Nine

Episode 9

RECAP

Nick was still starring at Alicia and the rest when he noticed some one, it was the same man, the same one he had seen during the garden party and back then he had been a waiter but now seeing him here,dressed casually and looking like an entrepreneur just like the other guest made Nick wonder who he is and why he was at the party.

* * *

Celine sat starring at Alicia and the look she had on her face.

That had been the look she had on her face each time she won a race. She now under stood why her step father had invited to the race, why he had put her here at the front and knowing it hurt....it hurts to know that she won't be able to do what she loves most.

She could feel the tears coming and not wanting any one to see it, she stood up heading to the rest room with Nick following her.

Nick stood out side the female rest room, waiting for Celine to come out.why did she have leave when he was keeping watch on that man, he thought hoping she would come out soon enough but he was wrong.

"Nick!" On hearing Alicia call, he turned to stare at her

"I knew it was you" Alicia said as she hugged Nick.

Afraid that people he knew might see them, he gently with drew him self

"Do you know how worried I have been....it's been a year and......"

"Alicia....please not here ! " Nick stopped and she stared at him

"Am currently working and so I would prefer it if you act like you don't know me"Nick said

"But......"

"As you have said it's been a year Alicia, I promise that when next we meet, I will explain it all to you but not now"he said softly and she couldn't answer because Celine walked out.

"And if it isn't our lucky winner"Celine drawled as she came to stand In front of Nick.

"Celine I....."

"You must be happy now that you got what you want"Celine said

"What do you mean?"Alicia asked

"What I meant is that you must be happy to take over my place,after all you will still be second if I hadn't had that accident"Celine said to Alicia who had gone all silent

Nick knew where this conversation was going to and he was expecting Alicia to say some thing but she kept shut.

That have always been the problem with Alicia, she didn't know how to defend her self.

"How you must have wished for me to get crippled just so you could take my place, did you enjoy the spot light for a year"Celine continued harshly

"Why do you think bad of me Celine?"Alicia asked softly

"Because I...... "

"I think that's enough"Nick interrupted silencing Celine.

She gave him and angry look but Nick was angry himself and he pulled Celine off leaving Alicia starring at them.

"Let go of me, you brute!"Celine called out trying to pull away but Nick wouldn't let her go.

It wasn't until she fell that Nick realised that she was limping and that it would be hard for her to keep up with his pace.

"Are you okay?"He asked as he tried to help her up but she pushed his hand away and stood up her self.

"Am sorry Celine I didn't realise that......"

"That am an handicap....a cripple who can't seem to walk without limping? Well now you know and I hope that the next time you pull me like that, Remember that am an handicap"Celine said and walked off angryily.

Still feeling angry, she went back to her table and saw that the rest of the racers were now back on their seat except for Alicia.

On seeing her Cathy quickly whispered some thing to Sofia and they both laughed.

Celine payed no attention to them, she knew that the time has come to have her pay back.

Her step father who had been giving a speech on the podium talked of her presence and while every one turned to look at her, Celine gave out a fake smile and stood up gracefully w

Limping to the podium where her step father stood.

He gave her the mic and moved towards her whispering lightly

"Don't make a scene Celine, give your speech and get off the podium"

To every one,it looked like he was hugging her but Celine knew other wise and if only he knew what she had in mind, he wouldn't have asked her to give a speech.

"Good after noon, ladies and gentle men....before I begin,I would like the waiters to give out a glass to every one cause I will be making a toast by the end of this"Celine said and while the waiter gave out a glass to guest, she saw Alicia walking to her seat while Nick still stood by the table, looking directly at her.

"First of all I will like to thank you all for coming to this event even knowing that the reason why you were all invited here was to get more out of your pockets and also to get you to vote for my step father during the election"Celine said and she heard the guest gasp out

"Well I won't deny that am an handicap and you all here must be thinking the same thing and you must also be pitying me but you shouldn't, instead I would tell you to pity your selves instead, you all are just being used by my step father and am sure that once he gets to where he wants, he will certainly forget you exist"She said.

