Pitch Black Heaven

I sat in class, everyone kept staring at me. Maybe it was because I’d made another sudden return to school or maybe it was my plastered arm, bandaged wrist and the shallow grazes on my face and arms.

Of course I’d already heard the ‘emo, slitting wrist’ crack all day. But the constant staring… was that really necessary?

Well at least I still had Tiarne and Hannah. Tiarne had been warding off the assholes all day, screaming at them to shut up and leave me alone. I was also eternally thankful my return had been overshadowed by the upcoming prom night.

When the final bell rang Tiarne pushed me back into my seat. “Rhiannon Balker.” She said, looking up from under her thick eyelashes. “I want to take you back about two months ago when you dragged me to a hell called the school camping trip.”

“Okay…” I brow furrowed in confusion, but I did as I was told and took myself back to that faithful few days of terror.

“Do you remember a little promise you made me before we got on the bus?” She queried, hinting a smirk.

I heaved a sigh and leaned back in my chair. “Tiarne just spit it out…” I muttered, not up for her pointless theatrics.

“You promised you’d come to prom.” She reminded me with a pout as she hoped up onto the desk in front of me.

I groaned loudly and buried my face in my hands. “Tiarne, please don’t start!”

“Rhiannon please, please! You promised.” Her lip jutted out as she clasped her hands pleadingly.

Prom, a word I dreaded. Damn Tiarne, holding me to every measly promise. “Please don’t do this to me, Prom will kill me!” I moaned. It was my turn to be pleading.

“But you promised me that if I went on that stupid camping trip – in which I almost got killed – you’d go to prom with me.”

God she never gave up. As I often said, I loved her because she was like a sister to me. A leech sister. I groaned again.

“Girls class is over, out please.” Miss Bartley gathered her papers and waited for us to leave at the door. Walking sluggishly Tiarne and I walked into the bustling hall and headed to the parking lot.

“C’mon Rhi, you can go around shooting people’s guts out but you can’t spend one night at prom.”

“Please just let it go.” I begged. I was seriously considering running away and hiding in a broom closet.

“You can bring Zach.” She sung, trying to tempt me.

“No!” I snapped, quickening my pace.

She too quickened her pace. “Oooo, someone’s snappy today. What’s up with you and Zach these days? You haven’t been hanging around him lately, is there something I should know about, because seeing as-” A she began babbling I began zoning out.

Something funny was going on. Knowing Zach he would have come right to my house last night to see me, but he hadn’t.

I didn’t dare think about the fact that he would eventually come to visit.

And of course, with my luck as we crossed the garden toward the parking lot, there he was with Luke. He was talking to some freshman’s, not hard to guess what about...

“Shit!” I squeaked, diving for cover behind the hedges.

“What?!” Tiarne crouched down beside me, and peered across the court and soon realized ‘what’ was going on. “Are you hiding from him?” She whispered, taking another peek past the hedges.

“What’s he doing? Where is he?” I hissed, not daring to take a look myself.

Tiarne craned her neck. “He’s talking to Jason Sheppard and Corey Brookes over by the basket ball courts.” She informed me.

I sat in a ball, back to the bushes -and sighed. “Can we please just go, I’ll tell you about it at work.”

“Shit their coming this way!” She shrilled, grabbing my elbow. Oh god, I couldn’t see him right now. “Go!” I jumped up and ran to the gym doors, crouching down while Tiarne followed close behind. I slipped behind the navy blue doors while Tiarne kept a look out.

“Tiarne,” I heard Luke yelled through the door.

“Be quiet.” Tiarne whispered through the crack at me. I nodded and closed the door, pressing my ear to the slick paint finish.

“Hey Luke!” She greeted sweetly. Every word was muffled so I listened closer.

“Have you seen Rhiannon around? Zach needs to see her.”

“No sorry, I saw her head to the… uh… Library after class. Maybe try there?” Tiarne suggested.

“Oh thanks Tiarne. So what are you doing this weekend?”

Oh god… I pulled away from the door only to bump into Spencer.

“Rhiannon!” He exclaimed, helping me regain composure.

“Spencer, hey. It’s been a while...” Spencer and his family had been lifelong friends of my family and we’d grown up together. We hadn’t really progressed much as friends till recently. He was a really great guy – the captain of the basketball team - and I had to admit his green eyes were simply beautiful.

“Yeah it has been quite a while. You weren’t at the uh… funeral…” He mumbled, looking down as he spoke. He obviously realized it was a touchy subject for me.

“Oh… yeah, personal reasons…” I replied meekly.

“Ah, okay.” A smile broke out across his face. Then there was a sort of awkward silence, he fiddled with the basket ball, twirling it in his hands.

