Wicked Road Page 7

  “Really nice dress,” she complimented.

  “Oh, thank you!”

  “Where'd you get it?”

  “Someone bought it for me actually.”

  “Oh. Well, it's very pretty.”

  “Aww, why thank you.” I smiled.

  “You look familiar. Have I seen you before?”

  “If you go to this high school, then yeah.”

  “Are you Deborah?”

  I shook my head.

  “Angelina?”

  I shook my head again.

  “Wait, you have gray streaks in your hair... I got it. Donnie Sparks.”

  I smiled as I tucked my gray hair under the black. Why had she never stepped forward before today? “Yep.”

  I wasn't the only girl in school who had black hair, but the only one with dark gray streaks. The reason why I had gray streaks is because it represented dullness and sorrow. It’s how I saw the world. I didn't want anyone to know that I was here or that I came, especially not Ronnie. I planned to play a prank on him tonight.

  “I'm Cassie by the way.”

  “Oh. OH. Cassie Carter from English class?” I asked her.

  She nodded, smiling brightly.

  I saw her around sometimes. She was in the same English class as me and she sat in the front of the class while I sat all the way in the back.

  I wondered how she knew me. No one talked to me except for my friends. Had she been keeping an eye on me or something? Nah, she probably heard my name in class. She looked behind her once and maybe smiled, never doing it again. So, she then memorized the one and only isolated girl in English class. It could be a possibility.

  “Hey, Cass, come on. Dance with me.”

  A girl with multiple piercings and tattoos dragged her away. She left without saying goodbye. I guess she couldn't tell me goodbye in time. Never knew someone actually paid attention to me or even would remember my name. Awkward. She's been here ever since freshmen year.

  A guy suddenly approached me with a face hidden behind an all dark black mask. He wore a flowing, hooded robe which hid most of his face. His lips and nose were the only things showing.

  I was stunned. I couldn't utter a word. He looked so mysterious and yet, at the same time, creepy.

  “Your silence has left me breathless,” his voice spoke to me.

  I didn't realize my heart was beating so fast until now. My poor heart beat wildly, like drums. My reaction to him was dizzying and terrifying.

  Why did he sound so familiar? And why do I have this sudden fear in me?

  “Dance?” he reached his hand towards me.

  I couldn't look away from his mask. My hand, without my notice, touched his. I looked down, confused, as he closed his hand on mine.

  Why was I accepting this stranger's request? He walked backwards and my feet followed him. My hand betrayed me and so were my feet.

  I don't even know how to dance!

  Even though the music was very upbeat he danced slowly. I couldn't look away from his darkened eyes. Something about them was so familiar even though they were hidden underneath heavy black makeup.

  Suddenly, a smile formed on his lips. And I know I've seen it somewhere from before.

  I stuttered, “Wh-wh-wh-who are you?”

  He smacked his lips and breathed out, “Intro's are better left unsaid.”

  I blinked once trying to contemplate his words. I tilted my head and said, “I feel like I've seen you somewhere before.”

  He chuckled. “You have.”

  “So, you know me but I don't know you?”

  He shrugged. “If you think harder you'll know me in the end. But I prefer you not to, for then it will ruin the night.”

  I still wasn't convinced, but he definitely had me hard on edge. The way he spoke sounded old, traditional...

  Oh no! No. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening!

  I backed away wrenching from his grasp. But when I was about to let go he gripped my hand tightly and brought me back tightly against him.

  Struggling to be free, he kept me pinned there. In my ear he whispered, “Do anything stupid and you'll regret it.”

  I sway with him, unable to move on my own freely, unable to do anything but follow his orders.

  What could he do that would make me regret what I want to do? He's...powerless. He doesn't have any powers to destroy me or cause a disaster – even though he’s a Satanist. He only scared me. The only person that could cause a ruckus at this moment was me.

  I wasn't going to let him ruin my night for me. I roughly shoved him away from me so that he bumped into the people behind him. They looked angry that their dancing had gotten interrupted.

