Shawn got into the passengers seat and I got into the middle with Cheryl and Alex while Cole kelvin and curt sat at the back. We all exchanged greetings and the car started moving. I was seated in between cheryl and Alex because they were both talking to me. Shawn kept turning back to start little conversations with me but what I was more focused on was adam's hard face that I saw in the front mirror. This night was going to be more hell than fun, I just have that feeling in me." Five large bowls of popcorn " Cole said to the woman at the counter after we had bought our movie tickets. We were seeing a young adult romance titled the last chance at the cinema." Okay sir and what would you love to drink? " She asked cole and he stared at us all." Two big colas and four medium sized colas " he said the woman nodded before walking back inside the stall." Why did you other just six colas, we are eight " Alex asked him." Well I figured the ones in a relationship could share, like me and
" Yes I don't think I have told you yet but elizabeth here is my girlfriend " he said and smiled with pride as if he had won the lottery while I sat down with my heart feeling all tight from guilt. " I am so sorry betty, I didn't know " Cheryl apologised immediately, her face turning red from embarrassment" There is nothing to be sorry for. we only just got together and you can't be sorry for falling in love with someone " I muttered and Alex smiled at me" You know what guys. this air is too cold and tense. let's change the game " Curt said but we all knew he felt bad because cheryl didn't like him the way he liked her. " I'm in support of that, I'm thinking seven minutes in heaven " Kelvin said with a smirk " Ew you just want to do dirty with us girls " cheryl said " Well let's play it. " Cole said winking at Alex who was blushing like a fool. " Okay so we are still going to be using this bottle but just a different game. " kelvin said and Adam came back to sit down" Dude wh
ELIZABETH" Betty " Shawn said with hurt evident in his voice as soon as he opened the door to the closet. Adam and I moved away from each other with hurry as we stared at him. My eyes never left adam's eyes. Shawn dashed out of the room and out of the house while the others followed him.Alex gave me a smile and nodded her head. I understood her perfectly and so I left the closet and followed shawn. I didn't know what I was going to tell him but I am going to try to calm him down. " Shawn hey " I called out as soon as I got out of the house. The others were already gathered around him teasing him as he was such a party pooper." You are such a pussy " Curt said with laughter but shawn didn't say a word. " What's wrong with you, it's just a game and you know it " kelvin added trying to punch him in the shoulder but shawn pushed his hand away I had never seen him this angry since I had met him and it scared me. I moved closer to them and they made way for me to go through to him " H
The next two days in school has been hell. Shawn and Adam weren't talking to each other anymore which made Curt and kelvin hang around alone. I was the center of the problem. If only I had kept my stupid feelings to myself and not say a word to Adam.Now shawn hates my guts and it's understandable because I used him and pretended to like him but I don't understand why Adam is avoiding me like I am some plague. I just said I had feelings for him and is it so hard to just reciprocate my love. I actually feel like a slut and the whole school is talking about me. Apparently somehow the school knows that I am in love with Adam and thinks that I cheated on Shawn so I am the bag guy. " There you are " Alex said as the door to the janitor's closet opened, revealing Alex cheryl and cole. At least these three don't hate my guts like the population in school. I'm surprised that cole is still hanging around me. Even cheryl because she liked shawn and Adam is her brother. " You can't hide foreve
ADAM" Why did you call me here? " Shawn asked cole while I watched too, the same question on my mind." Well the both of you have been acting like dicks to us and to each other. I had to do something " Cole said with a serious face and I folded my arms together" Look I have nothing to say neither do I want to look him in the face " Shawn said and turned away as he started to leave. My heart was sinking in my chest because of the way he had been acting for the past few days. we haven't spoken to each other since Saturday and today is Friday now. hell the only reason I am not down the hall and kissing elizabeth is because I want to clear our misunderstanding." This isn't you Shawn " Cole said " People change " he replied coldly and I walked up to him because I couldn't take it anymore. " Shawn " I said his name and he looked at me with his fists clenched by his side. " you know I didn't mea.." I was saying when he punched me right in the face. I staggered and then touched my face
ELIZABETH" Mum!!! " I yelled and flinger my suitcase away as soon as I saw mum's car I'm the driveway. she opened the door wearing a big smile " Honey " she said and I wrapped my hands around her neck. her arms wrap around my waist as we hug each other tight. " I have missed you mum. you look so good. " I said " Next time I will leave your bags on the road you hear me " Alex warned as she dropped it next to the door. I grinned at her " Come in for dinner Alex. " mum said and I nodded my head staring at her. I didn't get to ask how the dinner with Cole's family went so now is my chance. " I would love to Mrs Walkers " Alex said and bit her lips because she said mrs." It's fine you are allowed to make the mistake. now come inside and let's make dinner. we have a lot to catch up on guys. " she said and we went into the house with mum. I was the happiest because now I can be with my mum again.After dinner the three of us sat in front of the house on the porch as we laughed. we tal
ELIZABETH:" Would you drop your phone and let me do your make up " Alex yelled at me and I giggled before getting up from the bed." I know you are happy to finally be with Adam but you will see him soon, so stop texting like idiots " she warned and I sat on the chair in front of her with a huge smile. I get why she is so offended and upset. Adam and I spoke to each other overnight and I realized that he is kind of very sweet. Alex actually didn't get any sleep because I kept laughing and turning on the bed. " I'm sorry, okay I'm all yours now " I said as I tossed my phone on the bed. she opens her make up kit and then begins to doll up my face. Few hours later of enduring Alex's endless scolding I now looked beautiful. I stood up from the chair and twirled in front of the mirror. " You look so good I don't want you to go. I don't know why I'm not in Mr Michael's class, me and my baby would have gone together " she whined and I hit her shoulder" I told you to come with me as my
ELIZABETH:" You are like a cosmos flower these days " mum said that morning when we were having breakfast. " Cosmos flower? " I asked her looking up from my toast" Yes because they are the most beautiful when they are blooming honey and right now you are the most beautiful " she said and I smiled." Mum " I said and she looked at me. " my nightmares stopped " i said and her eyes shot open. she stood up from her seat and walked over to me." You stopped dreaming? " she asked me as she held my shoulders. I laughed at her expression" Yes mum I stopped dreaming. it's been going on for more than a week now. I didn't tell you earlier because I wanted to be sure and now I am so sure mum. he is gone " I said and she hugged me so tight." I'm glad honey. he is gone and he will never find us here. you should start living your life now okay " she said and I nodded, tears falling from my eyes. " You should start living your life too mum " I said and she broke the hug and stared at my face. "
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