Within The Shadows Read online

  Chapter Two

  ALEX SAT BESIDE me on the lounge floor, and held the empty envelope in his hands. His face was no longer that of the calm handsome guy I had known for so long. Instead, his jaw was clenched tight, and his eyes were wild.

  Looking around the room, he let out a long breath, and then stood up. Walking over to the television, he picked up the controller off the floor, and pressed play. He stood back, and watched the footage play through the cracks on the television.

  “I am going to kill that son of a bitch!” he growled.

  Hearing the audio a second time round made it all the more real. I avoided staring at the screen, and the more I listened, the more I realised I had to do something about it.

  “My dad is going to kill me!” I blurted out.

  “What!?” Alex exclaimed.

  Walking over to the television, I pulled the power cord out of the wall, and stood back from the screen. “I broke it.”

  “Yeah, but I’ll sort that out. Giselle, what are we going to do about Marc?” he asked.

  I looked at him, surprised that he was so worked up over this, and curious as to what he had in mind. “Confront him, I guess.”

  “Oh, no. We’re going to do more than confront him,” he shouted.

  Up until now, I had never really seen Alex lose his composure, but here he was, almost ready to burst, and it was all over something Marc had done to me, not him.

  “I . . . don’t know what to do.” I broke down, and he held me.

  Holding me close, and refusing to break the embrace, Alex gently stroked my hair as I tried hard to compose myself while failing at every breath.

  “We will humiliate him in front of the whole school, both of them,” he said.

  “What?”

  “At prom . . . There would be no better revenge. Think about it, G. The ultimate payback.”

  I pulled away from him, walked over to my mother’s favourite day chair, and sat down. Running my hands through my hair, I looked out of the large bay window, and watched the branches of the large willow tree sway from side to side.

  “I am not sure. What do you suggest?”

  Laughing, he came over, and sat on the ground near my legs. “Think about it . . . big television, playback, and an audience that would love the entertainment. Obviously, you would have to try your best over the next five days or so, to . . . you know, pretend that everything is fine, but I can assure you. It would be the ultimate revenge, and I swear, there would be no comeback to you.”

  “Alex, this is crazy. I can’t . . . I am not that strong.”

  “G, you are stronger than you think, and I will be with you every step of the way. I will not let you down like that loser. I am not like him.”

  “I don’t know. This is all too much!”

  Taking my hands in his, he lowered his voice. “Do you trust me?”

  “Of course, I trust you, Alex, but not even you can fix this,” I said, defeated.

  “I can assure you I can do a lot. Leave it all to me. Just make sure you show up that night, and the rest will reveal itself,” he replied earnestly.

  The clock on the mantel piece chimed, and both of us got to our feet. A car door shut nearby, and footsteps made their way towards the front door. It was my mother, and the room was a mess. Alex ran over to the television, and grabbed the game controllers. He threw one at me, and promptly slipped a disc into the PlayStation. The door opened, and my mother walked in.

  “Giselle, what are you doing home so early?” she asked as she slipped off her shoes, and strode in our direction.

  “I, um, felt unwell, and took the rest of the day off.”

  Walking into the room, she caught sight of Alex, and then the television. “What on earth has happened here?” she inquired as she examined the crack across the television.

  “Hi, Mrs. Bergman. I came round to cheer Giselle up, and we got carried away with the game. It was my fault. I have already contacted my father who is more than willing to pay for the damage.” His voice was calm and confident.

  “There is no need for that, Alex. I am sure your father has better things to do than spend his money on minor incidents.” She smiled at Alex.

  “My father won’t hear of it, and I do feel responsible, so please accept it. God knows when he’ll cough up money again!” Alex laughed.

  My mother was all doe-eyed, and for a moment, it looked as though she’d been put under a spell. Fortunately, she came round pretty quickly, and gave me a sharp look. She turned her back on us, and walked out of the room. She had been looking so pale as of late, yet her robust personality was enough to make you stand to attention when she came into a room. That’s not to say that my mother was not pleasant, as she had a way of making people adore her. With prom coming up, she was in her glory.