“Spencer, c’mon man!” A team mate yelled from the court.

“Hold on Brody!” He called back before returning his brilliant eyes to me.

“So I see your friends with that Zach fellow.” He noted, trying to keep the conversation flowing I guess. I was actually quite surprised. I didn’t know that Zach was so publicly known.

“You know Zach?” I remarked with a curious smile.

“Yeah, my parents knew his dad. I met him a couple of times.” I nodded. I wondered how much Spencer knew. “So how do you know him?” Spencer shot back.

I was caught off guard. I racked my brain for something to say. “Er… I served him coffee at the café one time, we sort of became friends I guess.” Well that was sort of true, except for the friend bit. Though I didn’t like to think about it, we did progress further than friends in a sense.

“Rhi, they’re gone.” Tiarne popped her head through the door.

“Yup, I’m coming.” I replied before turning back to Spencer.

“I’m guessing you have to go…”

I nodded, biting my lip. “Well I guess I’ll see you later.” Before I could walk away he grabbed my wrist.

“Hey Rhi?” I looked up, he was pretty tall. “Well, Prom’s coming up and I haven’t asked anyone yet. I was hoping maybe you’d like to go with me?”

Crap! “Really?” It came out more skeptical than I’d wanted it to.

Spencer’s eyes lost their sparkle. “Yeah, but only if you want to… I mean if you’ve already been asked I understand…” He trailed off into yet another awkward pause.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that, I don’t… I’m not really up for going to prom with anyone.” I mumbled, warily aware that his expression had dulled with rejection.

I truly found no enjoyment in rejecting boys. It was almost as painful for me as it was for them. But it was true, I didn’t want to go to prom with anyone, I didn’t want to go to prom all together.

“That’s okay…” He kept his head down and let the basketball fall to the ground.

I chewed on my lip, hating to see his face full of hurt. God couldn’t I do anything right?

I pulled my wrist away gently and exited the gym peering back as he walked back to his team, his body slumped forward.

~

“What’d Spencer want?” Tiarne wondered as we sat down for our break. Cupids Café had been pretty busy this afternoon and Aunt Anita had allowed us both to take an extended break.

I’d worked in ease that afternoon, knowing that my shift days had changed, so Zach wouldn’t make an entrance today in his everlasting search for me.

“He asked me to prom…” I said quietly as I sat down. I licked the foam of the top of my coffee ignoring Tiarne’s fiery eyes.

Tiarne slammed her hands on the table with a low thud. “What?!”

“Spencer asked me to prom.” I repeated.

“And did you say yes?!” Her eager eyes were intense. She sat down almost jumping at me for details. I was sure she’d have a fit once I told her the tale of rejection.

“Nope, I said no actually.” I tore my doughnut in half and stuffed a piece into Tiarne gapping mouth.

She spat it out onto the table. “You’re an absolute idiot Rhiannon Mia Balker.” Tiarne threw the discarded piece of doughnut at me. I hated when people called me by my full name, with one exception… “Why the fuck would you do that, he’s the next best things to the quarter back!”

“Well if he’s so great then why don’t you go with him?” I snapped with pursed lips.

She glowered back. “Well if you and Zach aren’t happening then why not open yourself up to other guys?” She appealed, spooning the froth from her cappuccino into her smooth lipped mouth.

I stiffened at her referral to Zach. Did she have to bring him into every conversation involving guys? Well I’d sort of brought it on myself I guess… “I don’t think what goes down between me and Zach, Spencer - or any boy for that matter – should concern you so much. Tiarne you’re my best friend but of all people I’d expect you to understand why I’d rather not stick to the subject of boys twenty-four seven.”

Tiarne exhaled in a loud puff. “Rhi I do understand, I just want to help you out. You have so many great opportunities and it troubles me to see you throw them all away.” She spoke as if that justified everything.

“Let’s veer away from my love life and move on to you. What’s going on between you and Luke?” I quirked a brow when he eyes widened. Perfect.

“Nothing…”

“Oh don’t you give me that shit. I heard him asking you what you were doing this weekend. I see the way you two look at each other… Tell me everything.”

Tiarne shook her head in the middle of a sip. She swallowed quickly. “Not a chance. You won’t tell me anything so suck on that.” I rolled my eyes and gave her the finger playfully.

There was a loud thud on the window beside me. I gasped and had to grab the table to keep from falling backwards.

Written scrappily on a napkin were the words ‘We need to talk’. Holding the napkin to the window was Zach.

"We need to talk.” He mouthed.

“Holy shit.” I breathed, my heart thudding erratically under my palm.

Pitch Black Heaven - © MemoriesdonoJustice / Rose Tonis 2009