  I backed away, my eyes not leaving him, wanting to run. But fear had my feet planted on the ground. I was afraid he might follow me, or worse, disappear especially if I stopped staring at him. So, running was not an option.

  My back hit against someone's chest.

  “Ooh.” I twirled around quickly and in a quivering voice said sorry.

  I was on the verge of tears when I noticed a pair of kohl, blue eyes. My heart felt as light as a feather as my fear eased. Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. In this moment I wanted to wrap my arms around Ronnie, but I stopped my arms from making that silly move. Something told me not to anyway. I remembered my stalkers threat. I didn't know what he meant by those words, but I knew they did not sound pretty.

  “Donnie?” Ronnie's voice asked from behind the mask he was wearing. From his tone he knew without a doubt it was me.

  So much for the prank, I thought sadly.

  I blinked my eyes closed. What do I do now? I told him I wasn’t coming. I shouldn’t have. It was stupid of me to come here.

  I looked behind me. Marylin was gone. I looked back at Ronnie. I stammered, “I...I...I gotta go.”

  I held the sides of my dress, and walked fast out of the gym. I was grateful for flats. Because I would not have been able to rush out in heels.

  “Wait,” he followed.

  The cold air greeted me, hitting my shoulders like ice. My skin shivered. I felt like breaking down in tears already. The night turned out to be a horrible one. I couldn't believe I danced with Marylin. I felt sick. I wished it had been Ronnie I danced with.

  Not him, anyone but him.

  I got in my car and drove off leaving Ronnie behind where he stood just behind where my car had been parked.

  I cried all the way home. I needed some time alone.

  I felt as if no one could understand the pain, the feelings, I had day after day. Alone again, I cried all the way home. No one could comprehend this. I didn’t want to worry anyone and if his threats were real then I could put my family and friends in danger.

  I briefly considered just driving into the darkness of the night and never returning. It would keep them all safe and Marylin would never hurt me again.

  Could I do it? It would be so easy. The turnoff was coming up. I could see the sign. My fingers itched to flick the signal to turn down the road that would lead me away from all my pain and agony.

  Just as the turn came up, I signaled and almost turned the wheel. At the last moment I choked on my tears and turned the signal off. My intentions were mine to bear, no one would ever know how close I’d come.

  I was happy that no one was around when I got home. Matt was still at the dance, and Todd was still at work.

  I sat idly in my car feeling weird. I should’ve danced with Ronnie, not him. He shouldn’t have touched my skin. Even though he could not touch us or harm us, he still scared me since he somehow was able to make me feel possessed. I wanted to desperately believe he couldn’t.

  When I thought about him, a knot formed in my stomach. My poor heart felt like it was about to explode from fright.

  Matt told me he couldn't harm me because he was human. He didn't have any special powers, any supernatural powers.

  What if he could murder me the normal way?

  Todd had gotten his records and fou
nd out he had a few felonies. As far as his record showed, he was just a thief. He had never killed anyone.

  So why was I overreacting? That's because I had never been possessed before. Plus, the story Todd showed me about Marylin's parents sounded way fishy. If Matt said he couldn't harm me, what's Matt trying to say? That he can harm him and everyone else? That's impossible. I'm just overreacting. I'm positive Marylin only said that to scare me, so I won't call on Mathew to kick his butt again. Just an overreaction...

  Tap! Tap! Tap!

  I screamed placing my hand against my heart. It was just Ronnie leaning down to look through my window. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. He looked at me through the window, grief-stricken. He saw that my tears had smeared my makeup. He opened my door wide and stood up straight, extending his hand out to me. He coughed gentlemanly.

  I hesitated looking at his open hand. Carefully I placed mine in his and he helped me get out of my car. As I stood before him, he looked down at me. I noticed he was wearing a formal tux while I had worn a dress.

  Coincidence? What's he supposed to be anyway? Silly me, I thought. After everything that has happened, and here I am standing in front of him wondering who he is disguised as tonight.

