My Living Nightmare
Chapter 4
Music blared out of the gym room speakers. I was hitting the bag repeatedly. Again and again I hit the bag, taking all of my pent up frustration into my punches.
“Isn’t this just great? Sixteen and already engaged to the biggest jerk in the world!” I screamed at the empty gym room, barely able to hear myself over Evanescence’s Everybody’s Fool.
“Just like me to get stuck with stupid freaking money loving, power hungry parents! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Two weeks left of summer and I spend it by learning that I’ve been engaged for God only knows how many years and that I’m moving in with my narcissistic, vain husband-to-be! Oh joy!”
Punch, punch, kick, punch. The bag swung back and forth.
“I’m not narcissistic or vain, and I genuinely doubt your parents are power hungry or money loving.”
The next thing I knew I was looking up at the ceiling, the wind knocked out of me, and I had absolutely no idea how I ended up in like that.
“Hey, are you alright?”
Oh, that’s right. That’s the reason I was there, lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. That being Sean, of course- hey actually, now that I think about it the ceiling was looking quite dull, all white and… and, well, white-ish. Blue and black would be a totally awesome color. Oh, and maybe a few midnight blue stars and a couple of silvery crescent moons, some asteroids and-
“Alexandria? Crap, I’m sorry, are you okay?” a slightly panicked voice broke into my internal babble.
“Of course, I’m absolutely fine. I always did enjoy getting the breath knocked out of me by a swinging bag,” I said in my most annoying, sickly sweet voice. I peered up at his face- which appeared out of nowhere- and instantly scowled. Stupid idiot scares the crap out of me and gets me knocked to the ground… as if my day hasn’t been a total nightmare already.
I heard him sighing before seeing him offer his hand to help me up.
Well, hell.
What do I do now? Do I take it and act all polite like nothing ever happened, or do I ignore it and act like the bitch he already thought I was?
God, just take it already. It’s just his hand.
There was that stupid voice again. Maybe I should make an appointment to go see Doctor Hans, my grandmother’s shrink.
I took his hand and stood up.
“Thanks,” I muttered half-heartedly.
“’S no problem.”
“So what are you doing here?” I asked.
“Your dad said I’d find you here…” he trailed off.
“Yes, and?” I prompted. Seriously, an hour ago he was criticizing his dad for beating around the bush and now he was doing the same thing.
“… and I wanted to apologize about the way acted tonight,” he said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, I just found out about this thing today, and to say I wasn’t keen on it is an understatement. I wasn’t thinking; I was angry, and I know I said some things I shouldn’t have and didn’t mean, but…” he trailed off. “I’m sorry.”
I studied him closely, my expression not changing as the words left his mouth. He was chewing on his bottom lip nervously, his eyes downcast.
“I’m like a drowning man clutching at a straw, aren’t I?”
Something in his eyes told me that he was genuinely sorry.
“Yes,” I saw his face fall and added with a small laugh, “but don’t worry, sea rescue just caught up with you.”
I grinned at him, and he smiled back.
“Isn’t this just great? Sixteen and already engaged to the biggest jerk in the world!” I screamed at the empty gym room, barely able to hear myself over Evanescence’s Everybody’s Fool.
“Just like me to get stuck with stupid freaking money loving, power hungry parents! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Two weeks left of summer and I spend it by learning that I’ve been engaged for God only knows how many years and that I’m moving in with my narcissistic, vain husband-to-be! Oh joy!”
Punch, punch, kick, punch. The bag swung back and forth.
“I’m not narcissistic or vain, and I genuinely doubt your parents are power hungry or money loving.”
The next thing I knew I was looking up at the ceiling, the wind knocked out of me, and I had absolutely no idea how I ended up in like that.
“Hey, are you alright?”
Oh, that’s right. That’s the reason I was there, lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. That being Sean, of course- hey actually, now that I think about it the ceiling was looking quite dull, all white and… and, well, white-ish. Blue and black would be a totally awesome color. Oh, and maybe a few midnight blue stars and a couple of silvery crescent moons, some asteroids and-
“Alexandria? Crap, I’m sorry, are you okay?” a slightly panicked voice broke into my internal babble.
“Of course, I’m absolutely fine. I always did enjoy getting the breath knocked out of me by a swinging bag,” I said in my most annoying, sickly sweet voice. I peered up at his face- which appeared out of nowhere- and instantly scowled. Stupid idiot scares the crap out of me and gets me knocked to the ground… as if my day hasn’t been a total nightmare already.
I heard him sighing before seeing him offer his hand to help me up.
Well, hell.
What do I do now? Do I take it and act all polite like nothing ever happened, or do I ignore it and act like the bitch he already thought I was?
God, just take it already. It’s just his hand.
There was that stupid voice again. Maybe I should make an appointment to go see Doctor Hans, my grandmother’s shrink.
I took his hand and stood up.
“Thanks,” I muttered half-heartedly.
“’S no problem.”
“So what are you doing here?” I asked.
“Your dad said I’d find you here…” he trailed off.
“Yes, and?” I prompted. Seriously, an hour ago he was criticizing his dad for beating around the bush and now he was doing the same thing.
“… and I wanted to apologize about the way acted tonight,” he said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, I just found out about this thing today, and to say I wasn’t keen on it is an understatement. I wasn’t thinking; I was angry, and I know I said some things I shouldn’t have and didn’t mean, but…” he trailed off. “I’m sorry.”
I studied him closely, my expression not changing as the words left his mouth. He was chewing on his bottom lip nervously, his eyes downcast.
“I’m like a drowning man clutching at a straw, aren’t I?”
Something in his eyes told me that he was genuinely sorry.
“Yes,” I saw his face fall and added with a small laugh, “but don’t worry, sea rescue just caught up with you.”
I grinned at him, and he smiled back.