Dying in Wine
VII.
The next day at school, I had a slight headache. I was convinced it was from the alcohol, but I didn’t drink that much. Grandfather hid the bottle when we heard my mother knocking at the door. The Churchill’s were here to talk about the wedding plans. Grandfather walked me down to the dining room where my future in-laws sat. Arthur was talking with my father about the business and Frieda, Isaac’s mother, was debating whether to use white lace or pink silk for the theme. Apparently, I had no choice in the matter. I sat with them for the rest of the night, listening to Frieda’s plans for the wedding and also trying not to send objects flying at her face.
I was walking down the halls towards history class when I felt a pair of hands cover my eyes.
“Guess who?” the voice asked.
“Hmmm,” I pretended to deliberate. “Carly?”
The masculine voice chuckled. “No, keep guessing.”
“Mr. Schmidt?”
The voice scoffed, and I could practically hear his eye roll. “Would Mr. Schmidt really play this game with you?”
I turned around before he could stop me and planted a kiss on his nose, which in my case was difficult since he was a good seven inches taller than me. I managed to peck his chin when Drew wrapped his arms around me.
“You never know. He could be into that kind of stuff.” This time I saw his eye roll and grin, which made my heart wrench. I’ve known Drew for so long. He was always by my side and knew when to make me happy. Breaking up with him was not only going to hurt him, but it was going to hurt me, too.
“Um, Drew. Can we talk for a second?” Drew frowned at the sound of this.
“Uh oh, I don’t like the sound of that.” I pulled him into an empty classroom and closed the door. I felt like I was having an out of body experience because I was watching our conversation from the door window. It was like some movie. Music was playing in the background as I watched our conversation go from sad and upset to angry and hurt. I kept looking down, afraid to meet his eyes. Drew stomped out of the room and I stayed, staring out the window. I used to like looking out at the crystal wonderland, but now I despised it almost as much as I despised my fiancé.
The engagement dinner was held the next day. I still haven’t gotten over Drew, but my thoughts of him seemed to decline when thoughts of somebody else creeped in. Adrian.
Then I heard news of our neighbors. Bernard Lockheart, the son of a well-known chemist, was found dead last night. He was only a few years older than me. I heard he recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science. Bernie was planning to follow his father’s footsteps. His mother claimed he saw the Black Excalibur before he died.
I stayed quiet as they spoke about him. It has been almost two days since I saw the limousine and ridden in it. And I was still alive.
Later that evening, after getting all pampered up, we headed over to Dillsworth’s Gentleman Club for the dinner party. Mother planned my outfit while Frieda did my hair. I was wearing a crimson red knee-length dress with spaghetti-straps, red stilettos, and my mother’s ruby necklace. My usually wavy light brown hair was curled up into an up-do. Hairpins with red studs adorned my hair and kept it in place. There was a little curl that fell to my face, but I told them to leave it alone. It was the only thing I had a say in these past weeks.
Isaac helped me out of the car and we followed our parents into the ballroom. His hand slowly inched towards my rear, but I stepped on his foot before he could make it there. He winced at the pain and let go of my hand. We rarely interacted since the proposition, but every time we did, he would always have his hand in someplace inappropriate. And I was to spend the rest of my life with him?
The orchestra started with Csárdás. Isaac pulled me for a dance as an excuse to grab me everywhere due to the fast nature of the song. Our parents were watching us, so I resisted the urge to smack him. When the song was over, he dipped me, both of us breathing heavily. I got out of his arms as soon as I could and found my grandfather. He asked for a dance, and we danced to a Vivaldi piece.
After a few more dances with my father, my future father-in-law, and a couple relatives, I was exhausted. But before I could sit down for some refreshments, Isaac pulled me aside and led me away from the dinner.
“What are you doing?” I asked as we entered an empty room. He locked the door behind us and brought his mouth on mine. I tried to push him off but he was bigger and stronger than me. He took his mouth off me for a second to grab both my hands and bring them over my head. He kissed me again, harder than before, with one hand trailing up my body to my chest. I was struggling in his arms, trying not to cry.
“Get off of me!” I said between the kisses. His mouth trailed down my neck.
