The Rebels and the Misfits

Chapter 2: Jade

Chapter 2: Jade

My head was pounding. People were screaming. Noises drifted around me like a radio frequency, loud and ear-splitting, soft and muted.

From somewhere in the building, a ticking was growing louder. 

And I was pretty damn sure that wasn't a clock.

"Jade, get the fuck up!" That didn't sound like one of my friends. It sounded like a low male voice, really urgent...

Like...

"Jade, oh God, don't be dead like them, it's Ethan, c'mon, get up, you're annoying, but y-you're cute, and I'm sorry for all those times me and Ryker tried to ruin your parties, oh God - "

I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the lack of light in the room. A face swam in and out of focus. It was really familiar...blue-grey eyes...a cocky smile...dark blonde hair...

"...Ethan?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, relief washing over his face. "Your sister got out, she's fine, she's with your  friends or whatever..."

"And what about me? W-what happened, I don't - " Suddenly, memories came rushing back, and I about fainted. I clapped a hand over my mouth, looking down.

 "I dunno, do I? I just found you, t-there are dead bodies in here, so - uh - if it's cool with you, I'm kind of thinking of leaving, you wanna come?" Ethan's voice got higher and higher pitched until it cracked at the end.  I sat up, and blood rushed to my head.

We were in the ballroom. I hit my head. He hit my head...and I hit him back...

Across the room, two bodies were lying in an ever-spreading mass of dark red, and my heart fluttered with panic. I gripped on to Ethan's arm so tight that my fingernails might have left marks.

  "Ow - ow - God, you're a pain in the ass - "

"Ethan, do you hear that?" I whispered, so low I could barely hear myself. He seemed startled at my change in tone, and we both sat there tensed up, Ethan crouched over me. 

Tick. Tick. Tick. TickTick. TickTick. TickTick.

"It's getting faster," mumbled Ethan, standing up slowly, almost in awe. His face changed to panic. "It's - it's getting faster, shit, shit, Jade, get on my back!"

"Get on your back? I can't even stand!" I shrieked, flailing my hands.

"Man, why is this happening?!" whined Ethan, looking torn between leaving me and running. "RYKER, TY, WILL, DREW, GET YOUR ASSES OUT!" His voice echoed through the ballroom and undoubtedly through the clubhouse. There were several shouts, a clattering of footsteps on stairs, and a door slamming.

Ethan lifted me over his shoulder easily, and started running for the back door. 

TickTick. TickTick. TickTick. TickTickTick. TickTickTick. 

My mind was in sheer panic mode, and I clutched to the back of Ethan's soft striped t-shirt, taking deep breaths and trying to calm myself as we ran for the door, Ethan swearing at the top of his lungs.  We burst through it, and Ethan tripped. I landed roughly behind the hedges, and there was so much noise and commotion.

Police were storming through the clubhouse, while sirens blared. Thunder crackled overhead, and my friends started shouting when they saw me, enveloping me in soaked hugs. Gosh, it was raining hard.

Then, Charlie looked up and saw Ty and his gang running for it, starting across the golf course. Her eyes narrowed, and I swear if looks could kill... 

"They had something to do with this," she muttered, and quick as a flash, she was off. 

"No, no, we've been doing too much running tonight!" whined Kelsey, her mascara smeared so she looked like a raccoon, and her hair plastered to her shoulders. But nonetheless, the group chased after Charlie and the guys, the guys we absolutely hated. My feet seemed to move without me even telling them to, like my mind was on auto pilot. 

We were catching up fast. Charlie reached out, and gripped Ty's shoulder, shoving him forward. He hit the muddy ground roughly. His other friends stopped, and came storming forward. We were all screaming at each other, shouting blames and accusations. Both of our groups had been in that clubhouse. Both of us could have killed those people. But all of a sudden, there was a deafening roar,an explosion...and I can't even describe the noise. 

It shook the ground. It burst in our ears.

The clubhouse was in flames, collapsing in on itself. 

All of our fighting was forgotton. All ten of us stood there, in the pouring rain, with our mouths wide open staring at our childhood, the very center of Santa Clarita, burn to the ground. Ashes flew into the air, creating a haze over our houses, our homes. I couldn't even speak.

And I think in that moment, we all knew that none us could have done that. Not the guys, not us girls...just no. No kid could have done that.

Wait a minute.

Wait a freaking minute. Ten of us...ten of us...there should be eleven of us.

There should be eleven of us.

"You guys," I said shakily. "Where's Scarlet?"

AN: The chapters for this story will be rather short (1-4 pages), but that means I can update faster! Make sure to vote if you liked the story! (: x