Bleed Black: An Academy Novel

Chapter Seventeen

     Afet the walk to the stairs and the walk up the stairs. Katie's side was burning and she had to stop and sit in the sitting area.  An old man and his wife were the only other people in the area. Their wrinkled fingers intertwined. After her breath was caught and her side went down to a mild sting, Katie stood up and started following her friends again. After a few more feet, they arrived at a dark store, with rigged white block letters that read Hot Topic at the top of the store. "We're typical emos we know." Sam said with a laugh. They walked into the store and Katie could hear the music blasting. "Okay, who needs what?" Nick asked. "I need a few new shirts a pair of jeans, and combats." Sam said as sh took off on her own to a wall covered in shirts. "I ne-need a new ja-jacket." Blake said walking off. "I'm just gonna look for anything." Julian said walking off. "Okay, Katie just look or something you like." Nick said leaving her alone in the entrance of the store. Katie hugged herself as she watched as people with piercings and tattooes walked around, knowing the store. Starting to walk over to the wall covered in shirts, Katie looked up and at them. Most of them, were band shirts, though there were a few with  just writing or pictures or quotes on them. She saw one with the Mad Hatter on it and his famous quote, "Why is a Raven Like  A Writing Desk?". Looking at the stacks of shirts in their slotes she grabbed one of them in her size. Holding it in her hands she went over to jeans and founda  plain black pair with ripped knees. Finding her size again, she held onto the two pieces of clothes. Sam came up with a bag with clothes in it. "Hey it's the bag sale. Get a bag and you get thirty percent off of all the clothes and the bag. And dude bu more. The accademy gives us money for every mission we do, so we're loaded." Sam said as she grabbed a pair of fully ripped gray jeans and walked off. Katie walekd ovrer to where the bags hung andf grabbed one with Stitch from Lilo and Stitch, and shoved her clothes in them. Walking back to the jeans she4 grabbed a pair of faded blue ones and left that section.

     Walking back to the shirts, Katie stared at the wall again, and was startled by a tap on her shoulder. Spinning around Katie came face to face with Nick, holing a velvet black heel with an ombre reed to pink heel. "I thought you would like these." Nick said handing her the heels and walking away. Checking the size to make sure it was correct, Katie carefully placed the heels in her bag and went back to the wall. She ended up grabbing a tank top with Jack Sparrow on it that said, "Dead Man Tell No Tales". Stuffing it to the bottom of the bag with her shirts and jeans Katie went to find more stuff. "You shouldn't change your style y'know. Be yourself. It's cheesy but it's true." Julian said as he came up beside her. "I'm not trying to change my style. It's not like I don't like these things." Katie said looking at some dresses. Grabbing a cream colored one with a black collar she put it in her bag and moved on, while Julian talked. "I'm just saying you seem to like brighter colors and such. So buy bright colored things." He explained as she sorted through his bag. "Well what are you buying?" Katie asked, as she tried to peek into his bag. "Just some jeans really." He said shrugging his wide shoulders. Katie nodded and grabbed a pastel blue colored skirt. "That looks more like you in all honestly, just don't try and change who you are for the academy, that's all I'm saying." Julian said flipping his hair. "You all seem the same though." Katie pointed out to him. "We were all like this before we came here, and we're all different. Take music for example. I like the old stuff, Ozzy Osbourne and the Beatles. Sam, is into Black Veil Brides and In This Moment and hard stuff like that. Blake, likes Palaye Royale and older sounding stuff like that, but not the classics. Nick, is into A Day To Remember and My Chemical Romance. Hero, well she isn't really a music person." Julian explained. Katie smiled, even though Julian seemed like a jerk, he cared for his friends nonetheless.

     "Just don't try and change for them." Julian said walking away to the register. Katie walked over to a stand that held rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. After looking through them, she grabbed  chocker that looked like Ursula's seashell necklace, and put it in her bag. She went to a register and bought her stuff, only to find all of her friends were done. Walking out of the store, Katie looked at everyone and smiled. "Now where?" Katie asked them. "Food court. And then if you have somewhere you want to go, you go yourself, we split up from here." Sam said as they waked to the food court. After buying Taco Bell, they pushed two tables together and sat and ate. "So, who's going where?" Katie asked after unwrapping her first taco. "I'm gonna go across the street to a book store, music, and movie sore." Sam said before she took a bite. "I'm going to this antic place I like, it's cool finding old things." Nick said with a dorkish grin. "I ne-need knew art su-supplies." Blake said as he finished his first taco. "I'm goin go to get new things for my guitar and video games. What about you?" Julian said. "Maybe go to some more stores, find some stuff for my room." Katie said wondering if it was a good idea. After their cheap meal, they all separated and set a time to meet back at the bikes. "See you guys at four." Sam said as she walked away. Katie got up and walked around the mall, thinking of where to go. Katie went to Bed Bath and Beyond first. Getting some new body wash, and a few new pillows to replace the old ones, Katie bought her items and walked out.

