Love & Carnage✗Noah Foster [2]

Chapter Twenty-Seven// Ruined

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"Are you flirting with me?"

--Brooke Maddox

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"Do you just not like Zoe?" Brooke asked me suddenly. "W--what? No. I don't hate her, per se." I said. "So, it's just that you're totally in love with Noah?" She whispered. I rolled my eyes at her. "I am--"

"You're jealous then?" Brooke smirked. "No, Brooke. I--"

"If you want him, he's out there." Brooke cut me off.

"Brooke, are you dense? I can't just go out--"

"Arielle." I whipped around to see Stavo, coming out from behind a clothes rack. Stavo. Shit, shit, shit. He doesn't know. Nobody saw me. I'm totally in the clear.

"H--hi, Stavo." I smiled a convincing smile. Stay cool, Arielle. "Hey, how'd you get back here?" Brooke smiled at him. "Uh, thought you could use some company. I know I could." Stavo flirted. I backed up slowly. "Well, they're being green room Nazis back here. Not letting anyone back unless they're in the pageant." Brooke explained. "Well, I'm gonna--" I tried to leave, when Stavo spoke. "Hey, Arielle. Can I talk to you for a second?" He asked me. My heart pounded, but I remained calm. "Uh, you know, actually... I need to go see Ros--"

"Just a minute." Stavo said, already walking towards me. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from a confused Brooke. "Ow, ow! Stavo, you're hurting me." I whined as he gripped my wrist tighter. He released my wrist quickly, giving me a hard look. I watched him carefully, rubbing my now sore wrist. "What is it?" I asked. "You were in my house today. In my room." He got closer to me, and I instinctively backed away, but bumped into the wall. I gasped slightly. "I--I... no, I wasn't." I tried, but I was just too startled. "Yes, you were." His tone was starting to scare me. He got way too close. I could feel his breath on my lips. My eyes were wide as I stared into his dark brown eyes. "W--why do you think that, Stavo?" I whispered. "I don't 'think', Arielle. I know. I found this in my room today." Stavo reached in his backpack and pulled out my sweater... I felt my heartbeat speed up. "Uh..."

"Why. Were. You. In. My. Room?" He enunciated. He pushed my blue sweater at me, and I grabbed it. "I...that's not mine." I lied. "Don't lie, Arielle. I've seen you wearing this sweater."

"That's a very nice sweater, a lot of girls--even guys would like to wear it. So, it could've been anyone, Stavo." I muttered. "Arielle, don't." He closed his eyes for a second, then reopened them with a scary look. "Arielle...I know--"

"Why, Stavo?" I whispered suddenly. "Wh--what? Why, what?" Stavo shook his head. "Why do you have so many drawings of me? I mean, there's so--so many." I stared into his chocolate brown eyes. "Arielle," Stavo started. "They are drawings. I--Arielle, they don't mean anything. I just draw things. And when I met you, your face just stood out. I've just been drawing you, and..." He paused. Stavo took a second to brush a loose strand behind my ear. I shivered, but I couldn't back up, as there was a wall behind me. He's definitely going higher on the killer list I had going in my brain. "W--I have to go." I whispered. I pushed past him, feeling easy again as I was away from him. "Arielle, they're just drawings." Stavo shook his head. He turned on his heel, and went to walk away, before I blurted, "Stavo!"

He turned back to me with anger. "What?"

"What happened in Phoenix?" I asked. Stavo gave me a death glare. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Lady of the Lake Pageant will begin shortly. Please join us at the stage." Ms. Lazar said into the microphone, from the stage. "Guess you'll have to wait." Stavo backed away from me, before turning and leaving.

