Destined to be?

Chapter 28

Sarah

After multiple times of him asking me if I was thirsty I finally told him the reason why I kept refusing the punch. One he found that out he went on a mission to find me a bottled water leaving me on the dance floor with Amara and Luke.
We were all having a blast seeing who could come up with the dorkiest dance moves.
Watching as Luke held his nose kicking one of his legs out behind him as he circled his other arm in front. Literally looking as if he was swimming in the air, which held my attention until Amara started acting as if she was one of those ballerinas in those music jewelry boxes.
I could not keep a straight face even while I started to do the chicken dance. Floppin my elbows as I wiggled down and back up.
Every single one of us, out of breath.
Then the DJ of the night came over the loudspeaker telling everyone to hold onto their dates because he was about to slow things way down and suddenly our fun was cut short.
Luke offered his hand out to my best friend just as she offered hers to me.
"I got to have at least one slow dance with my girl." Waiting for me to take her outstretched hand.
"I love you for doing that, but you don't have to. Brayden will be back in a second, besides I need to catch my breath a little before I get back to dancing."
Smiling at both of them as I take my leave off the floor and stand next to one of the vacant tables as I watch my best friend get closer to her date, noticing how she gazed into his eyes.
Something that I had never seen her do with any guy before.
Many would give her attention and all would try to get hers in return but they were all shut down almost immediately. She never played games when it came to stuff like that.
Maybe it's because she's actually giving this one a chance considering the amount of time they are spending together, as well as that date where they had apparently conspired to get the limo.
Could Amara have a crush?
That idea filled me with so much joy, and Luke seemed to be a pretty good guy from what I've seen tonight.
Someone who isn't afraid of looking stupid, who has goals and can keep up with amaras moves. Noticing how he looks at her, as if she is the only other person in the room.
Shifting my weight, the balls of my feet on fire, not used to having this much constant pressure on them, I looked behind me, finding that more than a few tables with seating were empty. Most of everyone here, in the middle of a dance.
Grateful for that i begin to make my way back making sure that i had a solid view of the door so that when Brayden did come back in i would be able to wave him over.
"Awww, did your date decide to leave you? I'm not surprised."
Pausing in my tracks as I hear Christy's annoying voice coming from behind.
"Did he decide to go home, maybe i should go find him, he wouldn't want to leave me."
"He's actually finding me a bottle of water." I say point blank.
"Is he, or is he just using that as an excuse to get away from you."
Rolling my eyes. "He will be back any second. Where's your date?" I ask with false niceness, pretty sure that no one asked her and that's why she's bothering me right now. Catching the scowl on her face.
So I was right. Otherwise she would have come back with where he was.
Already tired of this interaction I turn to walk away when she jumps into my path.
"What do you want, Christy?" I ask, getting more annoyed by the second. She's been giving me crap all year, why did I think that tonight would be any different.
"Look." She says but then pauses squinching up her mouth as if she just tasted something bitter. "Forget what I said, ok."
"Already forgotten." Again I turn and try to get back on my original path of heading for the chairs when she blurts out her next words keeping me in place.
"I'm trying here. Trying to say that I have been." She stops again.
What was this? Some sort of apology. Clearly she didn't look like she wanted to give one so what was this all about. Raising my guard up sensing that something was about to happen. Taking in all these people. Witnesses, or more likely gossip hogs that would be more than happy to record whatever happens next.
I needed to get away.
Run.
The word screaming through my head. Louder even than when I was trapped down in the basement.
Taking a look at the dance floor, when Christy walked back into my sight.
"I just wanted to give you a present." Her face was twisted like something from a horror movie. The bottom half curved up in a sinister smile as she leaned her head slightly forwards, her irises halfway hidden under her long fake eyelashes, her pupils widening. Looking as if they were a black hole that was opening up ready to swallow me inside.
Taking a step towards me.
Feeling my body want to move backwards away from the danger, instead I stepped to the side. "No than"
Word cut short as I felt something cold and hard wrap around the front of my neck. Reaching up automatically, fingers gripping around the all too familiar links.
NO!
Telling myself I needed to remain calm as my already speeding pulse seemed to get faster. Eyes widening in pure shock when I hear an audible click.
Turning to find her two minions, one of which is holding the other end of the chain that they just locked onto my neck.
A metal chain.
Fingers interlaced in the middle of the links as I tried to slow my breathing.
This was just a sick trick.
There was no way she could have known tha…
"Awww, doesn't the doggy look so nice with its leash?" Announcing it loud enough for everyone to hear. Some couples from the other tables turned, taking notice of what was going on.
Dog.
Right.
That's what this was.
She wanted to get a rise out of me, wanted me to look stupid after all the times that her plans had backfired on her and this is what she had come up with.
In the middle of prom, with practically the whole senior class and a few other lower class that were invited.
Trying to get my mind off of the weight bearing down on my shoulders. So similar to that damned collar. In retrospect the collar was more comfortable. Just one round smooth surface instead of the different directions as the links connected digging into my skin. Literally feeling like multiple elbows pressing into my throat all at once.
"You know which dogs get chains as leashes?" I grit through my teeth. "The ones that you should be afraid of."
"Like I would ever be scared of you. You're nothing. Just a mutt who should have been put down."
What was this girl's deal? I don't know why she hated me so much but she seriously needed to see a therapist to fix these issues.
Maybe I could recommend Ms. Jensen.
Chuckling at the thought.
"What are you laughing at?"
Shrugging my shoulders as I saw more of a crowd beginning to form around us. Seeing her smirk as she saw them too. An audience. One that she was the head ringmaster for.
