Chapter Eight: Fall Fest or Disaster? God knows
A/N: Well, God and me. Haha. So I've gotten several reviews on the last chapter which always, always, always makes me happy. Happy enough to work on another chapter? You bet. So in that light, reviews = faster chapters. Amazing isn't it? I know, I sound like a bitch but hey I have to use whatever leverage I have! I got some amazing pointers in a few reviews so I'm trying to take those into consideration. I've had several people ask who the pairing will turn out to be but I want you to find that out for yourselves. If I tell you how the story is supposed to make you feel up until the end well…. What fun is that? I would however love to hear who you'd like Michelle to end up with. The story is going to have some great twists and turns starting now- well I'm going to try to make them great anyway.
I would like to put this out there just in case my updates slow and stop again which I'm going to try really hard not to do to you guys again BUT I am going to college now- 9 units- which means 9 hours in class and 18 hours of homework, on top of that I work full time 8-6 Mon-Thurs. So if I don't update totally regularly, which I'm going to try to have a chapter out every other week hopefully, but if not please don't burn me at the stake. I'm only human after all. =)
So after that…. ENJOY!
Well, for starters, the gym looked completely and utterly transformed. Amazing how several thousand balloons and several million yards of crepe paper can do that to a room.
Michelle wondered vaguely how Pogue's room would look with a Spencer Fall Fest makeover… She doubted she could frame anyone for that one and survive.
Tyler was a solid warmth at her right, a comfort if anything in this amazing new world of complete and total sensory overload. The decorations, the multi-colored crowd, the flashing at one side for pictures, the dull roar of voices and music blending into a cacophony that nearly hurt to listen to, the hundreds of people crammed into the not so spacious feeling room….
Michelle could feel her heart start to pick up the pace while panic reared its ugly head. She slowly started to back up but with not one, but two boys holding her still, she was nearly to the point of falling backwards to get away. She couldn't breath, she couldn't feel anything but the panic and the icy fear hardening into a lead knot that hit the pit of her stomach and made her feel vaguely nauseous.
"Michelle? What's wrong? You're whiter than usual." Tyler said, his voice rising with his concern. Reid had already let go of her and Tyler slowly followed suit.
Reid was watching her with concern, but it was so hidden that if she hadn't spent months trying to read him she never would have seen it.
"C-Can't breathe…" She gasped, slowly backing away until she was outside in the cool air but that didn't help either.
Panic was no longer rearing its ugly head, it was galloping through her at full throttle. Shit.
"Whoa Baby Girl! Where are you going?" Caleb chuckled behind her as she backed into him. He looked at her face and she watched the humor leaked out replaced with concern. "What's going on Michelle?"
"C-Can't breathe…" She squeaked. "C-C-Can't breathe!" Tears squeezed out of the corners of her eyes and she felt dizzy and fluttering. She hoped she wouldn't pass out. Panic attacks were such a kill joy. Maybe she should've stayed home.
She wasn't sure where Pogue had come from, or how she hadn't seen the stone bench until he'd cradled her in his arms and sat down, his arms wrapped protectively around her while he rocked back and forth.
"You need to focus Michelle, breathe with me. Slow it down." His words were whispered but they seemed so loud against the fluttering of heart. Pogue's heart beat was a steady drumming in her ear.
Her eyes were closed tightly, fighting down the panic so that she could breathe.
Inhale… da-dum, da-dum… Exhale… Inhale… da-dum, da-dum… Exhale…
She repeated the exercise several more times before she slowly opened her eyes. The world didn't feel so surreal anymore, it wasn't so loud. She could breathe again.
Oh!
Michelle startled for a moment and Pogue's arms tightened. "Stop Pogo. I'm fine. I just didn't realize we'd drawn a crowd…" She added sheepishly, glancing up at the pairs of eyes watching them. Some were concerned, some indifferent, a couple were disgusted.
Michelle automatically focused on those pairs of eyes, feeling her own expression darken into a cold mask. One of those pairs of eyes belonged to Kate. Surprise, surprise.
