The Girl At The Last

Chapter 24

Elaine

A strangled groan emerged through my throat as Karly's nails dug through the soft skin of my cheeks. Her clutch on my jaw made it hard to keep my eyes open but I could faintly make out Jace's laughter and his cunning face behind her.

They dragged me to the same abandoned school building, like every time.

These walls have seen so much of my misery and heard my pleading screams. But this wise something tells me that it's going to be the worst of ever.

"I told you to stay away from whats mine, you are a garbage that even a dumpster would feel sorry to carry." She whispered over me, her cold breath fanning me dangerously.

And without a second to spare her hands left my face only to connect again with it, but in the form of a deafening punch.

The impact so hard that my knees finally gave away as I fell to the floor. Tears sprung over my eyes of pain and anger. Not of humiliation, I was way past over that.

"Seriously, now even Tyler? What do they even see in this shrimp?" Jace chuckled at his joke, but I was far away from contemplating what he meant.

I just wanted this to end. No savior or hero or a hope. Just end.

I pulled my legs closer to my chest waiting for, I don't know. A blow? A kick? A peaceful knock on my head?

From the corner, I could see her heels stride over me. She leaned to my height her eyes watching me as if she saw a battered bug. She was disgusted.

"Your hair was never really appealing to begin with, why not I help, see you get rid of it" sheeting she grabbed a chunk of my hair from behind and strained it. Realization dawned on me as I struggled to fight her with my own wobbly hands.

"No no no not my hair, please" the voice which sounded like me whined, pleaded.

They simply laughed at me, like they heard a bad pun.

"Jace, what are you waiting for?" she motioned him while encasing my hands behind.

He took a can with a yellow coat of paint, on a closer look I could see what it was.

Adhesive, the kind of super glue that you use on woods and metals. It could burn my scalp for a lifetime.

"NO, please" I don't care if I screamed as I cried, hard like a child. I cannot let them do that. This is a whole new level of misconduct.

I closed my eyes, shrinking it to the point as if it would help me wake up in bed and evaluate this incident to be a nightmare.

A slimy drop upon my head rattled me out of trance. I waited for more to hit me.

But it never came, instead, a loud crash and karlys screams filled the corridor as I could sense that she distanced herself from me.

I pried open my lids only to shut it close with a shriek. The silhouette of Alex punching Jace was frightening.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh, groans of breaking bones, and hollers of hurtful pain was all the hall echoed of.

"How dare you, you shit face" the growl of Alex forced me to watch the scenario. He shifted like a wild beast over the wield of Aiden. Jace sprouted a mouthful of blood as he coughed. He was a battered mess on the floor. Limp and almost dead.

"I'll KILL YOU" he screamed as he tried leaping over him.

"Easy man, it's okay she's fine" Aiden said supporting his stance to control Alex who's eyes dark as the ocean glared deadly at Jace.

A hand soothingly has been massaging my back for a minute now, but I was so engrossed in what happened in front of me to notice April on my side.

His eyes fell on me and a split second later they widened in shock, I bet I looked like emo fail on hibernation.

But then he masked his features blank. He shrugged Aiden away by pushing him back and hit his fist on the nearby pillar.

"Alex" shocked I shouted at him. what was he thinking?

But my words had no effect on him as he repeatedly assaulted the structure chanting "its my fault" again and again.

Even Aiden seemed spellbound to do take an action.

With one last glace to spare at me, he rushed out of the block. A minute later the faint resonation of an engine starting up echoed. Then it was gone too.

Then it was just my heartbeat and the heaving breathes till I passed out.

Friday

I woke up on my way home, April and Aiden drove me back. I had no wits or energy to ask them where they popped out from. I was too exhausted, drained to the core of existence. I wanted to sleep the day of, only if it was that easy.

His absence gave me more sleepless hours than usual.

Saturday

I felt better, or to be honest I ignored it all.

Somehow it nagged me. He was still not here.

Not even phone calls.

Sunday.

My stupid mind won't stop thinking about him, yet my heart seems to understand the reason he's been ignoring me.

But my mind also recalls the fact that tomorrow is Monday. I don't know if accepting this makes me sound more pathetic than I already am. I am scared to go without him.

Monday.

When I woke up, my phone notified me with a text from Aiden.

They said they'll pick me up. I said nothing. I may not know much about them but one thing that assured me was if they were not my friends neither were they, my enemies.

The drive was peaceful, they both seem to be void of any topic to talk with. Or they just wanted to let me be. Probably the latter.

When we entered school almost everyone paused their chores or words as they looked at us, specifically me.

Some even shuffled out of our way. Eyes followed me with each step I took. I was used to the whispers and insults but this was unusual.

"What's going on?" I asked Aiden who smirked at me.

"You don't know?" he said. I nodded sideways indicating a no.

"You must be the last person to know of it" April came to stand on my right adjusting her strap.

"Jace and Karly got expelled" she said it casually like it was an everyday scheme.

"What?" I asked my voice an octave high "how, when ho-"

"The question must be who Elaine." Aiden remarked " who do you think made this happen?"

I took a moment.

An intellectual one.

Then it hits me.

It doesn't take a genius to know who.

Oh God Alex.

***