That was when this all seemed to make so much sense.
She didn't hate me.
She just hated that she wasn't the center of attention.
From day one she tried to make herself known by being the one to call me out in class. Of course all that had managed was her getting suspended for three days.
After that the majority of the times she tried anything was when there were other people around.
Of course the fact that I kept humiliating her by not playing into her game only pissed her off more.
Meaning that each time she would try and escalate the situation more.
I should have known when she and her minions were practically ignoring my presence that they were planning something.
How sick does a person need to be to feed off of the attention that comes from trying to constantly get a rise and even going so far as to humiliate another human being? To even consider any of this ok?
"Oh hell naw! What the fuck do you think that you are doing you fucking bitch!? Get that damned thing off of her right now!"
There was my best friend literally knocking people over as she pushed her way through the group of people that had now encircled us.
Fire in her eyes, fists already balled up. Knowing that Christy was going to be getting a black eye or broken nose in the next couple of seconds. Most likely be knocked out cold with the amount of pent up rage that's been collecting all year long and then some.
Thinking that I wouldn't mind seeing that.
Christy on the floor, unconscious. Unable to cause anymore problems.
Only she would because amara would get into a lot of trouble for putting her hands and causing damage to another student. Even if we weren't on school grounds right now. What if Christy pressed charges. Amara is still seventeen so they wouldn't try her as an adult but that could mess with her chances of getting into college.
Feet moving already having made up their mind before I did, taking a step in their direction wanting to place myself between the two of them.
An unwarranted choking sound caught me by surprise as the pressure around my throat got more intense.
Turning around seeing that thing number two still had a hold on the chain. Smirking eyes looking back, trying to convey that she had power over me. Something that would have warranted some semblance of fear if she hadn't also had a look of uncertainty.
Was this finally getting to be too much for her?
After everything that they have done, was this finally crossing that invisible line of activities she deemed ok?
An audible gasp mixed together from every direction into one singular sound, as I heard but also felt a loud thud.
Not even having to turn to know that Christy was on the ground.
So my best friend finally got that punch.
One that I probably could have stopped if I hadn't been on such a short leash.
Instead of looking at the commotion I keep my eyes locked on Jana. Holding my head, letting go of the links around my neck, sliding my hands down the chain and slowly walking up the chain to her.
Noticing her darting eyes, how she tried to square her shoulders making it look like she was in control of the situation when clearly she was looking for a way out.
In no less than four steps I was standing right in front of her, trembling hands sending vibrations throughout the metal.
"Give me the key."
"I….. i don't." Head shaking frantically side to side as her entire body began to tremble.
Yanking the chain out of her grip, watching as she let out a gasp looking down at her index finger. Making a show of making sure that it had not broken. Right now I can't seem to get myself to care.
"KEY." I demand again, only this time she looks at me with a smirk as she looks to her side where there was a gap leading out of the crowd.
Tiffany.
I curse to myself. Of course she had the damned thing and now she is gone and I am stuck wearing this screwed up joke.
I should have seen that coming.
Of course my emotion showed on my face of just how angry I was becoming, that smirk swiping right off of hers as she ran away before I even made a move.
Shutting my eyes for just a fraction of a second.
Needing to collect myself.
Taking in a long slow breath through my nose and blowing the air out of my mouth.
I spin around and take in the scene that had been playing out behind me this whole time.
Christy was on the floor clutching her nose, drops of red sliding down onto her chin before dripping down, staining that awful pink dress that she had on.
Luke was holding Amara back which I would not have expected with his skinny stature.
Watching my best friend hit and kick and cuss, wanting to get out of his grip. Her sight locked on Christy.
Was that how I had looked when you dragged me away that night. Unable to break free fighting with all my might.
Of course everyone could hear her.
Statements and curses flying through the air, the whites of her eyes taking over. So much spit flying with her words that it almost looked as if she was foaming at the mouth.
Like a rabid badger.
Knowing that it was most likely pure adrenaline on his side that was allowing him to hold her in place though there were a few times she almost broke free. Until his arms wrapped themselves tighter around her waist pulling her back.
How had no teachers or chaperones come in to break this up yet.
Or were they all too shocked to do anything but watch this play out.
Wanting to tell Luke to just let amara go knowing that christy would deserve every blow but also so thankful that he was keeping my best friend from making this situation worse for herself.
"ENOUGH!" I shout so loud that everyone and I do mean everyone shut their mouths.
All of them now looking at me, well everyone but Christy who was more worried about the blood draining from her nose.
Making sure that Luke still had a hold on his date even though she had seemed to calm down some, looking over at me. More interested now in making sure that I was okay. Still a fireball of rage but more concerned about my state at this moment.
At this moment I was far from being okay.
Doing a three sixty, glancing over every face that surrounded us. Faces of people that I went to school with but I didn't even know most of their names.
I'm willing to bet that they all knew mine.
I had something that Christy wanted so badly.
I was going to be remembered after highschool.
Years from now when this story gets retold at a reunion or whatever the story will bear my name and Christy will just be known as the girl who tormented Sarah, the girl who had gone missing for months and came back alive.
So many different types of eyes, all of them connected to bodies of people who could have stepped in to help but chose not to.
They wanted a show.
Then that's what I am going to give them.