by Chloe Smith
"So you didn't enjoy?" She asked.
"Yeah, I did…" the pungent smell became stronger, which made me come back to where I stood, and not the connection with Mamma. Looking around, I realized the foggy atmosphere.
I coughed.
"…alright, Monica?" I caught the end of mamma's question.
I coughed again, unable to answer her. The alarm bells were ringing in my head. I knew right away what was going on. My mind had unconsciously known when I had first smelled that pungent stench.
Fire.
The flames rose, raging past the small hallway and caught the small little couch and table. The stalls were next.
I covered my nose with my arm, thanking heavens for the baggy white shirt. I ran to the window, but it was blocked. From the outside. By a shadow.
"Hey commoner." It sneered. Right away, I knew who it was. Amanda. She was in one of my classes. She always had different contacts on, but today, right now, those golden eyes reflected from the growing flames behind me were her natural ones for sure. "I wonder…the horses didn't do it, but this will surely get rid of you. You just didn't get the message."
"Amanda! Please don't joke at a time like this! I could die!" I managed to cough out, panic taking over my body, as the heat rose. All I was worried about was getting away. That's why I didn't realize she was closing the window.
"Oh well, I guess the only way you'll understand is if you're exterminated. You should've listened." Her bright smile was the last thing I saw before the window was firmly closed from outside.
"No! Let me out! Amanda!" I banged on the window. "Amanda!" I pushed one last time at the window, but it didn't budge. I turned back to the fire. It had consumed stall number one.
I looked everywhere, looking for a way out.
But the only way was the heart of the fire. The hallway.
I looked for something to bust the window, but even that was not an option. The only thing that would've helped me was the small table or chair that was too busy being food for the fire.
The panic combined with no way possible frightened me. Made me go crazy. I was going to die here.
There was no way out!
Chapter 52
Amanda was awarding herself with a job well done as she hurried away from the window. Her evil smile was still glued on her face as she turned around the corner.
At first what she thought had stopped her had been a wall, but realized soon enough that it was a human. A tall human at that. She couldn't tell who the guy was because he wore a full-faced mask.
She gasped and was close to cowering when she realized that they didn't know what she had done. She raised her nose and sneered, "Watch where you're going." She had intended to stalk past him, but one of his hands fastened solidly around her upper arm. "Wh-what are you doing!" She said when she nearly lost her balance. But one look up into those two piercing cold caramel-colored eyes, and her whole body froze in fear.
"You will regret this if something happens to her." The voice was even more terrifying than those eyes.
And for once, Amanda quivered.
. . .
I couldn't remember what happened, and my whole body felt heavy. I couldn't move anything. I couldn't even think straight.
"Is she okay?" The voice drifted into my consciousness softly. Clinton? I wondered. No. It couldn't be him. He was gone.
Another voice answered. Was that Percy? I couldn't completely focus. My head was too groggy to think. And they sounded so far away. "She's fine. I think she just swallowed too much smoke. Would you take care of that struggling annoying girl?" His voice became irritated.
"I just want to see if she's fine." The voice that sounded like Clinton said, a little anxious.
"Do you think that's the most logical thing to say right now? Go!" Percy said sternly.
After that, nothing. I drifted slowly back into oblivion.
"Monica!" Gaya's painful cry jolted through my body like electricity, and my eyes sprung open. Percy was the closest head to me. His face stared down at me grimly, his mask was off. Gaya and Martin's face also looked down on me. So I guess that conversation I heard was a dream…
"I bumped into a guy who told me where she was. Is she alright? What happened? Should we take her to the hospital?"
"She's awake!" Martin said. I blinked a few times. Above Gaya, Martin and Percy, I saw the stars, shining dimly, and a cool breeze filtered through the air. I was outside.
I tried sitting up. "Whoa. Careful." Percy spoke, immediately reaching to help me.
"What-" I immediately broke out in a fit of coughs. All three faces had worry writ all over them. After a minute, I tried talking again. I found it easier by whispering. "What happened?"
"The bathroom was on fire. You were trapped in there." Percy explained.
I gasped, then collapsed into coughs. I held onto Percy's arm until they subsided. "Where's…Amanda?" I huskily asked.
"Amanda?" Gaya and Percy asked together. Martin, I noticed looked taken aback. I found that kind of strange.
"Yeah. She…did this." I whispered.
Percy looked grim. Then he looked up at Martin. "Care to explain?" His voice was calm, but all three of us could hear the anger simmering beneath it.
"What? Why do you assume I have something to do with her?"
"She is your sister, isn't she?"
Gaya and I gasped. "No…" I spoke softly, feeling as if my feet had been pulled from under me, even though I was sitting.
Gaya looked like she was about to cry.
