Chapter 4

Elena

Some high schools have their prom in some fancy conference building, but Ludowici doesn’t have anything like that, unless we go to the city of Atlanta; it’s a long drive, so our prom is in the gymnasium of our school.

The theme this year: Under the Sea. There are balloons lining the hallway to the gym with all sorts of sea creatures; large shells are placed at the entrance of the brown gym doors and as soon as Ovid and I walk through and under the blue plastic streamers we see a disco ball hanging from above while it shimmers all sorts of colors throughout the room. It is dark, but with the light blue strobe lights it gives the effect of being under an ocean.

Tables are on one side with white and dark blue tablecloths. The centerpieces are glass cylinders filled with water – seashells are at the bottom with makeshift seaweed stretching to the top – stopping short before touching a tea light candle.

On the opposite side from the table is the dance floor, which is already filled with people from our class as they dance and grind to a Katy Perry song. Everyone is dressed to the nines – like us. Smiling faces and laughter fill the room along with the beat pounding from the speakers on the stage surrounding the DJ.

“This place is awesome! Who knew that a sweaty, old gym could look like this!” Ovid marvels over the creativity. I just smile and shrug as she grabs my hand to lead me out on the dance floor.

Neither of us can dance all that well, but we try to sway to the music and intermix our movements with jumping around, pretend to start the lawnmower, make the pizza dough, and, of course, clean our ears with a Q-Tip, then throw it away.

We saw those in the movie, Hitch and told ourselves we’d try it at prom when she found out I was going to stay after all.

Laughing and giggling with our cheesy moves helps me to enjoy being an adolescent for a while. All the worry, heartache, and depression are taking a backseat tonight.

I’m glad I stayed.

“I think I need to fix my hair!” I shout over the music to the redhead twerking across from me.

“Oh! Okay! Yeah, it’s fallen a bit.” She reaches up behind my head. “This part fell out. Want me to help you?”

With my hand, I wave her off, “No, it’s alright. I’ll be right back.”

Fanning myself from sweating, I turn for the restroom across the hall from the gym. Before I’m able to make it, a dashing man in a black tux with familiar deep brown eyes and slicked back brown hair stops me in my tracks.

“Elena. Wow. You look amazing,” Declan awes.

“You look good, too.” I rake over his stature. “You clean up well.”

He smiles, stretching that scar above his lip.

Suddenly, feeling nervous, I ask him, “Did you come here with a date?”

Shifting his sights to the floor, he tells me, “No, I didn’t. Just came here to check it off as one of things seniors are supposed to do. I won’t be here long.”

Before I’m able to say anything, he touches my elbow with his palm. “Maybe you can save me a dance later?”

“Sure, yeah I can do that.” Friends dance together, right? Ovid and I have been dancing, so, I can dance with Declan too.

“Alright. I’ll see ya,” he drops his voice as he skirts around me to stride through the blue streamers.

In the bathroom, I re-pin my hair into its up-du – still leaving a few ringlets around my face. I smooth out my dress then take a deep breath at the woman staring back at me.

I hardly recognize her. It’s not the makeup or the layer of drying sweat and flushed cheeks, it’s what can’t be hidden.

The pain in the eyes. The carefree light has faded…

This woman has been through so much in a short amount of time. Glancing at my wrist – opposite of the corsage, I play with a couple of the charms from the bracelet Mike gave me for Valentine’s Day.

As I reach for a paper towel, I dab my eye from the tear that sheds for him. Then my mind reverts to Elijah. Though Viper will have a fond memory of me on prom night, Elijah wasn’t able to witness this steppingstone in my youth.

Then, I realize that this is what it will always be like, because Elijah is gone. So is Mike.

“Ugh,” I speak aloud and fan my face. “Don’t ruin your makeup, Elena.” Taking another deep inhale of air, I straighten my spine, then turn for the door – determined to enjoy the rest of my night and to keep the depression at bay.

It’s wishful thinking, but a good distraction is what I need.

*******

My feet are so sore from dancing in these heels most of the night. I don’t know how or where Ovid gets her energy, but she’s like the Energizer Bunny on steroids who drank too many espressos.

Thankfully, a slow song falls out of the speakers, a boy comes up to Ovid to ask her to dance. I assure her it’s okay – it’ll give me a moment to rest my feet.

“Hey,” a deep southern drawl seeps into my ear. Upon turning around, I see Declan.

“Hi.”

He holds a hand out for me. “Would you like to dance?” There goes my chance to rest my feet.

“Uh. Yeah, sure.” I lift a finger. “Hang on.” With a sheepish smile, I bend to the side and lift one foot at a time to grip my shoes at the heel and pull them off my feet. Ahh, so much better. The tension that was building in the arches of my feet and the pounding sensation at my heel are alleviated.

Declan chuckles, then takes my hand. “Better?” he checks.

With a wry smile of my own, I place a hand at his shoulder, while his other palm takes my waist. “As a matter of fact, yes.”

We take a moment to look around us as we slow dance at a respectful distance from each other.

Like friends.

“Can you believe we’re graduating in three days?”

