Cursed (25 page)

I nodded trying desperately to keep my emotions
under check and not reveal anything in my looks, “I’ve seen him a
few times but he’s not the bad guy. I know you want him to be but
he’s really not. I saw the guy that day he had a different face
than Aleks. Besides Aleks is leaving town tonight I think.”

He nodded processing this. “I am joining the
police force, I write the test in the city in two weeks.” He said
it and left it out there for me to think about or comment on.

I smiled at him proud of him for making a choice
for himself and desperately grateful we got to stop talking about
Aleks, “Nice, good for you. That’s a great fit for you I
think.”

He watched my reaction letting a smile grow on
his face.

We had covered a lot of relationship areas in
one night, which I knew was a bit intense for my first dance, first
boyfriend, and first person that was in love with me. I wished he
was my first real love but I guessed you didn’t get to have it all
in the first go around the merry go round.

“Will you wait for me?” He raised his eyebrows
and smirked.

I nodded, “Yes of course, its only six months
isn’t it?”

He nodded laughing, “Yeah it isn’t exactly a
huge wait. What if I get posted somewhere crazy though?”

I shrugged, “Cross that bridge when we get
there?”

He agreed, “Yeah it’s a long ways away. I’m not
even guaranteed to get past all of the tests. They’re pretty
intense.” He kissed my hand, “I just want us to be together, like
boyfriend and girlfriend together. Are we there yet?”

I nodded, “Yeah.” I knew I had another door to
close before we were completely there but I wanted this more than
anything else.

We stopped dancing as the music picked up and
walked to the punch table where two parent chaperones stood watch,
I smiled at them as Shane got us both a drink. I watched him drink
his before I had any. He smiled knowing what I was doing, “It’s
safe Aims, that’s Becky Magee’s mom, and she’s a Baptist.”

I laughed and drank some punch.

We went and sat at a table where my sister and
Blake were sitting with a few other people.

I smiled at Shane, “So the police force, I
watched a show on it once, it was brutal. It’s like the marines.
Police boot camp is savage but the guys seemed so confident and
proud of their accomplishments there are you excited?” I asked
trying to keep the conversation light.

“I saw that one too, it looked pretty intense.
Yeah I’m excited but I have a long process before I'm in.”

I wanted to encourage him, his parents were
living for themselves and he had such potential. It would be a
shame for him to spend his life in our little town never trying to
become anything out of guilt for his family’s problems.

I looked down the table at Blake who looked so
happy talking to my sister, she looked partly mystified and the
rest happy.

The girl next to us was named Nadine, she was
one grade behind us but her boyfriend William was in graduating
with us. She smiled at me as Shane started talking to Tommy who was
beside him. My sister tried to be discreet as she eyeballed Tommy
and then me.

I nodded slowly as if not responding to her. We
both were watching him when Nadine whispered to me, “You look
really pretty.”

I smiled at her, “Thanks. You do too.” Her long
brown hair was pulled up into a French twist and her yellow satin
halter dress was very form fitting. She looked amazing for a
sixteen year old, more like twenty-five but I assumed that was the
point.

“Have you heard how Jaime is doing?” She
asked.

I shook my head, “No I have been meaning to go
see her, have you heard?”

She nodded, “Yesterday I heard she woke up but
that she doesn’t remember anything. She seems to be on the mend I
guess. Kinda creepy hey?”

I nodded watching Tommy talk to Shane. His lips
were full and thick. He had slightly crooked teeth in the front. He
had a very tiny mole on his left cheek low on his face. None of
which the rapist had. Tommy was creepy enough to do a lot of things
but I could never believe him that creepy.

The dance was a booming success, not that I had
anything to compare to but my sister appeared to be having a great
time with her friends and Blake was fitting in with them completely
and oddly enough everyone appeared to be sober. I knew Blake felt
out of place as he made eye contact with me, looking uncertain of
his surroundings but also of us. I smiled hoping to reassure him we
were fine. It was a conversation that was eventually going to have
to happen but not that night.

