Something You'd Never Expect

Chapter Seven

"Kirstie!" I snapped my gaze around, trying to find Ari, but I couldn't. 

"Ari?!" There was silence. My heart pounded and my chest tightened as I looked around, observing my surroundings. It was a blank white box, nothing to be seen. I breathed in and out quickly, trying to keep myself from hyperventilating. 

"Kirstie!! Help!!" I turned around, expecting to find her, but instead came face to face with Courtney and Esther smirking behind her. 

"Boo." I yelped and fell in fear, looking up to see her smiling evilly at me. 

"Good for nothing, untalented, idiotic, scaredy cat, ugly, fat choir nerd. You can't help her. She's already gone." 

"Kirst-!" 

"NO!!!!" There was a flash of red and the two girls disappeared. In their place was the lifeless, blood drenched body of my best friend. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't breathing. 

"N-no..." I crawled to her, and knelt down. Tears flooded my eyes, making my vision go fuzzy. 

"Th-they...they..." I growled in frustration and screamed at the ceiling. 

"How could you let this happen?!?! She was my best friend, the one I loved more than anything!! And you just let them kill her!!!! How DARE YOU?!?!?!" I collapsed in a sob. 

"That isn't the end of it..." I stopped breathing at the sound of Esther's cold voice. I turned, seeing Scott lunge at me with a knife in hand and an angry look on his face. Then everything blacked out. I woke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily with tears streaming down my face. The hot saltwater dripped down my face and shoulders, drenching my black tank top. The thin sheet I had for warmth was spread everywhere, obviously from me kicking in my sleep. I breathed in and out, trying to regain the ability to, well, breathe. It didn't work. I threw my face in my hands, sobbing as silently as I could. Thank the spirits it was only a nightmare. I don't know what would've happened if it was real. But...It didn't feel like one. It felt....almost real. I shook the thought away and laid back down, shaking. I closed my eyes and instantly fell asleep. 

     I approached Scott at our lockers, noticing that he was staring blankly at his phone with his mouth open. There were slight tear tracks engraved in his cheeks and little dimples. He was breathing in little gasps, which scared me. Ari wasn't there either, which sent a shiver down my spine. Something told me that there was something wrong, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and walked to him. 

"Hey, is there something wrong? And, where is Ari?" He looked at me, clearly contemplating whether or not to tell me. He swallowed and sighed shakily. 

"Kirstie, Ari committed suicide last night." That hit me at full force. Suicide? Ari? A pounding enveloped my mind, and I could hear nothing except for "suicide." My pulse quickened and my breath staggered. My limbs shook violently, and nausea wrapped around my throat, choking me. I managed a high pitched, quiet squeak, and slid against and down the lockers, bumping into the locks dangling from them. I felt tears stream down my face, drenching the collar of my over sized sweater. Scott knelt by me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. 

"I'm so sorry, Kirstie. I know how much she meant to you, and vice versa." I nodded, unable to speak. 

 "Well, well, well." I sighed, wisps of sorrow escaping in the breath. I had given up. There was no stopping them. 

"May I help you, Courtney?" I turned to them. Courtney laughed, covering her mouth. 

"Girlfriend, you look horrible! Your eyeliner and mascara are smudged in lines on your cheeks, and your eyes are red and puffy!" I sighed again.