Now or Never, Forever or Never

Okay, there are only so many places one person can be at. Most places are closed this time of night. He better reveal himself fast. I’m starting to get a feeling that someone’s watching me.

I started looking around for that bastard as the wind whipped past me. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. Now I wish I had a jacket. Damn it!

I turned a corner and started walking when paranoia set in. I looked behind me to see no one. Okay. Creepy much.

I continued walking when I heard something behind me. I turned around and, once again, saw nothing. Okay, either I’m imagining things or the guys are being assholes and making me think someone’s following me. That’s it. Those assholes

“Okay guys. That’s enough. Quit being douche bags already. Joke’s over,” I said.

I started walking again when I heard something behind me again.

“Guys cut the crap. It’s not funny anymore!” I said, fear barely evident in my voice.

I continued past an alley way when a hand suddenly clamped over my mouth. “Scream and I’ll kill you right now,” a male voice said. Oh shit. I don’t recognize the voice.

I was backed into the alley I walked past and, the next thing I knew, I was slammed into a wall. I really couldn’t tell what the guy looked like. Except his eyes. They say the eyes are the gateways to the soul. Well, if that’s the case, I’m dead. All I saw in his eyes were lust and murder.

“Now, what’s a pretty a pretty girl like yourself doing in this part of town?” he asked.

“Looking for a friend,” I partially lied, trying to not sound terrified. True, I was looking for someone, but doesn’t mean we’re friends.

“Do you fear me?” he asked.

I shook my head. Truth be told, I was petrified.

“Well,” he started when he pulled out a knife, “you should darling. Who knows if you’ll live to see tomorrow.”

I tried to control my breathing as he started bringing the knife close to me. He placed the knife under my shirt and cut open my shirt, revealing my green, blue, and white push-up bra. He placed one of his hands on my chest and I slapped it off. “Keep your hands off me,” I said.

His face turned angry and he slapped me across the face. He slammed me against the brick wall behind me and pressed his body against mine. “Now you’re going to get it you little bitch,” he said.

“Get off me. Now,” I said trying to push him off me.

“Oh. You have a little fight in you. I like that,” he said, reminding me of the Joker.

“I said get off me.”

He pinned my arms above my head and said, “You know, I think I won’t. I like the fighters. They always break eventually.”

I struggled under him. “Ger the fuck off me!” I screamed.

I received another slap to the face. He put his knife to my throat and menacingly said, “Scream again and I swear I will cut your throat.”

Okay. I’m officially terrified. I tired to calm myself down when I heard a familiar voice.

“Shelby? What’s going on?” I heard Strify ask.

“Go away. This doesn’t concern you boy,” the guy replied.

The guy pressed the knife to my neck and I whimpered in pain. “When I’m through with you--” he started to say. I don’t know what he was going to entirely say because I felt him get off me and heard him hit the ground. I looked to see Strify beating him senselessly.

After a few more punches, Strify stood up. I was still in shock over everything that happened.

“Shelby?” I heard him ask.

The wind rushed past and I started shivering uncontrollably. I looked down at the ground and wrapped my arms around myself when I felt something get placed on my shoulders. I looked to see that it was Strify’s white jacket. I closed my shirt with my hands and said, “Thank you. It’s cold.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Let’s get you back to the bus. Everyone’s worried about you.”

I nodded and we left the alley, walking side by side.

We got near the buses when Strify asked, “Shelby? Are you alright? You’re really quiet.”

I looked at him in shock. “Am I alright?! No I’m not alright damn it!” I replied walking away fast. I can’t believe him.

“Shelby! Wait!” I heard Strify shout behind me.

I walked up to my bus and threw the door open before walking on. “Shelby!” I heard Strify say.
I looked behind me and saw Strify on my bus. “Get off,” I said.

“Shelby, listen to--”

“No! How could you ask if I was alright when you fucking know that I’m not?!”

“You were quiet!”

“Of course I was! I was in shock! I was taking everything in.”

“Shelby--”

“I don’t want to hear it. Go away.”

“You’re acting like what I did was a bad thing! Acting as if I shouldn’t have been there and got him off you!”

“Wait, so let me get this straight. What you’re saying is that if you would’ve known that I would be like this, which is your fault in the first place for asking me if I was alright, you would’ve left me?!”

“I never said that!”

“But you were implying it!” I was frustrated and crying by now.

“Shelby, I wasn’t implying anything.”

“Go away.”

“But Shel--”

“GO AWAY!”

I walked into the bunk area, not noticing Jordan, Michael, and Xander had abandoned their game of Guitar Hero: World Tour. A rarity in itself.

I flung myself onto my bunk and sobbed into my pillow. “Shelby? Hun, what’s wrong?” I heard Xander ask.

I wiped my eyes. I looked at him before I told him what happened and why I was yelling at Strify.

He hugged me and asked, “Do you want Kiro and Yu over?”

I nodded. We stopped hugging and he pulled out his phone before calling one of them. He talked for a moment when he hung up his phone. “They’ll be over in a moment. And hun, everything will be fine. I promise,” he said before hugging me and leaving the room. I closed the curtain, concealing me in darkness. I buried my face in my pillow and silently cried for what felt like an hour or so when my curtain opened and I saw Kiro and Yu. Their faces went from happy to sad as soon as they saw me.

“Shellybean? What’s wrong?” Kiro asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I took a deep breath to relax myself before I told them everything that happened.

“So that’s why Strify’s moping!” Kiro said.

“And why your boobs are showing,” Yu added.

I looked to see my chest exposed. I closed my cut open shirt and mumbled, “Yeah.”

“Well Shellybean,” Yu started, “what happened sucks. But I’m glad you’re not dead and that Strify found you when he did.”

“Stupid bastard was the reason I was out there in the first place,” I said angrily.

Kiro pulled me into a hug. “Let me let you in on something. Strify had called us and told Yu, Shin, Luminor, and I that he was walking. We told him that Xander had called you to tell you to find him. When he heard that, he immediately went looking for you, worried about you. We didn’t hear from him again until a while ago when he walked back onto the bus, miserable I might add,” Kiro said.

“We went to ask him what he was bummed about and, instead of snapping like normal, he sighed and shook his head. We asked if he found you okay and he nodded before getting up and walking towards the bunks. No one told us what happened until you told us just know, “Yu said sitting on the other side of me.

“And now I see why Strify is miserable. He tends to worry about people a lot. He was worried when he was told what part of town you were in. he’s worried now because he upset you to tears.. He hates making people cry. Especially girls. I know he’s beating himself up over it. I know him well enough,” Kiro said.

“What we’re trying to tell you is to give Strify a chance to explain everything. Listen to him. he knows he hurt you. He needs to choose his words more wisely. Gets him in trouble a lot,” Yu said.

“Just for the record, we’re not taking side. We’re Switzerland,” Kiro added.

“So, what you guys are saying is, I should talk to him?” I asked.

They nodded when the bus driver said, “We’re leaving soon.”

I looked at Yu and Kiro. “You guys going back to your bus?” I asked.

They nodded.. “We’ll IM you later, okay?” Kiro said.

I nodded and hugged them. “You guys are the best. Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” they said before waving good-bye. The two of them left the bunk area and later the bus.