Martin remained silent, his silence enough to persuade us all that Percy wasn't lying.
"You can't hide the facts. You knew about your sister's acts, didn't you?"
Martin raised a hand in protest. "But I-"
"Didn't you?" Percy wasn't playing around. He had murder in his eyes, and those eyes were focused on Martin.
Martin looked at Percy a second longer then dropped his hand with a sigh. "Yes."
Now it felt as if someone had slapped me.
Gaya had both hands covering her mouth, her eyes shone with unshed tears.
Martin looked first at me, his expression beseeching. I stared back him stonily.
His eyes riveted to Gaya, and he scowled. "Why am I the only one being treated so unfairly. I'm not the only one keeping secrets!" His eyes were still locked on Gaya.
"No…" Gaya breathed. Her face reflected horror as one single tear escaped down her face.
"Go ahead Gaya, tell them your secret." Martin exclaimed. I had a feeling he was walking towards a cliff.
Gaya said nothing. She stared at Martin, horror still looking back at him.
"You won't? Fine, I will." Martin turned to me.
"Martin! Don't-" Gaya spoke.
"She's the principal's daughter." Martin said. And he plunged off the side of the cliff, figuratively speaking. "There. Now we all have our secrets spilled. Unless Percy has something to add." He turned to Percy with a maniacal smile. "No?"
Percy looked as angry as I'd ever seen him. "You bastard!" He spoke through his teeth as he launched himself at Martin, his right hand balling up and landing squarely on Martin's face, knocking him to the ground.
Percy followed him, sitting on top of him, ready to beat him unconscious.
"Stop!" I yelled loud and clear, even though it made my throat even more raw. Percy paused, his fist frozen in mid-air.
I looked over at Gaya. She had become a statue. She still had her eyes on Martin, and tears had been streaming from her eyes.
It was almost like the scene had been paused, except the labored breathing from the guys and the soft sobs from Gaya.
I forced myself to make it to my feet-albeit wobbly. But once there, I stood strong. If there was one thing Mamma taught me, it was to stand strong. Which reminded me, I had to call her back.
But not right now.
"Gaya." I spoke softly. She didn't react. I strode over so that I was standing right in front of her. Putting a hand on her shoulder
lightly, I said her name once more, even more softly.
She looked at me. "Monica. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to treat me differently. I-"
"Shhh." I put one finger over her lips to silence her. She looked up at me with those big shining eyes. "I don't care if you were the janitor's daughter, I wouldn't treat you any different that I have."
She looked genuinely relieved.
I turned back to Martin, who was now dusting himself off, since Percy had gotten off of him. "You." I said, my voice hardening instantly.
He looked at me with saddened eyes. "This was all just a game in the beginning-"
"In the beginning?" I questioned with a lift of my eyebrow.
"But then we became friends, and-"
"And yet you knew she was the one who was doing all these things. The writing on the window, the stampede of horses!" I exclaimed. Martin lowered his head. "Shall I go on?"
"But I tried to stop her-"
"How! By reporting her to the principal? I'm pretty sure you didn't do that." With how much my voice was climbing, I knew I was going to have a very sore throat for a week or so. But I couldn't help it, I was so angry right now. This guy, who I came to trust, who I came to rely on and he was there with me through all these horrid experiences ended up knowing who the perpetrator was all this time! And he didn't lift a finger to stop it at all! Not only was I angry, I was hurt! "I looked down at him in disgust. "Don't ever think of calling me 'friend' again!"
I grabbed Gaya's hand, and pulled her with me as I marched away. One of her hands covered her face, which I'm pretty sure was covered in tears.
But she wasn't crying because her secret was discovered. That, I was nearly positive of. And I was even more confident to say that it was because of that…that traitorous Martin that she was a wreck.
I knew I should have never come to this dance in the first place. If Clinton wasn't here, I shouldn't have…
The sirens wailed in the background. The fire truck was almost here. Finally!
Chapter 53
"Did you hear about Amanda Lawrence?"
"What about her?"
"She moved to Paris!"
"Oh how lucky! I wish I could go there, but my parents won't let me!"
So that's what Percy meant by "Amanda is already taken care of." Somehow she was threatened to move away. At least I didn't have to see her again, and the most dangerous pranks that had been played on me had come to an end…unless someone else would be so rash to follow her footsteps. Lord, I've had too many things happen to me in less than half a year! Please give me a break!
So Amanda was gone…I just wondered why Martin hadn't gone with her.
It was a week after the dance, and I had overheard the two girls gossiping in the few minutes before homeroom. Gaya sat next to me, quiet as a mouse. She'd been abnormally quiet since Saturday night.
Ugh...that night was the worst night of my life. And with all the yelling I did, my voice was still sore as hell.
