The date is today. Friday. 5:00. He's gonna take me to a movie I've been wanting to see ever since I read the book. And then he says there's this cute little cafe around the corner that he wants to show me.
Last class is History. At the end we turn in our history papers. I didn't exactly have time to perfect it last night because I was kind of attacked by the devil. I'm just dreading getting out of class because I know Elise is gonna find me.
I go to the bathroom to fix my makeup. I put my bag next to the sink and sure enough Elise comes up behind me.
I don't say anything.
"It's not too late to say no to him Callie"
"Of course it's too late. And I don't want to say no. I'm going."
"Why? Why not just spend your life with me dear?"
"Oh I have. I have dedicated my life to you for the past fourteen years and I have always been by your side. And now that I'm trying to live my life you overreact!"
"Overreact? You are very lucky young girl that I didn't get mad before. You should be grateful that I even let you have friends."
I don't need to say anything to show how angry I am at what she just said.
I kick her into the bathroom wall and grab her shoulders.
"You are not real! You don't mean anything because you don't really exist! You need to get out of my head!!!!!"
I push her down to the floor and storm out. Mr. Green stops in my path.
"Who were you talking to Callie. Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine Mr. Green. I wasn't talking to anyone. You must be hearing things."
I walk past him without saying anything more or looking back. She's out of my head.
I donne my blue and white dress, some white flats and my book bag. I walk down town to the violet crown theatre. When I get inside I don't see him. There's not too many people here. I guess because everybody's out of town for the holiday weekend. I go ahead and buy our tickets. I see him walk in.
He's not in a suit and tie but he looks much nicer not in school uniform.
"Hey", he says. "You look very nice."
"Thanks you too."
We just smile stupidly again.
"Well I got the tickets."
"Oh I meant to get those. Here let me pay you back."
"Absolutely not, I can get it."
"At least let me get you pizza."
"But the movie's gonna start soon."
"We can take our food in the theatre here. Is that okay?"
"Yeah that's cool. What a neat place."
"I know I love it here."
We order pizza and start the movie. It's The 5th Wave. One of my favorite books and my favorite actress is playing the lead.
We're about halfway into the movie and we finished the pizza. Jack leans over to me and whispers, "why is she looking at him like that I'm confused."
"She knows that he's really an alien", I whisper back.
"Oh. How does she know that?"
"She just knows. She's smart."
"I think you're smart."
I narrow my eyes at him and laugh. Then return to watching the film.
Jack leans over again.
"I wish I was as handsome as him", he whispers. Referring to the character Evan.
I don't answer back but I ponder this. Evan is handsome. I've never seen the actor before but he's doing a excellent job. He is a looker. This Cassie has good taste.
I lean towards Jack.
"He has your eyes", I whisper.
Jack looks confused.
"But he doesn't have blue eyes."
"No but they both share the same beauty."
He smiles and takes my hand. We continue watching.
Jack does take me to the little cafe. I love it a lot. It has a vintage theme, and there's a piano player in the room. He's playing Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra. That's one of my favorites.
We order milkshakes. I get chocolate and he gets vanilla.
"So", he says. "What kind of bands do you like?"
"I think Panic at the Disco is my favorite."
"Wow. That's a hard core band. I didn't think someone as innocent as you would like something like that."
"Who says I'm innocent?"
"Oh we've got a guilty one. Shall I arrest you?"
We both laugh.
"I don't know I just thought you'd be into someone like Shawn Mendes."
"Well he's okay. He kinda bothers me."
"Really? How so?"
"Well he's not a bad singer. But all he talks about is his love life and girls. He could be singing about I don't know skydiving or drinking beer."
"Well I guess there's nothing he can think about besides girls."
"Stay with me and you might just end up like him."
He laughs.
"Maybe I will", he says.
It's in this moment that I feel truly content for the first time in maybe years. Just being here. With Jack. With my milkshake. The piano...
The piano. It's playing Fur Elise. Elise. She found a way back into my mind even when I pushed her down and told her to get out of my head.
"Callie are you okay? You don't look so well."
"She found me", I whisper.
"What? Who found you." He looks around the room but I run out of the cafe.
"Callie wait." He chases after me.
I step outside and everything is Orange with fire.
"Callie what's wrong?"
"It's not real but it looks so real it has to be real it has to be because it burns."
It burns and I see her. I see her coming. Not Elise. The bloody Carrie busting into flames. The miss Jackson walking this way.
"No no!" I cry. "She's too real she can't be real and she's coming."
I look at Jack. He must think I'm crazy because I am crazy but it's really her that's making me go insane!
But he doesn't. He takes my arm and pulls me down the street. For a minute there's a force field around us as he holds me and pulls me. He takes me around a corner and we sit down in an alley. I'm shaking from fear, but he holds me by the shoulders and says, "Whatever is coming after you will not get you. I'm right here and I will protect you."
He pulls me into him, his arms holding me tight. I rest my head on his chest. No one has ever been so kind to me.
But our shield of protection is fading away. The flames are getting brighter. I can feel her coming.
"I'm right here for you", he says.
"I love you", I whisper to him.
I hear him yell and scream my name as I black out and enter the darkness of my mind.
