That One November Night

Chapter 8: Her protector

Across the floor, Guinevere was all I could see - dancing with her head down laughing at something. That luscious medium brown hair was covering most of her angelic face but I could still see the glittering of her eyes and the piercing smile drawn across her lips. When the next beat of the music hit, she took an instinctive swig from the blue coloured drink she held in her right hand.

The music sure had gotten louder since I had drifted off, there were more people in the room now and a lot of alcohol on the counter. Most people looked as if they had consumed something with alcohol in it but Gwen seemed different to the rest. Once she brought the glass away from her lips she stumbled slightly and the same guy from earlier came from behind her. It was almost as if it had been planned. She looked back in his direction and then looked forward clutching her head with her free hand.

He was laughing. Did he find this funny? He came in front of her and lent against the counter top his body in a tantalizing stance: she had narrowed her eyes and pushed the hair back from her face. They were conversing about something, she seemed mad and got angrier each time he flung something back in her face but he was smiling at this - almost smug. Arms folded across his chest as if he owned her. To this remark, she took another heavy sip from the lipstick stained glass, then half lowered it as he came closer to her. Her eyes raising over the top of the half empty body.

"Greg," I stuttered almost unable to speak through the strangling concentration covering my every muscle. I wasn't sure if he had heard me at first but I didn't want to look away from what was happening just in case it got out of hand or they moved from my sight. The dude was in ripped blue jeans and some freaky messed up patterned shirt with his messy hair pushed backward - just the image of filth. He was probably the same guy that Greg was talking about when he mentioned what had happened before I woke up. I swallowed the thick guilt of saliva extremely hard, "Greg look," I heard him make an 'mmh' sound. As I gestured towards the image almost directly ahead of me on the other side of the room.

The dude palpated her arm. She impelled it away. Within seconds, the mutt was back on her arm, this time grazing it. Greg then spoke, "Do you know who he is?" I shook my head in a rage of fury. The creature was licking his lips getting closer to her as she was clearly having difficulty understanding what was happening, he was looking her up and down whispering something with seductive eyes. I could see the horror in her face, jaw flung open and eyes widened like an over boiled kettle.

Ignoring her destressed expression the spoiled brat traced his hands against her hips chomping down on his lips like she was some type of dessert! It didn't take me long to pound up from the seat.

Guinevere slapped at his wrists, flinging the glass and its remains onto the ground in the process. Her enraged screams hitting against him. Her friends squawking frantically. The smash of the glass wear caused most of the room to turn around to see the commotion. Some dweeb next to them took one glance at the fragments of shattered pieces and made some crude joke about almost standing in it.

The vile creature tried stroking her hair but she swung it at him as he (with no luck) tried to calm her down. It was that moment in which I came ragging across to him. She had fallen limp and was barely even standing. Manipulating his golden opportunity the monster threw his hands onto her, touching my Gwen in ways that no one should ever touch a woman without being given consent. Especially not when I'm here to stop them. I caterwauled as hard at the top of my lungs "Get the hell off of her!" but my voice tightened dry and it was a mouse's squeak, thinning as it came out. I tried again- this time the burning fire within had erupted like a volcano.

He glared at me with the face of 'oh you have got to be kidding me' I could feel the rooms eyes super glue onto me. From somewhere, I heard a girl howling for another to turn the music off: soon enough the room had collapsed in a heavy pit of silence.

The green eyed beanie boy and his gang where near the monster in ripped jeans but like everyone else they too were looking straight at me as if I was the one to blame for the disruption.

The thug turned to me, "You ruined the bloody party!" the second he opened his mouth I threw my fist at him but missed tragically. The adrenaline not yet high enough to be taking affect. Gwen hadn't seen this and instead slumped looking at the floor, her head and shoulders moving back and forth as if she was going to be sick.

"I'm going to puke," she murmured to herself. Instantaneously Gwen flung herself over the counter edge dunking her face into the sink. The guy moved towards her in a striding motion carefully rubbing her back as he stared straight at me, "It's alright Gwen," he announced to the entire room as if they hadn't just witnessed what had happened prier. The taunting growl in his voice like that of a criminal or sabretooth tiger. I pushed him back hard, "Get your hands off of her!" this got the crowd talking, turning to each other for answers. The beast snarled, "Who do you think you are? Her fucking protector or something? You aren't even her boyfriend!" His chest was out pushed like some kind of wild animal and his face was a trophy of ignorance. I wanted to slaughter him! "Yeah I am her protector actually so get your filthy hands off of her or I swear to God!" I attempted to leap forward to get to him but Gregg (who was pawing at my arm) tugged me back from doing so. The group of lads who had been around him came over to help Greg reframe me from hitting the animal. I was calling him names left right and centre unable to stop my adrenaline pumped tongue. He just smugly nodded and moved even closer to Gwen. With his grim hands he went to run them up her thighs agonisingly slowly just to see my reaction, the whole room started moaning and pleading for him to stop. But I said nothing. How could I? This was wrong.

He was a fucking pervert! His hand got higher up her thigh. The lads let me go just as he flashed her lacy whites to me and anyone else close enough to see. At lighting speed I charged at him, a bull seeing red. I tackled him to the ground then bounced back up to pull Gwen's dress down returning her decency. It was then I realised that she now unconscious still over the sink with a pile of her own vomit inches from her mouth. The guys held him down on the ground, I spat at his face and planted one heavy boot to his face. "Never do that again to anybody!" I turned away as the boys started to release him from their custody. "Do you hear me arsehole?"

Out of nowhere, his arm broke free and his claws shot forward catching my foot as I turned away; my chin bashed onto the ground.

For a moment I couldn't move.

The pain in my face unbearable.

My eyes watering from the sudden shock shielding me from standing. The whole room in commotion but all I could hear was Gwen's voice in my mind pleading for me to get up from the floor and win this for her. With a few blinks I stood, Greg right ahead of me with a face of stone. I pierced over my shoulder. The villain held back by several people – more than before. A size 9 footprint right across his face. Blood on his shirt. Busted nose.

I said nothing more.

I staggered to Gwen who had turned around, leaning against the counter, starting to open her eyes. I tried to lift her but I wasn't strong enough to carry her alone. I raised my eyes to Greg who nodded and came over. We lifted her from the ground but still I held most of her weight. The room at this point was a still picture, the footprint guy had been removed from the building and everyone else, just in shock. The green eyed beanie boy came over to me - we exchanged a look and he turned to face Gwen. The three of us took Gwen (who still hadn't fully come around) out the front door and sat on the front steps of the house. So much for a celebration party...

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