  “Hey,” his voice spoke manly and kind of scratchy. It sounded nice to my ears. My own heart thrummed against my chest. I couldn't look at him.

  He placed the tips of his fingers underneath my chin, and tilted it up for me to look at him. “You okay?” he asked.

  I needed to have more strength to not wrap my arms around him in this moment, but I couldn't handle being away from him any longer. I cried against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around me and patted my head. He played with my natural wavy curls.

  I did not notice until now that he was swaying under the night sky, under the stars that gave off heaven's lights to us, to the music that was playing on the radio in my car. I forgot it was even on. Was he dancing with me?

  I sway with him, followed him. He quieted my sobs. Wow. Tonight's plan definitely failed. I wanted to play a prank on him by coming unnoticed.

  What a fail, a major epic fail.

  It was that loser's fault.

  I felt safe in Ronnie's arms though. And it felt good being in them for the first time. We’d never been this close or danced together. I usually distanced myself from him.

  But, after all this time, I can't believe we were here now – it’s like the more I ignored my feelings, the stronger they were towards him, wanting him to be mine, to keep me safe. To keep me sane, warm. To always be there for me when I needed him the most, during my hardest times. To give him all that he'd ever want from me.

  I so wanted us to be in love in this moment, to be together. It was the most difficult thing for me to admit it to myself, much less him.

  He's more than I ever asked for. My heart wanted him. I knew that now for sure, especially when I was this close. It was not just the hormones.

  I’d kept it at bay. It felt as if I’d been by a deep river, not wanting to fall in it and drown every time when the pain came along. My brain could never stop thinking about him, especially when he wasn’t around.

  Wow Donnie, way to go. Round of applause for yourself, I thought.

  I blamed myself for denying what I should’ve known the day I’d been in the music store, when it all first began back when I was in the eighth grade. I should’ve known when those preppy girls pushed me down while I tried to get the last CD of one of my favorite bands. I should’ve known when he helped me get up off the floor and his hand embraced mine and I’d been looking into his kohl eyes the first time that I’d fallen for him since then.

  I should have known after all these years of denial and secrecy. I did not want him just as a best friend, but more of a lover. I wanted to be like every girl out there who was in love. I wanted to feel lucky. I wanted to enjoy it. I wanted to live it. And I wanted to experience it with no one but him. He's my own special edition.

  When I'm with him, even now, he made me forget about the world revolving around us. It's like it's just him and I that exist and the rest were dust and ash. The danger, the threat that my ears heard not too long ago, it all felt like years ago.

  In his arms I felt warm. My skin was warm. When the cold wind blew though, I shivered for a moment. Without a word, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it around my shoulders. He looked remarkably handsome under the moonlight. He was being such a gentleman.

  I felt lucky to have him at least as a best friend, more like blessed. Since now I knew the truth, I wasn't going to tell him how I felt. Something was telling me it's better off not to. But did he know that I loved him? Could he sense it?

  We went inside my house, and up the stairs. We entered the game room, and headed for the window that leads to the rooftop. He went out first, taking my hand in his to help me go up. Climbing for me was difficult since I was still wearing the long dress.

  We sat on my house’s rooftop with our feet dangling from the edge. Both being quiet for such a long time, he finally spoke.

  “I wish...There are...” He looked away at the night sky, and sighed deep. Whatever he wanted to say looked like every word was hard to pronounce.

  “There are some things, I wish they were easy to say, but... they're not.”

  He looked into my eyes. I was drawn into a pair of blue, sparkling diamonds that were broken into fragmented pieces. I just wondered what caused them to be that way every time he looked at me. Every time he tried to tell me something that hurt him. It also hurt me as to why he would feel that way.

  I wanted to reach out to him, like always, ask him to tell me, but I knew he wouldn't.

  “I wish I could tell you so many things right now, but I feel like the words would just betray me, and destroy everything between us.”

  I looked at him in confusion. What was he trying to say? He turned away, his eyes looking down.

