My legs grew tired as I ran. My breathes grew sharper as I bolted. But still, I had to, to get away from the beast keeping the wolf locked away. The cage came to my view and I was able to whip back and snatch the key from the beast's neck. Once that was done, I opened the heavy lock. The lock dropped, the cell door opened, and then the black long wolf came out.
It barked it's fearsome, low growl, driving away the beast for good. Then the white, flashing eyes turned to me and stared. I watched them and tried to pet it, only to have the skinny wolf jump back and lash out. The nails scratched my left arm, blood seeping out. My eyes quickly followed my head and looked up; the wolf was in a state of shock, gazing at me with guilty eyes before darting of in the distance.
-o0o-
I woke up in a cold sweat that Monday morning., frowning at the dream. It wasn't one that I had exactly had before, although it was close enough to call that the second time. My eyes closed as hands warmed the sides of my arms, which were covered in goose-bumps. I heaved a great sigh before the alarm clock jerked my from my moment of rest. Grumbling sourly I hit the top of the alarm and glared at the neon numbers 7:45.
Sighing, my arms pushed me out of bed and I set off and put on some fresh clothes. The favorite red flannel of mine was pulled on after black, well, everything else. Before leaving the room, I stretch out a yawn and stepped downstairs to eat breakfast, which really only consisted of coffee. Not many minutes afterwards I pull out of the gravel driveway and headed off to school.
My fingers tapped the steering wheel nervously as the car was parked, and then they pushed the door open before slamming it. After I heaved a deep breathe, I strode my way through the front doors and was greeted with a busy main hall. Once a locker with scissors stabbed into it closed, my gaze swept through the area and halted at one corner. Beck stood very guarded, looking left and right with a slight frown with his arm around- A smirk spread across my face as Elizabeth stood there, a cocky smile plastered on her face. Whether or not she took my words very seriously, well she may not have since she was there, I wondered what the look in her eyes played.
A pierced eyebrow rose once she turned her head over to me and gave gleeful grin. Elizabeth ducked from under Beck's arm and made her way to me before snapping confidently, "Not so hard with your words are you? Seems to me you're full of bluff." With a slight giggle that sent tremors down my spine, she was gone with the screaming bell.
My feet remain planted for a minute, waiting for everyone to scramble towards their classes, before I pulled out a phone and dialed a number. "Mr. Vega?"
"Yes Jade?"
"Yeah, she's here." With that he hangs up the phone and I headed straight to class with a gleeful smile of my own.
-o0o-
It was third hour and my pencil tapped my chair rapidly as I watched with the rest of the class as Andre and Robbie preform this stupid skit. Even then I didn't care enough to actually pay attention; you see, just before I had walked past a window looking to the outside (and not a brick wall). Three police cars sat by bushes, the officers inside their individual set of wheels. The pencil mimicked the activity in my brain, which was scattered and frantic. I had to be steps ahead of Elizabeth, but not too many in case it would blow up in my face. So there would be several plans.
I shifted slightly in my seat, the pencil now hitting against my left thigh. The main plan was to get the truth out of her, which would require her to be in a panic. And when she's in a panic, Elizabeth in particular I've found, she messes up thus screwing herself over. When she ran from me in the streets, her steps led her to a dead end, which she also didn't even attempt to hide behind any of the trash cans. Two mistakes right there that led to her having a slight limp that day.
The thing was how to get it out of her, and I figured having Beck immovable, the crowd of people surrounding her while I interrogated her would do the trick. Still, the panicked will always run to unsuspected reasoning that may have put a bump in my schemes. Even with that possibility I needed to act while I had what ego I set up years before. Then my mind drifted to Tori, how she may react when this came out. I glared at the ground, my pencil halting it's movements. I really didn't know how she would react or what Elizabeth would say. That, I'll be honest here, kind of scared me. Not in a way like escaping a gang or anything (which is terrifying by the way), but just surreal, I guess, to think about. Unsettling- there, that's the word.
My body twitched violently once the stream of students had barged through the door, off to lunch. I felt my lungs take in a huge amount of air to bring it back ou a moment later; it was time and I really didn't feel all that prepared. Still, I had to do it.
Arms pushed me off the chair, scratching the other arms while I walked to the door, feeling alone. I wasn't, Mr. Vega and two other cops by the looks of things were with me. With that relieving thought, I pushed the heavy door open and walked right outside Sikowitz' room, first going to my locker to put away my things. Then, it was off to the Asphalt Café.
I halted by a small group of girls, who annoyed me with their happy voices, by the pillar near the group's lunch table. Andre was laughing once I got there and his eyes glanced over at me and looked down once I nodded. "Hey Beck, I want to show you these cool prank cuffs I got from the store earlier."
"Really?" the Canadian exclaimed, leaning forward from Elizabeth's hands.
"Yeah," Andre muttered as he pulled them out from his bag, "here, you can break away from them too." Beck ran his hand through his hair before grabbing the cuffs and anaylized them.
"They look real."
"Well, they're props, not the exact ones from the movie set but from the same company." I had to hand it to Andre, he makes up a pretty good story. "Here," the musician added, "Let me put them on you." Andre then proceeded to walk around the table towards Beck and wrapped the chains around rim of the table, since some of the holes were broken, to cuff my ex to it. Beck smirked for a second and then tried to break away, being very unsuccessful.
After a couple more pulls, he frowns before asking, "Andre? Where's the keys for these?"
"Lost them."
"What?" he hissed. I stepped right behind Elizabeth, taking my chance for a dramatic entrance, and waited as Beck turned and frowned. Once a sour light bulb clicked, he muttered at Andre, "I thought you said you were talking to your grandma."
