Chapter One: Another Time
Present day
Cat's POV
* * * *
I had a pounding headache as I awoke to the wonderful sound of the doorbell buzzing loudly. Groaning, I rolled over, and onto the floor landing in a pile of dirty clothes. I struggled to get up as I shouted,
"Coming!" I was out of breath by the time I reached the door. I opened the door only to have a very angry best friend stomp in after me.
"Where have you been? I have been calling you for the last four hours," she demanded. I opened my mouth to respond, but she put her hand up to silence me. "You know what, I don't want know." I stole a glance at the answering machine sitting on an end table in the hallway. The light was blinking repetitively. "Here I am trying to help you make this one of the best days of your short existence, and this is how you thank me?" She yelled, mockingly. A smile crept onto my face.
"Okay, okay, I over slept," I held up my hands in mock defense, "but it can't be that late." Her eyes widened,
"Not that late! Cat, it's 1:00 in the afternoon!" My mind screamed. Here I was, having to sleep late on this day of all days, with only a mere four hours to get ready for one of the biggest opportunities of my life!
"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going," I replied, my voice trailing behind me as I climbed the stairs, and walked sluggishly into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later I emerged, my hair pulled back conveniently into a ponytail while comfy jeans and a simple t-shirt hugged my body.
"Let's go!" I cried urgently, shoving Sara toward the door. I sighed choosing to ignore her comment about why she had to put up with my eccentricities every day. With any luck this would be my last day as an outcast. No, this would be my night to shine. This was the night that I would finally make something of myself.
( ( (
I lit the last of the oil lanterns that I had placed along the path to the lakeshore. I walked a few paces toward the house and turned around to admire my work. I gasped. It seemed that thousands of tiny glimmering lights surrounded the lake in a mesmerizing pattern. The lake's reflection of the lights had given more of a desired romantic effect than I had first anticipated.
I walked the rest of the path until I came to the cherry oak deck where Sara was setting up the sound system. A smile formed on her face when she saw me.
"He really is going to love you," she stated.
"You think?" I asked her with an appraising gaze. I looked over myself. I had adorned a spaghetti strap red and black dress for the occasion. My hair was flipped out as usual and my medallion reflected in the new moonlight. The beams of golden sunlight lit up behind the sparrow taking flight, reaching its desired effect.
"Oh yeah. By the time the night is over you will have won yourself a permanent place in their circle. I know." She smiled, but I wasn't satisfied. I could see right through her. Though her face showed a genuine happiness, the look in her eyes told me she was hurting. I had never considered her place in this. I was ditching her for them.
"Sara," I spoke up, "I'm really sorry! I've been really caught up in this. I hope this is okay with you." She looked at me, her eyes wide, mouth gaping.
"You must be kidding, Cat. You'd be crazy to pass this opportunity up!" I nodded in agreement; noticing the look in her eyes had softened. They were now shining with excitement. In the distance the doorbell buzzed. I laughed aloud, excitement and anticipation growing inside of me. This was my chance, and damn I was going to take it!
"Let's go." I told Sara, hopefully with an air of confidence. She nodded in agreement.
We walked out of the cool night air and inside the house. I walked toward the front door. I was shaking inside. I had to restrain myself tonight. I would only go for what I wanted and let everything else fall into place. I opened the door. Three girls I recognized from fifth period stood in the doorway.
"Hi," I greeted, waving them in. "Drinks and snacks and stuff are outside in the back, and we've got an awesome sound system. They looked at me strangely, studying me. I froze, trying to ooze confidence.
"Great," the leader of their group said. I exhaled slowly, shooting a small smile at Sara. Maybe things would work out for once. Just maybe.
( ( (
I weaved my way into the pulsing throng that was the dance floor. I let myself get lost in the music for a moment before continuing to push myself through the crowd. A large figure stopped me in my tracks. I looked up. He'd been the one I'd been searching for all night.
"Hi," his voice took on a mesmerizing quality. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks. I quickly pushed the feeling away. I cleared my throat,
"Hi."
"I've been looking for you," he announced.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd have a drink with me so we could talk." My voice came out in an unattractive squeak,
"Sure, sure."
Several people who had been crowded around the snack table stopped to stare at us. Ryan was oblivious to their stares as he handed me a newly poured Coke.
"Lets go down by the lake so we can talk."
"Yeah," I agreed. A smile crept onto my face. He smiled back. A warm bliss rose inside of me.
"I've had my eye on you for a while Cat," he said, as we settled down on the dock that overlooked the lake. I took in a sharp breath. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect romantic setting, the moonlight shown down upon the surface of the lake, accenting the glittering lanterns that surrounded us. I could feel his breath brush against, my cheek as he spoke.