“Damn, you’re so hot,” he said, ignoring my plea and moving lower. As hard as I could, I brought my knee up to his family jewels and watched him curse and fall to the ground. I hurriedly unlocked the door when I felt his hand clutch my ankle. I kicked him in the shoulder and I ran.
I was walking down the halls towards history class when I felt a pair of hands cover my eyes.
“Guess who?” the voice asked.
“Hmmm,” I pretended to deliberate. “Carly?”
The masculine voice chuckled. “No, keep guessing.”
“Mr. Schmidt?”
The voice scoffed, and I could practically hear his eye roll. “Would Mr. Schmidt really play this game with you?”
I turned around before he could stop me and planted a kiss on his nose, which in my case was difficult since he was a good seven inches taller than me. I managed to peck his chin when Drew wrapped his arms around me.
“You never know. He could be into that kind of stuff.” This time I saw his eye roll and grin, which made my heart wrench. I’ve known Drew for so long. He was always by my side and knew when to make me happy. Breaking up with him was not only going to hurt him, but it was going to hurt me, too.
“Um, Drew. Can we talk for a second?” Drew frowned at the sound of this.
“Uh oh, I don’t like the sound of that.” I pulled him into an empty classroom and closed the door. I felt like I was having an out of body experience because I was watching our conversation from the door window. It was like some movie. Music was playing in the background as I watched our conversation go from sad and upset to angry and hurt. I kept looking down, afraid to meet his eyes. Drew stomped out of the room and I stayed, staring out the window. I used to like looking out at the crystal wonderland, but now I despised it almost as much as I despised my fiancé.
~*~
The engagement dinner was held the next day. I still haven’t gotten over Drew, but my thoughts of him seemed to decline when thoughts of somebody else creeped in. Adrian.
Then I heard news of our neighbors. Bernard Lockheart, the son of a well-known chemist, was found dead last night. He was only a few years older than me. I heard he recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science. Bernie was planning to follow his father’s footsteps. His mother claimed he saw the Black Excalibur before he died.
I stayed quiet as they spoke about him. It has been almost two days since I saw the limousine and ridden in it. And I was still alive.
Later that evening, after getting all pampered up, we headed over to Dillsworth’s Gentleman Club for the dinner party. Mother planned my outfit while Frieda did my hair. I was wearing a crimson red knee-length dress with spaghetti-straps, red stilettos, and my mother’s ruby necklace. My usually wavy light brown hair was curled up into an up-do. Hairpins with red studs adorned my hair and kept it in place. There was a little curl that fell to my face, but I told them to leave it alone. It was the only thing I had a say in these past weeks.
Isaac helped me out of the car and we followed our parents into the ballroom. His hand slowly inched towards my rear, but I stepped on his foot before he could make it there. He winced at the pain and let go of my hand. We rarely interacted since the proposition, but every time we did, he would always have his hand in someplace inappropriate. And I was to spend the rest of my life with him?
The orchestra started with Csárdás. Isaac pulled me for a dance as an excuse to grab me everywhere due to the fast nature of the song. Our parents were watching us, so I resisted the urge to smack him. When the song was over, he dipped me, both of us breathing heavily. I got out of his arms as soon as I could and found my grandfather. He asked for a dance, and we danced to a Vivaldi piece.
After a few more dances with my father, my future father-in-law, and a couple relatives, I was exhausted. But before I could sit down for some refreshments, Isaac pulled me aside and led me away from the dinner.
“What are you doing?” I asked as we entered an empty room. He locked the door behind us and brought his mouth on mine. I tried to push him off but he was bigger and stronger than me. He took his mouth off me for a second to grab both my hands and bring them over my head. He kissed me again, harder than before, with one hand trailing up my body to my chest. I was struggling in his arms, trying not to cry.
“Get off of me!” I said between the kisses. His mouth trailed down my neck.
“Damn, you’re so hot,” he said, ignoring my plea and moving lower. As hard as I could, I brought my knee up to his family jewels and watched him curse and fall to the ground. I hurriedly unlocked the door when I felt his hand clutch my ankle. I kicked him in the shoulder and I ran.