Chapter 10
It felt like forever before the school bus finally arrived at its location. Rebekah was happy to finally be there, and peered out the window to see a large, cream- coloured house in front of her. Beside it was an enormous, ocean-blue lake that had jets gliding across it.
Rebekah's eyes sparkled- the place was so magnificent, and she just loved looking at nature and the bright sky, causing sun light to be bounced of the shimmery water. It just looked so peaceful, and it made Rebekah's heart flutter in glory.
Everyone evacuated the bus, and Rebekah stood alone. Despite everyone liking Rebekah as a person, she did prefer to be by herself, so she was glad when everyone collided into three small groups, and she was not part of it. Also, in a way, she needed to be isolated with her thoughts. Her head was spinning, and she just wanted to have a fun day for once. Relax.
Mrs Berlin kindly told everyone to line up, whilst she counted them to ensure nobody would go missing. She then stood beside them and everyone chatted amongst themselves until they were sent to their destination.
Mumbling was all Rebekah could hear whilst swimming in her own mind, until she was rudely disrupted by a coughing sound from above, causing her to bring her forlornly eyes up from the ground.
In front of the students and teachers now, was a very small man- possibly only about 5'6. He had a clear bald head, with spikes of black, thick hair at the sides and light brown eyes. The man had hiking boots on and a large water-proof jacket that wrapped around his tiny figure. He had a large, cheerful smile plastered across his middle-aged face.
" Hello everyone," he greeted. His voice was high pitched, and he just wouldn't stop showing his teeth through that grin. He was way too excited for this time in the morning. "I'm John. It's so lovely to see so many of you today. I'm going to be your instructor and guide you out there on the water.
John was practically jumping off the ground; it was like he had ants in his pants. Rebekah hadn't seen anything like it, and it caused her to lift a smile onto her face. She wished she could be as happy as John.
(Jealous)
" Students, don't be rude and say hello back," Mrs Greta moaned, and all the students mumbled back to him, causing him to let out a chuckle; he wasn't letting these children get his mood down.
" No worries," he said. " If you all just want to follow me and we can get cracking."
John picked up the bag he'd dropped onto the ground, and placed it on his shoulder. All the students began to follow, and Rebekah waited behind a little bit to avoid being in the same eye line as Kade and Ethan. She really just wanted today to run smoothly, but she felt she couldn't breath in their presence.
Ethan was talking to a teacher, and Kade was walking as slow as possible too. He knew she was behind him- he didn't even have to look to notice her plan. Kade was too smart, and it drove Rebekah crazy. She felt so tense- unable to move, or even speak. She was immutable to the situation with him, despite her saying Kade could tell the whole world if he pleased; no matter what happened, she still felt the same.
Alone.
Discarded.
Trapped.
They reached the lake, and John gestured for them to join him in what looked like a garage. When Rebekah entered she noticed equipment, and wooden shacks full of what appeared to be boats.
" If everyone would like to grab a helmet and a paddle, then meet me over here, please," John said, walking towards the deck that stood before the lake. Despite his happy and excited tone, Rebekah's grade continued to act contemptuous towards John.
Rebekah kept her eyes on the floor as she waddled towards a box containing aluminous, yellow helmets. She sighed in exhaustion before reaching in to grab one, only to feel skin to skin contact with someone on the top of her hand.
Rebekah flinched for some reason, and looked up in fright to see Ethan stood there, gazing at her with bright green eyes. It was as if she knew it was him- one of them anyway.
But at this moment, Ethan appeared so vulnerable. It was strange; his eyes were glistening melancholy and he blinked several times as if he was taking in her appearance.
Ethan didn't say a word to Rebekah.
She cleared her throat and tore her eyes away, placing a piece of her long, blonde hair behind her ear. She quickly grabbed a helmet and a paddle, and scurried over to where Mr. Gibson stood. He offered her a warm smile and she struggled to return the favour.
