Masks

Chapter 9- Betrayal

Tara's heart was frozen as she walked toward Em. Her hands shook slightly. She started asking herself questions that she hadn't really asked before.

Was her friend innocent? How well did she really know Emily to even come to a judgment? That she was a spunky girl? With a drunkard father? She likes horror and supernatural movies? What else?

 She knew nothing of her friend's past.

Tara's body pumped adrenaline and fear a million miles an hour. She noticed the glint in Em's hand again, hoping that it was a bracelet or anything but a weapon. Her stomach did a back flip when she noticed that the metal in Em's hand had a sharp end. Tara picked up her pace. Em's hand slowly reached out in a stance to strike. Tara stopped in her tracks. Was this really time to play hero? Would she herself get hurt if she jumped in the middle of this? But her conscience couldn't let her just sit there and watch another person get hurt in front of her.

 No one else seemed to notice what Em was doing. Everybody was too scared and involved in their own lives. Tara started moving her feet again. Em stalked further and further until she raised her hand, a blow to kill. Before she could, the mayor's wife noticed and gasped as she yanked her daughter in front. Em's strike missed but judging the way she recovered quickly, she was going for another. Tara bounced on the balls of her feet, ready to strike at Em but Jacob got to her before Tara could.

He tackled Em to the ground. She struggled against his body but Jake was a six-feet-two monster. There was absolutely no way she could fight him off, considering her tiny size. She growled and snapped her teeth at him like an animal. Tara stood there, shaking from head to toe. She heard the shouts of men. Jacob pulled the knife out of Em's tight grip and flung it as far on the floor as he could. The sheriff ran to the scene.

Some of his men pulled Jacob back while the sheriff cuffed Em's hands behind her back. Her teeth were bared and her eyes look red. Behind her, Rose looked like she might faint. Tara could see her death grip on her mother's hand. Her mother's face had gone as white as a porcelain doll. Just then, Tara felt a rough grip on her right arm. Her first instinct was to jerk her hand away but when she noticed who it was, she stopped.

"Dad?"

"We're going home, Tara," her father said, eyeing Em with malice as the sheriff hauled her away.

"Okay," Tara agreed, knowing better than to argue at this point. She should've listened to her father. He had been right all along. She'd been too blind. She'd let her feelings cloud her better judgment and now, she was paying the price for it. There was absolutely no reason Em would go after Rose...unless she was the killer. Tara felt her heart drop to her stomach as the realization hit her. Her friend was a possible serial killer. She rubbed her face with her palms as she got into the car. Her family drove home. Tara's sister looked like she was in shock. Her mother had her eyes close. Her hand rested on her belly, patting the baby inside.

Tara couldn't meet her father's gaze in shame. But somewhere inside, she knew that she couldn't really blame herself either. She'd fallen for something that anybody could've succumbed to. They reached home. As soon as they got inside, Tara's father shut the door with his heel.

"No going out from now," he muttered sternly and walked away, leaving no room for argument. Tara didn't even have the strength to argue at this point. She flopped down on her bed, face first.

Em was probably going to juvenile prison unless she managed to build up a case, which she probably would because the only thing Em would be convicted of was carrying a weapon in public arena and possibly attempted murder if the rest couldn't be proven. Tara didn't know whether she could even trust Jacob anymore. Sure, he had tackled down Em before anything happened, but what if it was all a play? What if Jake did that so he could just get away?