The Devil's Pawn

This wasn’t as horrifying as I had anticipated, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t shaking. I had pulled my legs to my chest, wrapping my arms around them tightly. Trenton’s body was pressed against mine, his arm around my waist.

I couldn’t take my eyes away from the screen, despite the chills running down my spine.

“Don’t.” I whispered softly to myself as the boy on the screen stood in front of the door. I
knew what was behind it. But the boy on the screen didn’t. It was a bad move. He surely
would be killed if he opened it, and that was not something I particularly wanted to see.

Trenton chuckled next to me, pulling me closer to him.

A soft moan came from the right, causing me to scream.

I whipped my head over to see Erica and Fits tongue tied with each other’s tongues.
Trenton’s body was shaking against me in laughter.

I shot him a look, “Stop!”

Trenton smirked, “That was funny, and you have to admit it.”

I only shook my head, my attention turning back to the movie. Trenton readjusted his
arm so that it was higher up on my waist.

I moved my head to rest on his shoulder, ever so slightly.

He leaned his cheek on top of my own.

The boy on the screen opened the door.

I screamed, along with several other people in the theater.

Trenton laughed.

Erica and Fits didn’t notice.

“I’m not looking for any monsters under the bed tonight.” He whispered in my ear, a
teasing tone to his voice.

I nudged him with my elbow, “Shut up.”

“I’m just putting this out there now.”

“Shh.” I put a finger over his lips, trying to pay attention to the movie. Trenton chuckled,
licking the palm of my finger. I made a face, wiping it on his cheek. “You’re so gross.”

A few people screamed around me. My eyes flickered back to the screen before us,
slightly upset that I missed something good.

Trenton’s hand rubbed up and down my side slowly, distracting me. I pushed it away,
however, Trenton had other intentions.

His grip around my waist tightened, pulling me closer to him by default.

“Trenton!” I hissed at him. “Stop! I want to watch the movie.”

“I don’t,” He whispered in my ear, “I’ve got another idea…”

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what his other idea would be, “No, seriously.
I can’t do that to Sam.”

He groaned, “But you’ve already done it before.”

“I just bailed on our date so you could drag me to see this movie!” I said, “I’m not going
to cheat on her too!”

He leaned his head back, sighing dramatically, but nonetheless remained silent. I
turned to look at him, smiling gratefully.

“Thank you.”

He rolled his eyes, adjusting his position. He pulled me closer to him, but that was the
last thing he did the rest of the movie.

~*~

“That shit was messed up.” Erica said as we walked out of the theater an hour later.
She ran her hand through her head, standing on my other side. Fits stood on Trenton’s side,
leaving us in the middle next to each other.

I nodded in agreement, “That’s going to stay with me for a while.”

“I knew you’d be scared.” Trenton mumbled.

I gave him a look, “I said it’d stay with me. That doesn’t mean I was scared of it.”

He rolled his eyes, “Sure.”

“So Tanner never showed up?” Erica asked, interrupting my comeback at Trenton. She
stopped once we were in the lobby, leaning against the wall behind her. I did the same,
wrapping my arms around my waist.

Fits pulled out his phone, frowning, “Well… he texted me and said he’d be here, but I
guess he never showed.”

Trenton glanced around, searching for him. “I guess not, damn liar. He’s probably with
that chick still.”

Erica nodded, “Probably.”

I bit my lip, staring at our feet. I stifled a yawn, dazing off into space casually. Trenton
moved so that he stood closer to me than before, yet still in front of me.

“Well, I’m going to head out.” Erica stated, pushing herself off the wall, “I don’t know
about you guys, but I’m beat.”

“Seriously?” Fits laughed, shaking his head.

“I wonder why…” Trenton muttered under his breath. I met his eyes, holding back a
giggle at his comment. He grinned subtly.

“Come on Fits, you’re driving me home.” She grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him
with her as she walked forward. She paused, turning around with a smile across her lips,
“Bye bye Trenton and Taylor. Have fun tonight.”

Trenton’s eyes didn’t leave mine as a devilish smirk crossed his lips, “Oh trust me. We
will.”

Fits laughed, “Use protection.”

“We’ll see.”

Erica laughed, pulling Fits away. I buried my red face in my hands, holding back the
laughter at the embarrassing comments they made. I may have been staying the night at
Trenton’s, but I wasn’t sleeping with him.

Trenton’s fingers wrapped around my wrists, pulling my hands away. His face was
dangerously close to mine, his signature smirk on.

“Shall we make our own departure?” He asked

“They’re such jerks.” I muttered, pulling my hands out of his grip. Trenton laughed,
shaking his head.

“Come on, Sweet Cheeks. We have some fun in store for tonight.” Trenton said
mockingly, resting a hand on the small of my back and leading me forward. His body was
next to mine, angled strangely.
“You’re kidding right?”