  “Told you I’d sort it out. Trust me, Giselle. Okay?” Alex prodded, breaking the silence.

  “Okay,” I answered, and sat back down on the chair, giving in to my feelings.

  ***

  The week passed by in what seemed like a blur. I went through all the motions of being the dutiful girlfriend. I laughed at all the right jokes, and even stomached displays of affection. Underneath it all, I was dying. Or at least it felt like I was dying.

  Prom night finally came.

  Looking in the mirror, I hardly recognized myself. I knew it was me, but what I felt on the inside did not show on the outside. The dark blue elegant dress was dramatic, and complemented my complexion. The gorgeous peau de soie satin gown was detailed at the bust line with dazzling crystal stones. Tiny little beaded flowers sat across the bodice, and glimmered when the light shone on them. The lace-up back was stunning with ties adorned with crystals. I looked every inch of perfection.

  My phone rang, and distracted me. “Hello!” I said.

  “You ready for payback, Princess?” Alex asked in his usual carefree manner.

  Sighing, I could barely talk, and whispered a weak, “I guess.”

  “I’ll see you there. All is set. I just need the duo in the same room. Catch you later, Bergman.”

  Before I could say ‘bye,’ he’d hung up on me, and I was alone again with some serious thoughts of self-destruction. Of course, the calls from my mother soon put a stop to that.

  “Giselle, Giselle, honey! Marc is here,” she bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Two seconds, Mom,” I yelled back.

  Breathe, just breathe through it, I thought as I walked down the stairs towards the waiting chaos.

  I swear I could see tears in my mother’s eyes, and my dad stood looking at me proudly. My brothers were taking the proverbial piss out of me, which was the usual, but it was Marc who I avoided looking at. He made me sick.

  Marc and I stood together in front of the camera, smiling as if we’d won the lottery, but underneath the façade, I was aching inside. I was tormenting myself, going over every little detail, and blaming myself. After all, he was just a guy, and had to get ‘it’ from somewhere. As Greg had so cordially said in the past, I ‘wasn’t putting out.’

  I felt so betrayed and annoyed that he willingly threw four years of dating away just to lose his virginity to a skank, and not just any skank, either. It was Evie Stokes, of all people. I could feel the anger welling up inside my stomach. I thought I would throw up right there in front of my parents.

  “Oh, my gosh, aren’t they just adorable?” my mother gushed, squeezing my father’s hand.

  Sometimes, she made me sick, and right now, I felt pretty angry with her for making me go through with it all. My mother was the type of woman who would tread on people to get to the front of the queue. Hell, my mother was more than that. She was the queen bee, and boy, did we know it! She was also my best friend, and I could not refuse her this moment.

  I did not intend on standing there for much longer as Marc’s hand rested casually upon my waist. “Okay, enough of the pictures. We have a prom to get to,” I replied as I hurried to the door.

  I
stared at Marc’s emotionless face. God, he was gorgeous. I could not deny him that. I only wished he’d waited for me, and had the patience to do so until I was ready. But in a typical guy style, he blew it.

  “Oh, sweetie, just one more!” my ever irritating mother yelped, grabbing the camera from my father.

  Snap. One more for the album.

  Marc followed me on cue out the door, and into the chill of the night. “So what’s the deal, Giselle? Why the cold shoulder?” he asked, convincingly angelic.

  I did not answer. I got into the back of the limo, and waited for him. I wished that what I had seen were not true. I loved him so much. I was convinced we would be going to college together as we had planned. Things would not be the same without him, but it was something I would have to get used to.

  It broke my heart.

  ***

  The ride to Le Meridien Hotel was short. Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply, readying myself for the night ahead. I thought about caving in, and forgetting about my plans, but something inside spurred me on. I had to do this, for me.

