Chapter Twenty-Three: I’m Going To Kill Her
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I toss and turn, seeking sleep, but it has deserted me. Despite Sam’s reassurance that I have not been cursed, I cannot help but think about all the tragedies that have happened around me and the fact that I am supposed to have died a long time ago, but for some reason, I was saved.
What’s so special about me? I’m just a girl who’s ordinary in every way. Why was I allowed to live while my mother and my uncle were not? Do I have a purpose here on earth?
I pull down the duvet and sit up on the bed when I realize sleep is far from me. I reach out for my phone which is on the table beside the bed and squint when the glare of light attacks me. My eyes soon adjust and I find that it is a little past 1a.m. With a sigh, I dial Asher’s number.
He answers at the second dial.
“Bells.” His voice is huskier than usual, and my insides squirm as I find it even much more attractive.
“I’m sorry,” I internally curse my squeaky voice. “Did I wake you up?”
“No?” He answers, but it sounds more like a question and I know he’s lying to make me feel better. “I’ve been so worried about you. Audrey told me you’re at Cherry’s, but her number’s not going through. How are you doing?”
“I’m holding up. Cherry and her parents are wonderful. They’re helping.” I manage a smile even though he cannot see me. “I’m sorry for not calling regarding our date. It was –”
“Are you seriously apologizing right now? Bells! It’s okay. I totally understand. I’d be the biggest jerk of the century if I got mad. I’m just deeply concerned right now. You’ve been going through a heck lot lately, and I want to be here for you.”
A wide grin appears on my face as I idly toy with a lock of my hair. Asher Reid cares about me. Somehow, despite all the pain and everything going on, that fact is enough to keep me smiling.
~~*~~
I stroll into school with Cherry talking animatedly about something, but I find myself unable to pay attention to her as I become all too aware of all the eyes that are on us. with furrowed brows, I stare down at my outfit to make sure I don’t look ridiculous, but I find that my flannel top on jeans and brown wedges look absolutely normal.
I turn to Cherry and she looks amazing as usual with her pink top tucked into her high waist jeans. Deciding that the rude stares has nothing to do with our outfits, I shrug and continue my way to my locker, all too aware of some people stalking after us.
Cherry looks oblivious to the crowd. There’s a spring in her steps that causes her brown hair to sway around her face. She catches me staring and provides a huge smile that makes me envious of how she manages to be so happy every time.
“Why are you staring at me like I have something in my teeth? Oh my God! I do have something in my teeth?” She grimaces in horror and I manage a light hearted chuckle as we approach my locker.
“No! People are staring at us and it’s freaking me out. Why are you not freaked out?”
“Babe! I’m the captain of the swim-team. I get a lot of stares, so I’ve become indifferent about it.” She shrugs as she pulls out a water bottle from her hand bag and uncaps it. “Just ignore em. They probably have non’ better to do.” She takes a swing of the water as I nod.
She’s right! Of course, she’s right.
I turn to my locker and punch in the combination and it makes a soft clicking sound I am positive I have never heard my locker make before. Before I can get a word out, the locker springs open and red paint sprays all over my perfectly beautiful and somewhat expensive dress, totally ruining it. I step backwards a little too late and watch in horror as the sticky and strong-smelling substance splatters all over me.
“Oh my God!” Cherry exclaims, her eyes wide. Luckily, she didn’t get her clothes ruined by the paint.
All around me, I am aware of the students that laugh as they hold up their phones to capture the moment. I am rooted to the spot, my cheeks flushed in mortification and anger that someone could be petty enough to pull an absolutely ridiculous stunt as this.
“I’m going to kill her!” I hear Nat and I am startled as I didn’t see her arrive. Beside her is Audrey who passes me an apologetic stare to which I nod and smile in gratitude.
On cue, the beauty queens themselves strut over, heels clinking against the shining tiled floors, expensive bags hanging from their arms and their hair and clothing on fleek. They stop right before the mess, careful not to step in it and ruin their beautiful shoes.
“You look a lot better now, Anabelle.” Trixie stresses my name as she knows just how much I dislike the name. I inhale deeply to calm the river of rage within me as I don’t want to spit out words that I wouldn’t be able to take back.
Nat doesn’t seem to care about being calm. She steps forward, not caring that the girls make her look short. She stops right before them, a huge scowl on her face and her palms balled into fists.
“I will end you, Trixie. I’m going to hit you so hard; you’ll never be able to get back up and show your ugly, plastic, ridiculous face in this town ever again. You hear me?”
Though it is almost unnoticeable, I see Trixie and Tiffany stiffen and their eyes widen by a fraction. Suddenly, someone comes between a frightening Nat and the terrified girls. Much to my surprise, Nat calms down a little and steps back.