“Maybe.”

“Trenton!”

He laughed, “Come on, Tay.”

I patted my pocket, my eyes widening when I realized my phone wasn’t there. I whirled
around, my eyes scanning the floor for it, “Crap, my phone!”

“Wait—Tay—”

I froze.

The blonde hair.

The small figure.

The giggle.

“Taylor…” Trenton’s voice whispered behind me, but it sounded far, distant.

“Sam….” I whispered, my voice cracking.

Trenton placed a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged him off sharply, taking a deep, shaky
breath. “What’s she doing here?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She turned to the right, her eyes brightening at the sight
of someone. Taking a sip of her soda, I watched as Sam took a few steps forward, wrapping
her arms around a boy.

I let out a whimper.

Sam was on a date with Tanner.

“Taylor…” Trenton said again, this time his voice louder, “Don’t be mad at Tanner—he
doesn’t know.”

“She’s on a date with Tanner.” I said aloud. “She’s on a fucking date with Tanner. That
should be me! She should’ve been on a date with me!”

I whirled around, pointing a finger at Trenton.

It all made sense.

If Trenton hadn’t forced me to bail on Sam, I’d be the person she was hugging right
now. I’d be the one that made her eyes brighten. I’d be her date.

But Trenton made me cancel. He caused her to go on a date with Tanner instead. He
was the reason as to why my girlfriend was with one of my friends on a date instead of me.

“You moronic bastard.” I hissed, poking a finger into his chest, “It’s your fault she’s on a
date with Tanner! You made me cancel!”

“My fault?”

“I should’ve been going with her tonight!” I hissed, “I should’ve been her date! But you
made me cancel on her! You’re the reason why she went on a date with Tanner instead!”

“You’re blaming me for this?” He said incredulously. “Are you serious, right now?”

“Yes I’m serious!” I said, my voice raising. Trenton’s eyes flickered past me to the
‘happy’ couple behind us. He grabbed my shoulders turned me around sharply so that I was
forced to see Sam’s hand interlocked with Tanners.

But that wasn’t the only thing interlocked.

“I didn’t make them do that.” He said, his voice deep in my ear, “That was all Sam. She
made the decision to kiss Tanner.”

“But… she wouldn’t.”

“Are you blind?” He hissed, “She’s doing that right now! She doesn’t even know you’re
here! She’s cheating on him behind your back.”

“I cheated on her too…”

“Once. Didn’t Erica tell you? Tanner and Sam dated for a year. They still hook up. Don’t
you think that’s cheating?”

“She’s dating me. It’s a different Sam.”

It couldn’t be my Sam. She loved me. She said it. There wasn’t any possibility that she
could cheat on me if she loved me.

“She’s kissing Tanner.”

I whimpered again. “Why.”

“Ask her.”

I turned around, my eyes wide, “How long have you known she’s been went Tanner?”

“Since I met Tanner.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“She asked me not to.”

I gritted my teeth, “So now you listen to someone? I can’t freaking believe you, Trenton.
You never listen to anything I say, but if Sam says it then you fucking do? Didn’t you think it’d
be the slightest bit beneficial for me to find out that my girlfriend was cheating on me?”

“Not now.” He hissed, his eyes moving around the theater. “Let’s go. We’ll discuss this
in the car. You’re not starting a scene here.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. He was right. I shouldn’t make a scene here.
“Forget it. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Trenton ignored my comment, leading me out of the building by my wrist. The cold air
was harsh against my skin as he dragged me along stopping at the car. I walked to the
passenger side, waiting for him to unlock it.

Trenton moved over with me, standing before me. I leaned my back against the side of
the car, crossing my arms impatiently. Trenton placed a hand on either side of the roof, his
eyes capturing my own.

“Look. When I met Sam, I didn’t know she was yours until that day at school.” He said,
his voice entirely serious, “She texted me off of Tanner’s phone telling me that she would tell
you. Don’t blame me.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

He groaned, taking a step back. Trenton threw his head back, looking into the sky, “Girls
are so fucking bi-polar.”

I didn’t comment on his response, waiting for him to unlock the door. He didn’t.

Trenton wrapped his fingers gently around my chin, tilting my face to look at him. He
held my eyes for a moment before he spoke, “We’re going to go home. We’re going to enjoy
ourselves. You’re not going to be upset over this. You can mope Monday, but for now, just
relax. Alright?”

“I guess.”

Trenton pressed his lips briefly against mine, “Alright.”

He pulled away, walking over to his side of the car. I heard the automatic click of the
locks releasing. I was frozen a few moments before I shook myself, opening the car door.

Trenton smirked, pulling out of the theater.