Emily went about the next two weeks as if nothing had happened, not sharing her father’s increasing violent tendencies. It seemed that the happier he was, the worse he got, and she didn’t know what to do. She tried to hide it, tried to act like she always had, but he always seemed to know.
Finally Valentine's Day arrived, and Emily was excited to celebrate the holiday for the first time. Mick had errands to run after school, and he told her he'd pick her up at five. She busied herself with cleaning the house. Her dad had chosen that night to go to the bar, (probably hoping to pick up some girls) and he'd probably stumble in late, if he did at all. She did her best to make sure that there as nothing for him to be upset about, so she meticulously went over the house.
It was almost six and she had run out of things to do. She tried Mick's cell phone again, but it went to voice mail. Where is he, she thought. It was another half an hour before she received a text message. Sorry it took so long. Come to the school I have a surprise for you. Curious she grabbed her coat and bag and made her way to the school.
* * *
Mick woke up and for a moment had no idea where he was or how he’d gotten there. And then he remembered. James had confronted him about Emily, said that he knew they were together. He said that he liked Emily first and that as friends she was off limits, at which point Mick replied that he would tell everyone what really happened all those months ago. Next thing he knew he was tied to a chair in what appeared to be the English room of the high school, his head throbbing.
“Are you ready to stop intervening in my life?”
Mick hadn’t even seen James until he stepped out of the shadows. “What are you talking about?” he asked, fighting against the ropes binding his wrists together.
“I think you know exactly what I’ve talking about…taking Emily, stopping our friendship, and threatening to ruin my life.” James walked slowly towards him, swinging a baseball bat in his hand.
“Dude, you have some serious issues.”
James laughed maniacally. “You’re just figuring this out?”
“What exactly is it that you want?”
“I only want one thing, the one thing anyone like me wants. Revenge.”
“And how are you gonna get that?”
“That, Mick, is why you are here.”
“What? You gonna make some tough threats against a man that’s tied up? That gonna make you feel better?”
“Haha, that’s what made her like you I think.” He sighed. “Mick, you’re so simple. No, no, no, tying you up and just threatening you wouldn’t do the trick.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Now Mick…If I told you that it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore…would it?”
“I don’t care much for surprises.”
“Then you really won’t like this one.”
“Look…let’s not do anything stupid…”
“Stupid? I haven’t the foggiest idea what you mean! You took Em from me, wasn’t that stupid?”