Once everyone had got their equipment, John placed his hands on his waist and eyed everyone with that same, Cheshire Cat smile on his small mouth.
" Right everyone, the helmets are pretty basic. Boys, clip the bottom on and then tighten it with the top screw. Girls tie up your hair and- "
Weirdly, Rebekah didn't let him finish as she jumped right in. " Tie up our hair?" she asked without thinking what she'd said through. It was as if she felt she could say things and she didn't even remind herself of the odd looks she'd receive. Her stable mind seemed to be switched of at all times, no matter how much she told herself to act normal.
She knew she'd gone red the minute everyone began staring at her.
Rebekah Fleetwood would never questioned an adult.
Her behaviour was cryptic, and she caught Mrs Greta taking a peek at her with beady eyes.
The instructor offered her a nervous laugh and looked around him, wondering if anyone else had the same concern, or if the students knew anything about Rebekah's interruption.
" Yes, it's so that your strands don't get caught in the screw. It's a health and safety precaution."
" Can I not just keep my hair down with the helmet on?" You could hear the small piece of irritation in her voice which caught everyone around her by surprise- a few even oo'd.
Rebekah Fleetwood wasn't rude, especially to strangers.
The instructor looked at her with a confused face. The students and teachers were just as perplexed, furrowing their brows as if she'd gone mad.
( I'm not mad, just a little uneasy today, sir)
" I mean, I think it would be best if you-"
" Can she not just keep her hair down, sir?" Mrs Berta asked politely, knowing this was waisting everyone's time. The instructor sighed and just nodded his head, continuing to explain the rest of the procedure. Ethan turned to eye Rebekah and he seen her blank face, her eyes staring down at the floor. He knitted his eyebrows before turning back to listen.
" I now need each of you to get into pairs," John said. "It is important two people are canoeing on one boat."
Mrs Greta began counting one- two of everyone into pairs, probably to avoid people like Ethan and Kade being put together, because that'd be a disaster. But Rebekah's heart dropped when she one-two'd herself and Kade Samuels.
This was her chance at freedom for the day, and despite their presence, she wasn't going to let these monsters take it away from her.
" Mrs Greta," Rebekah called, taking a step forward. " Can i work with someone else?" She immediately felt Kade's eyes burning into her skin like hot coat, but ignored it. She knew he'd be angry, but she tried not to care.
Mrs Greta tutted and continued counting the children. "No, Rebekah."
"But, Mrs Greta, I really don't feel comfortable being in a-"
" Look, Miss Fleetwood," Mrs Greta turned towards her and crossed her arms over her shoulder; she was mad. " you're causing a lot of issues today. This is suppose to be a fun day and you're ruining it with your whining."
Ouch.
"You can stay with Mr. Samuels. I'm sure he doesn't bite," she ended the conversation by rolling her eyes at Rebekah and walking back over to the other teachers.
Oh Mrs Greta, he does more than bite..
Rebekah couldn't believe how rude Mrs Greta was being to her today. It was not like she was never the politest of woman, but Rebekah felt she deserved more respect.
But why should she respect you when you don't even have respect for yourself? Her subconscious mocked, and Rebekah attempted to shake that subterranean reminder away with force. Her thoughts were interrupted anyway when John began to speak, but it still lingered in her mind like a pungent stench coming from a near by trash can.
" Right, if everyone wants to take their double boats from there, and make sure those helmets stay on. It can be very dangerous out on the lake. We wouldn't want any accidents now, would we?" John chuckled and the students just groaned back at him, no laughter to join John's. It seemed as if he was aiming at Rebekah, causing her too huff.
Everyone groaned before walking over towards the stack of medium sized canoe boats. They struggled as they pulled the ends out with all their strength. Rebekah just stood there, twiddling her thumbs and trying not to look up. She heard noise and picked her head up to see Kade staring at her, already stood near the boat rack. His black eyes didn't blink as she focused on one part of his face.
