" Hey betty " I turn back to see Shawn, his face lit up in a wide grin, I smiled and walked up to him.
" Shawn " I said" I haven't seen you since Monday and you weren't in school yesterday too. Cole said you called in sick " he said" Yeah I wasn't really feeling okay yesterday " I said" So how do you feel now?. you actually look pale " he said touching my face." I'm fine now don't worry. " I said and then touch his hand" If you want to I can cancel Friday plans so you can rest well " he said frowning" Stop acting like an over protective elder brother, it doesn't suit you. I will see you on Friday night after school. " I said giving him a smile." Okay then. so where are you headed ? " he asked" I'm going to the gym now. I have a class there. " I said and he nodded." I'm headed to swimming class now. the opposite direction " he said" That's okay. " I said and then he wave" What is making you so happy and don't you look good " Cole said as I sat down during lunch with he and Alex. Yes I'm putting on blue shorts and a black lacey top and no I didn't pick these clothes for myself, the culprit herself is sitting down smiling devilishly" Thanks, you are added to the list of people that told me that today " I said and opened the juice box on my tray." So what happened ? " Alex asked me, a smirk on her face" Well nothing much except my study meeting just turned into a date " I said with a smile, trying my best not to blush." Oh I see Adam finally grew the balls to ask you out " Cole said" What do you mean ? " I asked him" You didn't hear anything from me so just continue your lunch. I'm happy you have a date " he said and Alex glared at him. I stared at the both of them, they are like sly rats, I'm sure they are hiding something." Finally I get to prepare you for two dates " Alex yelled out." Two dates ? " he asked us" Yeah Shawn asked her out too.
ELIZABETH:" So what's your ideal thought of a perfect date ? " Alex asked me as she jumped on the bed, smiling so much her lips could fall off.We left school some hours ago and although I have alot of assignments to be done and submitted next week, I'm actually very happy because it's weekend, meaning no school till Monday, isn't that so great." I don't know, " I said with a shrug. " Come on don't be a spoiler " Alex said giving me a grim look. " I guess watching a movie " I said picking on the chips in front of me." Oh betty you are actually a nerd now that I come to think of it. of all the places to go on a date, you prefer watching a sad movie and chewing on popcorn " she said eyeing me" I never said it was a sad movie " I countered smiling." Whatever. oh wait watching a movie isn't a bad idea, you get to buy one jombo sized popcorn and a large cola with two straws. I like it " she said with a grin. I nod my head as I watched her act like a baby. " So what do you plan on
" Be home before eleven thirty " someone yelled and we all looked up to see Raphael shirtless and standing by his window shooting Shawn a death glare." Yes " Shawn said and I could tell he was scared. " It's okay. " I assured him. " bye alex " I said and she waved before shutting the door, at last Shawn and I were alone." You look beautiful Betty " he said and I blushed before looking at him." You are not bad " I said and he laughed before opening the door of the car so I can get in. as soon as I am settled in the passenger's seat, he closed the door and then got into the drivers seat. I buckled my seatbelt as he started the car then he drove out of Alex's neighborhood into the big road." Where are we going ? " I asked him " My dad's restaurant " he said and gave me a smile, his eyes glued to the road. " Okay " I muttered before sitting back on my chair. I stared at him as he stared at the road, he looked so serious and I couldn't help but think he is going to be someone who ca
ELIZABETH:" You can stop staring at me now " I said to Alex the next day, it was currently Saturday and since I came back home late yesterday night, I just told her about the date with Shawn and she has been squeaking and staring at me.If you are wondering what happened after Shawn kissed my yesterday night, well I broke the kiss few minutes later and then I told him I would think about his question. it was so awkward for me but he kept on grinning everytime he stared at my face. he took me home later and then pecked my cheek." I want to look at you the whole day " she said and smiled again " Soon you would have a boyfriend " she added and I forced a smile." I'm glad you really had fun yesterday. but I'm more curious to know how much fun you would have today " she said " I'm curious too trust me. " I said truthfully. the truth is I'm nervous because I don't even know if Adam likes me or he just wants to hang out with me. and in school he is also known as the top playboy.When ha
Did he stand me up?. he could have just told me if he wasn't interested in taking me out in the first place, why did he have to make a fool of me. well a player will always be a player, I don't know why I got my hopes up for nothing. " He is here " alex said almost yelling as she pulled me to look outside the window.He pulled the helmet off his head and then got off his bike, wait I didn't know he owned a bike?. am I supposed to get on that thing with him I rushed outside the door,okay I was pushed outside the door by Alex who gave me a grin. I composed myself and watched as he walked up to the porch, as I stood there, I took everything in, from his leather jacket to his black jeans and his white tee shirt to his black boots. his hair was messier than ever thanks to the helmet and it made him sexier. I can't belief I called someone sexyAs soon as he sights me, his face lit up in a smile and I couldn't help but smile at him too, all my worries varnishing permanently. my chest was