Martin was either wise, or a coward, because he stayed away…although I can't say three days is an awful long time. Who knows, he might try and approach us today. He better not! I wasn't going to let him get anywhere near Gaya anymore! I just kept seeing that crying face every time I thought about him…I'd NEVER forgive him! Not until the day I die!
Besides that, things seemed to go smooth…although with Clinton gone, there wasn't really anything as exciting.
Homeroom started, Percy ignored me, and on the chance side that our eyes did meet, he glared at me. I guess nothing changed even with what happened Saturday.
Homeroom ended quickly, Mrs. Sarah yelling at us to not be late to our next class.
The hours blended together, hour one…hour two, and then lunch came. It was probably the gravest moment yet. Gaya hardly got anything, and the things she did get, she just moved it around on her plate. Just watching her made it hard to swallow my French fries and chicken sandwich.
I lost my cool when I realized that Gaya had the same class as Martin next. "That boy…if he does something to you, or even tries to talk to you, make sure you tell me! Even if Percy did deal him a good one , I haven't had-" At that moment, Gaya's depression melted away and she giggled.
I looked at her, and I laughed out loud. Gaya's giggle grew louder too. And we were both laughing hysterically, with people giving us looks as they looked down their noses at us.
You've had that moment though, right? Where there's nothing humorous at all in the position you're in, but you just can't contain the laughter from bubbling out uncontrollably?
And as our laughter died down, so did out tension. There was less depression, more smiles…less about worrying about others. More about realizing the friendship we shared. It was such an exuberating feeling to behold.
And I said a 'see you later' to her has we departed to our different classes.
Denzel was super dreamy in Biology. All smiles and daydreams, and I couldn't help but feel happy for him. "Hey Mr. Sappy." I nudged him with an elbow.
"Oh no, Sharon didn't tell you about that, did she?" He hid behind one of his massive hands.
I laughed. "She told me aaaalll about it, Wolfy." I shot him a wink.
"Ah! Not that too!" I was really enjoying the deep red color that was creeping into his face.
"It comes with your friends being friends with your girlfriend, buddy."
I didn't have any further chance to tease him since Mr. Fisher had finally arrived and Biology class started. The hour passed slowly since I hated biology, but it was finally over, and I was out of there like a rock leaving a slingshot.
I met with Gaya for a few seconds, found out Martin hadn't been in class, and then I had to say goodbye to her. I hadn't told Jackson not to meet me, but I wasn't sure if he would…so I went anyways.
What I saw surprised me.
At first I thought that the Platinum-near-silver-haired Gela was beating up Jackson…but instead, after a second of watching, she was clinging to him. What the heck happened between those two! ? But from the looks of it, Jackson wasn't enjoying this at all, he actually looked tortured.
When he finally caught sight of me, he shook her off and strode quickly to me. "This is all your fault!" He said, trying to dodge Gela's seeking arms. "Where did you go at the dance? You left me-ah! Get off!" I couldn't hold it…I laughed. This day seemed to be filled with laughter. "Monica! It's not funny!" He raised his arms to try and make Gela release it, but Gela hung on, dangling a good six inches off the floor.
And Jackson was too nice to shove her off and risk her hurting herself. "Let-" –Shake-shake- "go!"
"But Jackson! Just one date! One!" Gela asked, no, pleaded.
"Hello Gello." I tried mimicking Clinton's voice, but failed miserably, although it got Gela's attention.
"Commoner, it's not Gello!" She said, instantly enraged. It bought Jackson enough time to shake her off and run for it. Gela looked completely torn between whether to continue telling me off, or going after Jackson.
After a few moments, she turned on her heel and raised her nose with a "hmph" and clicked her stilettos after Jackson. "Wait Jackson!"
I shook my head and made my way to English.
The bell rang as soon as I entered the classroom. Uh-oh. Gela's late.
"Suarez! Hurry up and sit down." Mr. Tobit boomed.
"Right away sir." I answered.
I got a little satisfaction when he did roll call, and Mr. Tobit bellowed, "Where the devil is Sanders! ?"
Finally…school was over. As I was used to, my phone rang split seconds after the bell rang. "Hello Hilary." I spoke.
"Hello dear. I've got to talk to you about something important." She said. She sounded a little distant, but halfway to her regular self.
"Okay, sure."
"Well, I had initially intended for you to go to St Ferdinand so that you could keep an eye on Clinton, but he's gone now." Her voice wavered just a bit. "I don't want to make you do anything you
don't want to. I've already talked to your mother about this, and I got her to agree. If you don't want to go to St Ferdinand anymore, you don't have to. I'll transfer you out right away!"
I smiled, genuinely smiled. She really did feel like my second mother. And as much as I had talked about not wanting to go here, I found myself really thinking about it…did I really want to leave now? After all