Chapter-Seven: The Red Rabbit Pt.2

Just before the gala began, we sat at a table along with the guest I was introduced to a few minutes prior. Not a bunch of interesting things occurred as the evening went by. We ate. There we people dancing along with the instrumental of jazz music echoing through the venue, a lot of vocal interactions between our table and others, well besides me of course.

Mr. and Mrs. Kingston had a dance or two, and I swooned at how romantic they looked swaying together with the slow, jazzy tune. All the while trying to flee from Luke's piercing eyes, like they couldn't let go of me. 

Aunt, being a socialite, had a ball making conversation with all of tonight guests. 

It was an interesting sight to see how confident and friendly she was, and how easily she could speak with such rigor with out stuttering every time she spoke. And i just watched her, wishing I had the social inteligence she could exude whenever she pleases with such ease.

Now, everyone is back in their original seats. Desert is served, and the others talk amongst themselves, and towards me, as they eat. They asks me vague questions like what were my plans after high school, what my hobbies are. Simple things. And I answer them with vague and simple simple answers.

I tune out there voices and look into the crowd around me, some standing about, others sitting, and most talking. I then look at the entrance and see a few people walk to and fro, but then my eyes fall on a familiar face. McKenna, the girl I met earlier, walking in with a much older woman and two little girls around the age of 9 and 12 years old..

She adorns a red knee length dress, red flats, and has her hair tied up in a braided bun, two stray curls accentuating her round cheeks. She walks in, eyes sharp and indifferent, just like they were earlier. The woman she was with surpasses McKenna, eyes scanning around the room as if she's searching for something until it falls on our table. 

Before i could register it, the group was walking straight for our table, and that's when McKenna's eyes fall on mine. I quickly turn around and look elsewhere. Crap, I was caught red handed. I hope she does't think I'm a weirdo.

When Mrs. Kingston eyes find the woman's, she hops from her seat, and pulls her into a warm bear hug. I'm guessing they're good old friends.

They greet each other friendly hellos while McKenna and the two little girls just stand behind them, and I could've sworn I saw her eyes roll to the back of her head.

They pull up chairs to our table and sit with us. McKenna, with an vexed expression sits right next to Jake. Me across Mckenna next to my aunt, and the rest fill in the other available space.

And let me tell you, the tension between Jake and McKenna could cut a brick building into two halves. Her shoulder seem tensed, her whole demaner does. And her eyes seem to be focus on elsewhere.

Jake on the other hand looks unbothered for the most part, but his once friendly grin became a cunning smirk the very second his eye landed on hers. 

I wonder.

For the most part, everything was going fine until, "So how's ballet going for you?," Mrs. Kingston asks me.

The very second the word ballet poured from her her lips, I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

Not this again.

"Your aunt tells me you're a phenominal ballerina, and that you attend a conservatory in Florida."

Of course she did.

Suddenly, I can feel the earth spinning around me. Everyone is looking at me know, and I've never wanted to dig myself inside a deep hole more than I do right know. My aunt gives me a

My lips tremble, fingertips turn cold. "Um," I stutter. So many eyes, just staring at me.

"I-, I'm..."

McKenna abruptly stands up from her seat. "I'm going to the restroom," her eyes bore into my own, eyeing me with a  suggestive look before walking away towards the exit. I catch her mom eyeballing her.

Everyone's eyes fall back on me, as if they're waiting to hear this phenominal story about my wonderful life, and my wonderful accomplishments. But, no. There's no such thing. I am completely, utterly a failure. 

My eyes find there way back at McKenna as she reaches the doorway, stopping, and walking through the door with her dress swaying against the breeze. Wait. A red dress. The realization finally hit me. Follow the red rabbit, Caleb told me earlier. I understand it clearly know. He must've known she was going to leave at some point. And this is my chance to leave while I still can

I stand up, everyone eyes still on my, and mumble that I needed to use the restroom too and follow her through the crowd and outside the venue.

I follow her aimlessly like a lost puppy into the parking lot. The temperature has dropped a bit, so I hug the shawl to warm myself a bit. She then haults and abruptly turns around. But unlike her usual cold stare, her eyes seem more... relaxed.  Approachable, even.

"You okay?" she asks me.