" Are you not going to help me?" Kade asked so sweetly, putting on a front whilst the teachers were around. This made Rebekah dig her nails into her palms- it had became a habit recently.
" I'm sure you don't need my help," she muttered, rolling her eyes as he dragged one large, red boat out with his enormous arms. Rebekah watched intently as he took the boat and placed it beside the lake.
He was so strong, and that always scared her.
John walked in front of all the students and clapped his hands together excitedly. " Right children, if everyone wants to grab their paddles and climb inside their boats."
Rebekah shifted towards the boat that Kade had lay out. Kade had already placed himself on the front, not even bothering to look at her. It was frustrating her that Kade was trying to make out that she was the problem. She just wanted to scream from the top of her lungs the ugly truth, but Rebekah just couldn't. She didn't have it in her, despite her front towards them at times.
" Climb inside your boats," John instructed.
Rebekah took wobbly steps towards the deck, her legs were shaking for some reason and she could feel the clamminess on her hands as she held them both into a fist. Kade was already seated on the first plank, his back facing her.
She gazed at his back for a while. The water was there, and Rebekah wanted so badly just to push him in. She had so much fucking hate for him in her heart. It pained her.
He'd probably placed something in there so that when she stepped in, she'd fall. He was that kind of guy. She couldn't trust him- now she was in the hands of a monster.
Rebekah had to remind herself she was overthinking.
Warily, she placed a trembling foot inside the boat and sat down. The minute she did so, Kade aggressively took his paddle and swerved his way into the water without John's permission.
Rebekah let out a small yelp from this, and Kade tutted at her stupidity. She hoped he'd get in trouble, and be forced to sit out. But John witnessed that students had already started rowing in the water, and decided to just shout to everyone to meet him on the other side, and also to stay close together.
Kade began to row quickly- his paddle slammed against the water violently, and the droplets flung back, hitting Rebekah in the face like cold spit. She huffed, itching like an addict to give him a piece of her mind, but she knew that's what he wanted.
Instead, she pulled out her sun glasses and placed them on the bridge of her nose. She then grabbed her paddle from the boat, and attempted to row slightly. She knew Kade could do it alone, but for some reason, she wanted to keep herself busy.
Kade turned towards her, witnessing her hair draped over her shoulders, suffocating her neck. His eyes roamed her body before he plastered a grin upon his devilish face, ready to wind her up.
" Wonder why you want to keep your hair down, ey?" Kade said. "It's pointless trying to hide the hickeys you have from other boys- it's expected from a desperate girl like you,"
Rebekah let her paddle whack against the side of the boat and breathed before turning to face him.
" Oh have a day off, would you?" Rebekah moaned, completely out of her zone. What she said you'd never expect to come from her- she'd always so spoke with Received Pronunciation, and rarely ever used swear words in her vocabulary, which had also become a nasty habit she'd picked up on since being in the presence of these boys.
Kade just gazed at her with wide eyes, that mocking smile still slithered across his lips.
" I'm sick to death of hearing " you're a this" and " you're a that". I don't care, just leave me alone." Rebekah did care. She was beginning to get so frustrated with this nonsense. It was all she was reminded of everyday. When you hear something so much, you start to believe it's true. And Rebekah honestly felt she was disgusting, but she couldn't tell Kade that. It's what he wanted to hear, because he thought so himself.
Kade just cackled maliciously, his eyes stretching even more than they already had. "Jeez, someone's feisty today. I like it."
Rebekah rolled her eyes behind her sun glasses and looked away from him, staring out into the distance. The other boats were beginning to disperse from her own, and that sent an unwanted chill through her body like an electrical impulse.
" You know, I can't believe you'd ditch your best friend just to come and terrorise me on a boat. It's a bit sad, really," she said, still not turning to meet his handsome face.
" Oh yeah?" he said. " Well, I'm sure Ethan doesn't mind. I think he enjoys Kari Johnstone's company; he needs the attention."
