Before I Go

Chapter 24- What Did I Tell You?

Before I even realize what's happening, I'm slammed roughly against the side of the building, the back of my head harshly coming into contact with the old bricks. The sharpness of the pain makes my eyes immediately squeeze shut, and my breath gets stuck in my throat.

"What did I tell you?" Serena hisses, her hand firmly meeting my shoulder to ensure I don't move from the spot she's designated for me for this altercation. Her long nails dig into my skin through the fabric of my shirt, and I can't help but wince at the fresh feeling of pain rushing through me.

"Serena," I whisper, my eyes remaining tightly closed in equal parts fear and unsureness of what to expect from this girl. My brain instantly offers up possible scenarios for this situation, unnecessarily playing them out behind my eyelids like clips from a movie or something. Absolutely none of them have even a slightly pleasant ending, and I can't stop myself from focusing on the intensity of the impending doom that I'm suddenly faced with.

"What did I tell you?" she repeats, her face so close to mine that I can practically feel the words as they slip past her lips and slap me directly across the cheek. My skin stings from the invisible impact as if it had been an actual physical assault against my flesh. "I told you to stay the hell away from Parker!" screams Serena, breathing heavily as she forces the words out.

As if a switch is suddenly flipped within me, a bubble of bravery rises from my stomach, allowing a response to escape me without my consent. My eyes open of their own accord, narrowing at Serena as I say, "Parker isn't your property." Despite Serena's weight pressing me against the brick wall, I straighten my posture to the best of my ability, the courage coursing through my veins somehow fueling me to stand up for myself for a change. "He's a person, Serena," I state clearly, my tone firm and leaving no room for argument. "And he's capable of making his own decisions about who he hangs out with."

I can almost see the whirlwind of emotions battling within Serena as her eyes temporarily widen in surprise. The shock on her expression is almost immediately replaced by fury, and I'm momentarily deterred from the idea of going against her. "Listen here, you little shit," she seethes, the words somehow coming out audibly from between her clenched teeth. "Parker Adams is MINE! And I won't let a freak like you take him from me!"

Her words cause something to snap inside me, my body reacting to the threat before my brain can catch up to it. My hands press against Serena's shoulders with enough force to move her back a couple steps but not enough to harm her, giving me ample breathing room. Taking a deep breath, I step forward and away from the wall, ensuring that Serena can no longer keep me captive there. "I'm not sure how else to say this," I tell her, straightening my clothes that had been rumpled during this altercation, "but I can dumb it down for you if you need me to. Parker can do whatever he wants and doesn't need your permission." Locking eyes with her, I add, "And I'm not afraid of you, Serena."

So I might be lying a little bit. I might definitely be afraid of her. But I think I like this newfound confidence I'm somehow possessing right now. And Serena doesn't need to know the truth.

Her hand hits my face hard, the open palm burning my cheek just as her words had earlier, causing me to close my eyes and take a deep breath. I probably should have anticipated it, but I hadn't been expecting her to actually slap me. Maybe I'm not as bright as I thought I was.

"Are you gonna stay away from my man?" Serena shrieks, her shoulders visibly heaving as she breathes heavily, her every movement filled with the entirety of the rage she's feeling.

"I would if you had one," I reply, feeling angrier with every passing second.

Serena's hand makes a second swing for my face, but this time I'm prepared for it, grabbing her wrist before she can make contact. While the thought of bending her hand backward and injuring her momentarily crosses my mind, I shake it off; as much as Serena probably deserves to be on the receiving end for a change, I won't be the one inflicting pain upon her. I don't think I'd actually be able to bring myself to do it. The look of surprise on her face is quite amusing, and I can't keep the corners of my mouth from turning upward.

"You should probably go back to kindergarten, where young children are taught to keep their hands to themselves," I tell her, enjoying how the anger obviously shows in her face. I place my hands on her shoulders and shove her away from me once again, this time ensuring there's a larger space between us. "I've got better things to do than listen to you throw a tantrum like a toddler." I quickly turn on my heel, choosing to exit this situation as soon as possible.

As I begin to walk away, Serena grabs my arm, turning me around. "Don't think you're better than me, Feldman, because you're not. Parker will never like you. You're nothing," she spits at me. The words feel like a squeeze to my heart, but I don't let the feeling linger; I can't right now.

"Don't ever touch me again," I tell her, pulling my arm out of her grasp with enough force to cause her to stumble. I don't waste another moment before getting out of there.

Crap. I have no idea where any of that came from, but there's a voice inside my head saying that it's about time I learned to stand my ground. As proud as I am of myself at this moment, I am definitely not looking forward to finding out what else that girl can do...