"I wanted to ask you out, but I was always afraid you'd say no. You're really special, and I'd like to get to know you better." A wave of dizzying exhilaration washed over me. I struggled to breathe, and rose to stand. He stood up before me, offering me his hand.
"Thanks," I responded, rising to my feet. The feeling grew stronger. I wave of panic washed over me, but I quickly pushed it away. This opportunity would only come once.
"You're really special," he repeated, leaning toward me slightly. In a single moment we met in a kiss. His hands weaved a slow, confident path from my face, to my neck, and down toward my chest. His hand brushed against the top of my breast. Panic gripped me in a choking grasp. I tried to raise my hands in defense, but stopped short. My arms felt like an invisible force was weighing them down. He broke the kiss.
"I'm glad you think the same," a sneer spread over his once thought handsome face.
"No, please," I spoke. I wondered for a brief second if was actually my voice that had said those words. "Stop, what did you put in my drink?" I demanded, barely audible.
"Just something to persuade you, though I think you won't need much persuasion." He leaned in for another kiss. I felt dirty as soon as his lips touched mine.
"Help," I whimpered as he broke away for a second time. "Help."
"No one can hear you." Hi hand reached up and slowly began to remove my thin spaghetti straps from my shoulders. His other hand had a tight grip on my wrist.
"There," he announced "that should make it a lot easier. I shook my head,
"No." I struggled with all of the strength that remained inside of me. I managed to wrestle my wrist out of his grip and push away from him.
"No," I said again, more firmly. He advanced toward me, and I stepped away from him carefully. I felt my ankle teetering dangerously on the end of the dock. I edged my ankle over slightly until one foot, unseen by him, was suspended over the surface of the water.
"I always get what I want, Cat, and now I want you. Why don't you just give in, you know you want to." His tone was sickly sweet.
"No," I said again, stepping off of the dock and into the water. I thought I would at least have a chance at escape if I distanced myself from him. I hadn't predicted that whatever he had put in my drink would leave me so weak and sluggish. I pushed toward the surface with no avail. I tried again, desperation and fear fueling me. Suddenly, an unseen force pushed me down; I was unable to fight against it and quickly gave up falling into the arms of a welcome darkness.
Present day
Cat's POV
* * * *
I had a pounding headache as I awoke to the wonderful sound of the doorbell buzzing loudly. Groaning, I rolled over, and onto the floor landing in a pile of dirty clothes. I struggled to get up as I shouted,
"Coming!" I was out of breath by the time I reached the door. I opened the door only to have a very angry best friend stomp in after me.
"Where have you been? I have been calling you for the last four hours," she demanded. I opened my mouth to respond, but she put her hand up to silence me. "You know what, I don't want know." I stole a glance at the answering machine sitting on an end table in the hallway. The light was blinking repetitively. "Here I am trying to help you make this one of the best days of your short existence, and this is how you thank me?" She yelled, mockingly. A smile crept onto my face.
"Okay, okay, I over slept," I held up my hands in mock defense, "but it can't be that late." Her eyes widened,
"Not that late! Cat, it's 1:00 in the afternoon!" My mind screamed. Here I was, having to sleep late on this day of all days, with only a mere four hours to get ready for one of the biggest opportunities of my life!
"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going," I replied, my voice trailing behind me as I climbed the stairs, and walked sluggishly into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later I emerged, my hair pulled back conveniently into a ponytail while comfy jeans and a simple t-shirt hugged my body.
"Let's go!" I cried urgently, shoving Sara toward the door. I sighed choosing to ignore her comment about why she had to put up with my eccentricities every day. With any luck this would be my last day as an outcast. No, this would be my night to shine. This was the night that I would finally make something of myself.
( ( (
I lit the last of the oil lanterns that I had placed along the path to the lakeshore. I walked a few paces toward the house and turned around to admire my work. I gasped. It seemed that thousands of tiny glimmering lights surrounded the lake in a mesmerizing pattern. The lake's reflection of the lights had given more of a desired romantic effect than I had first anticipated.
I walked the rest of the path until I came to the cherry oak deck where Sara was setting up the sound system. A smile formed on her face when she saw me.
"He really is going to love you," she stated.
"You think?" I asked her with an appraising gaze. I looked over myself. I had adorned a spaghetti strap red and black dress for the occasion. My hair was flipped out as usual and my medallion reflected in the new moonlight. The beams of golden sunlight lit up behind the sparrow taking flight, reaching its desired effect.
