Lessons On Love

18: Him Or Us

A/N.: This chapter ended up a lot more different than the original one I had in mind so just to let Team Marshall know, he's not really in this one. Sorry. I just didn't want to make things sound rushed. He will be in the next chapter though (for sure) so don't get mad okay?

Chapter 18: Him Or Us?

            Hidden in the shadows, neither Tyler nor Austin had noticed me yet, and I took that as an advantage, turning back the way I came from to look for Marriah in our booth. No longer did the little stain on my jeans matter to me compared to the wreckage that was beating against my heart and head, and as soon as I saw Marriah’s bright purple streaks reflecting against the lights, I quickened my pace.

            She saw me before I managed my way up to her, and quickly raised her eyebrows when she was close enough to observe the expression on my face. “Okay…” She groaned, uncertainty ringing in her voice. “Did something happen during the two seconds that you were gone?”

            “I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “But we’ve got to go.”

            Marriah stared back at me with a look of scrutiny, searching my eyes and sometimes behind my shoulder to see if she could figure something out, but with no luck whatsoever. I knew she wanted to know what had happened during the few minutes I had disappeared off to the washroom, but I didn’t know how to explain it to her. My entire body felt numb and high voltage lightning bolts seemed to rush through my veins, not blood. My lungs seemed to converge and I just wanted to get out of there. Desperately.

            It took her a moment, but being the highly perceptive person that she was, Marriah grasped the situation enough to understand my need to leave, and inherently got out of her seat after giving me a nod. We walked out of the bowling alley silently, Marriah munching on her chocolate covered raisins as we continued down the sidewalk that led us out of the shopping plaza.

            Guilt wasn’t something that usually pledged me no matter what the cause of the problem, but on this occasion – and having felt a bit better after a little fresh air – I felt a tiny shard of remorse for dragging her out; even more so after she went through the trouble of donning a dress that made her look like a vampire princess. Austin thought she was a freak, but I didn’t. For someone who was even shallower than a puddle of muddy water ten hours after the rain, he was the one that had the problem – him, not us.

            “Well, home is this way.” Marriah turned and pointed down the road when we reached the end of the sidewalk and I nodded since I lived in a completely different area of the town than she did.

            “Will you be okay? You don’t live far so I could walk you back if you want.”

            A low, husky cackle flew out of her mouth. “Trust me Camila, I can handle myself.” She paused and then added, “and don’t beat yourself up about today. I had fun.” With that, she skipped off on her own leaving me standing on the corner of the sidewalk to watch her. It was a few minutes later, after we separated ways, that the devil appeared and started calling after me.

            His voice sounded like drumbeats on a microphone against my eardrums and I started walking faster and faster until walking was no longer a solution and I needed to run. I wasn’t sure why I needed to; maybe it was the electricity in my veins, maybe it was the damp stain on my jeans, maybe it was because I could still go home and sneak in a complicated dance routine if I hurried fast enough, but whatever it was, I didn’t make it in time.