  Inside, the theme sickened me. It reminded me of some bizarre scene out of the seventies. Disco lights, streamers, and a giant piñata thrown in for good measure.

  “Jesus Christ,” I muttered to myself, twitching irritatingly.

  “Evie sure has outdone herself this time,” Marc murmured into my ear, the music drowning out most of his praise.

  I just smiled. The knot in my stomach tightened at the sound of her name.

  Bitch.

  Why did I have to be so nice? Why could I not just sock it to him, then and there? Because I knew payback was coming, and I simply had to wait.

  Most of the evening’s festivities went by in a haze. I was not really bothered, and sat patiently biding my time.

  “You look beautiful,” a familiar voice said from behind me.

  “Alex!” I smiled, and jumping up, I hugged him tight. “I’m so glad you came. I couldn’t do this without you.”

  “Honey, I would not miss this for anything,” he laughed, pulling me closer to him. He slipped the disc into my hand, and kissed me on the nose. “Knock them dead!”

  Slipping the disc into my purse, I smiled nervously as I looked at Marc acting like a jackass with his friends, and knew there was no turning back.

  “Before we entertain the masses, how about you loosen up, and join me on the dance floor,” Alex said as he took me by the hand, and twirled me around.

  “Alex, I can’t dance. You know I can’t.” I tried to argue with him.

  “Don’t be silly. I’ve taught you all you know. Now let’s show these fools how it’s done.” He laughed as he pulled me in closer to him.

  I giggled, loud enough to get Marc’s unwanted attention. I spun round, and shook my ass, almost grinding myself up against Alex, and I did it all to spite Marc.

  Looking at Alex as we slowed down, and danced to ‘Pictures of You’ by The Cure, I examined his face. He was so beautiful, and I really could not understand how he had never bothered much with the girls at school. It was always college girls who got the most attention. I knew he was selective with his choices, and that he was never short of female company, but sometimes the way he looked at me kind of made me feel all giddy. If things had been different, or if we were in another life, maybe something would have happened between us.

  Alex was the closest friend I had. He was everything a girl could want in a guy – tall, toned, mousy blond hair with curls that fell over his face, and the most luscious emerald green eyes. But it just never happened for us. His friendship was precious, and I could never complicate it with a crush. Especially now.

  I do not know what I felt, but God, something inside me almost burst. I pulled away from him, retreated back to my table, and diverted my attention to something, anything, other than him.

  The music stopped, and Brookes took to the stage. It was time.

  The inevitable was about to happen. Marc and I were, after all, the ‘it’ couple, or, more to the point, I was dating the ‘it’ guy. So, being crowned prom King and Queen did not surprise me in the slightest. The crowd cheered and applauded as we both made our way to the centre stage.

  He high-fived a few of the guys from the football team, and waved as if he was a film star. I received my crown first. I smiled, waved to a few girls from my class, and then stood back as Marc received his crown. I had never really seen him acting as an ass before now, but seriously, he was parading around the stage like a total retard. I felt like a fraud for the first time ever.

  “Wow,” he gushed into the mike. “This is something else, and you know what? You guys rock!” Everyone, well, almost everyone, cheered and whooped.

  “But seriously, my girlfriend rocks. She’s made me the guy I am, so give it up for Giselle.” He looked back at me with those adorable puppy dog brown eyes, and his gorgeous cheeky grin that first made me fall for him.

  God, I was nervous.

  I flipped the disc in my hand, and slipped it into the DVD player Alex had so kindly set up for me earlier. Walking to the front of the stage, I fidgeted nervously. All eyes were on me, and, trembling, I removed the crown from my head.

  “You know something? I always dreamed of this night. Marc and I standing here, hand in hand, living what every high school couple dreams of. This is so cool, seriously, but I kinda have to forfeit this great, honourable prize.” I heard the echo of stunned gasps. “I know you all probably think I’ve gone mad, but I believe that a girl here tonight should be standing where I am instead of me, because this girl has earned it, in more ways than one. And for your pleasure, I’d like to introduce you to a match made in heaven.”

