The Mysterious Door

Chapter 9

"Today off," Gustav says, coming to life once the Instructor is completely submerged, "Test go on tomorrow."

"I... I can't believe it," Jasmine says, a tear running down her cheek, "They died because they were in the bottom positions. If it wasn't for my training, for a role that I hated none the less, it would have been me." We watch as the two goons drag the girls' bodies through the death-door.

"It's not your fault," I say, putting my arms around her, "You deserve to be in the spot you are. You deserve to live."

She puts her head on my shoulder, "I... I don't want to die in here. I was wrong. This isn't exciting at all. I'll take all the fantastic roles and the perfectly ordinary life back home. Heck, I'll even be happy with everyone thinking I'm just a pretty girl too. I just don't want to come so close to dying ever again."

"You'll get through this," I say, "I promise."

"I don't know, Jake," she walks out of my arms, "With Alex and Misaki gone, I'm officially in the bottom two again. What if I can't get my score up in the next test?"

"You went from nineteenth place all the way to fifteenth," Cindy assures her, "If that's not reason enough to believe in yourself, nothing is. We'll get out of here alive," her smile spreads all the way to Jasmine's face, "All of us. Right, Anthony?" But he wasn't listening. Instead he's staring so profoundly at Daniel as he tells of his great victories that he doesn't register what's going on around him. I don't even think he registered that another two teleporters were killed not more than 5 meters from him. What kind of spell does Daniel have over him? Is Anthony really this desperate to be popular?

"Anthony," Jasmine says, touching his shoulder. He jumps at the sudden contact, staring at Jasmine with wide eyes.

"What is it now," he says, lining the last word with acid, "I don't have the strength to deal with your rubbish today."

"I'm, I'm sorry," she says, more tears filling her eyes as she runs away.

"You know," Cindy says, filled with sudden anger, "Your becoming more like Daniel by the day. Jasmine has never done anything to you and she's going through a really rough time. You better go apologize to her."

Anthony looks up at a now-silent observing Daniel, "I don't have to do anything," he says, "We're all going through something. She should just grow up and face facts like the rest of us."

Cindy starts to say something, but storms off instead, towards Jasmine.

"Anything else," he says to me.

"No, please, go right back to staring at your boyfriend." This might not have been the smartest thing to say, but I knew it would hurt him at least as much as he hurt Jasmine and right now I just wanted to see him suffer.

This time he didn't storm off though, instead he jumped up and grabbed hold of my shirt. There was something in his face, a look of extreme longing. He didn't really want to do anything, but something inside him made him pull his arm back to punch me.

"Do it," I say, "Prove to me that we've lost you completely."

He looks to Daniel who's staring silently, waiting to see what he chooses, "You're not worth it," he says eventually, shoving me away, "Just stay away from me and my friends."

I don't grace him with an answer, he doesn't deserve one. I have more important things to do anyway. My real friends need me.

"I'm sorry about him," I say once I reach Jasmine, "You deserve a better friend than him. Just know that I'm here for you, if you ever need me."

"Thank you," she says whipping at her eyes, "Both of you. I don't think I'd still be sitting here without all your help and encouragement. You guys believed in me when I didn't, even Anthony did at a time, and I'm extremely thankful for that. You guys became the first people that were willing to see me for who I am, instead of who I was pretending to be on stage. In a way I'm thankful that the Instructor brought me here. If she didn't I would have never had any true friends."