Shift

Home

It was black.
Stacey couldn't see what was in front of her or behind her. But she heard footsteps, and she had to get away.
She took off running. Thorns scratched her arms, and she felt blood dripping from the deep scratches. She tripped, rolling her ankle. She cried out, her ankle giving out when she tried to get back up.
Her heart pounded. She groped blindly and grabbed onto a low hanging branch, pulling herself up and forcing herself to run, faster and faster.
Her predator was closer. She could smell him, could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She tried so hard to speed up. She was sobbing, running, sobbing...

And she was sitting awake in bed, sweating, shaking, crying in the morning light that spilled in through her window.

She hugged herself. This had been the fifth night in a row that she had the nightmare. Each was different, but the sheer terror and the chase remained the same. This time, she'd dreamed of what she was running from. Who she was running from.

She shivered, climbing quickly out of bed and heading straight for the shower to clear her head.

It was Homecoming, and she just wanted to feel normal for the dance.
~

Jess came over with sushi and bottled water. The girls sat on Stacey's bed and ate while they decided on hair, makeup, and shoe choices.

Stacey French braided Jess's hair coming away from her face on both sides, meeting in the middle in the back and continuing into a single braid. She pulled a few pieces out, giving it a softer look, and plugged in Jess's barrel curling iron, shaking her head.

"Your hair is straight as a board, and you're trying to change that," she scoffed.

Jess laughed. "We aren't all blessed with natural ringlets."

Stacey rolled her eyes playfully and started working on Jess's very long, very straight, very difficult hair.

Once it was curled, Jess started on her makeup. Stacey looked at her emerald green, mermaid style satin dress. It was simple and sexy, and her eyes popped.
She decided on a brown smokey eye and a nude lip and got to work, making herself pretty. She finally pinned all of hair hair to one side and used Jess's curling iron to fix up her curls into Old Hollywood waves.
She and Jess put their dresses on.

Jess was adorable in a short, pale blue dress covered in rhinestones. Her eyeshadow was silver, her lips very red. Stacey was a total bombshell; she smiled, not used to looking like this but liking it very much.

The girls went downstairs to meet their dates. Jess, surprisingly, was with the captain of the Chess team. Stacey was with a very handsome Erik, who'd gotten a hair cut and dressed for the occasion, black tie and all.

"You are stunning," he murmured into her ear while they posed for pictures.
Her cheeks warmed, and she didn't have to make herself smile for the picture; it was all natural.

They headed to Erik's car and hurried to the dance, walking in to blaring music and dancing bodies.

Erik pulled her onto the dance floor.

Stacey had a blast, laughing and dancing and goofing off and being a little serious when the slow songs came on. Erik was the perfect date, never letting her leave the dance floor until she was ready to go.

They walked over to the table where Stacey had long ditched her heels and met with Jess and Steven. They looked to be flirting at the table. Stacey smiled, wondering how long it would take for the news to spread like wildfire.

She slung her heels over her shoulder and let Erik lead her by the hand to the car.

They got back to her house. Jess climbed into Steven's car, and they drove off toward the direction of the town, rather than to Jess's house. Erik held Stacey's hand, unbuckling his seatbelt, and pulled her close.

This time, she was prepared.

She smiled and tangled her fingers in his hair, kissing him back with all the fervor he deserved.

He was out of this jacket, shirt and belt gone, and Stacey's dress was unzipped all the way, pulled down to her waist when she realized how quickly they were moving.

She gently slowed things down, Erik seeming not to mind. Finally, they both laid there, clothes back on all the way, arms around each other.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her for a long time. "Don't say it back. You don't need to. Not yet. I just wanted you to know."

Her heart started pounding.

And then she felt it break for him.

She didn't love him.

Because the first thing she thought of when he whispered those words was the night Chris told her the same thing.

She was still in love with him.

Feigning happiness, Stacey kissed his cheek and checked the time on her phone.

Curfew.

She said a silent prayer of thanks and told Erik goodbye.

When she got to her room, she turned the light on warily and dropped her purse and shoes by the door. She closed the door and buried her face in her hands with a sigh.

"Long night?" a very low voice asked.

Her head snapped to him, heart pounding.

"Chris," she breathed.