BLOOM [OHSHC]

Chapter 36 - Once and For All

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The grand finale was moments away, a held breath.

Everyone played their part, said their lines, moved as planned.

From the catwalks over the ballroom, Alan watched from behind his mask while Michiyo's idiot friends pranced around below him. Mei went through the motions, fumbling the lines her sister had been practicing for weeks. She tripped in her heels more than once and kept tugging her dress up to better cover her pancake chest, but Alan didn't think that was anything worth killing her for.

Those had been his brother's vague instructions: kill Mei if she went 'off-book'.

Now, Alan wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but he took it as carte blanche to kind of do whatever the fuck he wanted in regard to Mei.

He wished he'd been strong enough to do the job right the first time they tried. Back in California, when they tried to kidnap Michiyo but Mei got in the way... Alan's own ineptitude led to this exact moment, this unnecessary and inevitable death.

Pacing the balcony, he daydreamed about what life would look like tomorrow, next week, three months from now, just him and Michiyo... and Ellis.

Paradise was what he'd been promised. He had plans for his future... but nothing that could be carried out until after this whole stupid party was over, not until he was on the road with Michiyo and his brother, well on their way to paradise, where she would never be hurt or sad or lonely ever again. All he wanted to do was save her. That's all.

Mei was the independent variable, the catalyst that could destroy or preserve his perfect future. If she dared step out of line... then he'd take her out of the picture.

Then Alan could be with Michiyo. Then no one could stop him.

Not even his dumb brother.

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Miraculously, I navigated us out of the maze and out near the main fountain.

Once we got there, my plan and my optimism faltered. I scoured my adrenaline-flooded brain for pieces of a new plan, a next step, something to keep me alive for just a few more minutes. Sure we were out in the open, but that wasn't terribly helpful, considering there were no witnesses. I needed to find help. More than anything else, I needed to save Mei.

"I recognize this ugly thing," Ellis grunted at the fountain, forcing me to turn and walk toward the back of the school where the faculty parking lot hid, his nails digging into my neck. "The car's this way. Come on, let's get you off of those feet."

Shit shit shit. The faculty lot was secluded. There wouldn't be any other cars back there... everyone else would've been dropped off out front to show off their outfits. I wouldn't, no, couldn't get in that waiting car. If I did... I didn't know what would happen. There was no fucking way that I'd find out.

Desperate and out of time, I decided to put my lifelong acting training to good use for once... so I improvised, starting with the oldest trick in the book. "What the fuck is that?!" I screeched.

A certified idiot, Ellis looked in the direction I wanted, and I took the opportunity to hike my heel up, kicking him in the nuts before wrenching out of his grasp and bolting toward the ballroom balcony. His knees buckled, and he went down; I heard the thud behind me.

The ground froze my bloody, numb feet, but the stairs weren't far. My hands were still cuffed behind my back. I hoped that wouldn't become a problem.

Ellis roared from behind me, his voice filled with the rage of a thousand suns. "MICHIYO! GET BACK HERE!"