Fire In My Veins

The car ride to Huntington Beach was nerve-wrecking to say the least. We recently just moved to our two-story house in Crestline and we were only an hour and a half away from Huntington Beach. My personal hell was an hour and a half away. Since I didn’t want to walk all the way to The Pick once I got tired of the reunion, which would be as soon as I get there, we took two cars. Tal and I were in my black 2008 Ford Mustang, while Zane and River were in Zane’s silver 2007 Corvette C6.

Tal was driving while I sat in the passenger seat fidgeting so much that it was getting on Tal’s nerve. His hand lashed out and gripped my thigh.

“Sky, you’ve got to stop shaking. I know this won’t be the most fun time you’ll have, but at least try to enjoy yourself.” He pleaded, only taking a few seconds to glance at me then turn back to the road.

I turned my head to the window and watch blurs of nighttime come to life. Bars started to open and shops started to close.

“Like I’m going to have fun.” I mumbled lowly enough that Tal couldn’t hear it.

“And how come you guys get to go to The Pick, but I have to go to the stupid reunion?” I turned back to facing Tal.

“Couldn’t I just ditch and not go to the damn thing?”

He kept his eyes on the road and remained quiet.

His eyes glanced at me and he took a deep sigh, “I told you, just go along with it. It’s not like it’s going to come after you right?”

I shrugged and stared at the window. The hour and a half seemed like ten minutes when we arrived at the school. It was like I remembered. Faded red bricks made up the school. It was chipped from the past few years. A big arch that said ‘Huntington High School’ was right over the entrance and the entrance was right underneath it with some people smoking outside. We stopped right by the entrance and I saw other people entering, the same people from my years in high school. I let out a shaky breath as I stared at the memories flashing before my eyes.

I jumped and turned around when I felt a pressure on my hand. Tal’s hand was on mine and he was giving me a reassuring look. He didn’t need anymore words because I knew what he was going to say. I gave him what I felt like was a smile and gave him a small peck on the cheek. I grabbed my clutch and stepped out of the vehicle. It seemed like everybody was staring at me. Tal got out of the car and gave the keys to the chauffeur.

“Good luck,” he murmured and slipped into Zane’s Corvette.

They rolled down the window and yelled at me, “Good luck Sky! We’ll be waiting for you!” and they drove off.

I sighed and turned back to the entrance. Everyone was staring at me. I don’t know if it was because of my car, the guys, or my dress. Or maybe it was all three.

I took in a shaky breath, “Here we go,”

I walked towards the entrance, trying to not look at anybody. It was hard because everyone was staring at me and whispering. It was high school all over again. I waited in the long line before I finally went inside. We all wandered down the hall to get to the gymnasium. Everything here just brought back memories I tried for so long to forget. Everything was being slapped right in my face. Every minute was like I was being thrust back into my high school years. I walked slowly as to not run out of this place screaming, with tears dripping down my face. I took in another deep breath and walked on. I finally made it to the gymnasium. Music was playing and I could barely her myself think. It had streamers, balloons, a D.J., and a buffet. Everyone was dancing, talking, eating, or drinking. They even had a bar in here. I saw some people drinking fruity drinks and others drinking beer. It was just like a club or a bar except here, I wasn’t too comfortable.

Everyone here was my enemy. I don’t even think I had friends in high school. Pathetic. I walked over to the buffet and I saw some people crowded over there. On second thought, I’m not so hungry. I decided to go over to the bar instead. Not many people were there. They were either dancing or talking to some people. I made it to the bar without having anyone talk to me. I pulled up a stool and ordered a dry martini.

“You got it,” the bartender said.

He was buff and had tattoos all over his arm. His head was shiny. I placed my clutch on the table and looked over the gym. It seemed like everybody was having fun, except me.

“Here you go,” I looked and saw my dry martini.

“Thank you,” I said, before swiveling around in the stool and faced the dance floor.

