Walking Among Everyone

005

Zion looked at me, his eyes wide and considering the possibility. He gazed towards the stained glass, seeing some black figures walking back and forth, then back at me.

Squeezing my hand, he stood up and gestured towards the table my friends were at. My legs were still weak but I would rather be on a chair than the stone cold floor. He held a hand out, which I took to stand up and staggered slowly to my friends.

Laura was the first to look at me, remembering that I was also there with her and burst into tears again. Layla sighed softly beside her sister and hugged her. I went to them and the three of us hug it out.

"Hey, take a seat," Mike pulled a chair up and nodded to Zion, who sat down. Fred was looking distraught as he had his head in his hands, pulling some hair out and mumbling softly. Just like Laura, he seems to be in a bad situation too.

I released the hug and walked over to Fred, putting a hand out in front of him. He took it immediately, squeezing tight for comfort. "Don't worry, Freddy, your sister and mother will be alright."

Although I said that, I know it would be far from the truth. Who would be alright in this situation?

I looked around to the others and they were literally broken down, lifeless, thinking it was the end of their life. Made me wonder how I was the calm one here.

×××

11pm.

I was seated on the floor, beside Fred's chair. He had dozed off while holding my hand for comfort. The gym was silent, except for a few sobbing and talking.

The lights in the gym turned off due to the automatic system and everyone screamed. I looked over to see Fred, awaken by the screams and he was mumbling even loudly than before, the panic rushing through him as he squeezed my hand harder.

I winced in pain. "Fred, it will be alright. Just calm down!"

He wasn't listening to me at all. I saw Zion walking towards me, pulled Fred away and rubbed circles on his back instead. He was looking at me and I smiled in return, mouthing a thank you.

"Where are the teachers though?" Mike spoke, taking my attention away. His voice echoed in the gym. I felt everyone turned to him and I looked too, hoping to find an answer.

"They only come for an hour to make sure we are all signed in. Not one stayed around after that. I assume the janitor and security guards were the only ones around but, something might have already happen to them."

A familiar voice spoke, perking my interest. It felt like too long since I last heard Brandon's voice. He turned to me, an unknown look on his face and I felt myself shrinking back in fear. Shortly, Amanda came behind him, her hands all over his body. I cringed hard, hoping that Zion wasn't looking but he was.

Layla looked between the four of us and I could see she was starting to get worried. Who wouldn't? We had been stuck in the gym for 4 hours so breaking into a fight at this moment won't help anyone.

I broke eye contact with Brandon, knowing that if I stare any longer, I would start feeling sentimental again. Instead, I went to Layla, picking a fallen chair from the ground and sat on it, massaging my temple.

"We'll be fine. I'm sure we will be saved sooner or later," Layla said when she saw me, hunched forward. I smiled to her, as a hand came to sooth my back. I was thankful that I have Layla as my friend; her presence was always comforting.

My head began pounding so badly with everything that was happening. My lack of sleep was the death of me and I wished I had taken a nap prior to the prom.

"Here, your coke drink. It had went flat by the way," Zion handed me the drink that I got from the vending machine. I took a sip, feeling the now warm liquid down my throat and sighed with pleasure at being able to drink something else besides fruit punch.

It will be a long night.

I sighed, glancing back to the glass door, unable to see anything due to the colour that stained the glass now. It was no longer the red that we had seen earlier, but almost black like the night. I was feeling sleepy by the minute but I was afraid to fall asleep, in case something happen.

"Want to sleep?" Zion looked at me. I nodded, my eyes drooping and I couldn't even see his face. He and some of the guys had actually pulled out some mats from the storage room, laid it around, making sure everyone have a comfortable sleeping area instead of the cold floor.

Speaking about cold, I shivered. It was finally sipping in and I know that it would be difficult to stay warm in an off shoulder dress. I sat on the floor near a mat that Layla and Laura was on.

Fred was still on the chair, this time facing us as he just looked down at Laura, covered up with his jacket. Mike sat at my side, his hand on Layla's head, smoothing her unraveled hair, his jacket on her bare midriff. We were all a mess and I kept thinking something worst will happen.

Zion finally took a seat beside me and took off his jacket, hanging it over my shoulder. I thanked him and he came closer to me to give me more warmth. Suddenly, in front of me, stood Amanda with her hands on her hips, glaring down at the both of us.

"Baby, why are you over here? Why don't we sit with our friends," her eyes flickered to the jacket I had around my shoulder.

"No, it's fine. I think it's better that I stay here. This is a good lookout location."

He was practically in the middle of the gym, the fours glass doors in his line of sight and he would be able to see everything. Amanda's group was at the far end of the gym.

I was quite shock to hear Zion say that, knowing he didn't have to feel like he was responsible for taking care of the whole group of us seniors but he did and I admired him for it.

However, Amanda wasn't too happy with the reply and that was when she grabbed a bunch of my hair, flinging me around. I was shocked and also mad that she chose to vent her anger on me. The commotion woken up those who were sleeping and the twins were on their feet, watching me being dragged around by the maniac.

"Ashley!" They screamed and I know they wanted to help but if they did get involved and get hurt, I won't ever forgive myself. Instead, the boys helped to intervine. Zion, Fred and Mike held me back while Brandon and a few other guys held Amanda back.

"You have some serious issue!" Mike shouted at her while Fred was making sure I hadn't broke my neck. Zion was silent but I knew he was glaring and oh so damn angry.

Amanda pointed a finger at me. Even in the dark, I knew her pale cheek was turning red."She seduced my boyfriend!"

I heard Layla cursed under her breathe. "That fucking bitch!"

Laura, the sweet one, was even letting out strings of words that I never knew she could even say. My mouth was wide open at the accusations. How dare she!

"You–!"

Before I could say anything, Zion cuts in. His green eyes were cold and he glared at the obnoxious girl in front of him.

"Says the one who had been cheating on me. Who even sucked another guy off in the gym's toilet, thinking I won't notice," He spat. "It is over between us, Amanda. Seriously."

There was so much pain in his voice, I felt sorry for him. Amanda shut up instantly and stepped back unwillingly. Now the whole senior year students knew what she had been up to while being the so called girlfriend to the star player of Eastwood High.

She turned on her heels, feeling embarrassed and walked back to her friends. Brandon looked at his friends but they weren't looking at him. Then he looked at me, his brows furrowed together in. We just stared at each other for a while before he walked off to calm Amanda down.

What a drama and the night had just began. We could hear howling nearby and it made the hair at the nape of my neck stands up. Yeah, the night had just began.

×××

Author's note:
Still thinking why I'm trying to reupload this story when it sucks. Felt like something I would post in 2010.