  Clicking play on the remote control, I waited for the penny to drop. I could not stop trembling. The adrenalin was pumping through me, and Alex was soon by my side holding my hand. He was my saviour.

  Marc was taken aback. He looked at me, confused, and for a split second, I felt sorry for him. On the screen, Evie moaned, moving her hips back and forth. Marc held her ass, sweating as he kissed the nape of her neck. It was pretty obvious what they were doing, but I could not bring myself to look. The noise from the tape drowned out any chatter amongst the crowd, and inside, I felt my heart crumble into a million little pieces.

  Looking around, I saw the reactions on people’s faces. Some stood with their hands over their mouths. Others laughed, and a few of the football guys cheered, while teachers rushed around trying to find the off switch.

  I stood in front of the mike, and exhaled. “I believe Evie Stokes is the rightful owner of this crown. She has earned it.” I dropped the crown on the floor, and left the stage.

  Concentrating on nothing but the exit sign above the security door, I briskly walked towards it. I had to get out of there, and no one was going to stop me. Marc tried to run after me, but Alex thwarted his advance.

  “Let it go, man. She doesn’t want to know.” Alex pushed Marc back into the crowd.

  “It’s not what it looks like. Alex, dude, you’ve got to believe me. You know the truth. You know what really happened. You gotta help me out, man!” Marc pleaded breathlessly.

  Alex laughed as he pushed his hair from his eyes. “You know, I’d believe you, only the footage speaks louder than words. Besides, I’m not interested in your sob story.”

  The noise from the crowd became a mere echo as my tunnel vision led me away from the chaos I had caused. Chaos that would one day come back to haunt me.

  Chapter Three

  OUTSIDE, THE COLD night air hit me hard in the face. I ached inside, and soon, the tears were burning my eyes as I cried. I ran as far as I could, not stopping until I entered Round Lake Park. The dimly lit pathway led me down to the shore of the lake, and I crumpled in a heap. I sobbed for what seemed like an eternity, only stopping when the silence around me caught my attention. It was so dark I could hardly make out the street lamps on Old Highway 8. The water rippled gently, silently hitting the stones on the bank. I felt more isol
ated than ever before.

  From the corner of my eye, I could see a dark figure standing there watching me. The silhouette was covered by the low hanging branches of the trees, and I could barely make it out.

  I froze.

  Holding my breath, I looked around, trying to get my bearings. I knew I had to make a run for it, but the damn dress was so tight, and even in bare feet, I probably would not be able to outrun the person.

  Fumbling around in the darkness, my hand found a lump of wood. I grabbed a hold of it tightly, and got up. Frantically, I tried to control my breathing.

  Come on, Giselle. Get it together!

  I studied my opponent. I could not make out the person’s face, but he was definitely male. He looked so much bigger than me, although the distance between us was too much for me to be sure. That was when I made the worst mistake of all. I ran like a scared little child. Hitting the overgrowth of the trees with my bare arms, I could feel the sting from the cuts, and in error, I looked down to examine the damage while trying to catch my breath.

  Big mistake!

  He was right there in front of me. He stood like a tower over me. I could not believe my eyes.

  “Alex!” I yelled, flinging myself into his solid chest. His arms wrapped around me, holding me tight.

  In that moment, I felt completely safe.

  “How did you know where to find me?” I cried, sniffling as I looked up into his deep green eyes.

  Brushing the hair from my chin, he smiled down at me. His voice was smooth and calm. “Because I always know where you are.”

  I did not see the need to question him. Instead, I closed my eyes tight, and relaxed in his embrace, unable to let go. Alex always had a way of calming me. In whatever situation, he would come and rescue me. He was what I needed right now. I wanted to forget about the drama caused by Marc and Evie. I hated them both. They had hurt me in a way I did not think was possible. Well, not possible from the guy who claimed to love me.