"Does my grandma never yell over the phone," he only shrugged. By that time, Beck really wanted to be free from the cuffs but failed like the last attempts. My hand slammed down on the table suddenly, separating the couple, leaving me with a glaring match with Elizabeth.
"How about you make this easy and tell me exactly what you've done over the years," I muttered grimly, feeling the watchful eyes of Mr. Vega nearby.
"How about no?" she spat. I had known this wouldn't be as easy as 'that'.
"Alright then," I simply shrugged before jerking suddenly, sending Elizabeth scattering onto the ground, "Then I'll tell them what I do know about you..." She looked at me, a mix of fear and confidence clashing in her eyes.
"Like what?" she asked, the mask faltering slightly when some true intimidated curiosity leaked through.
"I don't know," I murmured quietly as I stepped towards the now standing Elizabeth. At this point, the crowd closer to the scene is quiet, listening intently. I catch the stern eyes of a young woman and man, who must have been the other cops, and they gave me a slight nod to prove it. "Maybe when you came u with the idea to date my ex purely to get to me?"
"That's not true, I- I don't know what she's talking about Beck!" he gaze leaned over to meet Beck's.
"Really? I think you kissing me and trying to get in my pants in the closet says otherwise. What would have happened if I let you continue, hmm?" My smirk breaks down some more of the crumbling wall she held.
"That's not... I didn-"
"And I do believe you sent four people to jump me only Friday, right?" She shook her head anxiously as her eyes darted across the crowd, feet backing into a bush. "What else have you done Stalk? Tell me or I'll break your nose for a start." Elizabeth tripped over her shoe laces and began to ramble unidentifiable slurs.
"I destroyed a bi-nd sent peorople to- laug- I- just ca- Tori... I-I-" My eyes studied the shaken girl, not comprehending any of the confessions. I wanted to know the one she was trying to run with, I could see it in those blazing eyes of hers. My hand began to massage my right fist as I stepped closer, eyes stone cold while teeth glinting lividly. I stepped suddenly forward then froze, horrified.
There, on her knees, Elizabeth Stalk flinched as I lunged forward and quickly her hands fell onto the ground before she shrieked, "I KILLED STELLA MAUS!"
It was dead silent on the lunch grounds. Not even a bird peeped as everyone stared at Elizabeth who shook violently on the ground, one hand over her mouth. My hands quietly shook as I widened my stare, a wave of utter shock sprinting down my spine. Never would I had dreamed of that response. Steps were heard from the distance before I turned and see Tori charging at the shaken shell of a maniac, pure fury in her eyes.
"I FUCKING KNEW IT YOU BITCH!" a low bellow rang in everyone's ears as the Maned Wolf brushed past me and sent a fist hurtling at Elizabeth's face. The second it makes contact, blood sprayed as her nose bent horribly while Tori halted, standing a few feet from me. She shook violently and looked at everyone before her eyes landed on mine. They locked together and I felt my gaze weaken under those hazel eyes', now burning with a blood curdling fire just underneath.
I don't move for a split second as she turned her heels and bolted in the other direction. After a spasm runs through me, I follow at the same pace, leaving the sound of hand cuffs behind me. "TORI!" I shout as I entered the main hall. To my right, I hear a familiar slam of a closet door and my steps guided my over. Before my hand had grasped the knob and opened the wooden door, I gulped a sudden knot in my throat.
Once inside, I saw Tori still shaking staring right back at me. "Tori? Are-are you okay?" My eyes took in the pained fear cracked throughout the calming hazelnut eyes.
"Get away from me," she growled, a red pocket knife suddenly gleaming in my eyes. It shook in her right hand uncontrollably as Tori's body expressed her nerves.
"I can't, just let me help you," I started, stepping forward before I felt a long, angry sting on my left forearm. My bows knit together as my eyes gaze distantly at the long, jagged cut along my forearm. As my vision began to blur slightly, I look up and my eyes widened at the stare of the half-Latina.
She dropped the red-lined blade and covered her mouth with the right hand, the other pressed firmly against the wall. But I felt a heavy pang in my heart as I watched tears roll down her cheeks as warmth, light and caramel flood those hollow eyes. While it was marked as a victory in my mind, I read the sorrow in them.
"T-Tori," I whispered throatily, my right hand covering the scratch in a smearing vain, "It's just a little cut, it'll heal in-"
"I hurt you..." she croaked in a small voice, "I-I hurt you..."
"Tori, no you didn't... it's just a small- Tori!" I choked as she sprinted past me and bolted through the door. My legs instinctively followed her through the janitor's door and the front doors, even if the bruises obtained several days prior screamed in agony. Through the parking lot we ran, and my eyes suddenly locked onto the busy road.
Letting go of my left arm I lunge towards Tori and made up a few strides. No, no, no, no... Jade, hurry the fuck up. SPRINT!, a panicked voice shrieked inside me as I stepped the fastest I ever went in my life. I felt my breaths sharpen as I saw Tori, who wasn't slowing down, heading straight for a speeding car. My body lurched forward, passing her momentarily before my right foot kicked off of a red fire hydrant ahead and sent me right into Tori.
We crashed together and I laid on Tori for a moment, feeling my arm bleeding into our shirts, seeping red warmth onto our bare skin underneath, and both of us are shaking. "I-I'm so-sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you- I wasn't thinking..." she wept into my shoulder.
I raise myself a few inches using my right arm, the other against my stomach. "Tori, why-why don't I bring you to my house and we'll, we'll clean up and talk." She nodded and we both get up, heading to my car while I wrapped the bleeding cut with my flannel.
The drive was short, but deathly silent. One thing was for certain though, I had Tori back. Hurt, but back.
She can finally rest in my arms.
Okay, so I have one thing to say. Because this chapter and the next are essentially what drove me to write this story, I'll be sure to get the other one out really quickly. Like pretty much with this one.