Getaway

[15] Revenge Scorn

The TV was blaring loudly downstairs, as Leya crawled across the floor to grab her hoodie and hug herself tight in it. Then she told herself to stop being so emotional and get over it. Him... Raven.

He had so many fans, so no matter what they shared, it was only fun. The times he had put his arm around her and told her it was okay, the times he had kissed her softly on the cheek goodnight, all the love she felt in her heart... it crushed her to think it was possibly unreal.

She looked one last time in the mirror, telling herself to be strong.

Opening the window just right, she clambered out and landed with a thump on the trampoline in her garden; face down. It was a bit damp, and she was in pain as she tried to silently clamber off of it and down the path to the pavement of the dimly lit street. Every rustle of the green dewy blades under her feet, every shadow cast across the pavement made her jump, at the thought someone might be watching. Someone might see her. And stop her. She had to. She had to keep going. Eventually she was out the gate. Without even stopping to close it behind her, Leya ran. Ran faster than she ever had before, till she reached the phone box on the next street.

To her delight a blue car was stalled there. With one window rolled down and a piece of paper stuck to it with masking tape saying DTTS in black marker, waiting for her. Someone on the other side, was tapping a cigarette out the window, as smoke billowed up and out, curling over the metal roof.

With not even a word, she braced herself, instinctively knowing it was who she thought it was, her eyes recalling the twitter message Raven had sent her hours earlier. But still, even that couldn't completely destroy the conscious fear of jumping into a stranger's car.

She didn't dare look. She just strapped herself in, closed the door, and off the car sped into the night.

---

Fans pouring in, Aspen and Sapphire are delighted to be on the door, they are all dressed up in DTTS merch, getting to model it for free.

"I can't believe this is finally happening," laughs Sapphire, handing someone a lanyard on entering and showing them the way to the dance floor.

"Me squee neither," pips Aspen bouncing on her toes, "Excuse me," she calls, "Um, ma'am excuse me," The person just keeps walking ahead, "You forgot your leaflet!"

Then something, a piece of paper perhaps, falls out of it. Aspen and Sapphire both bend down, but it's lost in the ground, the fans just don't stop pouring through. People with such an array of hair colours, bright outfits, gothic collaborations, extreme fashion and some more casual skinnies, tshirts and trainers speed through the arched entrance of the ship, like a rainbow stream of electricity. Everyone is vibing.

"What was that?" Sapphire taps on her lip and stares around at the colourful mass of people filling the room, and the dark stage at the back just waiting to be filled.

"God knows," Aspen is equally suspicious.

"Do... you think it was Leya?" Sapphire nervously suggests, "Cos... I haven't seen her yet, and the show's about to start in five..."

---

Jayla sits with Phoenix, as Raven paces around the dressing room.

"Why is he not back yet?"

It must be his a thousandth time saying this, as he pulls through the red, yellow and blue streaks of his hair. "Where is he?! Why won't he even answer his phone calls?" Raven runs to the door that leads to the stage and kicks it, ughh-ing loudly.

"Show's on in five minutes, Raven, calm yourself," Jayla attempts as serenely as possible.

Not even daring to turn around, Raven just says, "Fuck it!"