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After Zoë made her speech, everyone clapped and cheered. I grabbed the pink flask from Brooke again, "I really don't wanna go up there." I took a big swig from the flask. Brooke and I have been doing this for the past hour. Taking turns sipping from the flask. I wasn't nearly as drunk as Brooke was. "It'll be a piece of cake. I mean, when you look pretty, nobody really cares what you say." Brooke slurred, taking the flask back. I nodded, smiling. "I can't believe I just did that!" Zoë laughed, smiling brightly at us, as she came back stage again. Maybe it was the booze, but I smiled back at her. "You did great." I told her. "Oh, no. Are you...?" Zoë trailed off, coming to pat my hair down. I frowned at her, moving away. "I'm totally ready for this thing!" I giggled. "Next up, we have Arielle Collins!" I beamed at Zoë . "That's me!" I looked back at Brooke, who gave me a thumbs up. "Woo hoo, ARIELLE!" Brooke cheered. I nodded at her, grabbing my speech from the vanity. I then began rushing towards the stage. I pranced onto the stage, a grin plastered onto my face. But as I got to the microphone, my face fell. I scanned the audience. A bunch of smiling people. "Greetings, fellow Lakewood-ers...?" I laughed. I paused. A certain person caught my eye. I squinted. It was my mother. I thought she'd be at the hospital with Kat tonight. Beside her, I noticed my father. And beside him was Miranda. Then beside Miranda was Theo. My half-brother. My breathing sped up. Them not being here was the reason I was doing this. I had thought my dad returned to New York... My mother smiled at me widely. While my father watched me like a hawk. I could hear his voice now. "Don't ruin this, Ari."

"I--I... uh.... I had this speech." I smiled slightly. I looked over the audience again. Until my eyes landed on him. On Noah. He stood at the back with Audrey and Emma. He had a smile on his face, per usual.

And suddenly my breathing slowed. Oh, thank the Lord for Noah-fucking-Foster. I thought to myself. I stared at him, a small smile playing at my lips. "But... uh, speeches definitely aren't my thing. If you were at the prayer vigil thing three months ago, you probably know that." I laughed. No one else laughed. I nervously fiddled with the paper with my hands. "So, I'm going to say what's on my mind." I chuckled nervously. "So you all know about the Lakewood Slasher, right? I mean, who knew it could be Piper, am I right? Like, she was so sweet. Not at all devious-looking. I mean, I trusted her. Everyone thought she was harmless. But she wasn't--" I paused as I saw my dad shake his head, looking disappointed, but I didn't care. Nobody was going to stop me, this was my time. "Did you guys know that I almost died?" I put a hand to my mouth in mock surprise. I took my hand away. "It's totally true. I've been stabbed in the leg. And I've had to get my stitches re-done. Countless times." I rolled my eyes, with a smile on my face. "And then...ooh, this is the best part! I was at school--the place that's supposed to be safe, well, I mean... it was late--but getting to the point. I was chased through the halls, until I found Brooke. Ooh, and the fun part! I was on a stage--a stage just like this, when he cut my arm." I turned slightly to show off the small scar on my upper arm. "See? Great, right?" I laughed. "Okay, I think that's enough!" I was grabbed by my other arm. I turned to see Ms. Lazar. But I wasn't finished. I pulled away from her. "No, no, no!" I pointed at her, turning back to the audience. "And then I was stabbed at Wren Lake, and nearly drowned. Oh, and then I watched Piper Shaw get shot in the head. And I mean, I was right in front of her when it happened. Blood went everywhere." I made a sound of an explosion with my mouth. I looked at the audience again. They all had those looks. The looks of sorrow. "And last but not least, my sister--my innocent sister--was stabbed in the woods. Because it's happening again. And we're all going to die! Every single one of us!" I yelled at the crowd, feeling the tears prick at my eyes. "Because nobody is taking this seriously! I mean, really? The body of my friend was DROPPED from a banner! In front of me!" I cried quietly. My mother had a hand to her mouth, she shook her head. "Because... still. Nobody believes what I saw in the woods. That I saw someone. I saw someone wearing the Brandon James mask." I whispered into the mic. "And, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Pi--" I stopped as I noticed that Noah was gone. It was just Audrey and Emma.

"Piper..." I trailed off. I scanned the audience for him. But he was nowhere to be found. My head was feeling light, my stomach hurt. Oh, no, no, no. You are not going to puke right now, Arielle. Not in front of all these people. It happened fast. I dropped the paper. Then the mic, which made a loud feedback noise. And then my eyes began to close, and I fell. Loud gasps came from the audience. And when I should've felt the hardwood of the stage, I felt arms around me. I looked up slowly as I felt my mind just giving up. But I couldn't see the person's face. "I got you." I heard his voice. Right before I passed out.