The other was a girl she didn't know by name but she'd seen her hundreds of times, with the same look of disgust in her ice blue eyes. Oh God… She was Caleb's date…
Michelle stood slowly and Pogue followed her lead, one arm around her waist in case she was a little unsteady on her feet. She wasn't. Anger was just as good as adrenaline, things went into hyper focus.
The girl was a second year, younger than herself and the Sons, but taller; she had to only be an inch or two shorter than Caleb.
Michelle wasn't intimidated. She spent most of her life looking up at people, she'd practiced being intimidating when she wanted to be. "Caleb, Caleb..." She said softly, still recovering a little from her attack. "I thought you had better taste than that."
Caleb cleared his throat, glancing at Michelle with a look that probably was meant to tell her to be nice, but knowing it wouldn't help. So it came out a little exasperated but it was hardly necessary.
Michelle wasn't dressed for fighting.
"This is Laura." Caleb said carefully, he wasn't going to give or take anything that might start a fight. He was always the peacemaker. "Hey, why don't we go inside and get our pictures done?" He added a moment later.
The tension seemed to leak out of the group slowly, replaced by an excitement for the night's festivities. Michelle wasn't pinned between the two boys this time, it somehow made it easier for her to walk into the crowded room, made it easier for her to breathe.
Tyler held her right hand, cuddled up to her side while they waited in line while Reid held her left hand loosely in his, the only hint to his earlier tension was in the way he was rubbing soothing circles in her hand with his thumb. Maybe it was helping him calm down?
Michelle glanced at Tyler over her shoulder and dropped his hand so that she could lean into Reid, her free hand on her shoulder to balance herself against his taller frame. "Are you ok?" She whispered as she leaned her chin on his shoulder.
Reid shrugged half-heartedly. It really wasn't comfortable to do when someone was digging their chin into your muscle but he didn't seem to mind. Yup, Mr. Tough Guy.
She tried again. "What's wrong Reid?"
Again a shrug. "What can I say? I hate standing in line."
Michelle sunk down on, flat footed on the floor and held her hand back to Tyler. He took it slowly cuddling up to her while he talked to Caleb behind him.
Apparently he was trying to give them privacy. Good ol' Ty. But Michelle didn't need privacy. She stared at Reid, feeling herself get madder and madder while he stared coolly back. He was lying. And she knew he was lying. And he knew that. But what about? What was bugging Blondie and why wouldn't he tell her? Usually Reid told her anything, leaving out anything about any kind of recent conquest but past that… anything. What was his problem?
Michelle stood silently between her two best friends watching the nightly activities through cool eyes. Tyler was still a solid warmth at her back, a comforting constant in her life while Reid, distant unattainable Reid, was barely even there, mentally anyway; physically he was still in front of her, although only their index fingers were still hooked.
He was so very obviously trying to get away from her now. She didn't know why, but she knew that much.
She watched as Pogue and Kate did their pictures, smiling like they were the happiest people in the world and Michelle was suddenly struck with how happy they really were. Kate may have been a backstabbing bitch, but she did love Pogue, kinda.
She watched them step down to the side while Caleb and his…date- Michelle nearly choked on the word without having to even say it- took their pictures. Finally it was her, Reid and Tyler's turn.
First the photographer was confused. Obviously they were the first trio he'd had to do tonight. He had her pose with an arm around each boy, then around one while the other cuddled her back, then vice versa… finally they were done with that.
Michelle smiled and she could feel the tiredness in it after they were all done. Pogue had jumped up, wanting a picture with her, then Caleb, all the while his Little Miss Laura glared. Michelle really would have to do something about that.
The poor girl was going to get stuck looking like a baboon sucking a lemon.
Then there was their group shot which basically consisted of them pretty much cuddling their dates just, everyone together.
Michelle really didn't see the point of it. Oh she would love having the pictures later; she knew that, but wow… What was the point?
Turn here, turn there, okay now smile? Wow.
The night passed slowly but it was a blur as if someone had pressed fast forward while they were in slow motion. It was the oddest sensation.
