His Fairytale, My Folklore

“What about this one?”
I scrunched my nose up and shook my head, staring at a guy in the mirror behind Kelsey that was staring at her. He had been staring at her for over five minutes, making me wonder if he was a bad tale, or he found her gorgeous. While both were very possible, I was going to be cautious and go with the first one though. “Kels, it’s homecoming, and you’re too tall for that dress. Get a short one.”
“I thought she looked beautiful,” Nicholas commented, staring at the guy in the mirror as well.
I watched as Kelsey closed the changing room door to where we could see from her calf, down, I glanced at Nicholas through the mirror. “Who’s taking her to Homecoming?”
His lip curled a bit in a small sneer. “Ben Harnly.”
My lip curled up slightly in a sneer. “Why? He’s a fucking sleaze.”
“Who is?” Kelsey asked as she walked out o the dressing room in a yellow, short dress.
I looked back at the guy in the mirror. “Your date, Little-Miss-Sunshine. Go change.”
“He’s a nice guy!” she defended, going back into the dressing room.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Valentine said the same thing seven months ago as he punched his face in.”
I saw Nicholas try to hide a smirk in the mirror. I sent him a wink and looked back at the guy, to see him walking away with another guy that looked slightly familiar. I couldn’t help but stare at him, then, it hit me. Ben Harnly. He was stalking her. His own date to Homecoming.
“How about this one?” she asked, twirling in a black, Lady GaGa looking dress.
“No, Lady GaGa,” I said.
She stuck her tongue out at me before turning back to the dressing room. I think I heard her mutter ‘bitch’ before shutting the door. I rolled my eyes at her childishness and answered my phone that had started singing Valentine’s ringtone.
“Did you find them?” I asked.
“Only Terence and my dad.”
“Oh, thank God,” I muttered, making Nicholas glance at me. “Are they okay?”
“My dad is, but,” he hesitated and the silence let me hear cries in the background.
“What did she do?!” I growled.
“Gwen,” he started.
“What did she do?!” I asked again, lower this time.
“She cut him, Carlos is trying to stitch him up, but he wants you, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Put me on speaker.”
“What about this one?” She asked.
“No, Cru-Ella,” I sighed, shaking my head at the pink leopard print dress.
“Mommy?” I heard Terence sniffle as Kelsey walked back into the dressing room in a huff.
“Hey sweetie,” I said, a smile breaking my scowl. “I know you’re scared, but I need you to be a big boy and let Carlos and Daddy take care of you until I get home, okay?”
“I want you though!”
“I know, but I’ll be home as soon as I can. Mommy’s at work.”
“Okay,” he said, and I could hear the disappointment; even through the phone.
“I love you,” I said, pushing the tears back.
“I love you too, Mommy,” he sniffled.
“Take care of him,” I said to Carlos and Valentine.
“Be careful,” Carlos said.
“Be safe,” Valentine said.
“Bye,” I sighed, hanging up the phone as Kelsey walked out in a white, lacey dress with black lace around the waist. I heard Nicholas breath in sharply, but he looked composed. “That one and I have shoes at home that would be perfect for you.”
She jumped up and down, squealing and clapping her hands before she went to get changed back to her street clothes. I put my cell phone back into my purse and waited for Kelsey to get dressed, hoping she would do it quickly.
“You okay?”
I smiled to Nicholas. “Mhm.”
I saw a man walking towards us, hand in his jacket. I grabbed my gun in my purse, but kept it in there. He drew, so did I. Nicholas made his way to the dressing room, but didn’t do anything other than whisper to Kelsey, hopefully for her to hurry up.
He smirked at me and I recognized him as one of the guys I beat up for touching Savannah. I pointed my gun at him evenly, my face blank of any emotion. He cocked his gun, and that was it. I shot, hitting his heart directly. He fell, face blank of any sign of life. People in the shop screamed and ran. Except three, who were obviously with the guy I had so easily killed.
I looked at them and cocked my hip while swinging my gun to aim at the only one with a gun out, pointed behind me. I could hear Nicholas kicking down the door, not even bothering to try and get Kelsey to unlock it.
“Try it,” I hissed. “You’ll miss and I won’t.” He shot, and as I said, he missed, but I didn’t. “Get her out of here!”
I heard Kelsey let out a scream as I shot one of the two remaining, but only an injury shot as he tried to make a move for me. I did the same to the last one and followed Nicholas out of the store, Kelsey being carried over Nicholas’s shoulder.
“Keys?!” I asked.
He threw them to me and I jumped on the hood of the car and jumped down as he threw Kelsey into the back seat. We both got in at the same time and I started the car and pealed out. Nicholas called Landon and told him an address to meet us at with a new car with no plates. Then, he called Kelsey’s dad as she stared out the window.
I made sure no one was following us before I headed to the meet place of the new car. I sighed and parked the car. I turned to car off and got into the new one, passenger side.
“Home please,” I said.
“He’s worried about you.”
“He lost that right,” I muttered, looking out the window as Kelsey and Nicholas got in.
“Hey, Nick,” Landon greeted as he peeled out of the abandoned parking lot.
“Hey, Lan,” he said softly.

