Delirium: Crash & Burn

Part XXII

Harrison

After the music died down the hall became eerie with a silence that was tangible. The girls held their breath, they knew what was coming. The inevitable announcement, a series of words and proclamations that would act as divine confirmation that they were the one, the Winter Ball Queen. It didn't hold the same esteem as Prom Queen however it was a close second best.

I Watched as their eyes darted, challenging each other, watching each other. Who had the best dress, who was the prettiest, who was the head of the sports team or the top achiever in bio chemistry? I could feel their questions before they even formed and germinated in their minds. There was though, one girl who didn't seem to care, whose mind was elsewhere. Evie stared blankly into space her hand loosely holding onto her glass of punch.

I wondered what was going on in her mind. I wondered if she knew that she held the strongest chance of stealing the crown from all of these debutants in the room. The black dress she wore was a statement, I don't think she knew when she picked it, that it would turn heads, that every girl was jealous how effortlessly she was, how striking she was.

The voices cheered her name as she stepped up to claim her crown.  I knew Evie would win, it was inevitable. I clapped my hands together and cheered louder than everyone else. The applause increased in volume, I looked at Evie who stood next to me on the pedestal. My eyes scanned the room, faces cheering and hooting our praises, Greenfield's Winter Ball's King and Queen.

Evie's crown sat so perfectly on top of her head but her neck was stiff as though the crown was real as though it weighed a ton. In reality it was made out of cheap plastic, honestly we all were. I could tell the crown meant more to her than it would do to others, than it did to me. But I felt different standing here with her, I had won King most years in most dances, it was always either me or Cole. I would stand at the front with a fake, nasty girl, hailing her praises. I would hold her next to me and smile graciously eating up all of the praise from my peers.

This time it was different, I was afraid to hold Evie, to portray her as another. I couldn't even look at her. She wasn't like everyone else, she was authentic. So much so she shone a light on my errors. So instead of showcasing her like a horse or dog, I simply held her hand, lacing my fingers between hers. It felt right. Suddenly, all of the cheering died down quickly. The room became quite, an uncomfortable silence fell as everyone stopped chatting between themselves and took in gasps of air.

I looked up from Evie slowly as I felt a sudden familiarity, a presence, a person, Cole. He pushed and shoved his way up the stairs towards where Evie and I stood. Everyone gasped. He loomed over me as he does, squaring his shoulders so much that they almost popped out of his suit. I had a sudden urge, a feeling in my gut to fight, the inner brutish mentality enveloped my new sensible identity and my vision blurred as he reached for my collar.

If I was high or drunk I wouldn't have resisted fighting him. This was probably the first time that Cole was high and I wasn't. Cole and I had fought many times in school, most of the time it was for the adoration and appreciation of girls. We would see their excitement and chest's pulsate, rising and falling with excited breaths. They found it all so sexual, tempting, homoerotic or something like that and Cole and I would play along. We would tempt them in with a convincing story of why we were fighting, all for the sexual torment it would bring on them.

This was not one of those times, Coles eyes were blackened and he breathed heavily through his nose like a bull. The veins in his neck were swollen and thick. For the first time in a long time I feared Cole. I knew he hadn't stopped taking that weird drug. Part of me wanted to believe it was that drug that was making him act this way, but another part of me recalled all of the years Cole has been like this. 

He wrapped my collar around his fist drawing me nearer to him. I really wanted to fight but I caught a glimpse of Evie, her eyes winded in worry and excitement? She hadn't seen me and Cole fight, she feared for me as I was significantly less bold than Cole nowadays but I could tell she felt flattered as she knew somehow, this was all for her. Like cavemen Cole and I battled for her attention since the first day that she walked into this school.

I did not battle or try break loose from his grip, I could tell he was getting frustrated with my lack of interaction. He drew his face closer to me practically spitting in my face as he whispered.

"I know somethings going on Harrison, you and Evie are up to something."

His eyes lifted off me and they rested on Evie, I could tell she was growing increasingly uncomfortable under his intense gaze. His face snapped back in my direction and his eyes narrowed on my neck as though he was contemplating strangling me. He chuckled lightly causing a sense of unease to rest in my chest.

"I intend to find out what, this, is."

He motioned towards me and Evie. My heart pounded under my shirt. He eventually let go of my collar and stormed away. There was a brief silence amongst the crowd as Cole marched away, militant in his manner. People moved to the side allowing him through, he was beastly, monstrous and I knew why. It surpassed the bet, it surpassed Evie and it even surpassed Jade. In the back of my mind I knew it was the drug. I swallowed hard letting out a long breath as I did so. Everyone resumed their conversations as though they were not listening and watching all along.

I turned towards Evie placing my hand on the back of her head in moral support; I offered her a look that said everything was going to be fine. Her whole body composition had changed and she no longer stood upright and confidently, rather she slumped in her skin. Her face was gaunt and worried. I brought my other hand to her chin lifting it up forcing her to look at me; I spoke in a stern and certain voice.

"No one will ever find out. I've got you."

I didn't want her to worry about any of this, it wasn't going to matter in 8 months time when high school come to an end. I wanted her to know I had her and that Cole was my problem, not hers.

"I'll sort it, this Cole thing, he won't touch you, I promise."

Though I wished to believe myself I couldn't help but second guess my heroic proclamation, Cole had almost doubled in size since the start of the year. I didn't know how dangerous he had become or how toxic he was. I shook my head, emptying it of all these thoughts about Cole. I looked back at Evie and straightened her crown which had tilted a little in the heat of the moment.

She appeared to regain her sexy confidence which radiated from every fibre of her being. Evie took my hand and lead me behind her down the stairs, off the stage, through everyone and out of the double doors. We weaved in and out of corridors, laughing and softy pushing each other until we got out of the front doors. The sky was a hazy grey, it was snowing and Evie reached up flattening the snow flakes which had landed in my hair, leaning up to me, she pleaded for me to kiss her, so I did. I opened my blazer and brought her into me, keeping her warm as we kissed.We wondered around the parking lot and found ourselves leaning against the hood of my car.   

Evie reached for her crown and took it off. I imitated her and took mine off also. We looked at each other nodding in silent agreement. 

It was us against all of them and it will be that way for a while now.