24
"I was just thinking about everything and the future in particular." I spoke, looking at the girl's white stilettos. I would instantly be on cloud nine if she fell right in front of me.
"Oh c'mon, Arie. Don't think about it today." He placed his hands on my shoulders and squeezed them reassuringly. "Loosen up, sissy. Let's just focus on graduating right now. You're going to be up there in a few seconds."
Isn't this just brilliant! Everyone's little eyes are going to be staring me down as I get up on the stage. Anxiety began to take a heavy toll on my racing heart. What if I fell instead of the blondie in stripper heels in front of me? That would be nerve-wracking beyond belief. I'd dig my grave and lay it in forever.
"Arie Alexandra Noelle!" My name was called out, startling me out of my thoughts. I shakily went up the steps and toward the dean who shook my hand and ushered me to the next set of hands that handed me my rolled up diploma.
"Congratulations, love!" My heart stopped at the voice as I slowly looked up to see him smirking right at me. Along with my heart, everything stopped, including my stupid feet and my voice even.
"W-What are you doing here?" I stammered.
"I'm the guest of this graduation." His enchanting blue eyes glance behind me for a second. "I think you should move along because people are waiting to get their diplomas." He shook my hand and then placed his hand on my back, lightly pushing me into the next set of hands.
As soon as I got off the stage, I looked back to find Ashton doing a silly, ugly victory dance gaining roars and laughter from the massive crowd except Leo. He just looked at my brother in complete disappointment. I guess my brother didn't quite make a good first impression. Before I knew it, I was back in my seat thinking about it all.
"We finally did it!" Ashton exclaimed as he took his seat. "We did it, Arie. We fucking did it."
"We sure did." My lips curled up just a little.
"What happened up there anyways? You froze."
"Oh, nothing," I waved him off. "I was just a little shocked when I got the diploma. I mean excited, not shocked."
He laughed and turned his attention to the front of the stadium. I looked ahead, staring at Leo as he handed diplomas to all the students, especially girls that were visibly drooling all over him. Ugh. The girl in stripper heels next to me was having a giggle fest with the one next to her about Mr. Pepperoni and how devilishly handsome he was, and all I wanted to do was punch her fucking throat.
When the commencement was over, everyone turned their tassels from right to left in unison and with that, caps began flying in the air. Roars echoed throughout the stadium and I bet you could hear it a few blocks away. Families and friends started filling up the field, hugging and congratulating. I saw Sophie's parents for the first time while they were embracing her thin body. Her parents never really came up here from California.
"Don't let go," Ashton said as he grabbed my wrist and maneuvered us around the crowd in hopes of finding Aunt Wendy, but instead to my surprise mainly, we found Arabelle. She ran towards Ashton and jumped on him which jerked his hand away from mine.
"I'm going to go find Aunt Wendy." I tapped his shoulder and left the two lovebirds alone. I looked around for quite a while, but my eyes couldn't locate her. My phone had no service down here, so I walked towards the exit to get on higher ground in hopes of getting service to call her.
I strolled through the empty hallway when I heard a squeaky voice from behind me. "Arie Noelle?" I turned around and saw a perky tall blonde woman in a black skin-tight dress staring at me.
"Yes?"
"Arie Noelle?" She asked again.
"That'd be me."
"Good!" She smirked and pulled out a gun from her black clutch. My heart didn't waste a second to pound hard against my ribs. I feared that it might break them. "I wanted to make sure that I didn't get the wrong girl. Boss wouldn't be too happy."
I dropped my cap and diploma in utter horror. Why today? Why me? Why again? "W-What are you doing?" I stuttered out.
"What do you think?" She slowly walked towards me, aiming at my chest. "Don't try anything and get on your knees with your hands behind your back," she barked. I did as she said and went down on my knees, putting my hands back to where I could feel my heels.
I needed to devise a plan quickly to get out of this. Deep in my heart, I wished Leo would come save me again, but this was not a fucking movie and I was my only option of getting out of here alive.
I began thinking about all the possible ways I could take her down. I could punch her, but she probably knows how to fight better than me. I'm not too skilled in that department, so that's off the table. I could snatch her gun, but again, she might be too fast for me. She looked like a professional assassin who lured men into her trap, but I'm no man. I'm a woman who will give this bitch what she deserved.
Adrenaline began to rush through my veins. I had to think fast. She was closing more distance between us. Kneeling down to my level, she lifted my head with the gun. "Look at you. You look scared but aren't crying. Too shocked to cry, huh?" She studied my features closely, turning my head from side to side with the same gun. "Shame!" She huffed. "I have to put a pretty thing like you in the grave."
I jerked my head away from her hold and spar on her face. "Go to hell," I hissed.
"You bitch!" Her voice echoed through the hallway before her hand met my left cheek. "I'll go to hell one day, but you're going there now."
She pinned the gun to my head as I slowly began to take off my right heel without her noticing. "I just have one last question for you. Consider it your death wish." I glared into her blue eyes that only showed darkness and evil. "Do you prefer a grave or the deep blue sea?" She asked.
"Whatever you prefer," I spat.
"I prefer a grave because that's where my family can visit me, you know," she said with a grin.
"Grave it is then." I pulled out my heel from behind me and penetrated it into her forehead.
"Fuck!" She screamed in pain as she fell backwards.
"Guess you're the one going to hell today, not me." I huffed while picking up her gun and aiming it to her head. "So how about you tell me who sent you?" I demanded.
"Fuck you!" She cried out holding onto her bleeding head.
"You better tell me who did. Who the fuck sent you to kill me?" I roared.
"I said fuck you!"
"I want answers and you will give them to me or I will kill you, and I'm not kidding!" I kicked her stomach causing her to whimper and cry under me.
"You better kill me right now, because if you don't, then I will come after you and rip you to shreds," she hissed at me.
"Just tell me who sent you and I'll let you go." My hands shook rapidly due to the adrenaline as I held the gun to her head. "Tell me," I demanded.
I heard multiple footsteps from behind me. Reluctantly, I rotated my head in that direction to discover Leo stomping toward me angrily with twenty men in black suits behind him. The huge boulder on my heart lifted immediately, and that's when a tear rolled down my face. Not because of what just happened, but because I was glad to see him, I was safe now.
"Take the woman away. I'll deal with her later," he ordered the men and came towards me. His striking eyes looked into mine. "Give me the gun, love," he spoke softly and held out his hand. I shakily placed it in his palm as he took it and handed it to one of the men behind him. "You're safe now." Before thinking twice, I threw my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Sobs broke through me as he held me tighter.
"Thank you!" I managed to mumble between my cries. The amount of happiness that I was experiencing right now was unexplainable. His chest felt homely to me as I let all my tension fly away slowly.