"Oh yeah. By the time the night is over you will have won yourself a permanent place in their circle. I know." She smiled, but I wasn't satisfied. I could see right through her. Though her face showed a genuine happiness, the look in her eyes told me she was hurting. I had never considered her place in this. I was ditching her for them.
"Sara," I spoke up, "I'm really sorry! I've been really caught up in this. I hope this is okay with you." She looked at me, her eyes wide, mouth gaping.
"You must be kidding, Cat. You'd be crazy to pass this opportunity up!" I nodded in agreement; noticing the look in her eyes had softened. They were now shining with excitement. In the distance the doorbell buzzed. I laughed aloud, excitement and anticipation growing inside of me. This was my chance, and damn I was going to take it!
"Let's go." I told Sara, hopefully with an air of confidence. She nodded in agreement.
We walked out of the cool night air and inside the house. I walked toward the front door. I was shaking inside. I had to restrain myself tonight. I would only go for what I wanted and let everything else fall into place. I opened the door. Three girls I recognized from fifth period stood in the doorway.
"Hi," I greeted, waving them in. "Drinks and snacks and stuff are outside in the back, and we've got an awesome sound system. They looked at me strangely, studying me. I froze, trying to ooze confidence.
"Great," the leader of their group said. I exhaled slowly, shooting a small smile at Sara. Maybe things would work out for once. Just maybe.
( ( (
I weaved my way into the pulsing throng that was the dance floor. I let myself get lost in the music for a moment before continuing to push myself through the crowd. A large figure stopped me in my tracks. I looked up. He'd been the one I'd been searching for all night.
"Hi," his voice took on a mesmerizing quality. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks. I quickly pushed the feeling away. I cleared my throat,
"Hi."
"I've been looking for you," he announced.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you'd have a drink with me so we could talk." My voice came out in an unattractive squeak,
"Sure, sure."
Several people who had been crowded around the snack table stopped to stare at us. Ryan was oblivious to their stares as he handed me a newly poured Coke.
"Lets go down by the lake so we can talk."
"Yeah," I agreed. A smile crept onto my face. He smiled back. A warm bliss rose inside of me.
"I've had my eye on you for a while Cat," he said, as we settled down on the dock that overlooked the lake. I took in a sharp breath. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect romantic setting, the moonlight shown down upon the surface of the lake, accenting the glittering lanterns that surrounded us. I could feel his breath brush against, my cheek as he spoke.
"I wanted to ask you out, but I was always afraid you'd say no. You're really special, and I'd like to get to know you better." A wave of dizzying exhilaration washed over me. I struggled to breathe, and rose to stand. He stood up before me, offering me his hand.
"Thanks," I responded, rising to my feet. The feeling grew stronger. I wave of panic washed over me, but I quickly pushed it away. This opportunity would only come once.
"You're really special," he repeated, leaning toward me slightly. In a single moment we met in a kiss. His hands weaved a slow, confident path from my face, to my neck, and down toward my chest. His hand brushed against the top of my breast. Panic gripped me in a choking grasp. I tried to raise my hands in defense, but stopped short. My arms felt like an invisible force was weighing them down. He broke the kiss.
"I'm glad you think the same," a sneer spread over his once thought handsome face.
"No, please," I spoke. I wondered for a brief second if was actually my voice that had said those words. "Stop, what did you put in my drink?" I demanded, barely audible.
"Just something to persuade you, though I think you won't need much persuasion." He leaned in for another kiss. I felt dirty as soon as his lips touched mine.
"Help," I whimpered as he broke away for a second time. "Help."
"No one can hear you." Hi hand reached up and slowly began to remove my thin spaghetti straps from my shoulders. His other hand had a tight grip on my wrist.
"There," he announced "that should make it a lot easier. I shook my head,
"No." I struggled with all of the strength that remained inside of me. I managed to wrestle my wrist out of his grip and push away from him.
"No," I said again, more firmly. He advanced toward me, and I stepped away from him carefully. I felt my ankle teetering dangerously on the end of the dock. I edged my ankle over slightly until one foot, unseen by him, was suspended over the surface of the water.
"I always get what I want, Cat, and now I want you. Why don't you just give in, you know you want to." His tone was sickly sweet.
"No," I said again, stepping off of the dock and into the water. I thought I would at least have a chance at escape if I distanced myself from him. I hadn't predicted that whatever he had put in my drink would leave me so weak and sluggish. I pushed toward the surface with no avail. I tried again, desperation and fear fueling me. Suddenly, an unseen force pushed me down; I was unable to fight against it and quickly gave up falling into the arms of a welcome darkness.