Fate's Cruelty

Chapter Four: An Old Flame

Chapter Four: An Old Flame

                 Did you ever get the feeling that something was going to happen and you couldn’t do anything to control the outcome? Yeah? Well that’s how I was feeling right now. Three hours into the party and I was suddenly overcome with the feeling of suspense. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, looking for something- what? I didn’t know myself but for some unknown reason I was looking over my shoulder and bracing myself for what I was going to see.

                The party was in full swing, music was being blasted through the speakers, drinks were flowing, people danced, couples were hooking up and the occasional drunken girl was dancing on the furniture. I had been searching for Gracie for the last ten minutes and through the mass of bodies all around me it was close to impossible to find her but I still kept a look out for her bright blue top through the crowd of drunken people that I would be going to school with.

                “Shit,” I breathed out as I was pushed into someone hard, my face pushed against the persons back. I placed my hands on their back and pushed myself back, stumbling away from them. “Sorry, I was shoved against you.” I said.

                The person turned around and the feeling of suspense came rushing back. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to happen now. I looked up and took a step back, trying to get as much space between me and the person who I had run into as possible.

                Why is he here? I thought to myself.

“Sorry,” I apologized once again and turned around, hoping he didn’t recognize me. The lights in the living room were dark enough so that he couldn’t see my face. I bolted towards the opposite side of the room, hoping that I found Adam, Paisley or Gracie so we could leave but knowing my luck my plan wasn’t going to go through like that.

                “Carmen!” his all too familiar voice called out for me, somehow louder than then dub-step music playing. I closed my eyes and quickened my pace.

                Shit, he recognized me. I pushed people away, not caring if I was being rude or not. I needed to get out of here, I couldn’t believe it. After two years of not seeing him, of no contact whatsoever with him, he suddenly shows up at the college that I was going to.

                My wrist was grabbed and suddenly I was being yanked backwards. Slamming into his chest my nostrils were suddenly overcome with his scent of the cologne he always wore back in high school. The spot where his fingers gripped my wrist began to heat up and chills ran up my arm.

                I closed my eyes and yanked my wrist away from him, the heat that ran up my arm instantly gone. I stepped away from him and looked up, meeting his hazel eyes that I was once in love with. He still looked the same, a little older but that was expected. It had been two years since I last saw him.

                “Hey,” he breathed out; his voice was deeper too.

                I didn’t know how to respond so instead of saying ‘hey’ back like a normal person I turned around and walked away. Leaving him behind and disappearing into the crowd. This time he didn’t follow and I was glad but the feeling of suspense never once left my system.

I knew that this- our little encounter, was just the beginning.

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                Finding Gracie and Paisley was impossible so in the end I just ended up sitting out by the pool drinking a beer. Eventually I’d find the girls and we’d be able to go home. The music inside the house was still blasting and this time it was some sort of rap music. I had slipped off my flats and rolled up my skinny jeans as much as possible before dangling my feet into the cool water and swishing them around.