Chapter 3
The concert was a blast. We had ditched to others and I honestly didn’t know where they were, but I didn’t care. I was having so much fun. And I actually managed to find some of the guys Rose kept pointing hot. Yes, I said hot… And this was a big deal for me because since I loved Liam, I hadn’t seen the other guys around me- Well, their hotness, because I definitely knew they were guys.
Some were dancing around us, and even a super cute guy, according to Rose, talked to us, wanting to know if we enjoyed the show. She was flirting outrageously with him.
Too soon, it was the time to go. We wandered around for a moment trying to find the others. I finally saw my brother coming out of a crowd. He looked pissed. And Ben wasn’t the kind of guy to be mad often. But when he was, god you didn’t want to be around.
“Where were you?" He asked in a low, menacing voice.
“We’re here now! So did you have fun?” I asked, trying to enlighten the mood. But it didn’t seem to work.
“Did I have fun!? Alicia, I was searching for you. Do you know how hard it is to search for someone in a crowd this big? Obviously not! You didn't even answer your phone.” I plunged my hand into my pocket and it warped around my cell. When I got it out and checked it, I saw that I had three missed calls. They were all from Ben's phone.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t know you were searching for…”
“Oh, you’re sorry! Of course you…” He started to say but Liam stopped him. He grabbed his shoulder and murmured something in his ear. Suddenly he stiffened and closed his eyes for a few seconds.
“Okay, let’s go,” he said, pushing us forward. It’s then that I realized that the other girls weren’t there. They must be in the car already. The guys had probably came back to get us. Liam was walking in front of us, scanning the crowd. He looked like a body guard, all tall and muscular. I also noticed that he was showing off his muscles, flexing them. I turned around to see my brother who was walking behind. He too, did the same, looking dangerous. Something wasn’t right. I turned to Rose, walking beside me. She looked concerned just like me. She reached for my hand and squeezed it. Her fingers were cold against my skin.
“What’s happening?” She murmured at my ear. I shook my head. I didn’t know what was going on. I’ve never seen my
brother like this and I was seriously scared.
Liam guided us to the parking lot without any incident and I could see some tension that was building up in him disappear. We finally reach the two cars; the girls were in Liam’s car, like I had thought.
“Go in Liam’s car.” Ben ordered. Rose opened her mouth to say something but I shot her a glance. It wasn't a good idea to argue with Ben, especially when he was like this. So we got in the car without a word. Liam started it up after a short conversation with Ben. I could see them motioning but couldn’t hear a word they said.
Apparently they were splitting up because when we got out of the parking lot and Liam engaged the car in the street, Ben wasn’t behind us.
The ride was silent and long. Rose was still clutching my hand but we didn’t look at each other. I kept my attention glued
to what was passing us. Rose did the same. Looking pass the window, all I could see was darkness. We had passed the road illuminated and agitated and now we were passing through dark alleys.
Suddenly Liam pulled over. He turned over in his seat so he could all see us and took Lisa’s hand in his. She was looking at him anxiously. His mouth opened, but then he closed it, pressing his lips together in a tight line.
“Why are we stopping?” I asked. Liam turned to me, closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. I waited a couple of seconds. No answer.
“What the fuck Liam?” Every single pair of eyes was on me, but I didn’t care. I wanted to know what was going on. It seemed like a perfect night, until everyone started acting all weird and creepy. And I could see that Rose was asking herself the same question only she was too confused to ask it herself.
When he didn’t say anything, I got out of the car and stomped away. I knew I was being silly but I couldn’t help myself. I was mad at them, at all of them. They ruined the first awesome night before… Well before a long time. And then nobody was answering any of my questions.
“Alicia.” Liam’s voice brought me back to the reality.
“Alicia,” He said one more time, his hand gripping my arm. I turned around but didn’t dare look at him in the eyes.
“Go in the car. Ben is…”
“No.” I interrupted him. “No, I’m not going in the car. I want to know what’s going on!”
“Everything is…”
“Don’t bullshit me! Ben’s not acting normal; you’re not acting normal… Something is up and I want to know what.” He took my face between his hands, forcing me to look at him.
“You’re right, okay? But I can’t explain. So please, please Alicia, just go in the car and wait for Ben.” His eyes were troubled and pained. I nodded slowly, not able to move my head because of his hands.
We waited a couple of minutes like that, me searching his eyes, and him just holding me. And then I did something I thought I would never do. I kissed him. He responded instantly, his lips moving underneath mine.
“Liam?” I jumped at the sound of Ben’s voice. I swiftly looked away and Liam took a step back, looking confused.
The hazard made me look at the two cars parked several feet to my right. Ben was leaning against the hood of his car looking invincible. In the other car were Rose, Lisa and Amber. The three of them were all looking at us with weird expression on their faces. I couldn’t read them except one: Rose. She was looking at me with worried eyes and I knew she wasn’t worried because I had gotten out of the car and started screaming at Liam. She was worried for an all different reason. She had seen. Just like everyone else, I realized.
“What are you guys doing?” Ben asked, his voice was harsh.
“I don’t know, she just kissed me.” Liam said. He still looked like he was in a trance.
Ben turned his sharp gaze on me. His eyes were filled with several emotions –like the others- but I couldn’t name them except from two. Anger and betrayal. I couldn’t grasp the others but I didn’t like it. Didn’t like it at all. I started running forward, knocking Liam when I passed. Nobody moved or even talked. They just watched as I ran to escape. Finally Rose got out of the car and screamed my name. But it was too late, I was out of reach.
I ran through several streets, not bothering to see where I was going. It didn’t matter right now. I just wanted to escape, just wanted to forget. I slowly gave in to the burning in my muscles working. It somehow calmed me and I concentrated on my breathing.
