should lock the bedroom door, and the lobby door, and did so. I climed into bed, still angry and fell asleep.
During the night, I was awoken by something. I moaned quietly, turing over on my back, then listened to the sound that had woken me. It was Zach picking the lock to my door.
"Oh no," I whispered, wanting to dart out of bed and put the chain lock into use, but he opened the door before I could move. I snapped my eyes closed. Zach tip toed over to my bed, and crawled over top of me. I pretended to be asleep, again. He kissed my lips, then rained kisses all over my face, fingering my hair.
"Oh Skye," he moaned, holding my hair in his hand, smelling my lavender shampoo. "I'm glad I can have you all to myself." My heart stopped. My nightmare was becoming my reality. Tears formed under my eyelids, but I dare not let one escape. He remained for some time, kissing me and moaning my name. His hands started to crawl dowm from my shoulder, so I had no choise but to turn over in my sleep and moan. Zach sighed, and left the room, locking the door behind him. Once he was gone, I opened my eyes, and started to cry. I can't let him do this to me!