There was something about the way Kade pronounced that last part that made Rebekah feel like it had some sort of meaning- like Ethan was lonely. But surely that wasn't true.
" Besides," Kade continued. " Why wouldn't I want to sit here and watch you get angry at me. It's sort of attractive." His odd words sent shivers down Rebekah's spine, making her close her eyes and take a moment. No matter how beautiful Kade was, he still made Rebekah feel grim inside, and out. Like she was worthless whilst knowing him. She had nothing on him, and that pissed her off.
" Okay," she responded briefly, her voice so quiet that you could barely hear her.
Deafening silence fell for a few moments and Rebekah bowed her head, picking at the torn skin around her nails. It was awkward and uncomfortable- she could feel Kade's eyes burning into her skin like hot coal.
She listened as the fabric on his black shorts swiped across the seat on the boat, gliding towards her. It was a irritable sound, hurting her ears by disrupting the quiet atmosphere. She closed her eyes, feeling the horrific emotion she felt when he came towards her- that one that told her she was in trouble.
" Let's fuck," he blurted out, and Rebekah's mouth nearly dropped to the floor.
" What?" Rebekah shrieked, her eyes wide.
Kade chuckled, then brought his dark eyes to meet her shocked ones. They were drooling as they raked up and down her body- he licked his red, full lips in the process.
" Come on," Kade said seductively. " You're really turning me on right now. I just want to feel you so badly."
" You're fucked up," Rebekah turned away from him. Gosh this boy had some nerve. Coming here, terrorising her, then expecting a quick one on a boat. It just caused Rebekah to feel annoyed, even though she knew he must have been joking- the boats were far off, but she was sure they'd be able to witness them. But when Rebekah looked back at him, there was a burning horror in his eyes that told her he was serious. And nobody ever said no to him.
Rebekah knew he'd do it anyways, consent or not.
She took her sunglasses off of her face and just looked at him in incredulity. She let out a deep sigh. Rebekah looked away, continuing to row and looking off into the distance. The boats continued getting further and further away by the second, probably due to the fact Kade had stopped rowing the boat, and it was just her doing all the work.
" You're a beautiful girl, Rebekah," Kade automatically whispered, causing the hairs on Rebekah's arms to stand up, clearly taking her by surprise.
Did she just hear Kade Samuels call a girl beautiful? After all those times he'd called her ugly and disgusting.
Her beautiful.
A pang of warmth spread through her body; it was unwanted, and she felt herself being enveloped in the compliment. Boys had called her many trashy things before. Sexy. Hot. Beautiful had never been something she'd heard from a male- only by her father. The fact it was by Kade Samuels was just something she couldn't believe. This boy didn't have the guts too call a girl beautiful.
Rebekah had to keep her cool. It was pathetic and she needed to act like his stupid comment hadn't affected her.
" And?" Rebekah muttered.
" So I want to fuck you," Kade shrugged. " You no I don't take no for an answer, Rebekah."
Suddenly, a great flame of anger sparked inside Rebekah as that next comment made her remember what this boy had done to her. He was a monster. He didn't care; he wanted to ruin her life for some unknown reason. He was trying to manipulate her, and she wouldn't fall for it. Kade wasn't a nice boy, and he never would be. Everything he did in life was for himself and nobody else around him.
Kade Samuels didn't have a heart. He just had an organ that kept him alive and allowed him to ruin people's lives.
She quickly snapped her head towards him, her eyes scrunched in fury and not removing from his now taken- back expression. She was red, red in the face. Her lips had shrivelled into an infuriated line as she narrowed her eyes at him.
" What the hell is the matter with you? Don't you understand that I don't want to be near you? Stop chasing someone who can't stand the sight of you, it's embarrassing. You're embarrassing. You're an awful boy, Kayden Samuels, and you always will be. You disgust me." By the time Rebekah was done with her rant, she was out of breath, and began gasping for air. She didn't need to go full in on him, but once she started, she couldn't stop. All the animosity she felt towards him over these past two weeks- stronger than ever, had come out of her, causing her to make him know how she truly felt about him.