     Not wanting to change her room to much, Katie went to her favorite make up store called Sephora. After trying her best to not spend all of the money the academy provided her, Katie walked out of the store. Then  familiar voice rung through the air and into her ears. It was the voice of her best friend, Beth. Turning her head s quick her neck hurt, Katie could see Beth walking with Melisa, both of them coming right towards her. Katie turned around and tried to walk away quickly, but her sude betrayed her and she could only wobble. "Hey is that Katie? Katie!" Yelled a high pitched mouse like voice. Heels could be heard catching up to her in a fast, but careful pace. Next thing Katie knew, Beth and her short brown hair and stumpy body was on her right. While Melisa and her black dreads and dark brown  lanky body was on her left. "Kat, why haven't you answered my texts?" Beth asked, linking arms with her. "I haven't been on my phone." Katie said quickly scared she could give something away. "That's a lie. You're always on your phone girl." Melisa said shaking her head. Katie opened her mouth but was cut off by Beth stopping dead in her tracks, pulling them to a stop too. "You know what? Doesn't matter. But, you have to hang out with us tonight, I'm having a party and you're coming." Beth said her blue eyes dancing at the idea of reuniting with her friend who she has not heard from in weeks. "Beth I can't." Katie said fast, her mouth barely able to keep up with the words. "Marcus will be there." Melisa said, almost as if it were a bribe. At the thought of her crush, Katie felt her face flush and her lips arch up into a smile. This is what she had been missing since she got taken. The feeling of her friends arms in hers, brought that warm feeling through her spine. "I'd love to come-" Katie started until she was cut off by another voice.

     "K-K-Katie? What're you d-doing?" Blake said as he walked up in front of the three girls. Katie could feel Beth's and Melisa's eyes dart from her to Blake, who looked nothing like anyone she would know. "Hey Blake, I ran into my friends and they wanted to talk." Katie said, hoping that her friends would not say anything. "Katie, you know the ru-rules. No party." Blake said in a stern voice she had not heard him use before. "Katie, who the hell is this guy?" Melisa asked obviously not liking Blake. "Beth, Melisa, this is Blake. He's a friend." Katie said hoping not to start a fight. :Katie, it's al-almost fo-four. Let's go." Blake said as he pointed to the wall clock which showed the time to be three fifty. "No, she isn't goin g. We are talking to her. So get lost emo freak." Beth said pulling Katie behind her and Melisa. This was the only thing Katie hated about them, they would never take no for an answer. "What's the problem here?" Said a deeper voice, as Julian walked up with Nick beside him. Blake told them the situation, his stutter hardly coming out. "Ladies, we need Katie." Nick said trying to calm the tension which, only made it worse. "Katie are you hanging out with these freaks now?" Beth asked, disgust in her voice. Before she could answer the clock chimed four times, saying that they should all be meeting a the parking lot now. "Sam won't be happy we're late. so let's go." Julian said in the tone that Katie had grown use to. "No no, we're all here. So let's just meet here." Said a voice with an accent. Sam walked up to them, her heeled combats clicking on the marble floor. "Katie, who the fuck are these freaks?" Melisa asked annoyed.

     "Did my friends not introduce themselves? That's naughty of you guys. Well this is Blake, Nick, and Julian. I'm Sam." Sam said as she stood in the middle of her friends and Katie's old friends."Well, Katie can just come with us. We have plans." Beth said , her arms starting to shake. "Oh you do? Well, I'm sorry but that can't happen. Katie you know this." Sam said her eyes on Katie in a disapproving tone. "I tried to tell them." Katie said not wanting to be in trouble. "you're on their side? Fine go with the freaks. But, you better not show your face at school, this will ruin you." Beth said as she flung Katie into Sam and her an Melisa walked away their noses up. "Sam, I was trying to get away from them, I swear." Katie said standing up fully. "Come on, let's go." Was all Sam said as she turned and they all walked to the parking lot, heir bags swaying in their hands. "How are we going to ride the bikes with bags?" Katie asked when it dawned on her they had no cars. "I went back to the academy while I was across the street and got us a car." Sam said. "I'll drive the car, I'm sober now." Blake said as they reached the bikes and cars. "Okay, well let's get the bags in the back. Katie you can ride with Blake." Sam said as they put their bags in the back seat. Once all the bags were in, Blake climbed into the drivers seat and Katie in the passenger side, Sam, Nick, and Julian were on their bikes. All but Sam who rode on Blake's. They took off to the academy, where Katie saw her old friends going to their car.