  Well, here goes my chance, my attempt to try again by reaching out to him. “Ronnie,” I sighed. “Just tell me what's bothering you so much. Because it's bothering me!” More than anything in the world it's bothering me, I thought.

  He scoffed. “If only. I wish it was that easy to share, but it's not.”

  I looked down at his hand that grasped the ledge. It was right beside mine and I was just about to touch. I swallowed hard and willed myself into touching his hand, or worse, holding it in mine since I wanted to so badly. I wanted him to know, to show him that he can tell me anything. But I fought the hungry urge in me, gripping the ledge harder than before. “So, you're not going to tell me?” I told him.

  He shook his head. “I will soon. I just don't think it's the right time to open my mouth right now.” He smiled at me reassuringly.

  I couldn't help but smile, tight lipped. How could he be so calm? I wanted to jump on him, to force him to tell me. I could wait a little more though, I guess. I've waited this long, haven't I?!

  “So, my turn. Why were you crying?” he asked me.

  I looked down at my lap. I didn't know what to tell him. More like I didn't know how to say it. “I... I was...just...scared from something.”

  His tone was light, he smiled. “Don't tell me you were afraid of the hanging spiders in the gym?”

  I laughed. “No. That's the least of my fears right now actually. It's just...” I sighed deeply. “Some person played a stupid prank by threatening me. So, I freaked.”

  He turned to me serious. His face inches from mine, I had to back away my face a bit. I saw the slight anger appear on his face. “Donnie, who?”

  “Just some random a-hole,” I muttered.

  “Is he from our school?”

  “Don't know.” I lied. “I couldn't see his face. He had a black mask on.” That was half of the truth at least.

  Oh my God. I hated lying to him. It crushed my strong will. I inched my hand towards his till they touched, skin to skin.

  I felt and heard my blood hum. I looked at his arm. The sleeves to his bu
tton shirt were cuffed up to his elbows. His veins were popping out, and his skin looked flawless white under the night, like a vampire. His manly hands were so very graceful and perfect. They looked soft and that thought just tempted me to intertwine my hand in his, or just to caress it so I’d at least know how it really feels.

  “Honestly, but that asshole needs to get beaten, and if I ever find out who it is he's definitely going to get it. He really scared you. Scared you to the point where he made you cry. No one messes with my best friend. No one should mess with my best friend.” His voice sounded really serious. The look on his face showed that he wasn't joking. There was no hint of sarcasm.

  I'm glad I didn't tell him who it was, when I knew the truth. Just seeing Ronnie beat up Marylin made me feel protective of Ronnie. I couldn't bear watching him in a brawl with Marylin after what I saw Mathew do.

  I shoved the image away in a chest and dug it in deep sand within my brain. It should stay there forever. Ronnie having just a slight cut on him worried me. I shivered in his jacket. He didn't notice, which was good.

  “What'd he say that got you so scared? How could a random person just come up to you and threaten you? It was Marylin, wasn't it?” he guessed.

  He didn't want to drop it, did he?

  “No Ronnie. It wasn't him. Maybe it's some guy from school and he knew me. He could be a hater, or some weird freak, or creeper who loves stalking pretty girls. But not Marylin,” I lied. “Wanna know more?”

  “Please do, enlighten me.” He was serious. I saw no humor in his face. No smile.

  “Look Ronnie, can we just...drop it. It's in the past now. It happened and he's gone.”

  “Donnie, what kind of guy in his right mind would just say that to a girl like you?!”

  “He's a creep, okay. So, can we close this subject? Please.”

  He gave in. I'm sure he'd seen the desperation that laid in my eyes. “Fine, I'm letting it go. But if anything else like this happens again, I swear, I won't back down. Not next time. This is serious Donnie.”

  “Trust me. There's not gonna be a second time. So, don't wait on it.” I wasn't so sure about that though.

  “I'm seriously serious. I can't stand seeing you get hurt.” Desperation of the thought of me getting hurt just laid in his serious, desperate tone.