Marinating on that, I just can’t believe I made it this far. “It’s hard to believe. Then, at the end of the summer, I’ll be attending the University of Georgia. After everything, I was sure I was going to be on my way to the University of Michigan,” I laugh at myself for almost making it out of Georgia but failing.

Because of Viper.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you stayed.” With the lift of my eyes I know Declan is sincere.

Not sure how to take that, I just give him a warm smile then ask, “Did you decide on a school yet? I know you were thinking about Harvard. Did you get in?”

“I made it in, but I think college is going to have a take a backseat for a bit.”

That surprises me. “Why?”

“I need to deal with my dad, first.”

My brows furrow and when I’m about to ask what that’s about, he asks, “How about we go for a little walk?” His eyes darken. The feeling in my stomach tells me I’m not so sure I want to… yet, I nod and follow him to the exit.

As we make our way outside into the courtyard across from the gym, we can hear the faint music from the DJ’s tabletop.

The man in the tux next to me, who’s friendship is defined as complicated at best, does not try to hold my hand or guide me by touching the small of my back.

No. He walks in stride next to me – I appreciate that.

“You know, Elena,” he starts while facing me in the middle of the courtyard. “I don’t think I can ever apologize enough for what my dad did to you. I’m sorry for still bringing it up, but it tears me apart. Whenever I look at him, I…” Trailing off, he takes both my hands in his. “I want you to know that no matter what our futures hold, you mean a lot to me. I don’t want to take this friendship for granted; if you ever need anything, I hope you know that you can count on me for help. I’m forever in your debt. You’ve forgiven me more times than I can count, when you probably shouldn’t have.”

“Declan. What happened to my dad wasn’t your fault. You didn’t even know about it.”

“I know. Still… thank you for not pushing me away.”

Misty eyes cloud my vision of him under this dark night sky. The trees sway to the light breeze and the crickets share their two cents in the conversation.

All I’m able to do is give my friend a small, sad smile before his phone dings. He reaches into his pants pocket to pull it out. The light from the phone illuminates his face. When those brown eyes reach mine, he tells me, “Do you mind waiting here for a sec?”

My brows furrow at his request. “Why?”

“I forgot something. I’ll be right back – promise.”

Before I can say anything, he’s out the doors and makes his way to the gym. Deciding not to stay - thinking it as a silly request, I take a step for the door. Then the feeling of being watched stops me cold.

Peeking over my shoulder, I see a figure emerging from the shadows. The lights from the hall give little sight to the courtyard, but I can tell it’s a man.

Tall, with broad shoulders, he’s wearing a hat that covers half of his face. With how dark it is, I can’t see any of his face.

The heart in my chest beats wildly, cold sweat licks at my spine as I make a dash for it. Only a hand stops the door from opening. The man is against my back, I can feel his warmth through his shirt against the opening of my dress.

Pine and spice. “Mike?” I breathe. The pulse within me leaps for a split second at the familiar scent. Only to be visited by the ghost of the thought that it can’t be him.

He’s dead.

Who is this? I’m calm, too calm. I should be freaking out.

Why am I not freaking out?

An arm snakes around my torso to hold me tight against his firm chest. His arm is thick and strong; I want to scream for help, I should use my elbow and hit him in the side –

But I don’t.

The other hand leaves the door to lace leathered fingers with mine as he guides my hand back to my body. He leads my palm with his, starting at my belly and over my chest, to my neck. Holding it there, a prickly jaw tickles the curve of the opposite side of my neck; the sensation is eerily familiar – it warms me from the inside out. All the fear dissipates as my body has a mind of its own to melt against the figure against me.

In my subconscious, I know this man. In my conscious mind, I believe I’m hallucinating.

The man holding me says nothing. I try to look at his hands as they keep me against him, but the gloves don’t help in identifying him.

I can’t see any tattoos.

Then I feel it. As light as a feather, velvety lips place themselves against the skin of my neck – over the racing pulse. A small whimper escapes me from the contact.

The experience.

Just like that, it’s over.

The strong arms and warm body are gone. I twirl around expecting to see something, anything, but no one is there.

Nothing is there.

Just trees, bushes, benches…

No man.

No Mike.

There is no trace of someone or something even being here with me.

Breathing heavily, I feel my forehead; not having the desire to faint, I find the nearest bench to park myself.

I grip the bench with shaking hands. Did I just imagine that?

The mind is a powerful thing, especially a grieving mind. I wouldn’t put it past myself that I hallucinated that whole thing.

Noise filtrates into the courtyard as Ovid and Declan meet me at the bench where I’m trying to decipher if I need to admit myself to a psychiatric hospital or not.

“Hey,” Ovid sits next to me. “Are you alright?” Her question doesn’t seem to expect a heavy answer. It’s more of a rhetorical question as she hands me my shoes.

Taking them, I give her a timid nod and play it off as though I’m just tired from the events of the night -which isn’t far from the truth.

My eyes locate Declan who’s eyes dart throughout the courtyard.

I had imagined it, hadn’t I? 

****Oh boy, now she's hallucinating... or is she?

Thank you for reading! I hope you're enjoying the first few chapters so far :) *****