Chapter 9 Take Me Home
1314 Words
Cheryl's POV:
I stared at the arm he raised, expecting a slap, but instead, Eric gripped my wrist tightly and dragged me away from Zack.
"I'll be waiting for your call. See you, sweetie." Zack waved, still smiling.
On the car ride back, Eric drove with one hand and tossed his phone into my lap.
At first, I didn't understand his intention and certainly didn't want to invade his privacy, but when he tilted his chin towards the screen, I picked up his phone.
The moment I saw the images, I froze.
One after another, there were intimate photos of Zack with various girls—some of them so suggestive that they made my stomach churn.
These pictures had all been posted on Zack's X account, and in the comments, he'd mentioned that people could message him for even more explicit content.
If I had slept with Zack tonight, would he have made those pictures public too?
'That was a close call! If Mom knew, I'd be done for.' Shaking from the shock, I suddenly felt a wave of fear.
"Got it now?" Eric's voice was softer. "Don't just give yourself to anyone."
'Turns out I was wrong about him.'
I squeezed out an apologetic "Sorry" from my throat, then instinctively bit my lip, and added defensively, "I'm not you."
Eric chuckled softly, glancing at me before reaching over to pat the top of my head. "Good girl."
Maybe it was the night breeze, but his voice felt unexpectedly gentle.
*****
Present day...
I shouted Zoe's name and flipped her off. She was about to charge towards me when Eric's long arm hooked her back. The two of them continued kissing, oblivious to the rest of us.
My heart clenched.
This had been happening for over a year, and I should've been used to it by now. But no matter how long it had been, I still couldn't stand seeing him kiss someone else.
"Well, playing princess or bride? Wearing such a white dress?" Dylan appeared next to me out of nowhere, his tone sharp with sarcasm.
The word "bride" froze me. I couldn't help but look over at Eric, and sure enough, he was casually watching me with unreadable emotions in his eyes.
"What a shame. Your dress is as dirty as you are!" Dylan continued, walking around me, lifting my skirt to inspect it before tossing it aside in disgust.
Chuck let go of my hand, smoothing out my clothes before turning to throw a punch at Dylan. "Shut your mouth! Or I'll gladly fight you right now!"
Dylan pushed against Chuck's chest, almost laughing. "Oh, a fight? Or just a one-sided beatdown, Chucky?"
Chuck's lips pressed into a thin line as he rolled up his sleeves, but I stepped in front of him. "Aren't you supposed to confess to that girl? Don't do anything stupid right now."
Chuck glanced at the dance floor and spotted the girl he wanted to confess to. He relaxed slightly.
Dylan, however, didn't seem to understand the concept of knowing when to stop. He saw that we weren't putting up a fight and arrogantly lifted his chin, raising his voice so the whole crowd could hear. "Tips for dancing with Cheryl: make sure you have protection!"
What did this guy even feed on? Why was he so mean?
"I think your parents didn't do a good job with the protection," I shot back, meeting his eyes coldly. "That's why they ended up with a piece of trash like you!"
Dylan's expression twisted as he clenched his fists, stepping towards me. Chuck immediately moved to shield me. The tension in the air was palpable.
Just then, Zoe screamed Dylan's name. He turned to look at her, hesitated for a moment, and then led his group away.
I had no idea what they were up to, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered now was Chuck needing to confess his feelings to the girl.
We found the girl tucked away in a corner, and Chuck, summoning his courage, pulled a small blue velvet box from his pocket.
I knew what was inside—a necklace he'd saved up for.
Chuck opened the box gently, his voice trembling as he said to the girl. "Emma, I've been wanting to ask you this for a long time... Could you... be my girlfriend, please?"
Emma looked at the necklace and froze for a moment before smiling. She was about to say something, but then stopped and looked towards the other side.
I followed her gaze and saw Zoe smiling at her, shrugging indifferently.
Emma turned back to Chuck with a conflicted expression and shook her head gently.
If I wasn't mistaken, Emma had refused Chuck because of Zoe's silent cue?
Zoe seemed thrilled with Emma's decision, surrounding Chuck with her friends as they laughed loudly, pointing at him, mocking him, and insulting him.
It hurt to see it. Loving someone is such a pure thing—how dare Zoe ridicule his feelings?
Without holding back, I cursed at them and reached out to touch Chuck, trying to signal him to be prepared for the backlash. But Chuck just stood there, motionless, staring blankly.
He must have been too hurt by the rejection and let those nasty words from Zoe's group sink in. 'What trash!' Just as I was about to confront Zoe, Chuck suddenly stopped me, saying, "Cheryl, let's go."
His eyes flickered, and his expression was filled with uncertainty. Poor Chuck—he no longer had the will to stay at the party.
Zoe and her friends kept laughing at him, but he ignored them, head down, and pushed forward. I had no choice but to quicken my pace to catch up and offer him some comfort.
Suddenly, I felt a gust of wind behind me. Before I knew it, a hand covered my mouth and nose, the pungent scent overwhelming me.
The last thing I heard was the sound of me collapsing to the ground.
*****
When I woke up again, everything around me was eerily silent. I called Chuck's name, but no one answered.
I groped around, my fingers brushing against something soft. I rubbed it for a moment, realizing it was cloth.
I was in a closet.
The realization chilled me to the bone. Why the closet? Why here of all places?
I hugged my arms around myself, pressing my back against the cold wood. My breath quickened, panic rising as an indescribable suffocating feeling gripped my throat, making my body tremble uncontrollably. I could have sworn I smelled alcohol.
'No... I can't think about this anymore.'
I closed my eyes and curled into a ball, too terrified to touch anything in the closet. I was so scared, scared like I was when I was a child, touching the cold, stiff body of my father.
Eric's image suddenly flashed through my mind.
'Geez, can you be a little more mature? Eric is with Zoe, and probably some other girls. He doesn't have time to care about you, his stepsister.'
I tried to convince myself, but I couldn't help calling out Eric's name. It felt like it might ease some of the fear in my chest.
Just when I was about to lose consciousness, thinking this closet would be my final resting place, the door was thrown open violently.
I wasn't sure if I was dreaming, but Eric appeared like a hero in my blurry vision.
"Cheryl? Can you hear me? Listen to me. You're safe now..."
The familiar voice dispelled the fear inside me, and I instinctively looked up, tears quietly streaming down my face.
I threw my arms around his neck, clinging to him like he was my last lifeline.
I buried my face in his neck, my lips brushing against his cool skin.
I heard myself muttering, barely audible, "Eric... take me home..."
- Writer
