One Step at a Time

Chapter 20

Sadie POV

"Oh god." A gasp left my mouth. Realization hit me hard. I felt tears prickle my eyes as I tried the door again. "No no no." I muttered under my breath at each try. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. Each attempt became more and more frantic, but I had to keep trying.

"Sadie." Simon said to me as I pushed my shoulder into the door. I ignored him as I pressed harder "Sadie! Stop it. It's not budging."

I didn't even face him. "It has to." Both my hands reached out in front of me as I threw myself into the door. The impact was harder than before and it send a loud bang that echoed throughout the gym. I winced a little, it hurt more than I expected. As I prepared my body to try again, a hand wrapped around my upper arm. Simon pulled me away from the door.

"Hey, let go," I shrugged away from him.

"Sadie, you have to stop. We are locked in-"

"Don't say that!" My voice came out more aggressive than intended. I kept my eyes on the door, my vision growing blurry from holding back tears. "We have to keep trying."

"It's not working," Simon was growing impatient. I felt him take a step closer. "I get you don't want to miss whatever date you are so dressed up for. But you are gonna hurt yourself if you don't stop." His hand wrapped around my wrist this time as I went to push again. I was caught dead in my tracks. Anger boiled up inside my chest as his grip tightened.

"Let go!" My whole body whipped around. I snapped my arm out of his grasp. My jaw was clenched, both from anger and trying to keep my tears at bay.

Simon stubbled a few steps back. More out of surprise than my force. His eyes had grown wide and for a moment he was shocked. Then his dark, risen eyebrows furrowed down. The brunets posture readjusted, he stood straighter with his chest out and his arms crossed. "What's your problem?" He took a step forward, purposely towering over me.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. A cold, dry one. "My problem. Are you kidding me?" His look challenged me. So I continued, "I cannot be stuck in here. Of all days. And with all people, stuck with you." My voice grew sharp and pointed towards him.

"And what's that supposed to means?"

"Are you seriously going to play dumb right now?" There was no going back now. Simon's had opened my Pandora's box. No longer did my voice hold hesitation as I continued. "You know good and well what I mean by that. Ever since I've stepped foot in the gym, no even before that," I corrected myself at the thought of our first interaction with the taxi, "you have made my life a living hell. And you get off on it. Ruining our auditions, constantly berating me with those stupid little passive aggressive comments. God, I never knew someone could be so hypercritical." I listed each of them off either my fingers, pointing at him. My voice displayed how exhausted I felt, rasping as I continued, "You kept feeding into Brooklyn's superiority complex, ALL of that. For some reason my pain is entertaining to the two of you. The only reason I stayed on this stupid team was to prove that you two didn't affect me. But the universe played some cruel joke on me and now I'm stuck with the two of you. For even longer. I should have quit like I planned. But then you acted like a decent person, the very bare minimum. So I stayed. Little did I know, you'd be so hot and cold that I'd wish you'd go back to hating me.

For once, I would just love a break. One day of peace. But no! I will never get that between you and Brooklyn and now my parents. I was supposed to be celebrating my birthday today. My fucking birthday. And now I'm stuck in a gym with the person that can't even stand to be associated with me. Even if I did get out, it would be just as grim as this. I would be stuck at a dinner with my parents, pretending to be a happy little family. As if we didn't catch my mom telling, well really yelling at my dad that she is getting a divorce all the night before. No. I can't even get that. There is just no fucking winning and I-" My impromptu monologue was cut off. Tears must have started streaming down my face at some point. I knew what was happening. The air began to leave my lungs without filling back up. My hands were already shaking as I lifted to my face with a sorry attempt to wipe my tears. I was pathetic.