When Hate Turns to Love

Ch. 55

Nini groaned in pain as she woke up. Her head was throbbing and she could feel that her wrists were tied together along with her ankles. She felt a bandage on her head, not a very good one. She struggled to open her eyes and when she did, everything was blurry. Even though it nearly killed her, she blinked rapidly to clear her vision.

When she could finally see, she realized she was in a motel room. It looked very lived-in, not like someone there on vacation. Nini realized she was on a bed and wiggled around until she was propped up on the pillows and could get a better look around. Yep, somebody was definitely living there. Clothes and food wrappers were scattered everywhere, the microwave door was left open with something inside it. Nini noted that the clothes were for a female. She gasped as a sharp pain danced its way through her head.

"Son of bitch." she hissed through her gritted teeth just as the door opened.

"Sorry about that." a young girl with long blonde hair and an Australian accent said, closing and locking the door behind her, "But it had to be done."

The accent triggered alarm bells in Nini's head.

"Sabrina?" she said.

The teenager smiled and popped the gum she was chomping on.

"Sabrina Bowen." she said dreamily, "Well, not for a few more days."

Nini stared at Sabrina.

"You should have listened to those letters I sent you." Sabrina said darkly, her smile gone.

Letters? Nini could only recall the one that she got the day Ej had knocked her out. Then Nini remembered that once she became engaged to Ricky, she had started throwing out mail if she didn't recognize the return address or there wasn't a return address. She had plenty of haters now that she was going to marry everyone's future husband. She must have thrown out Crazy Sabrina's letters too.

"You did pick a nice place to get married." Sabrina continued, "I would have liked it much better if I married Ricky in Australia, but the music hall will do."

Nini was shocked into silence. Sabrina disappeared into the closet before reappearing holding the gaudiest, over-fluffed, peach-colored dress Nini had ever seen.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Shelia gushed, holding the dress up to herself and twirling around.

"I-" Nini tried to speak but was cut off.

"You're right, it's better to just show you." Sabrina interrupted, "I'll be right back."

Nini gaped as the woman entered the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

"Seriously." Nini whispered to herself.

Nini was no longer scared. She was just plain pissed off now. She struggled with the rope binding her wrists. But the more she struggled the tighter it got.

"What? Was she in the girl scouts?" Nini muttered angrily.

Giving up on that, Nini looked around the room for something, anything. She jumped when Sabrina burst out of the bathroom in the abominable dress.

"So, what do you think?" Sabrina asked, the weird smile back on her face.

Was she really supposed to answer that? Ha. It would be her pleasure.

"I think it looks like somebody vomited on you. Several times." Nini said with a humorless laugh.

Sabrina let out a growl and attempted to hit Nini, but the ginormous floof of the dress got in the way. Nini cracked up. It was like a clown routine.

"Well Ricky is going to love it." Sabrina huffed.

"I really doubt it." Nini said, still in a fit of giggles.

She really shouldn't be laughing, but this was too much. Suddenly tape covered her mouth.

"There." Sabrina said, obviously pleased with herself, "I'm going to take a shower.

Nini rolled her eyes as Sabrina went back into the bathroom. She resumed her cursory examination of the room. The motel phone was to her right, but she could figure how to dial. She spotted a knife on the kitchenette, but she'd have to hop, and she had horrible balance untied let alone tied. The door had a slid lock, too high for her to reach with bound hands. Ok, this was a bit discouraging. She heard the shower start and figured she had maybe five minutes to figure this out. Shit.