“Okay, cuz! You all need to calm the hell down else heads are going to fly around,” Carrie surprises me. I never thought she was one to get involved in the riot between her cousin and the girls. “Trix, Tiff, if you both don’t clean this mess right now, and I mean right now, by God… I’m going to flip tables and you’ll both wake up with my pet boa constrictors in your beds.”
She’s almost as terrifying as her cousin.
The two girls lose colour and I notice them step backwards as Tiffany shakes her head.
“You were told by the authorities that you couldn’t keep those snakes,” Tiffany forces herself to spit out. “My-my dad is an officer. I’ll have you reported.”
“Good! Then we can tell him of your vandalism, the bullying and Trixie’s cruelty to that poor cat that was just minding its business. Go on and give him a call. I dare you!”
Tiffany and Trixie cast their gazes downwards as they mutter incoherently to themselves. Audrey seems to find it amusing because she barks out a laugh, Nat walks over to her cousin and they whisper amongst themselves, while Cherry taps my shoulder.
“Come on, let’s go find you something else to wear.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Sam’s voice is suddenly heard and I turn around to fund him behind me, holding up a bag from Sheila Stores in Northview Central Mall. He hands it over to me and I peek in to find a while material.
He eyes me up and shakes his head, then he turns to Trixie and Tiffany.
“You’re still standing here, and the floor is still messy. Are you senseless or something?”
The two girls scurry away, probably to find mops with which they can use to clean up the mess and Audrey smiles widely at Sam, her expression dreamy.
“How did you know she was going to need this?” Cherry furrows her brows at him and somehow, I know his answer even before it leaves his mouth.
“Aren’t I a sneaky Devil?” He winks at her.
His voice is silky and charming as always, it caused Audrey to swoon as her face flushes with colour. Her lips part to say something to Sam, but words fail her, so she resorts to staring at him like he’s otherworldly – well, he is.
Carrie and Nat stop their discussion to stare at the handsome Devil in slight admiration. Carrie shrugs, then leaves us and I can see Nat trying and failing to uphold her façade of nonchalance.
No one can resist the Devil.
I wonder for a moment what their reactions would be if they knew he was the actual Devil. Would they run in fear or would they still regard him as though he’s a knight in white clothing?
The bell rings and everyone blinks as they suddenly remember they have more important things to do today than eye the young man up.
“See you at lunch.” Cherry moves to hug me, but she steps back and shakes her head as she remembers there’s sticky paint all over me. She decides to settle for a wave.
Audrey continues to stare dreamily at Sam and has to be pulled away by Nat.
When they are all gone and the hallway is somewhat devoid of students, I slam my locker shut and walk towards the female’s changing room so I can wash off all the paint and change into the new clothes Sam somehow knew to get me.
Much to my surprise, he follows after me, hands tucked into the pockets of his white trousers. I halt in my steps, perplexed as to why he feels the urge to guide me. He stops when I do, his head titled slightly as he observes me.
“What’s the matter?” I snap at him and his lips stretch into his usual amused half smile that earns a groan from me. “What do you want from me, Sam? What even is your full name? Samael?”
At my words, his face scrunches in disgust as though he finds the thought of answering Samuel revolting.
“It’s Samael. I thought you would know this.”
I hum and resume my voyage into the changing room. He continues to follow after me.
“You do know you’re not allowed into the female’s changing room, right?” I raise a brow at him and he hums.
“I’m the Devil. I do what I want. And not to worry, I have no intention of peeping at you. You’re not that pretty. I just happen to find classes boring and beneath my intellectual capabilities. Biology? I hear enough of Raphael’s ramblings already. Law and Justice? Michael. History? I was there when it happened. Foreign languages? Oh please!”
“You speak every language, don’t you?” U note as I push open the door. Peeping inside, I find it empty so I usher him in.
He scoffs at my question and I raise a brow at him, wondering why he finds this totally reasonable question moronic.
“I do not speak every language. Language barrier is a concept known only to humans, staring from the time some rather idiotic beings decided they wanted to build a tower to the high Heavens. As if!”
“The tower of Babel?” I ask and he lets out a short breathy chuckle.
“You’re not completely stupid. I’m almost impressed.”
Somehow, his half-insult makes me smile as I know it’s the closest to a compliment I’ll actually get from him. Before I leave him on a bench and step into a stall, I take my time to stare at him. Stare at the Lord of evil and destruction.
Everything I’ve come to know about the Devil is so different from the actual Devil before me. He isn’t evil, more cunning if anything, he doesn’t seem to want to cause chaos, he’s almost nice even. For a brief moment, I allow myself to think that maybe, just maybe he does care about me and that’s why he has been considerably calm.
Perhaps the Devil has feelings after all.