I finally stopped at the end of a dark alley. I collapsed on the road, breathing hard. I extended a hand to my cheeks, were wetness was spreading. I didn’t even realize that I was crying. Actually, I didn’t really feel anything. I was numb. The only thing that I felt was the growing ache in my chest. And I couldn’t ignore it. I tried, oh yes I tried, to think of something else, something happy. Something that would make me forgot those horrible expressions. But I couldn’t.
The confusion on Amber’s face, the jealousy on Lisa’s, the concern on Rose’s, The anger on Ben’s and the blankness on Liam’s. Somehow, it was this one who hurt the most. To know that he didn’t care, that it didn’t mean anything for him. That hurt, a lot.
But now, alone in the darkness and the cold, I just wanted to sleep and forget about it all. I want the others to forget about it all. If I thought that Lisa hated me before… I didn’t want to see her now that I’ve kissed her boyfriend.
My cell was ringing in the silence of the night. I decided to ignore it, letting it ring. What if it was Liam? Worse, Ben? No, I don’t want to answer it. Not long after I put it on silent. It was the third time that someone was calling and I knew somehow that whoever they were, they weren’t going to give up.
I continued to cry in silence, alone in the dark, finally giving up the fight against my heavy eyelids.
*****
I woke up with a start, feeling eyes on me. Blackness was all around me, and I couldn’t make out anything. There wasn’t any light except for the road that was a little bit farther down the alley. I squinted trying to find anything that could reassure me, but I failed to. I checked the time on my cell phone. 12:22. I had fallen asleep.
The feeling was intensifying, my heart banging against my ribs only made me nauseated. It’s then that I heard a low growl that was just at my right. I turned swiftly to it, hitting the dead air that was there. I didn’t hit anything, but I was sure there was something there a second ago. Something was watching me, something not human at all. I turned around, ready to run to the light when the growling came again. Desperate to leave this creeping place, I made a run for it, wishing that the thing wouldn’t try to go out for me. The air was buzzing in my ears, adrenaline rushing through in my blood. It wasn’t two minutes and I was already blessed by the light. I was now running on the sidewalk of a busy road. I slowed down to a walk, looking around to orient myself. A pack of guys passed me, looking me up and down. One of them whistles low under his breath.
“Salut jolie petite pute,” He whispered. I continued to walk, trying to translate the French words. Pretty little whore. When I finally translated it, I looked around but the guys were already gone. Maybe that was better because tonight I wasn’t in a forgiving mood.
“Alicia!” Rose was running down the road and waving at me.
“Where were you?” She asked, taking back her breath. I rolled my eyes, remembering that it was the second time this evening that someone was asking me that question.
Seeing that I wasn’t going to answer, she continued.
“We searched everywhere for you. I tried to call your cell phone…” She drifted off, eyes lingering on my cell phone in my pocket.
“Aw… I bet you put it on silent...,” she added to herself before looking back at me.
“We should hurry, it’s getting late and we still have a two hour drive from home.”
"I’m not coming,” I said to her.
“What? Are you crazy? We have to go to school tomorrow and…” She stopped abruptly, seeing my watery eyes.
“Did you see what I’ve done? I can’t go back with them, not after that! They all think I’m crazy…” I said trying unsuccessfully to sound okay.
“They don’t think that! We were worried for you, Alicia. And they actually think that you’re drunk. So please, just follow me to the car and let’s get home before the sun comes up.”
I followed her back silently, trying hard not to give in to my tears. When we finally arrived to the car, Ben was talking on his cell phone.
“Never mind, Rose got her,” he said before shooting me a meaningful look. “Yeah, might want to drive right to Lisa’s,
it’s getting late…” He stopped for a couple of seconds, listening to Liam –I assumed it was him since my brother mentioned Lisa- At the other end of the line.
“Yeah, I think she’s alright. Well, she looks alright… Thanks man,” he said before ending the call by closing his phone. He took a step toward me and pulled me in a tight embrace.
“Are you trying to kill me? ‘Cause that’s exactly what you’re gonna do if you keep disappearing like that,” he said while releasing me.
“Sorry… I didn’t…” I started but Rose interrupted me.
“She doesn’t remember much… She took a few drinks, if you see what I mean…” She said. I turned swiftly to her, shocked. It took a lot more to make me drunk then a few drinks. But then I saw her wink at me. She was trying to save me. She thought that if everybody thought that I was drunk, they wouldn’t make a big deal out of what I did tonight. I instantly played along. I tried to walk but stumbled and then giggled hysterically. Ben took my arm and directed me to the car and whispered something to Rose. She laughed silently but stopped hurriedly when she followed me in the car.
Everyone was silent; all I could hear was the sound of the car and the breathings of several people. My eyes were closed and I couldn’t open them. I was too tired. Rose was asleep just beside me.
“That was weird…” Amber said randomly.
“What?” My brother whispered back.
“Well, I’m sure I saw Alicia kiss Liam…”
“She was drunk, she doesn’t remember she did that,” Ben replied and I could feel his eyes on me.
“Aw, I see,” she laughed softly.
“Yeah, better not mention it though, because she’ll feel horrible about it.”
“Yup, that would be a good idea.” And then the silence came back. Nothing was said until we finally arrived. I wanted to open my eyes but decided to wait until they called for me, not wanting to ruin my drunken position. But when I felt arms lifting me up, I squeezed my eyelids.
“Shh, it’s okay, you’re home,” this voice wasn’t Ben’s. I opened my eyes to see Liam’s shoulders and chin. “I’m gonna put her in her room,” he said to someone.
“You can go right ahead. Rose, do you need help with that?” Ben’s voice was slowly fading away and all I could hear now was Liam’s footsteps on the stairs. He managed to open the door without struggling too much and he put me gently on my bed. By this time, my eyes were closed; I had finally nothing to keep me awake.
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