Hell's Angel (EDITING)

31 - Andrew | Prom-posal

'Andrew!' Marie snatched a colorful poster off the school bulletin board and waved it in front of my face. 'Wanna take me to prom?'

'Errr....' I scanned the poster and her flushed face. 'Are you sure you're feeling okay? You seemed to be still rather out of it when you left my house last night.'

'I'm fine, I'm fine,' she said breezily. She hadn't even seemed to care when I'd haltingly confessed this morning that I had inadvertently drugged her. 'So, prom?'

'Um.' I blushed faintly as she raised a quizzical brow.

'I'm not asking you on a date,' she clarified, 'I was just suggesting we go as friends. Honestly, you're not my type.'

'Oh! Right, um, you're not my type either—not that you're not like super pretty and stuff!' I rushed, 'I mean, I think you're a really nice person. It's just that...'

'Relax Andrew, I know what you mean.' She grinned. 'We're not so different, you and I.'

'Oh....' I paused, unsure if she was saying what I thought she was.

'I mean, I like guys too, I just don't like you,' she added, a tad bit rudely, 'like that.'

'Don't you want to go with someone you like... like that?' I asked.

'My angel doesn't school here.' Marie smiled, not giving out any more information.

'Let's go to prom together then,' I agreed, although the curiosity was low-key killing me. It was unlike her to be so secretive about something—although, I suppose it's the type of thing you'd have to be quiet about in this godawful town.

'Yay!' she said excitedly, 'I'm going to wear a cool halter-neck red jumpsuit under a floaty overskirt with appliquéd roses and zip-up ankle boots, so—make sure you get me a red corsage!'

'Uh, sure,' I replied, befuddled with the dress description but noting down "red rose corsage."

'Hey!' Evan popped up behind us, dragging Ciara in tow. 'Are you guys going for this thing?'

'Yeah!' Marie replied enthusiastically, 'I made a really cool dress—'

'Woah, you made it?' Ciara gasped.

'I er- got it done. Not with magic or anything, haha! Anyway—'

'Oh, Andrew,' Evan cut in as Marie restarted the long description of her outfit, 'Coach was looking for you.'

'Oh.' I chewed on my lip, unmoving.

'Aren't you going?' Marie wiggled her eyebrows. 'I bet it's good news.'

'Er— yeah,' I sighed, moving away, 'I'll see you at class.'

She flashed me a wide grin before going back to regaling Evan and Ciara with her design ideas.

My pace slowed down as I neared Coach's empty office and saw Derek lurking outside the door.

'What are you doing here, twerp?' he snapped as soon as he saw me.

'Nothing! I, er- I just wanted to....' I trailed off as he glared down at me.

'Whatever it is just buzz off. I'm here to discuss All-state with Coach.'

I froze in place, my mind whirling. Would we be doing All-state together or...?

'Ah, Andrew!' Coach boomed, making her way towards us, 'Just the person I wanted to see. Do you have your signed permission slip?'

'Huh?' I yelped, my voice rising to a nervous pitch.

'The permission slip to let you join All-state,' Coach clarified. She glanced over at Derek. 'Are you here to see me about failing calculus? You'll have to retake it if you want to stay on team.'

Derek's face turned an unappealing shade of maroon as Coach shooed him away and accompanied me into her office.

'You have great potential, Andrew,' she stated after gesturing for me to take a seat, 'I would never have guessed it, from just looking at you, but you have the makings of a football star!'

I briefly considered whether I should take offense at this.

'It's almost like... magic,' Coach was saying, 'You're terribly uncoordinated; half the time you look like you're about the trip or fall down. Andrew, you have the worst form I've ever seen, but when you kick that ball—nothing but net!'

I'd be offended if I didn't completely agree with her.

'The other team is not going to know what hit them!' Coach slapped her palm on the table with barely contained glee as I wordlessly handed her my permission slip. 'Now go to class, you marvelous creature!'

A wave of dread enveloped me as soon as I left the office. Derek was waiting outside, arms folded over his chest and a thick vein popping out of his forehead.

'Follow me, twerp.'

I stood frozen in place. He grabbed me by the collar of my T-shirt, dragging me down the corridor to the boy's locker room.

'What the fuck do you think you're doing?' He pushed hard on the back of my neck, shoving me inside. 'You're trying to steal my position? Huh?'

'N-no...' I barely got out as he crashed me into the locker.

'Listen now and listen carefully.' His voice dropped to a sinister whisper, the low volume even more frightening. 'All-state is mine. You'll stay away if you know what's good for you.'

I nodded wordlessly, liquid fear dripping off me in the form of anxious sweat. When he finally released his grip I ran as fast as I could from that room, not stopping till I got to class.

'Are you okay?' James demanded as soon as I slipped into my seat between him an Marie.

I nodded, gulping down the knot that had formed in my throat.

He reached towards me and pushed up the hair sticking to my forehead, damp with nervous sweat. His hand was warm to the point of being hot, but it somehow reduced the thrumming heat in my head—almost like the heat were being pulled away from me and into his burning hand.

'I have cold hands, Andrew,' Marie quickly said, sticking them down my neck like a thousand freezing needles.

'Arghh,' I groaned, quickly ducking out of reach. 'That was very unpleasant. Why are they SO COLD?'

'I was just holding my iced tea.' She grinned widely, showing all her teeth.

I rubbed at my neck, looking at her untrustingly as she wiggled her fingers in a threat to tickle.

'Ooh I almost forgot... I have something exciting!' Marie suddenly said, brightening up even more.

She pulled a simple rubber band out of her pocket and placed it on the palm of her hand, holding it up proudly. I didn't understand what was to come but James's eyes grew wide at the sight. He moved quickly to snatch it but Marie yanked her hand away at the nick of time.

'What's that for?' I innocently inquired.

An evil grin spread across her face as she stretched the band between her thumb and forefinger, pointing it at me like a loaded gun.