I look down at the concrete. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just-" 

"Needed to use the bathroom?"

I fight back a smile. "Yeah. You?"

Her eyes brighten under the lampost. "Yeah, i guess you could say that."

A silence looms over us, but then she asks me, "Are you sure you're okay? You didn't look too great earlier. And trusts me, I know when someone's about to have a panic attack." My eyes widen, and I'm completely taken aback by her words. Someone finally noticed.

"Well, I'll be heading off now." she gives me a small nod and turns around, walking straight towards the forest trail. 

The sun is almost completely down, for the sky is dimly lit and on the verge of brimming with stars. No no no, this isn't good. The forest, at night is uncharted territory. And I'm aware of that fact well enough. However, I don't want to return back to the event. Not with all of those people I don't know, interrogating me. My heart can't take it. So, instead, I run after McKenna, catching up to her before she entered the forest path. 

"Hey!" I yell, panting like a dog who's been starved of water for days in a hot desert, "Wait up!"

She turn around and looks at me with furrowed brows, "Why?"

"May I come with you," I asks her, feeling as if all the energy is draining away.

Her face morphs into a frown. "You don't even know where I'm going."

"Well, where are you going then?" I ask her, cringing at myself for sounding like a nagging little sister.

She sighs, "It's somewhere you might not enjoy." 

"Well, it can't be worse than here," I take a step closer. "Just please, I don't want to go back there."

She sighs once again. "Are you a snitch?"

My eyes flicker. "N-No." I've been asked this question before, and what come with it usually involves trouble.

The uncertainty in her eyes tells me that she isn't convinced. 

"I'm not!' I sat forcefully this time.

"You're aunt might worry sick about you. Shit, she might tear down this place limb from limb just to find you," she reasons, and I have to admit, she does have a fair point. But no, I wish to go as far away from this place as possible.

"I'll text her I have a headache and went home."

McKenna slowly nods her head. "Are you sure you're down?"

I nod, though unsure of my decision. 

She sighs once again. "Alright. Follow me."

~~

The sky now swirling in beautiful pinks, purples, and oranges as the sun kisses the earth. McKenna leads me down the path of the resorts connected forest trails. We journey far into the woods, away from the lake Omaha and the event to the point it's no longer in my sight when I turn back. Only beutiful trees and dirt, and trail guiding us to our destination. Wherever that may be. Before we left, I texted my aunt as I said I would. She replied "I hope you feel better soon." I was thankful she didn't try to pry to much.

After a few minutes of walking, McKenna stops near a tall, dead sycamore tree. She looks back at me, smiling, and turns left, leaving the forest path and into uncharted territory. My footsteps instinclty pause on their own. Why are we leaving the trail? I ask myself. Oh no. This was a terrible idea. I should've gone back when I had the chance.

"Hey," she brieftly snaps me out of my thoughts. "You coming or what?" 

By the time i head back, it will be dark, and I would be left in this forest alone. It's too late to head back now. 

I look around once more, curing myself for entering this stupid forest, before giving her a nod.

I follow closely on her tail, scoping all of my surroundings for any sudden movement. I'm thankful it isn't completely dark out. Otherwise I would truly be screwed.

We keep walking for a minute or two, and from a long distance, I can see a fiery light blazing from a distance, and faint music playing not so far. The closer we got to it, the more I could see what it was. There stood a tall bonfire, blazing within a forest grove, with people surrounding it. The music became vivid to me ears, some indie pop song I suppose. 

We finally make it into the forest grove, where McKenna is greeted by it's inhabatants. They were teens our age 26 in counting. They wore a casual attire compared to our "evening night out" outerwear. Most of them were drinking from red red cups in their hand. Alcohol I assume. 

It looks to me like a They were standing around and talking, some making, other chugging down beer. And upon a select group of five sitting on and around a stray log, one is sucking a cancer stick between his lips. And that group where McKenna was leading me to. Oh boy.

She runs up to the guy and grabs the cigerette from his lips, placing it between her own. She takes a puff or two before exhaling, and I watch as the smoke spills from her mouth and nose. "I thought you were going to quit smoking." she teases, one eyebrow raised.

He chuckles. "I thought you were too."

Another guys, seated next to him points at me. "Who did you bring this time, Kenzie."