Michelle sat at one of the little white circular tables they'd set into the curtains at the edges of the room with Tyler on one side and Reid on the other. Pogue was off twirling through their fellow classmates with Kate while no one knew where Caleb was…
"Hey Tyler." A nice enough first year with long red hair and some of the greenest eyes Michelle had ever seen, said with a smile as she approached their table.
"Hey Samantha." Tyler greeted back with a smile. He glanced back at Michelle with a smile. "Sam's my Spanish partner. I swear if it wasn't for her I'd be failing."
Samantha said something in what Michelle assumed was Spanish and for one of the first times ever Michelle watched Tyler falter. Usually all good boy charm, he was staring nervously at the table while glancing back at her occasionally.
Samantha was still smiling but it was cracking at the edges, a little embarrassment the longer Tyler was silent.
"Ok, I'll bite. What did she say?" Michelle asked, staring at Tyler to make sure he replied.
"She wants to know if I'll dance with her."
Michelle sighed, feeling relieved. She really didn't need more enemies and more people were talking shit without ever really knowing her. Apparently hanging out with the four hottest guys at Spencer either made her a slut or an instant target for hate.
Michelle wasn't sure how much she liked either.
"So go! What's wrong with you? The poor girl totally put herself out there. You better get out there now Tyler or so help me…" She added, her tone going menacing as she did her best scary look.
Tyler wasn't impressed. He got the scary look a lot. It lost a lot of power with overuse. "But you're my date 'Chelle. Isn't that kind of rude?"
It was Michelle's turn to shrug. "I don't mind. Plus the girl put herself out there to be rejected. Any girl who has the guts to do that without trying to be a bitch gets serious kudos in my book."
Samantha smiled, a brilliant cheerful smile that Michelle couldn't help be return. Ah finally a nice soul. How refreshing.
"Get up and take that girl for a dance Tyler or I swear you will be in so much trouble." Michelle warned.
Tyler sighed and grinned at Samantha. The switch was so abrupt Michelle wasn't sure if the chivalry had been an act, or if his smile was… It was all too confusing for her so she just smiled at the pair and waved them off with a curl of her fingers.
She and Reid sat in silence for the space of moments, tracking Tyler with the short redhead before Michelle sighed. "If you want to go off with someone else Reid that's fine. It's not going to hurt my feelings."
Reid looked at her like she was speaking in tongues. "What?"
Michelle rolled her eyes. He was such a space cadet tonight...
"I said, if you would like to go off with another girl, that's fine. You're not my prisoner here and you don't have to feel like you have to sit here with me. Go get your rocks off, go beat someone up. Do something with a little livelihood. If you were regretting asking me then you should have said you changed your mind."
Reid stared at her for the space of heartbeats before he scoffed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "You seriously don't have a good opinion of me."
Michelle scoffed, crossing her legs ah la ladylike and crossed her arms under her breasts, almost mocking him but not quite. "No, I just know you well. You've been off all night and we both know that we're not ending up in the backseat of my car or Tyler's so that leaves you blue balled for the night unless you find a lucky first year so get out of here before I change my mind."
Reid rolled his eyes and stood abruptly, Michelle almost thought she'd upset him but he'd sunk back in cool bad ass mode. Couldn't have hurt his feelings too bad.
"Oh but Reid?" She waited until he looked back at her before she smiled. "You still owe me a dance later so don't get too messy."
He gave her kind of a soft smile before turning away.
It was good to have friends who understood your faults and still kind of liked you. At least, that's what Michelle thought as she watched her fellow students dancing to whatever was playing before she stood and slipped off behind one of the curtains.
Finally. She had the chance to go to the bathroom without an escort. What a freakin relief.
Michelle took a deep breath and dabbed at her face with her cool hands as she stared into the mirror. She was tired. It was nearly 11 and normally she was asleep by this time, even on most weekends.
She stretched her arms back over her shoulders until joints popped and loosened. She rotated her neck slowly, listening to the occasionally pop pop before twisting her torso one way then the other. Her spine popped in several spots and she sighed.
She ignored the other girls that came in, chattering about their dates, their hair, their makeup, the other girls' hair, their makeup. Someone complimented her. She smiled and thanked them, offering a compliment in return while she waited for them to leave.