“You’re hurt,” was the first thing I heard when I walked into the house.
I looked down and saw that I was grazed by a bullet on my hip. I shrugged it off and went to the kitchen, where I heard crying. I ran to Terence, hoping he was okay.
“Mommy!” he cried when I took him into my arms.
I set him on the ground and crouched down, looking at him. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head. “He cut me.”
I bit my lip and moved the hair out of his eyes. He needed a haircut.
“Gwen,” Valentine said, crouching next to me. “Let Carlos look at your wound, please,” he said softly, like he used to.
“What? I get hurt and now you care?”
He closed his eyes and sighed. “Can we please,” he opened his eyes. “Not start this now? Terence is okay, now please go get checked out.”
“Fine,” I said, standing up. “I’ll be back in a second sweetie.”
I felt a hand on the small of my back and looked to see Nicholas. He motioned his head towards a scared looking Kelsey. I held up a finger to Carlos as he moved towards the secret room in the kitchen. I walked over to Kelsey and she looked up at me with scared eyes.
“What just happened?”
“Your date, tried to kill you.”
“No,” she whispered. “He wouldn’t.”
“He would,” Nicholas snapped. “And he did! Why do you keep defending his fucked up, mental ass?!”
“Take a break,” I hissed to him. He started to protest, but I glared at him. “Check your emotions.”
“Yeah,” he spat. “Like your one to talk.”
“Nick,” Valentine said. “You really don’t want to go there. She’ll win.”
“It’ll hurt,” I said. “But not if you actually tell them how you feel.” I looked at Kelsey as they left. “It was him and I have a feeling, from Nicholas’s reaction, he’s either stalking you or hits you.”
She looked away. Giving me all the information I needed. I took her arm lightly and steered her towards the full kitchen. I caught Johnathan’s eyes and nodded towards Kelsey, silently telling him to make her some foods. He nodded and came over to her, asking her what she wanted to eat.
I closed my eyes, fighting the dizzy feeling. I didn’t even realize I was swaying until Valentine caught me. I looked up at him as he picked me up.
“This seems familiar,” I said with a slight smile.
“I wonder why,” he mused.
“Let’s go, love birds,” Carlos said, kissing Johnathan’s forehead before walking over towards us.
I looked away from Valentine and tried to fight the blush that he seemed to cause. I couldn’t look at him. He wasn’t in love with me anymore. I was just some girl he was meant to hurt, but he ended up falling for her.
I was set on the table in the secret room and my shirt was removed. I closed my eyes, tired of seeing the scar. Someone started to work on the wound as someone else started to the lightly caress the scar.
“Done.”
I nodded, but didn’t get up. I just want to pretend that it was six months ago. I didn’t know I was pregnant. I was happy. Valentine was mine and I was his.
“I do love you,” he whispered.
I opened my eyes and saw his, level with mine. “Then why do you hurt me so much?”
“Because I was hurt, and it’s never a good thing. I either hold it in, or take it out on people.”
“Don’t. It hurts. Too fucking much.”
I got off the table and grabbed my shirt. I walked into the kitchen, pulling my shirt over my head. I rolled my neck and saw everyone staring at me. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the stairs, going to my room slowly, as not to pull my stitches just yet.
“Mommy!”
“On the stairs sweetie,” I called down to him.
“Can I take a nap wiff you?” he asked when he got to the bottom of the stairs.
I smiled and nodded. “Of course, sweetie. Come on.”
“Wait,” came a voice.
I sighed and looked back down. “What?”
“Thank you, for saving my life, I mean.”
“Just doing my job.”

“Dinner,” was whispered into my ear.
“What is it?” I groaned.
“Food.”
“Specify.”
“Chinese.”
I shot up. That was my favorite. “Ter, you need to wake up.”
“No,” he said.
“Terence, up, now.”
“No.”
“Terence,” Valentine said firmly. “Listen to your mother.”
“No.”
“Time out, now.”
“No.”
Valentine picked him up, kicking and screaming, and put him in the chair facing the wall. He crouched down and started talking to him lowly. I sighed, running my hand through my hair.
“Hey,” came a voice from the door.
I smiled at Trevor. “How are you?”
“Fine, and you?”
“Fine,” I said, glancing at a pouting Terence. “Just fine.”
“For how long though?”
“Until we get on the Snuffy Topic.”
“Snuffy?” Valentine asked, just tuning into our conversation.
“I didn’t want to call our fetus it, so Carlos named him Snuffy,” I said softly, hoping he wouldn’t go off again. I didn’t think I could take it again.
“Why Snuffy?”
“Like Snuffalupagus, Daddy,” Terence said like it was obvious.
I let out a laugh and got out of bed. “Yeah. Like Snuphalufagus. Let’s go get some food.”
“Am I out of time-out?”
“As long as you apologize,” Valentine said sternly.
“I’m sorry, Mommy.”
“It’s fine, sweetie. Go on,” I said, nodding towards the door. “Go get your food.”
“Wake up Uncle Johnathan, while you’re at it buddy,” Valentine added, slipping his arm around my waist.
Terence giggled and ran to the door, grabbing Trevor’s hand. “Let’s go Trev!”
He chuckled, but let the three year old pull him. “I’m coming bud.”
“You know,” Valentine started as his father and Terence disappeared out the door. “I really do love you.”
I pulled away and looked him dead in the eyes. “Prove it,” I challenged, then walked away as if I hadn’t just challenged his love for me. Or was possibly walking away from one of the few good things in my life.