Surviving a Real Life Horror Story

Chapter Fourteen

I felt as if the floor opened beneath me and swallowed me whole. My skin was crawling with the icy water of betrayal that washed over me. The thought that I had been a few minutes away from doing the same to her didn’t occur to me in that moment. The only thing that I was aware of was the hurt that stabbed at my heart and my mind.

Maybe Andi wasn’t so ditzy after all.

“W-who?” I asked.

“You remember me pointing out Melanie yesterday?”

“The red head,” I said, “of course.”

“She’s the one.”

“Wh-when did you decide this?” I asked her.

Andi shrugged. “It’s just…you don’t believe that my strategy will be very efficient in the arena. She thinks it’s brilliant! That made me realize that if we entered the arena as partners, we would have conflicting strategies which would only likely get us killed. I did what I thought was best for both of us.”

I shook my head. “I can’t believe this.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, taking a careful step towards me.

“Since you’re being honest, I might as well come clean with you,” I said taking in a deep breath.

Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. “What is it?”

“The day we went to our interviews, Milton wanted me to be his partner,” I began. “I wasn’t sure at the time, but I’ve been thinking about it all night, and I think that he’s the better option for me right now.”

“Oh,” Andi said, and I could see the hurt bubbling in her eyes.

I wondered if it was the same look that I carried.

“D-did you still want me to drive you to the arena?” she asked.

I nodded hesitantly. “Only because I don’t want Brenda to find out where I’m going.”

“Right.”

She cupped her hands together in front of her as she looked down at the floor. I pursed my lips into a pencil straight line as I looked at her. I waited to see if she would offer me any words of comfort, but she seemed determined to pretend that I wasn’t here. She had nothing to say to me, and I had nothing else to say to her.

“I’m going to get ready,” I said briskly.

She didn’t look at me as I passed her. I rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind me. When I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I was surprised to see tears streaking down my cheeks. I didn’t realize that I had started crying.

It was no wonder Andi wouldn’t make eye contact.

I smiled bitterly at my reflection as I wiped the water away on the back of my hand. I had no right to cry, I knew that. I should’ve been happy…I wasn’t leaving Andi alone in the arena; she had someone that would look out for her. In the way, it was for the best, but it still hurt to know that while I had been wracked with guilt for even considering Milton’s offer, she had already made up her mind about Melanie.

I breathed in deep and looked up at the ceiling as I tried to keep the tears from spilling out of my eyes. I kept telling myself that things were for the best…no matter how much it hurt. I didn’t want to wear the outfit that Andi had laid out for me, but I knew that I had no choice.

I pulled it on and felt a tiny sliver of happiness that for once she had listened to me. The tight red holster top and loose fitting jeans weren’t exactly my favorite choice of clothes, but they were far better than any fluffy, bejeweled dress that I know she considered picking out for me at some point. I looked down at myself in the outfit that Andi had picked out for me and then at my reflection in the mirror.

I guessed the furrow in my brow would never loosen.

I gave up looking at my reflection. I took a deep breath and held it as my hand hovered nervously over the door handle. I didn’t know where life would take me once I stepped outside of the bathroom…but I also knew that I couldn’t stay in here for the rest of my life. I slowly let the air leak out of my lungs as my fingers grasped the cold metal.

I pulled it open gently and peeked into the living room to see Andi was still standing in the middle of. I wondered if she was planning on changing her mind about giving me a ride.

“I-I’m ready,” I said uncertainly.

She turned to look at me and a small smile lit up her face. “That outfit looks good on you.”

I offered her a smile in response, but we both knew that it wasn’t real.

She turned away from me, twirling her keys nervously between her fingers as she led the way outside to her waiting car. I followed behind her silently. In my mind, all I could think of were all the times that we had walked this exact route, laughing and carefree.

Now, it felt like a funeral march.

Andi was silent, a frown pressed into her face as she climbed into the driver’s seat. I was the same way as I climbed into the passenger’s seat. I pulled the seatbelt on, though in the back of my mind I wondered what the point would be since there was a good chance that I was going to die today anyways.

I didn’t know why I expected her to say goodbye, but it hurt when we reached the parking lot outside of the arena, and she didn’t say a word to me. I glanced at her as she turned the engine off. She looked at me but kept her words to herself as she climbed out of the car and across the parking lot. I noticed a familiar puff of red hair that I recognized to be Melanie.

I watched her go, feeling a bitter sense of sadness. Maybe it was for the best that she hadn’t said goodbye.

I climbed out slowly, feeling numb. I closed the door behind me, but barely heard the click as I tried to peer at Andi through the crowds. It was impossible for me to spot her.

“Did you think about my offer?” a voice asked softly from behind me.

I turned to see Milton as he approached me. The corner of my lips pulled up on one side in a lopsided smile.

“Yeah,” I said hoarsely, “I accept.”