Survive 2

Chapter Fourty Nine

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

December 16, 2022.

Madison Stone's Point Of View.

"It was really funny, but we couldn't laugh," Ashley recounts what David did at Williams' trial to Chris and the girls.

"Shame on you, huh man?" Chris says laughing at David, who is already turning red.

"Stop laughing, the boy is getting embarrassed," my mother says, but she is also laughing.

"I wanted to go, but I couldn't," Chris says stopping laughing. "But the important thing is that everything worked out," and we agree.

"Yes. And to close with a golden key we will go to the dance tomorrow," Ashley speaks and my mother and Christopher look at me.

"I didn't know there was going to be a dance tomorrow. Are you going to go, daughter? I didn't see you shopping for a dress or anything."

"I don't know. I was busy with the moving, so I wasn't in that much of a mood to go and then came the trial of Williams and Alexander, so I didn't even think much of actually going," I say and I feel Andrey's gaze weigh on me, but I don't stare back at him.

I like Andrey and I know he wants me to go to the dance, but I wish he would ask me. Only like Ashley said, he won't do that because he's probably afraid I will dump him because of what I said that day, only I didn't say that with the intention of pushing him away, but rather to say what I was thinking at the moment.

"We are in the mall. If you want, we can go buy a dress now. There's a store here that has so many beautiful dresses," Ashley says and I deny it.

Everyone is with their prom dates, except me.

"I'm not in the mood to try on dresses today."

"Go, Mad. We all want you to go," David says and everyone at the table agrees, making me give a weak smile.

"I will think it over fondly. If I decide to go, I will come here tomorrow morning and buy a dress," and I can see through my peripheral vision a small smile forming on Andrey's lips. "Is that okay?" Everyone agrees, so I give them a small smile as I start thinking what I'm going to do.

"I wonder if the people at school already know about what happened?" Ryan questions and I am grateful that the subject is changed.

"When we left there, we didn't see anyone commenting about it, but they probably know about it now," Sarah says.

"Yeah.. news travels fast at Royalty," Andrey comments and then picks up one of my cookies, taking a bite of it.

I love the way my friends like to steal my food.

"Who are you going to the dance with, Andrey?" My mom asks and I roll my eyes, already feeling my cheeks starting to burn because I know her intention with that question.

"Uhm.. I don't know.." he says clumsily and she agrees, without even disguising her disappointment.

"Do you want to arrange for us to meet somewhere so we can go to the dance together, or can we meet there?" David asks and I know he did this to prevent my mom from asking another question, for I know he noticed that Andrey and I were embarrassed.

"Oh, we could meet in front of that burger place," Ashley gives her suggestion, but Bryan denies it.

"No, it's better near the cafeteria, because it's closer for everyone."

They start to argue about it and I don't give my opinion, I just watch them, because I don't even know if I'm going.

...

I go up to my room after the movie is over and I say good night to my mother and Christopher, who stay in the living room to watch another movie.

I lay down on my bed, since I had already showered before going downstairs to watch the movie with my mother and stepfather, and I can't close my eyes for a long time as I keep thinking about what happened today.

It's impressive how before I went into that building I was nervous and afraid of what might happen, but when I came out, I came out in a much better way than I could have ever imagined.

Now yes, I can say that that painful, stressful and exhausting part of mine was finally left behind. I have accepted that I will never forget what happened, but now every time I remember what happened, I will also remember the victory I achieved in the end.

If at any time, starting today, I am reminded of what happened, I will be happy, because I know that I and a few other people denounced Alexander, causing justice to be done not only for us, but for those who unfortunately did not have the courage to denounce him as well.

I think that from the moment I decided that I would not let what happened to me go unreported, my biggest motivation was to make the two of them pay not only for what they did to me, but what they did to all the other people that they hurt as well.

I know I got discouraged after I had a shock of reality that I had no concrete evidence against them, but after Chris came into my life and gave me that advice, I saw that it was still possible to get what I wanted so badly.

So today I will go to sleep much more peaceful and grateful that this story had the ending I wanted.

I think about it a few more minutes and my thoughts go on and on, eventually leading me to the event that will take place tomorrow.

Until today before the trial I didn't want to go to the dance, but after our victory I think it would be fun to go tomorrow because the celebratory mood will probably be higher than usual, but the fact that the person I wanted to go with didn't invite me has taken some of the sting out of it.

I pick up my cell phone and think about sending him a message, calling him to go to the dance with me, because I know that the only reason he didn't ask me is because of me, but for some reason I am embarrassed and turn off my cell phone, putting it on the bedside table and snuggling even more into bed.