The curse of Love part 2

“I can’t believe you’re grounded for the whole weekend!” Shelby’s high pitched voice whined through the phone. “We had shopping plans, Prom is so close… what are we going to do now”1

“We’ll think of something.” I cooed as I tried to bring myself to care about prom as much as Shelby did. “At least she’s letting me go out with you on Friday… and I can just wear the dress I wore to Black silk.”2

Shelby made a sound of disgust. “The same dress in one week… talk about fashion suicide.”3

The corners or my lips turned up mischievously. “Or I could just wear the peach one with ruffles, that mom made for my birthday.” I suggested in the most innocent tone I could muster.4

“Don’t even think about it!” I giggled as I pictured the way her bright blue eyes probably widened at the mention of her nightmare dress. 5

“The black one it is.”6

It was touching that she felt concerned about the way I looked but I had a feeling she was also worried about what showing up at one of the biggest parties of the school year with a girl in peach ruffles would do to her reputation.7

I hung up still giggling, until the thought of Blake annoyingly crept back to my mind and lingered there.8

************************9

We arrived at the Chassinton Hotel at nine thirty pm. A time Penelope liked to call ‘fashionably late’.10

We drew some attention as the six of us walked into the lobby and our heels clacked in unison. I was pretty sure that it was Penelope’s exotic beauty and how stunning Cherry looked in her red dress and red curls that made us stand out.11

Jeremy approached as soon as he spotted us.12

“Ladies!” He called over the music. There was a big proud grin on his face as he spread his arms in the same manner. “Glad you could make it.”13

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world!” cried Cherry a little bit too excitedly. “Great party Jer!”14

“Not bad.” Penelope drawled in her thick French accent as her eyes critically scanned the entire lobby. “I think I’ve found the perfect spot for us ladies”15

We followed her gaze to a comfortable looking booth in the corner, big enough for the six of us, with only one girl in a lilac dress sitting in it.16

“Love it.” Shelby agreed as she pulled on my arm and we headed there.17

The girl sitting in the booth looked up from her drink when she saw us approaching. She smiled politely at us, though her brown eyes were guarded.18

“I’m sorry.” She said in a civil tone. “A couple of friends are already sitting here.”19

Penelope rolled her eyes and sighed in a bored fashion. “You and your lowly friends will have to find somewhere else to slum.”20

The forced smile wiped of the girl’s pretty face as she leaned back in the booth and made herself more comfortable. “I don’t think so.”21

I didn’t like where this was going. “Guys maybe we should just…”22

Shelby repressed me by pulling on my arm. I could tell by the delightful glint in her baby blues, that she was enjoying this. It made me sick. 23

Penelope made a sound that sounded like a scoff and a laugh at the same time. “Very well.”24

She picked up the glass of whatever the girl was drinking and emptied it down her pretty lilac dress.25

“My dress!” The girl cried as she jumped to her feet, wiping her dress frantically. Her attempts were in vain; the stain only spread. 26

She glared at Penelope, “Do you know what it took me to get this dress?”27

“What? A double shift at Wal-mart?” That was Shelby. Her eyes were practically glowing with enjoyment.28

“Leave now or next time, it’ll be an entire bottle.”29

The girl stalked off in direction of the washroom with a groan and I was over-whelmed with anger. 30

“Guys that was so not cool!” I barked at them before forcibly freeing my arm from Shelby’s and going after her.31

“Hey are you alright?” I called as I followed the sound of her heels clicking against the marble floor of the bathroom. She stopped in front of a sink and was wiping her dress with a damp paper towel.32

“Do I look alright?” She sniffed without looking at me.33

“I’m so sorry I-”34

She rolled her eyes and flipped her radiant brown hair. “Why are you here apologizing, when you should be out there laughing with your friends?”35

That suggestion struck me as an unthinkable one. “I would never-”36

“Never what?” She cut me off as she finally turned to face me. “But you could stand there and watch them make a fool of me? What makes you any different from them?”37

I stared at her speechlessly because I couldn’t think of an answer? What kind of person spent most of her time with people she didn’t want to be like? At that point I didn’t know who to feel more sorry for; the girl in the lilac dress or myself.38