The fact that none of the bragged about the infamous Reid Garwin approaching them for a 'rousing' night was more of a relief than Michelle had expected. She really didn't need a visual but when she thought about Reid pulling some unsuspecting girl into a corner, she didn't feel the usual sickening anger. In fact, she was pretty indifferent.
Some would say she was numb to it but she chose indifferent. Numb to any kind of situation like that would mean that she had feelings for Reid and was ignoring the possibility. She wasn't going to admit anything along those lines so indifferent she was. She really didn't care and that surprised her. She always cared to some point.
She was going to have to see if any of the boys were ready to go or see if Pogue could catch a ride with one of the other guys and let her take her car home. She was completely and totally beat.
The bathroom door swung open silently and Michelle padded out quietly, the noise of the dance a muted hum in the distance.
"You're looking pretty good tonight Hardy."
Michelle turned, wondering where the voice had come when Aaron Abbott appeared out of the shadows. She gave him a brief once over, eye brow raised in contemplation. "You don't look bad yourself, now if you'll excuse me…" She let the sentence drift off so that she wasn't being rude but the message was loud and clear. Bye-bye.
"Now wait a minute here. I thought we were having a nice chat." Aaron said quietly, grabbing hold of her wrist.
Michelle could feel her face shutting down, eyes cold, no teasing, and no flirting left. "Two sentences do not qualify as a 'chat'." She wanted to add something about letting go he'd regret it but things like that tended to escalate violence. See? She wasn't totally stupid.
Apparently Aaron was in the mood to escalate things no matter what she did or didn't say. He pinned her to the wall, arms pinned head level while the older boy leaned into her. "Why don't we have our own little party Hardy? I saw how your boys weren't taking care of you, leaving you all by yourself…." His voice drifted off and Michelle had the vaguest feeling he wasn't talking about what he was talking about.
She didn't like where this conversation was going but if she kept him talking maybe he'd be too preoccupied to do anything else.
Her heart was picking up a steady beat and she was terrified another panic attack was on the way. And here she was, pinned by some freakin idiot who was probably drunk off his ass with no stupid drunk girl to help him get his rocks off. Oh well, you know what they say…
"They didn't leave me, I told them to go. Sometimes a girl needs some quiet time where she doesn't have guys pawing all over her." She hoped he was getting the hint but he just laughed.
"Oh I haven't started pawing yet… You'll know when I'm pawing…" He said the word like it was a dirty thing, punctuating his words by pressing his body in against her. She could tell he was definitely happy about the situation. At least one of them was.
"You better get off me or my brother is going to kick your ass." She warned, her voice going breathy with fear. She hated to sound scared, most guys thought of it as a power trip in this situation and she was just betting Abbott was one of those guys.
Oh where were the guys? Surely they would have noticed she'd been gone awhile.
Aaron chuckled, a dark sound as he reached behind her, groping for the zipper that held her dress on.
Michelle slammed her back into the wall, effectively crushing his hand with it.
He growled, "You little bitch! You're going to pay for that!"
Michelle's heart was racing to new heights, she was getting dizzy. Shit. Shit. Shit. She needed to scream, let someone know where she was, but she couldn't get enough breath, her lungs were on fire. Air burned and scraped on its way up and down, she wasn't getting enough.
A really good panic attack is almost like having a bad allergic reaction. Your throat closes up and you can't breathe. Your mind interprets that as a sign you may be dying and goes into survival mode. You panic, your heart rate increases, it gets harder to breathe and the cycle begins again.
Normally, with a little help, you can calm down and it passes. Without it… The body shuts down and you either pass out or have a nervous breakdown.
Neither were very appealing options in Michelle's situation. She could feel herself getting dizzy and she knew vaguely that she was hyperventilating and that if she didn't quit she would pass out and then Aaron really would have her.
Crying didn't seem like too bad of an option but she didn't smell any alcohol on Aaron's breath so she was almost willing to bet money that he'd done this before and crying was something he'd be used to.