I was starting to feel light headed and excused
myself to the bathroom. I couldn’t seem to focus my eyes and I was
starting to sweat a little. Shane gave me a worried look but I
shook my head at him and walked toward the bathroom.

Mr. Mac walked toward me smiling, “Hey kid, you
look a little pale. You feeling okay?”

I nodded, “Yeah just still a bit weak I guess.
Who knows how long that’s going to last.

Mr. Mac nodded, “Yeah you’ve had quite the year
haven’t you. Well take it easy.”

He frowned at me like my dad did sometimes,
usually when I went along with whatever bad idea my sister was
convincing me of.

I walked around the corner to the girl’s
bathroom. I barely made it into the bathroom when I started to pass
out. I felt a warm breeze and slipped into Aleksander's arms. I
couldn’t see him as my world went black but I would have known the
feel of him anywhere. I floated into him and relaxed, I knew I was
safe as the blackout took me.

“Aimee, please wake up. Please or I’m taking you
back to the hospital. Please wake up.” I felt my lips curl up into
a smile, I could feel his warm touch on my arm. I was safe as long
as he was there.

I strained to open my eyes but the focus took
longer than I expected. “Aleks, you here?” I knew the answer but I
needed to be sure I wasn’t dreaming.

My eyes fuzzed out and then focused on his
worried face, “Yeah I’m here baby. Just hold onto me. Did you drink
anything at the dance?”

I shook my head, “Just the punch the Baptists
were guarding, it was clean trust me. Everyone else is fine. I
think it’s my liver still.”

He nodded, his solemn face was scaring me, “I
can’t stay any longer, I feel the pull already taking me somewhere
else. But I can’t leave you sick like this. None of this should
have happened.”

He looked so panicked as he tried to solve my
mysterious health issues.

“I always feel better when you’re near me.” I
smiled trying to reassure him.

He closed his eyes and groaned, “Nooooo. Oh no.
I’ve done this to you. You’re in liver failure that’s what’s wrong.
I am an idiot.”

I shook my head, “No the doctors said I was
fine. My eyes aren’t yellow and my skin is only slightly
yellow.”

He shook his head, “As long as I’m here you’re
going to feel fine but its only the symptoms that are being masked
not the actual problem. Like that headache you had that I took
away, I never cured the headache only made the pain go away. I’ve
been touching you and near you so much that it’s masked your
illness. We need to get you back now. Your liver probably was fine
when you left the hospital but it went sometime in the last couple
weeks. ”

I nodded looking around, “Where are we?”

He smiled softly making my heart skip a few
beats, “The beach I took you the first night.”

I looked around me and saw it all clearly now,
the waves crashing and the sand beneath me. The cool ocean air was
clearing my head.

I felt a tear starting to well in my eyes, “are
you really going to leave me forever?”

His faced turned angry, “I don’t know how to
stay.”

His words felt like swords slicing into me. I
had spent so long trying not to feel anything and he came along and
not only tore down the wall I had built but burned the whole
village down. There were no survivors. Looking at him I knew what I
wanted in life, even if my life was only going to be a few hours
longer.

“I need to go back to the school for a minute, I
need to say goodbye to my sister and Shane and Blake.”

He shook his head as he bent down and picked me
up. He tensed like he was about to take off again, “I need to take
you to the hospital first Aimee.”

I shook my head, “I’m the smartest person you
and I both know Aleks, I know what happens to someone who lets
their liver failure go on for too long without treatment. I am at
least an hour helicopter ride away from a major hospital. In this
small town I will be dead by morning. I will be flown to the city
the minute I get to the hospital, that means I wont be seeing
anyone else for a while. I need to tell them I’m okay. They’re
going to worry if I don’t and I cant explain how I got myself to a
hospital without outing you on the weird traveling thing you do.
They’ll send out a search party.”

His jaw tensed as he started toward the school.
I was leaning into him as much as I could, taking as much of the
painkiller as I could off of his skin. I didn’t understand the
science behind a person giving off a soothing pheromone that
stopped pain but at the moment my skin felt like it was in a cold
fire and my head was starting to pound so much my eyes burned.