Seeing the way Celine was handling things made him angry, he knew that Bruce ridiculed Celine first but Celine shouldn't have gone this far just to get back at him.he would have gone to her but Bruce stopped him from going further.

"Just let her finish"he said softly

Celine harsh laugh jolt them back and he turned to stare at her.

"You fools!"she directed this at the Alicia, Cathy , Sofia and Sheila.

"Even when I had still had my leg, I was the best, you all were unable to beat me and that made you jealous, I had the looks,the money and the talent but you all had nothing, you were just like my shadow and I feel sorry for you, most especially you Cathy"Celine said and all eyes turned to Cathy, Cathy sat with her head down, obviously she was feeling embarrassed and that Is what Celine is after.

"And as for you my dear Alicia, you might act all kind ok the surface but I know that behind, you were wishing for me to be out of your way, I was always receiving medals and I took the first place Being second best got to you right? I can't say that am happy that finally you are now taking a position which once belonged to me but I am happy to know that if I hadn't had that accident, you and the rest would have never gotten the chance to be in the spot light" she said harshly and Alicia who couldn't take it any more ran off.

"Though I hate to cut the story short,I would have to leave now, after all am only giving a speech and before I forget, cheers every one!"She said drinking her glass of champagne at a go and the glass on the floor.

People began to murmur amongst them selves and she knew that it was because of what she said,let her step father deal with it, she thought as she limped out of the party.

She was still limping off when some one pulled her by her hand and she turned to see Nick starring at her angrily

"Let go!" She said trying to pull free but he only held her hand tight

"I can under stand you being angry at your step father and mother but what did Alicia do for you to have humiliate her that way?"He rasped angrily

"Mind your business and just let......"

"No I won't!"Nick yelled Making the passer by stare at them both .

"Who are you to....."

"Get off your high horse for once Celine, just because you choose to let your self rot in bitterness it doesn't mean that you have the right to make others rot In it with you"

"Who the hell do you think you are to say that!"She said getting hurt by his words because she knew that what he said was the truth

"You got injured and lost your career but that doesn't mean you should live in misery all your life, Alicia and the guest never did a thing to you, why did you do that to them"He asked almost pleadingly this time

"Because I wanted to have my fun,I wanted them to have a taste of how I felt ,are you content with hearing that?" Celine asked hiding her true reason.

People have always judged her based on what they want to see, they have never given them selves the chance to get to know her better.

"Just for fun, you call humiliating some one fun ?"He asked

"Yes and now would you leave me alone!"she rasped out and he did let her go

"Your step father is right, I knew I should have trusted my first instinct about you"He said

"And what would that be?"She asked trying to sound non chalant about it.

"That you are cold selfish bitch, just because life has been cruel to you, you decide to be cruel to others, you are unfeeling and cold and at this rate no one....not even Stacey will want to be close to you"He said harshly

"You bastard,you are fired,do you hear me...you are ....."

"I know that, I plan to quit myself, I just can't work with some one as cold as you, your step father should stop wasting his time over you, after all you are the one endangering your self, just to get your mom worried m, you decided to pull those prank on them, just what kind of person are you?"He asked

"You still don't know yet"Celine asked trying hard to refrain herself from hitting him because some how, his insults hurt a lot.

"I don't and I hope never to know, as have said,I quit,find some other guard to play with after all you are not in danger at all, in fact you are a danger to every one around you because your heart is filled with bitterness and bitter end up being alone" he said and walked off.

He had said more than what he had to say but then he didnt care anymore, how dare she do that to Alicia.

He thought as he passed beside a window which was all glass.

Nick could see Celine through the glass still standing at the same spot watching him leave but then some thing else caught his attention.

Just a few feet away up the balcony, a masked man layed low,holding some thing and starring straight at Celine.

Nick turned to see the man still pointing that thing at Celine,he could see what the man was pointing at Celine.

Quickly he began to run towards her but on seeing him, Celine turned to leave and at that Instant he shot the gun.

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