Michelle heard something on the edge of her consciousness that sounded like Tyler, or maybe it was Caleb… Sometimes it was so hard to tell. Everything was getting tinny again and that meant she was going into shock. Shit, this was bad. She couldn't focus, couldn't focus on anything but the panic. Good God he was going to rape her.
The realization hit her like a proverbial hammer between the eyes and she couldn't distantly hear a kind of mewling keening sound like someone was choking. Was that her? Naw, couldn't have been…
"What the hell do you think you're doing Abbott?" Tyler snapped shoving the older, blonde boy back. It was amazing with that level of rage that Tyler hadn't hit him yet. But violence was never his first reaction. That wasn't Tyler. .
Reid knelt down beside the crumpled Michelle and pulled her into the circle of his arms without thinking.
Tyler was getting louder. Pogue and Caleb appeared, Kate and Laura trailing behind them curiously.
"What the hell is going on here?" Pogue roared, glancing back from Michelle crumpled in a broken looking little pile and Aaron's freaked out expression while Tyler looked like he was getting ready to kill someone.
Caleb was in the background on his cell phone, obviously calling for an ambulance.
Tears poured down Michelle's pale cheeks in seemingly never ending streams. She was making a choked crying sound and she was staring blankly at the stone ground.
Reid had his arms wrapped around her body protectively, whispering something that none of them could hear but whatever it was, it wasn't helping. Michelle wasn't calming down. What the hell had happened?
"He was going to rape her Pogue." Tyler had passed from hot rage to that cold, quiet rage where people get killed. A person's conscience just bleeds into nothingness and you can kill someone with your bare hands and not blink twice. "He had her pinned against the wall. She was crying and everything and he still didn't stop. She couldn't scream or anything…" His words had no inflection flat and lifeless as a doll's eyes.
The horror hadn't hit home yet and Pogue stared at Tyler as if he'd lost his mind. Then the anger came and it was hot and good. A savage growled spilled out of Pogue's very human mouth as he turned on Aaron. "You… were going to do what..?"
"I wasn't doing anything to her! She's crazy! We were just talking and she freaked out!" Aaron babbled, eyes wide and showing a lot of white. He knew that if someone didn't get there very soon, he was more than likely going to die. And they would make it hurt every second he was alive.
Sirens whirled in the distance and Caleb grabbed Pogue's arm, pulling him back. "You need to call your parents, let them know what's up."
Reid tried to pull away as the paramedics pulled up but Michelle just screamed and clung to him, sobbing quietly.
"I guess you're riding with her in the ambulance man." Tyler said quietly, his voice gaining a little of the life back but not much.
Someone was obviously going to pay dearly for what had happened.
That wasn't something anyone had expected from Tyler. Pogue…. Reid maybe… Hell even Caleb was capable of more violence that Tyler. But not in this moment. Someone needed to watch that boy.
"Let's go Tyler, we'll follow them." Caleb was saying quietly, steering the younger boy towards his car, not the Hummer. If anyone trusted that boy to drive and not try to run Aaron Abbott over they were beyond idiotic.
Pogue was speaking softly into his cell phone trying to be soothing as Kate and Laura flanked him.
Michelle sighed softly, cradled in a pair of warm arms. She could hear them, she could hear them all. The voices… but they were garbled and sounded so far away. Someone was speaking quietly and for the life of her she couldn't figure out who it was. She just knew she didn't want them to leave.
She didn't want to be alone. He'd come back for her, she was almost certain that if he ever had the chance he'd come back for and the idea was more terrifying than anything she'd ever experienced in her life.
Michelle was only vaguely aware of her surroundings. Her mind was slowly giving up the fight for consciousness and the edges of the world were bleeding black. "No…" She whispered and then the world was swallowed by that gaping darkness that had been creeping at the edge of her mind for so long. And she could have sworn that she could hear Aaron Abbott laughing at her in that terrible, lonely, gaping darkness…
A/N: Ah aren't I just one of those people you love to hate? I hope this chapter is a little quicker and more pleasing to the couple reviewers I have... Note I didn't say readers so thank you for everyone who's added me and mine to their alerts/favorites/etc. But I really would like a review. It keeps my process going. =) Let me know.
