Call Me Pretty

Chapter Thirteen | Second Chances

Chapter Thirteen

Second Chances

            It all happened so fast.

Ben didn’t even register what was happening for a few seconds, just caught Dominique as she fell; her eyes rolled back in her head and she went hazardously still. Ben sank to his knees, hurriedly checking her pulse.

Panic swelled within him, and to his relief he found the faintest, weakest of beats. Barely any air moved between her lips, and Ben wasn’t even aware that he’d been screaming for help until a teacher yanked Dom out of his arms.

‘Don’t take her,’ he screamed, but not out loud; his head was loud and scrambled-he couldn’t figure out what was happening.

Standing shakily, he watched as Headmistress Zatanna disappeared with Professor Longbottom, Dom held in his arms. Where were they taking her? Why did they take her away?

“Don’t.” he mumbled, staggering forward. Felicity was suddenly there, reaching for him, but he pushed here away. “Give her back.” He said, spinning “Where’d they take her?”

The students watched him, eyes wide and whispering. The whispering drove Ben crazy-what weren’t they telling him? Where had they taken Dominique, his Dom…his lovely, lovely Dom…?

He was yelling now, screaming-demanding that they tell him where she was. Why had they taken her away?

Felicity’s lips were moving, but he couldn’t hear a word; there was too much noise, a rushing sound in his ears. What was going on?

Everyone watched in silence as Ben Wood fell to his knees, sobbing and begging them to tell him where they had taken his Dominique.

            The world trickled back to Dominique slowly, a waterfall of murmured voices, muted sobs and bright lights. There was a heaviness that had settled over her, and Dom wondered why she was so cold; her dorm room adjusted magically to everyone's preferred temperature.

Shifting slightly, Dom let her eyes flutter open and to her complete surprise wasn’t in her dorm room at all. Instead the walls were a crisp white, the air smelling of sickness instead of melted chocolate. To her right, the first thing Dom saw was her sisters silhouette by the window, blonde hair lit up like the first rays of morning sunshine.

Then it all came flooding back.

“Vic-” Dom’s voice was scratchy, and she couldn’t finish her sister’s name.

At her name, Victoire whirled around and rushed to the bedside, falling to her knees. Sobs crawled up her throat as she clasped her hands, as if praying and rested her head on them.

“Don’t…” Dom realized it took so much effort just to moved, but willed her hand to rest gently beside her sisters, fingertips brushing her knuckles “Don’t…cry…sissy…”

“Oh Nicky…” Victoire sobbed, lifting her head; her dark blue eyes were red and puffy, mascara smudged across her cheeks. “I’m sorry, so, so sorry.”

“Why?” she croaked.

“Because we never noticed-I never noticed!”

Shaking her head was hard, but Dom managed a small shake “Not your…fault.”  She breathed, finding it more and more difficult to talk. There was so much she wanted to say, and no way of saying it.

Victoire kissed Dom’s forehead, brushing a few stray curls back “I’ll make it up to you, I promise-everything is going to be okay.”

“Dominique!” the door burst open, and the rest of Dom’s family came in. Fleur collapsed into the chair beside her daughter’s bed and sobbed into her hands and Bill leaned down to kiss her cheek; Louis stood by the side, biting his lip and trying not to cry. Teddy stood behind Victoire, hands on her shoulders.