She hated him.
She held her hand against her chest, and when she looked up, she witnessed a view that nearly knocked her off her off the boat she was placed upon.
Kade had gone a deep shade of Devil red. Veins were protruding from his neck and forehead as acrimony pumped through his body. His eyes weren't the same- of course they had that dark, sinister twist about them, but there was something within the black twinkle that swallowed his final piece of sanity on the back of his mind. The one that would sometimes whisper what you do to this girl is wrong, Kayden. Wrong in mind.
That had disappeared, been bedridden. Vanished even. And all that was left was an infuriated man who looked as if power had struck the muscles in his arms- his pulse quickened and his nostrils exhaling more air than humanly possible.
Rebekah's eyes didn't move from him- it was as if they were glued there, almost waiting for his reaction. She felt fear alright- her heart was slamming against her rib cage. Her green eyes had widened so far, she was afraid the skin beside her socket may begin to slit open, causing physical pain. She gulped harshly, the dryness in her throat only spreading to her uvula, causing an irritating tickle.
Too quickly to comprehend, Kade gripped Rebekah by her throat, his long fingers digging into her neck like a stack of knives and she watched the scrunched-up, horrifying expression on his face before he flung her head forward, and dunked it straight into the water that their boat lay in.
Her head was under, and she immediately felt the panic takeover her body. It started at her legs as they swung back and forth in an attempt to kick him off, then sprawled all the way up her back, into her aching arms, and finally to her face, that she could feel tensing in a combination of incredulity and pure terror.
Rebekah was hawking down a large amount of water; she was still writhed against his astonishingly, strong grip, which only seemed to incite his madman behaviour. The more Rebekah wriggled, the more Kade would throw her head under- he was so docile, it was as if he'd been taught.
It was becoming unbearable. Rebekah's eyes were stinging- she couldn't see. It was blur and dirty beneath her, and her nose stung furiously from the lakes water entering her nostrils. Her body was becoming frigid; a scatter of clouded horror filled her heart and she automatically began to feel she was losing consciousness. Her eyes were slowly closing and then fluttering open- she felt like Kade Samuels were releasing his hands from the back of her neck, but it could be her mind playing games.
This was it. Rebekah was going to die.
All of a sudden, Rebekah flopped to the boat as she felt her head get dragged up out of the water. Her breath was heavy- far too heavy. Her chest was moving up and down and she couldn't even raise her hand to hold her throbbing heart. Had he pulled her out?
Her vision was super unclear, and she attempted to raise her shaky, shocked hands to rub her eyes. She dug her palms into them, and looked straight ahead to see Kade staring right at her, his eyes still laced with burning hatred, and Rebekah Fleetwood was more terrified than ever before.
She didn't have time to realise that she'd just survived her head being held under water for so long, nor to look around for the other boats that had literally dispersed from the area, when Kade stood up, stepped forward and pushed the boat, causing Rebekah's entire body to fall into the water.
Rebekah let out a yelp, before her screams were muffled by the water covering her body and mouth like a mask. She began to doggy-paddle super fast, to help her lift her head from the water. Her hands were moving in rapid, circular motions.
When she did, she used her left-hand to rip the hair from her eyes, and stared 12 o clock to see Kade rowing the boat away, his back facing her with an angry muscle sticking out his shoulder.
Rebekah was still breathing really fast, and with great heaviness. Her eyes scanned the area, before turning back to face The Devil himself.
" Kade!" Rebekah screeched, but you could barely make out what she was saying due to the water that clogged her throat. " Kayden, come back, please!"
Rebekah's pleas fell on death ears as Kade quickly and aggressively rowed the boat away from her. He was just going to keep going- he wasn't coming back for anyone.
Rebekah Fleetwood was trapped in the middle of a lake. The boats were gone, and there was nothing in the world she could do..