I took in deep breathes of him, I needed every
drop of him before he was gone forever. I couldn’t think about it
just yet, all I wanted was to enjoy every last second.

He walked into the back door of the school at
the gymnasium entrance and put me down outside of the bathroom, “No
one but you can see me right now okay. So don’t talk to me. I will
walk with you and keep a hand on you at all times.”

I nodded wanting to look up into his blue eyes
and get lost, press myself up against him and kiss until I died
peaceful knowing true love. I would give up my forever to be with
him for that last day. I knew I wouldn’t be able to live when he
was gone. No matter how much I tricked myself into believing I
could live with Shane and love the person who was better for my
heart I would be dead without the feelings I had then for
Aleks.

As we walked from the hallway he held a hand on
my shoulder making me feel weird but I knew it was essential to
have him touching me if I wanted to stay upright.

I saw Shane looking at me oddly as he stood from
the table and walked over frowning, “Hey you okay? You look really
sick.” He reached down and picked up my hands. I felt awkward with
him touching my hands and Aleks holding my shoulder, like my love
triangle had come to its head.

I nodded, “I’m getting my dad to come get me. I
feel sick again. I need to go back to the hospital. Thanks for
bringing me here.”

He leaned down and kissed my cheek softly,
“Thanks for coming with me Aimee, you’ve made this the best night
of my life. I’ll walk you out and come with you.”

I felt dirty and panicked all at once, “No
that’s okay, stay and enjoy. He’s waiting for me outside. Seriously
don’t worry. Tell my sister and Blake I went with my dad okay.”

He looked at me and frowned, “I should come with
you, your dad wont mind.”

I nodded, “Yeah but he wants me to go with him,
just me. He said he wants to talk about something.” I seriously was
the worst liar ever, four year olds could be more convincing.

I felt my stomach twisting with the guilt and
lie as Shane’s face filled with disappointment, “Okay. Well let me
walk you out.”

I didn’t know what else to say so I just turned
and started to walk out. The music was at a quiet moment in between
songs when suddenly I heard it, the bird squawk. It happened once
and then again just like in the woods. I turned suddenly looking
around to see Mr. Mac pick his phone out of his pocket as he
answered it. I looked at his mouth as he was talking, his thin lips
moving quietly into the phone. How had I missed how thin his lips
were?

His eyes shot over to me seeing the look of
recognition on my face and he turned to leave the gym quickly.

“Shane it’s Mr. Mac, it’s him. He’s the rapist.”
I pointed shouting. The room began to spin in confusion as Shane
ran and tackled the fleeing teacher.

“You son of a bitch.” He held him on his face on
the hard floor and sat on his shoulders pinning him to the
ground.

Mr. Mac was a strong looking man but Shane was
very imposing standing next to him, sprawled out on top of him it
was clear Mr. Mac didn’t stand a chance.

I looked as Blake came running over looking
outraged at Shane, “No Blake it’s him. He did this to me.”

Blake shook his head as his mentor was held on
the ground. My sister was already calling for the police officers
in the corridors, as were a few others no doubt. Mrs. Sinclair our
principal was trying to break up the fight but everyone was
attempting to explain the strange occurrence to her before she
helped free the pervert.

Mr. Mac turned his face and looked at me, his
thin lips curling into a smile and his always-friendly eyes turned
cruel as he watched me. I felt dirty knowing what his intentions
had been in the woods that day. His face would haunt my dreams
forever more, his look sent a shiver down my spine.

I felt the warm air fill the space around me and
I knew that no matter what in that moment I was safe. Shane looked
back at me to see if I was okay, his worried face was ripping my
heart out. I knew I had betrayed his trust and love for me but I
couldn’t help my feelings and I couldn’t make myself love him the
way he loved me. I knew I should have been honest about it all
instead of falling for someone else and pretending with him.

The stress of the moment was more than I could
bear and I felt myself shiver with the cold burning skin again. I
was slipping away.

I dialed my cell phone, “Dad meet me at the
hospital, I’m going there now. I’m okay but I think my liver is
still sick.” I hung up before he could ask questions I didn’t want
to answer.