I made silent observations about some people. I saw this one girl that always hid my clothes so I couldn’t change after gym. She was wearing a tight fitting black number and was dancing or having dry sex, I don’t know which one, with some guy and apparently, he is enjoying it too much. What are we, teenagers? Well, not anymore. I also saw the football team and the cheerleaders together with their boyfriends and girlfriends. I sighed and downed the rest of my drink. I checked my cell phone and saw that I was only here for thirty minutes. Time seems to move so slowly here.

I turned back and ordered a Jack Daniels bottle. It might be a strong drink, but I don’t get drunk easily. It would have to take six bottles to get me drunk. I got it and drank it from the bottle without the glass. I saw someone started to approach me.

“Hey, there,”

he was wearing black slacks and a light blue button up shirt, very cute in my opinion. I don’t remember his face from any of my high school memories, so I guess he was okay.

“Hey,” I responded, nonchalantly sipping my JD.

“Want to dance?” he inclined his head to the dance floor.

I contemplated, before placing my drink on the table and agreed to go with him. He extended his hand to help me up and I took it. We walked to the mob of people and ‘Lovely’ by Breathe Carolina was playing.

“Come on,” he twisted me around so my back was facing him and we began to dance.

I began moving my body and let myself escape into the music. I didn’t really mind being here. I felt okay now, that I had been here for forty-five minutes already.

I wrapped my arms around his head and whispered in his ear, “So, what’s your name?”

His hands moved to my hips and he whispered back, “Logan,”

I froze. Logan. Logan Novak. He was football player that was Nikki Crez’s boyfriend. He was there when all the cheerleaders ganged up on me at school one afternoon. I ended it up with multiple bruises, a broken rib, a black eye, and a busted lip.

“What’s wrong babe?” he whispered, huskily his hands dropping to the caution level.

His hands became roaming too freely over my body.

“Let go of me,” I whispered, taking his hands and ripping them away from my body.

I tried to get away.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he cooed.

“Where you going?” he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back into his body.

His other hand wrapped around my waist so I couldn’t escape from him. I placed my available hand on his chest and tried to push myself away from him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he growled.

He used both of his hands to restrain mine.

“Let the fuck go!” I growled and kicked him.

He groaned, but he didn’t release his grip on me, if anything, it became tighter.

“Can’t you hear you dumbass?! I said ‘Let the fuck go!’”

I struggled against him. He placed his disgusting lips on mine in a sloppy kiss. I gasped in surprise and he pushed his tongue into my mouth and began playing with my tongue. I was disgusted at him and myself, him for being a stupid horny fucker and me for getting myself into this mess. Why did I dance with him? I should have just ditched and went to The Pick. I managed to get my right hand loose as he released it to cup my face.

I drew my arm back and socked him in the cheek, ripping him away from my lips. He stumbled backwards touching his sore cheek while I wiped away his essence off my lips. I’m going to need mouthwash and a lot of it. He looked at his hand that now had traces of blood on it. My knuckles were aching and bleeding too. He glared hard at me and spit out blood that was in his mouth on the dance floor. Everyone that was dancing around us was no watching this whole thing unfold.

Some were just watching while others were yelling, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Typical high school reaction. I mean, come on people, we’re in our twenties.

“You bitch,” he snarled and gave a mean left hook to my right cheek.

I stumbled back, and thought of the only witty thing that always came to my mind in fights.

“Is that the best you got?”

I wiped my cheek on my arm and pulled off my stilettos. I threw them at someone and they caught it.

“Watch my shoes,”

I took off all my jewelry and shoved them at someone.

“I have seen cheerleaders that bitch slap better than your punch.” I smirked.

I have been waiting forever to take my anger out and now I can. I got into my karate stance, legs shoulder width apart, my left arm tucked into my side with the hand open, and my right arm extended to Logan in a ‘bring it on’ gesture.
I curled my fingers towards me and smirked.

“Come and get me.”