Dodging Disasters ✔

Chapter Thirty-Four

34. The Hero

At times, you find yourself thinking about incidents in the past, wondering what you could have done in that particular moment; wondering if your action would have changed the course of your life, or someone else's. These memories never stop bothering you, and finally there comes a day when you accept the consequences and move on.

But right now, as I watch Susan being dragged upstairs by someone I truly trusted, my friend's boyfriend - all I can do is stand transfixed. My mind has shut down completely, as I blankly glance around me, praying to see a familiar face, or someone that I can ask for help. All that I'm greeted with, are drunk teenagers, dancing to the beats, their arms raised high in the air.

My breath catches in my throat as a single thought strikes me. A single person enters my mind like a ray of hope to pull me out of my helplessness - Travis.

I fumble with my phone, my hands shivering and a message glows on my screen from Jason sent almost an hour ago.

Kay caught Alex making out with some girl. She was crying a lot so I brought her back to college. I'm going to kill that son of a bitch.

I stare at it dizzily but my hands do the work as my fingers find the keypad and I dial Travis. Placing it next to my ear, I watch as Alex and the other boy continue to climb the stairs, struggling with Susan. From their actions, it seems like they are drunk too.

The call gets through, the phone rings twice and then there's a beep as Travis cuts my call. I absent mindedly dial his number again and this time, the call cuts even before it rings once. I can feel the tears trickling down my face as I stand there, helpless. Calling him again, and getting cut off.

I look up and panic starts to rise in my chest as I realise that Alex and Susan are no longer on the staircase. Without thinking twice, I dump my phone and run towards the stairs, taking two at a time, I finally reach the corridor.

I can feel my heart beating against my chest, as I watch Alex and the other boy - who I now recognise as Billy from the football team - making their way towards the end of the corridor.

I wipe my face and force myself to focus.

Think, Madison. Think.

I have almost ten seconds before Alex enters into a room. There is no way that I can fight the two of them, but both of them are drunk so that is to my advantage. I spot a vase placed on a small table, at the side of the corridor. I grab it and as Alex fumbles with the keys to the room, I scream, hurling the vase towards Billy, the burlier of the two.

For someone who has a really bad aim, the vase surprisingly hits Billy in the right arm and he looks down at his bloody hand in shock.

"Step away from her," I warn Alex, as I slowly step towards them.

As I get closer, I realise that Alex doesn't seem extremely drunk and he has a bottle of whiskey in his right hand while he holds Susan with his left. He looks at me and blinks, like he can't believe his eyes. But after a second he laughs."Take care of her Billy, now we have one for each of us. We don't have to share."

But Billy, who is definitely drunk, snarls at me as Alex pushes the door to the room open. I don't know what gets over me but in that moment, I run and crash into Alex - the impact makes him lose his grip on Susan's hand, who falls onto the floor, unconscious; while Alex hits his head against the edge of the door. He groans as he holds his head with his hand; I quickly take hold of Susan but before I know it, I'm being pulled back by my hair.