A Secret Hiding Place

Chapter 1: Repeated Mistakes

(Unedited, second draft)

Chapter 1: Repeated Mistakes

This wasn't supposed to happen. How could I have been so dumb? There was no one to blame but myself, even though there was one other person involved.

As I glanced down at the pink solid stripes, my mind wandered back to the night that Ryan D'amore took me to Prom.

I recall sitting there on my bed, looking at the formal navy blue dress hanging on my bedroom door, trying to think of a way out of going. It wasn't that I didn't want to go to prom, I simply didn't want to go with Ryan. His father had threatened to take away his trust-fund if he didn't.

"Ayanna," I could hear my mother screaming from the other side of the closed door. "Are you ready yet? Ryan will be here in moment."

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I open the door to see her standing there with her hands on her hips, "Mom, why do I need to go to Prom? Can't I just stay home and we can have a family movie night?"

"Yes, prom is an important part of saying goodbye to your high school life before going out into adulthood." She had verbalized the same thing once they found out I was graduating a year early and conned Ryan into taking me. "Now get those curlers out of your hair and put on some light makeup to make your eyes shine when you have your photos taken." She then turned around and walked down the stairs.

Watching her leave, I notice my brother Ashton poking his head out of his bedroom door. "Why are you making such a big deal about going to prom anyway?"

"I'm not making a big deal about going to prom; I just don't want to go with Ryan." I confessed, not understanding why everyone was so set on the guy who's been bullying me, since I was seven, to take me to prom.

"But I like Ryan; he's been teaching me how to play basketball." He addressed, looking confused about the situation at hand. I never understood why Ryan treated Ashton like he was his brother, but a small part of me figured it had to do with Ryan being an only child.

"Then you go to prom with him." I snap, shutting the door thinking how unfair this all was.

Doing as my mother told me, I could hear the doorbell ring about half an hour later. Slipping on the dress, I walked out the door not turning to check my reflection and went down the stairs. Only to see the person I despised the most in this world, standing there with his back turned to me. His parents, along with mine were standing there taking pictures.

"Ryan stand tall and stop looking bored," his mother commanded, as mine told me to take the sour look off my face.

Finally at the bottom, our mothers kept putting us in awkward positions as our father's set back laughing. My father always thought the reason Ryan picked on me was because he secretly liked me, which was because he would tease my mother when they were growing up. The only thing was that Ryan didn't tease me. He was rude, like to pull pranks, and even spread rumors that I was a lesbian. He would have people push me around in the halls; he laughed along with his friends when someone put gum in my hair during freshman year. Ryan and my relationship were totally different from my father and mothers.

"Can we go now," Ryan asked after the sixth photo. "The limo is waiting and we still have to pick everyone else up." They agreed, but started back up once we were by the limo. "Just get in or they're never going to stop." The moment I got into the limo, with Ryan closing the door behind us, I knew there was no turning back. I was stuck with this guy for the rest of the night.

It took a little longer to get to the hotel, where prom was being held at, having to pick up three of his teammates and their dates. Once everyone was in, I had been pushed so close to the front of the limo, I began to feel invisible as they gathered around taking pictures. The only time they spoke to me was when they needed someone to take a group picture.