Death's Contest Entries

The Reunion - 1 (The March Challenge)

SHE took a deep breath before stepping inside the crowded room. At once, blaring music greeted her ears and the smell of various perfumes invaded her nose. Her blue eyes took in her surroundings as she cautiously stepped around dancing people, already starting to feel out of place.

"I shouldn't have listened to Sasha," she muttered to herself in irritation. Her flatmate always managed to persuade her to do things that she never wanted to do in the first place.

"Chris?"

She turned around to the sound of the familiar voice that had called her name. Despite the heavy make-up and the extra weight that she had put on, Chris had no trouble in recognizing Eleanor Albert.

Eleanor shook her head and opened her mouth before closing it. She seemed to be at a loss for words and Chris couldn't help but smile. Some habits just stay with you, Chris thought as she looked at Eleanor more closely. Her brown eyes had somehow, lost their spark and she had dyed her natural blonde hair to an auburn color.

"Wow, I can't believe you came," she said, her brown eyes still wide.

Chris nodded once, flashing her a small smile. "Neither can I."

"So, uh...how are you? I mean, how've you been?"

Chris was tempted to give her a not-so-pleasant answer but clenched her jaw to stop herself. Instead, she shrugged. "I'm okay."

"Okay..." Eleanor glanced away uncomfortably while Chris continued to stare right at her. "How's Alex?" She blurted out, before her brain processed what her mouth had uttered and Chris mentally slapped herself. Eleanor blinked at her, surprised. Then, she glanced away, shame and guilt flashing momentarily in her eyes. She cleared her throat as Chris waited for her answer that she was curious about but at the same time, hated herself for wanting to know.

"He's good. But we're...you know, we're no longer, uh..."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "A couple?"

Eleanor licked her lower lip as she nodded. And again, Chris recalled how she used to do that whenever she was nervous or uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I mean we split up right after graduation. We weren't...it didn't work out."

Chris let out a dry chuckle as old memories overwhelmed her and she could no longer hold back. "It didn't work out, you say?" She mocked her, a bitter smile on her face. Eleanor's smile had completely disappeared and she looked rather alarmed.

"Whatever happened to you two being perfect for each other?" Chris said, taking a step towards her. "Didn't you say that you loved him and that you couldn't live without him? Weren't those your exact words? And yet," she continued, pointing an accusing finger at Eleanor who gulped, "you're still here. You're still alive without him."

Chris chuckled again and shook her head. She stared at Eleanor for a second before her smile dropped. "But you left me to die on my own, Eleanor," she whispered.

Eleanor eyes' welled up with tears as she shook her head slowly, Chris's cruel words hitting her home.

"You left me when I needed a friend. You left me when I needed you the most. And on top of that, you started to out go with Alex."

As she said this, memories and familiar faces flashed in Chris's mind and she found herself blinking back unwanted tears. She carried on, straining to keep her voice even. "You were waiting in the shadows, weren't you? For how long, huh? How long have you been hoping that Alex would dump my sorry ass?" Chris wasn't aware of her voice raising and soon she was yelling at a sobbing Eleanor.

"For how long have you been faking our friendship? That's what you wanted, right? You wanted him and you got him. I didn't matter at all."

"No," Eleanor sobbed. "No, I-I was wrong. But I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You don't know what I've been through-"

Chris cut her off by laughing. "What you've been through? What exactly have you been through, Eleanor? I'm sure whatever happened to you in these past five years must have been absolutely horrible. More horrible than being disowned by your own family and left alone to raise a child?"

"What's going on here?"

Chris turned to the owner of the deep voice and froze. Apart from the light stubble and the tall height, Alex McCormick was exactly just how she remembered him. The same dark eyes with long eyelashes, and the same brown, messy hair. When Alex's eyes fell on Chris, he looked taken aback.

"Chris?"

The way he just said her name so softly brought back memories and feelings locked up deep down inside of her and a lump formed in her throat. She was unable to speak or to move.

"You really came?"

Chris had known that coming to the reunion was a bad idea, and she also knew that she was bound to run into people like Eleanor and Alex. But she couldn't deny the fact that there was a part of her who did want to come and see. So after being to forced to go by Sasha, she came here thinking that she'd be able to handle it. But she couldn't.

Chris turned on her heel and walked away fast, dodging people as she went.

"Chris, wait! Chris!" Alex's voice came from behind her and she quickened her pace. "Chris, I just want to talk. Please."

She ran. Biting her lower lip to prevent the tears from falling, she recalled herself saying those exact same words on a night five years ago.

Alex, wait! Alex! I just want to talk, Alex. Please.

The tears rolled down Chris's cheeks as she continued to run from Alex, from all those memories.

I'm begging you. Please!

She had begged. She had cried, she had been down on her knees. But had anyone helped her? Had anyone listened? And now, they expected her to listen to them!

Chris didn't hear someone else calling her name. She didn't see another figure chasing after her. It was only after he had grabbed her wrist and forced her to come to a stop, she turned around to come face to face with a guy with shoulder-length ebony hair. A pair of green eyes stared back at her. Before she could recall who it was, the guy pulled her into his hard chest and held her close, wrapping his strong arms around her.

"It's alright, Chris. You're alright," he whispered into her hair, his voice gentle. "You're okay."

Her lower lip trembled and she allowed more tears to fall down from her eyes. She hugged the slightly familiar stranger back and cried into his warm chest while he continued to whisper reassurances.

After a few minutes when Chris was able to compose herself, she stepped away from him with a light pink shade to her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. She didn't look at him when she apologized and instead was looking down at her feet, a little embarrassed.

He shrugged. "Anytime."

Chris glanced up at him, frowning. "Do I know you?"

A smile lit up his smooth features. "Let's just say that I used to be the so called 'nerd' of the school."

Chris frowned again, looking at him more closely. She tried to remember who he was because she was sure she had seen him before but couldn't put her finger on it. Then, it suddenly hit her.

"Roger?"

He chuckled heartily at her surprised expression. "And we have a winner!"