" I would like a latte and for him an expresso " I said to the lady who came to take our orders. " You remember ? " he asked me and I blushed" I have a good memory actually " I said touching my head." So how well did you practice your lines juliet " he asked me and I smiled." Very well Romeo. " I answered and he grinned " Okay then let's start something before our coffee comes " he said" Okay " I agreed and then we proceeded with our presentation...Few minutes later, we had practiced our presentation to our content and are now drinking Ice cream while eating brownies." Should we play twenty questions ? " he asked me" Why not " I said and he nodded" Okay let me go first " he said smiling. I nod my head and watch him closely." What's your best color ? " he asked me. no one has asked my favourite colour in a long time." Chocolate brown " I said and watched his expression." That's pretty unique. I thought girls always sticked to shiny and sparkling colours like pink or purple
ELIZABETH:" Would you stop crying your eyes out ? " Alex said trying to pull the covers off my head but I was holding on to it so tight.He doesn't like me He doesn't like me" You are scaring me. first you came home early, without your purse drenched in sweat and did you walk home ? and now you are crying and being all emotional " she said again still pulling the covers " I am so stupid, I thought for a second something that I should never have thought of Alex " I said in tears." Hey tell me what happened " she said and finally succeeded in pulling the cloth from me. I had been crying for more than an hour so I know that I don't look so good right now. Wait why doesn't he like me, because I don't wear make up like the other girls, is it because I don't dress like them too. Or is it because of my red hair, should I just dye it blonde." Jesus you look like a zombie " she yelled and I pulled the covers back before sobbing again. It was more funny because I don't even know why I'm c
ELIZABETH:I sigh and move to my allocated seat because we are meant to sit with our project partners and Adam is currently my project partner. I dropped my bag on the floor beside the locker and take my seat, trying to ignore every living thing in the class as usual.A paper is left hanging on the table where Adam was standing earlier along with a black purse, my black purse.You idiot. I must have left it on the table at Starbucks on Saturday when I was with him. I picked up my purse and the note sticking to it. HereThat single word left me feeling confused and sad and I didn't even know what to think. " Come in Mr Rivers, you are not getting out of this presentation " Mr Mike said entering the class with Adam staring at the ground beside him." Good morning Mr Mike " we chorused and then he smiled " Good morning everyone. I hope we all had wonderful weekends ? " He asked and we noded our heads." Take your seat Mr Rivers " he said looking at Adam." But " Adam started to say."
ELIZABETH:My heart pounded in my chest, echoing in my ears as I waited for him to speak, to say the thing I’d been avoiding, the thing I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear.He took a deep breath, and with it, I felt the air in the room shift. “Elizabeth,” he began, his voice low and quiet, but there was a raw edge to it, a vulnerability I rarely saw in him. “I love you.” He paused, his eyes never leaving mine. “I love you so much,"His words hit me like a wave, crashing into me with a force I hadn’t anticipated. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. I had known, of course. Deep down, I had always known how he felt, but hearing it out loud, in his voice, with such certainty and conviction—it was overwhelming.“I—” I started, but the words caught in my throat. How could I respond to that? How could I explain everything I had been feeling, everything I had been afraid of, in just a few words? “Adam, I—” I tried again, but the look in his eyes sto
ELIZABETH:Adam.He walked through the entrance, wearing a dark suit, his hair slightly messy like it always was. He looked around the gym for a moment, his eyes scanning the crowd until they found me. And then our eyes locked, and everything else seemed to blur. My heart skipped a beat, and I could barely breathe.I stood there, frozen, as he walked toward me, his expression unreadable. The music, the people, everything around me faded away. All I could focus on was the fact that Adam was here. He had come. After all this time, he had shown up.“Hey,” he said when he reached me, his voice soft but steady. “Can we talk?”I nodded, not trusting my voice to work. My heart was racing, and I could feel the tension between us, thick and heavy. Without another word, we left the gym, slipping out of the side doors into the cool night air. The sky was dark, the stars faintly visible overhead. It was quiet, a stark contrast to the noise and chaos inside the gym.We walked in silence for a few
ELIZABETH:The day of prom finally arrived, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a mix of excitement and nerves. Prom was supposed to be this magical night that you remembered forever, but all I could think about was Adam. The fact that he hadn’t responded to my message still stung. Maybe I shouldn’t have expected him to. After everything that had happened between us, what right did I have to ask him to prom? I stood in front of my mirror, staring at my reflection, trying to focus on something, anything, other than the knot in my stomach. The soft pink dress I’d picked out felt perfect for the occasion, elegant and flowing, but it didn’t feel like me.I felt like I was putting on a show, pretending everything was fine, when really I was drowning in uncertainty. My hair was pinned up in loose curls, and my makeup was subtle, just enough to bring out my features. Cheryl had helped me with the finishing touches, gushing the entire time about how great the night was going to be. I tried t
