Finding Beauty

[16] - Chapter Sixteen

“No, it’s okay,” Kale informed me with a determined smile. “I want to go to the dance with you.”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Austin assured me as he cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean—

“It’s okay,” I reassured him and then I turned to Kale. “So I guess we’re dates?”

“You guessed correctly,” Kale replied with a nod and then he stood up, leaned over the table, and gave a peck on the cheek which sent butterflies down my stomach.

“Um, Kale can I talk to you for a minute?” Scott suddenly asked him and tossed Austin a weird look. I raised my eyebrows in suspicion, what was up? Hmm, maybe they are still upset about not going in a group together this time.

“Sure,” Kale replied back nonchalantly standing as he walked away with Scott and the rest of his friends who I’m assuming wanted to talk to him. I sighed; I’m starting to wonder if Kale’s friends actually like me. They acted like they did at Kale’s party, but I don’t know something seems off.

I suddenly noticed that Dean wasn’t sitting here anymore, I wondered what happened. Since it seemed like they were going to take awhile, I got up to look for him when suddenly Mrs. Rial begins to walk towards me. I immediately stopped walking as soon as she stood in front of me.

“McKenzie, you dropped your bracelet,” Mrs. Rial told me as she placed a dark red bracelet into my hand. “Be careful next time okay?” I wanted to tell her that it wasn’t my bracelet, but when I observed it, I noticed that my name was engraved on it. I felt my heart skip a beat: my insecurity ghost.

Mrs. Rial walked after that and I stood there shocked for a second and then I immediately ran out of the cafeteria and towards the bathroom. As I ran in, I was just about to throw the bracelet away when my insecurity ghost appeared.

“So you looked up my friends huh?” She asked with a smile. “You should have figured it out by now.”

“Why did you make this bracelet?” I asked her ignoring what she said.

“Because, it has May’s and Dean’s dried up blood on them. I thought you’d cherish it because you killed them after all.” My insecurity ghost taunted as she walked closer to me and placed the bracelet on my wrist.

Suddenly, I started to tear up. “No, I didn’t kill him!” I screamed. “You’re sick, you know that?” I started to take off the bracelet but it wouldn’t come off and I screamed again in horror.

“You’re a killer McKenzie, you’re a killer McKenzie, you’re a—

Suddenly the door opened and I saw that Dean had walked in. “Why are you in the boy’s restroom?” Dean asked me curiously but then he saw my face. “Are you okay?”

I was so upset that I didn’t even have the strength to scold myself for accidently walking in here again because what my ghost did was sick. I stared down at my wrist and began to sob. Dean took my hand which shocked me but then I comment about it. “Let’s get out of here.”

Dean tugged me away from the boy’s restroom and luckily no one saw us. We walked into an empty classroom and closing the door behind him, he turned to me. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” I didn’t want to tell him that his sister’s blood and his blood himself were on my wrist. I didn’t want him to think I was crazy, I didn’t want—

“McKenzie! Tell me what’s wrong,” He pleaded as he walked closer to me. “Please.” I looked into his bright green eyes and accidentally flashed him a look of guilt. I turned away from and covered my face with my hands. Look, what you have done. I have Dean worrying about me and it’s your entire fault, I think to my insecurities.