Rebel

Chapter 9 - My first kiss

When I woke up, my ankle was throbbing in time to my heartbeat. I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut trying to keep in the tears. Once I had regained control, I looked up. I was back in the tower room, but there were bars on the window I had escaped out of. Ha. Fat chance of me even making it up there with my ankle. I was duct taped to a chair and on wriggling I came to the conclusion I was not making it out.

I was so close to freedom. If only I had stayed in the tree until- until Geoff left and then I could have stolen a truck? Ran all the way through the In Between with a sprained ankle? My shoulders slumped. It was impossible to escape.

"You're being quiet for once." I jumped and swivelled my head to see Calvin staring at me.

"Yeah, well nobody plans a murder out loud." I retorted. Would I actually kill him if I got the chance? I wanted to be a warrior when I was older and I would have to kill people for that. It's just- it seemed so real to be responsible for erasing a life from this world.

"You're so cute when you're mad." Calvin mocked me.

"Then shut up or I'm about to get real adorable." I growled. He ignored me, walking closer and grabbed my face in his hand. I tried to bite him, unsuccessfully.

"I slept on the decision of what to do with you." Calvin's face lit up with glee, and I winced.

"I decided that killing you would be the most satisfying." What about the ransom? My head whirled with questions, but I needed to stay cool and confident, convince him to let me live.

"So you're giving up?" I tried to look bored, as though we were discussing something like ice cream flavours and not my life. Calvin looked half confused, half irritated.

"Giving up? I call that winning."

"I thought you were going to make me submissive, beg for mercy and all that? Looks like you failed." His hands trembled with rage. My cheek stung as he slapped me, but I knew my words had sunk deep.

"Fine. I'm going to break you, little earth girl." He said, low and dangerous. 

"Ha. You'll break me? I would break you in half right now, I just don't want two of you around!" I quipped. I knew I was going too far, making him madder and madder but my attitude wouldn't let me stop.

"You think this is a game?" Calvin gritted his teeth.

"Yep. And I intend to win." I didn't hold back my giggles as his face went as red as a tomato.

"I'll show you how fun this game can get, then." Calvin pulled a gun from his pocket. I stopped mid-laugh and my entire body froze. My eyes followed the gun's movement as he twirled it between his fingers recklessly. He walked around me in a circle, letting the tip of the gun brush my neck. I repressed a shudder. If that gun went off I would be dead.

"You know, you've got pretty hair." I didn't dare retort with a snarky comment, I knew what Calvin was capable of when he got angry.

"Beautiful full lips too." You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

"You would make a good wife... for me." I tried not to gag at the thought of living with Calvin for the rest of my life.

"Not in a million years." It came out with much less bravery than normal. I had never really considered I could actually die before. And now here I was with a maniac pointing a gun at me and telling me I had pretty hair.

Calvin stopped in front of me and leaned in close. I trembled as the cold metal of the gun pressed into my forehead. He was going to kiss me. No. This was wrong. Wrong, wrong wrong. I had never been kissed before and Calvin was the last person on earth I wanted to get my first kiss from.

Then his lips touched mine and if I leaned back any further I would tip over. I whimpered as the butt of gun formed a bruise on my head. I could feel his triumphant smile pressed against my lips. I didn't kiss back. I sat there, unmoving until an idea flashed through my mind. I didn't think about it, desperate for anything to stop him. I opened my mouth wide and saw his eyes fly open, a surprised expression flash across his face before I bit his lips as hard as I could.