ELIZABETH:Exams were finally over, and prom was in five days. The relief I felt was hard to put into words, but it wasn’t just the end of exams that had me so distracted. The upcoming prom was hanging over my head like a dark cloud. I should have been excited like everyone else, but there was one person I couldn’t stop thinking about. Adam. The girls and I had just finished shopping for our prom dresses, which was supposed to be one of the most exciting parts of prom prep, but honestly, I had gone through the motions. I picked a dress, tried it on, paid for it, and walked out of the store without feeling any of the usual rush of excitement I would normally feel before a big event like this. I was happy for Cheryl and Alex though—they seemed thrilled with their choices. Cheryl found this glittery, silver number that hugged her body in all the right places, and Alex chose a deep blue dress that made her hazel eyes pop. Meanwhile, my pale pink dress felt like a non-commitment. I coul
ELIZABETH:It felt strange to be back at school, like stepping into a world that had moved on without me. The familiar sounds of chatter in the hallways, the rustling of papers, the ring of the bell—it all seemed so normal, yet I felt completely out of place. I walked through the halls, my head down, avoiding the stares and whispers that followed me. Everyone knew what had happened. They knew my father had been arrested. They knew about the kidnapping, the beatings, and the gunshot that had nearly killed me. And yet, despite the weight of it all, life around me continued as if nothing had changed.I wasn’t sure if I was ready for any of it.As I made my way to my first class, I spotted Alex standing by the lockers, waiting for me. She caught my eye and gave me a small, sympathetic smile before rushing over to me, her arms outstretched.“Betty, hey!” she greeted me, pulling me into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re back. How are you feeling?”I didn’t know how to answer that. I hadn’t
ELIZABETH:When I finally opened my eyes, everything around me felt unfamiliar, as though I had been transported to a different world. The room was too bright, too sterile. The soft beeping of a machine beside me was the first sound I registered, a slow and steady rhythm that matched my own heartbeat. My body felt heavy, as if it wasn’t really mine, and a dull, persistent ache in my chest reminded me of what had happened. I blinked, trying to make sense of where I was, why I was here, and then it all came crashing back.The basement. The gunshot. Adam’s face as I threw myself in front of him. The explosion of pain when the bullet hit.I was alive. Somehow, I had survived.It took a moment for the rest of my senses to catch up. My throat was dry, and my mouth tasted like metal. Slowly, I became aware of the soft weight of a hand clutching mine, squeezing it tightly, as if afraid I might disappear again. I turned my head, wincing at the pain, and saw my mother sitting beside the bed. He
ELIZABETH:The room was spinning, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Everything hurt. My ribs felt bruised, my head pounded, and I hadn’t eaten in days. I could feel the bruises forming under my skin, the sharp sting of every breath a reminder of how long we’d been trapped in this hell. Three days. Three long, agonizing days since my father had taken us, since he’d dragged me and Adam into this nightmare. I tried to move, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. My muscles screamed in protest, and I had to bite back the cry that threatened to spill from my lips. I didn’t want Adam to see how weak I was. Not now, when he needed me to be strong. I couldn’t let him see me like this. “Stay with me, Elizabeth,” Adam whispered beside me, his voice barely audible in the stale air of the basement. I could hear the desperation in his tone, could feel it in the way his hand brushed against mine, even though we were both tied to the chairs. “Just keep breathing, okay? We’re going to get out of here.
ELIZABETH:I woke up screaming. My heart pounded in my chest, and my hands trembled as the remnants of that nightmare lingered in my mind. It was the same one again. The same horrifying memory, like a bad movie I was forced to watch over and over. Radena and I, running through the dark, our feet stumbling over broken branches and jagged rocks as we fled from him. My father’s voice echoed behind us, filled with rage and cold determination. The crack of the gunshot always felt too real, the scream that followed piercing the night and making my heart stop every time. Radena fell beside me, her body crumpling to the ground in a way that still haunted me even after all these years. And no matter how much I ran, no matter how fast I tried to get away, I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t escape.“Elizabeth!” Adam’s voice cut through the haze of fear. His hand shook my shoulder gently but urgently. “Elizabeth, wake up! You’re having a nightmare"I blinked, trying to shake off the darkness and th
ELIZABETH:The world was blurry when I first opened my eyes. My head throbbed like someone had taken a hammer to it, and a deep, dull ache settled in the base of my skull. I blinked rapidly, trying to force clarity back into my vision. It felt as though the air was thick, suffocating, and the room I was in was dimly lit, with shadows creeping up the walls. My arms felt strangely heavy, and it wasn't until I tried to move them that I realized they were bound. Panic surged through me like ice water in my veins.I was tied to a chair.My wrists were bound tightly with rope, cutting into my skin, and the more I tried to shift, the more I felt the rough fibers biting into my flesh. The same was true for my ankles, which were tied to the legs of the chair. My movements were futile, restricted to small jerks as I struggled to comprehend what was happening. My mind raced, trying to recall where I was last, how I got here, and why."Elizabeth?" a voice croaked beside me. I turned my head shar