Into The Woods

Chapter 6

Lark:
It's finally lunch. My stomach has been growling all throughout class. In math I noticed that Suzette wasn't there. I scouted over the lunch room but didn't find her. A hand touches my shoulder and I turn to see Chasity.
"Where is she?" Chasity asks?
I know she means Suzette but honestly I don't know.
"I don't know." I say.
The last time I saw her was this morning. I was so rude to her, all she was trying to do was make me feel better and I was such a jerk.
"Something happened today during first period." She says.
"What. Is Suze ok?"
"No she left the room crying. Ava came in and said Suze was the reason for Marin and the reason Ava was going crazy. I'll have to admit it was pretty scary."
"She probably left school. I'll go find her and text you if she's ok."
Chasity nods and I stalk out of the lunchroom.
I sneak out through the main office when no one is looking. I practically sprint all the way to Suze's house. The front door is open and I feel my heart shatter.
"Suzette!" I yell.
I climb up the stairs to her room. Her door is locked. I softly knock on the door.
"Suzette open the door please." I whisper.
A few minutes pass by and I turn to leave when I hear the lock click open. I spin around to see Suzette standing in the doorway. Her eyes swollen from crying.
"Lark he was here, outside the door. He texted me and told me my hair was beautiful that means he was watching me and he knows what I look like." She says and more tears begin to flow down her cheeks.
I walk towards her and pull her too me. She rests her head against my chest and I lay my head over the top of hers.
"Suzette I'll protect you."
She jerks back.
"You say that but then you were at school eating lunch with your popular friends instead of here." She spats back.
I reach for her hand but she snaps it away. I search her eyes and study her.
Her brown eyes flash with anger and hurt.
"I know Suze and I'm sorry. I know I'm a horrible friend and I don't deserve you but please I'm begging you please give me another chance."
Her face softens a little and she says "Okay."
"Okay?" I say, thinking that she'd put up more of a fight.
"Yeah okay."
"Can I stay here tonight?" I ask?
"Yeah but I'm going out with Chasity tonight so you can come over when I get back." She says.
I nod and turn to leave but Suze grabs my arm.
"Stay until Chasity comes?" She says.
"Of course."
We lay on her bed, my arms around her as we stare at the ceiling. I focus my ears on the steady beating of her heart and wonder why she's so calm. Suzette never just says okay after a fight and after I apologize. Usually she needs time to think.
The doorbell rings downstairs. I know it's Chasity. Suzette slowly moves away from me and goes downstairs. I follow her down and she opens the door. Chasity is standing there smiling at us.
"Took you long enough to answer the door." She says.
"Sorry." She mumbles.
Chasity looks at me and raises an eyebrow.
"Ok well let's go Suze." Chasity says as she grabs Suzette's arm and pulls her out the door.
Suzette doesn't look back at me as Chasity pulls her along. I grab my jacket that's sitting on Suzette's couch. I slip my arms into the soft cloth and lock the door behind me.
My original plan was to go to the hospital and see Marin, but then Suzette went missing. I run to my house and ask for the keys to my moms car. She willingly gives them to me. I open the door to the car and slide into the smooth leather. I start to drive and I pull into the hospital parking lot.
When I walk through the doors it's like an explosion of white. Everything I see is white. The woman that's sitting at the front desk tells me what room Marin's in and I walk there. I hesitate to open the door. My heart pounds so hard that I can hear it.
I don't know why I'm so nervous. I push the door open and see Marin laying on the bed. Her blue eyes look right at me.
"I thought you were in a coma." I say.
"Wow what a nice way to greet someone." She snaps.
"I'm sorry. How are you?"
"I've been better. What happened in the woods Lark?"
"I honestly don't know." I move towards her bed and sit down in the hard wooden chair.
"Are you with Suzette now?" She says, jealousy dripping from her lips.
"No, Suze is my friend and always will be."
"Yeah right Lark. I see the way you look at her. You've never looked at me the way you do her."
"Marin I really don't want to talk about Suzette."
She lets out a "hmph" and her eyes bore into mine. She looks deep in thought.
"Lark I remember something."
I look at her in surprise.
"What do you remember?" I ask?
"I was running away from you and then someone grabbed my wrist. I couldn't see who it was but they said my eyes were beautiful. I felt pain in my stomach and then the person dropped me to the ground. And they whispered in my ear-"
She starts to sob and she puts her face in her hands.
I touch her leg and she looks up at me with her reddened eyes. Her hands start to shake.
"What did they say Marin?"
Her bottom lip trembles.
"Don't go to prom unless you want to die."
Don't go to prom!
Why wouldn't this person want us to not go to prom? Maybe something horrible would happen. All that came to my mind was Suzette.