Forbidden - The Vampire Hunter

Chapter Fourteen

Fourteen

          Metaphorically, of course. Realistically, it was a large group of people that had been waiting to ambush us and had pilled together when we had pulled through the gates. There were about twenty people, all older than me that were scowling at us. In the gaps, behind them I saw my friends, seeing the crowd but not yet knowing that Beth and I were in the fray. Beth shivered and I instinctively put myself in front of her. I was just about to ask what was going on when Jessica and her minions emerged through them with a menacing look on her face.

“Oh, hello there, how are you?” She put on fake friendliness.

“What do you want?” I cut straight to the point.

“Well, seeing as you got me kicked off the match last night, I thought of getting my own back on both of you.”

I narrowed my eyes, watching as the crowd shuffled forward towards us and Beth cowered behind me.

“How’d you plan to do that?”

Jessica was happy that I was taking her seriously. I was taking her seriously because she was a psychopath! I didn’t doubt that she could do stuff that I didn’t have the guts to.

“Well, I got a little party here to help me hurt you.” She smiled. I saw the school gates over her shoulder and inside we would be pretty much safe. How to get Beth there in time though?

“If you beat me up, you’ll get excluded.” I smirked at her, playing the trump card but my glee faltered when she just smiled even more.

“Too late, they’ve suspended me already. I’m not back for another week, so you’ve lost there.”

Damn! I couldn’t threat her about telling the teachers then. My friends hadn’t yet noticed it was us here, so they weren’t going to help any time soon. If only Clinton had come to school with us.

“But, I’ll make you a deal.” Jessica put her hands on her hips. “One of you can go to the school without me laying a hand on them, if…”

She trailed dramatically, the crowd she’d assembled grinned at each-other, ready to beat someone up. I sighed tiredly, waiting for her to get on with it.

“If the other lets us beat them up without putting up a fight. So…” She looked around me to Beth. “If you let us hurt you, Jade doesn’t have to get hurt any more. I mean, it’s your fault that she’s in this mess in the first place. What would a true best friend do?”

Jessica knew that Beth was vulnerable, even more than she’d suspected after the conversation I’d had with her about fighting this morning. She straightened up behind me, ready to tell them to let me leave when I pushed her away.

“Let Beth go.” I told them. Jessica raised an eyebrow, not surprised by this as she cleared a way for Beth to get through.

“Jade-” Beth started to protest but I shook my head to stop her, my eyes fixed on Jessica. Beth looked back at me one last time before running to our friends to tell them what had happened and to stop Jessica.

“Let’s go then” Jessica smiled and the crowd of people waiting to hurt me advanced.

          She told me not to try and fight? Yeah, right. I swung a punch at the closest person to me, hitting them square on the jaw as they stumbled back, surprised by my strength. I knew I couldn’t take them all out, but I knew I could land a couple of punches on them before they got me. I kicked and punched people until someone got me from behind, throwing me to the grass. People started to get around me, kicking me with all their might as I curled up into a ball, protecting my face. I heard shouts and people running towards us and everyone scattered, leaving me on the grass with bruises on my arms and legs.