I stormed out of the bathroom with the intention of heading straight home when Blake suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path.39

“I was wondering when I might bump into you.” He smirked down at me. “Actually when I saw blondie and the French what’s-her-face over there I figured you had to be somewhere near.”40

“Blake?” Scanning him from top to bottom, he looked breath-taking in his black leather jacket and navy blue dress shirt. “What are you doing here?”41

“I’ve got a friend who’s friend knows a friend of Jeremy.” He grinned crookedly.42

“Whatever.” I said, fighting the urge to smile back as his gorgeously goofy grin. “I’m not in the mood for you right now, I’m going home.”43

“Ouch.” He grinned as I brushed past him. “Won’t you at least honour me with a dance?” He called after me and at that every moment, the up beat music changed into a steady slow one. A bunch of people headed off the dance floor as fresh couples took their place, carrying a whole new romantic air around them. 44

I looked over my shoulder at him. “I don’t think so.”45

He raised a daring brow. “Scared?”46

I huffed slowly as I turned to Penelope and Shelby who’s eyes were glued to me in sheer curiosity. I was still pissed at them for what they did earlier so out of spite, I said “Fine. One dance.”47

I delightedly watched their shock stricken faces as I agreed but my attention was immediately taken off them as soon as I felt Blake’s firm grip on my hand. The butter-flies returned and they flapping more wildly than ever.48

“One dance.” He repeated with a mischievous glint in his coffee orbs as he led me to the dance floor. “and we’ll see where the night goes from there.”49

That was all it took to increase my heart-rate at an alarming speed. As he pulled me into his arms and led me to the beat of the music, my feet felt so light, I felt like had to hold on to him to keep from crumbling. As he moved me to the beat of the music, we swayed as one and it like such a perfect fit, it didn’t seem real. As I blushingly stared into his dark eyes, there was such a familiar awkwardness between us, one which I couldn’t put my finger on.50

“You know, I really don’t get you.” I blurted in a desperate attempt to break the silence and he raised a brow in response. “I thought you didn’t even like me.”51

“Why? Because I busted you lying to me?”52

I decide to go right ahead and say it. “No, because you flat out said that I wasn’t your type.”53

I triumphantly watched the hint of genuine astonishment in his eyes. For a change, it was I who caught him by surprise. It felt awesome.54

He gave a short nervous laugh, “Ok either you’ve got some serious connections in that school or you’re one heck of an eavesdropper.”55

I gave an arrogant shrug. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”56

He sighed. “More like the right place at the wrong time.”57

“Why? Because I got a chance to find out what you really thought about me?” I said with a smirk. “Doesn’t give you a chance to play any more of your silly mind games does it?”58

He raised a dark thick brow, “Mind games?”59

“Earlier, when you asked me if I remembered something, when there was clearly nothing to remember, seeing as I’ve never met you before.” For some reason I wasn’t completely sure about my last statement but I kept going. “Insisting to dance with me when you clearly have a problem with me for keeping my hair short and being straw-berry blonde…”60

“But what if there is something to remember?” He said cutting me off in a more serious tone. “Tell me something Samantha, put your sanity aside and just tell me whether or not I seem the least bit familiar to you.”61

The look in his eyes were so intense, I felt the urge to shrink back from his gaze. I knew it would be pointless to lie.62

“Yes” I said weakly. It came out as a whisper.63

His face was now inches away from mine. “When I said you weren’t my type, I didn’t really mean it.”64

His raspy voice was ever so low and I couldn’t fight the feeling that I’d heard it some where before.65

I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds. This was so weird. How was I supposed to take it all in? I knew none of it would make sense until he told me the entire thing; everything that I’d supposedly forgotten, things which I should remember.66

So I swallowed hard and said, “Well? Tell me then. Tell me why everything about you seems so strange and familiar at the same time?”67

Then he did something I didn’t expect. He laughed.68

My eyes shot open at the raspy annoying sound. “What’s so funny?”69

“Nothing its…” He shook his head as laughter still lingered on his lips. “Now is far from the right time.”70

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. 71

“Right TIME? do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?” I echoed turning a couple of heads. “How crazy everything sounds and you’re telling me there has to be a right time?”72

“Sarah you need to calm down” He warned cautiously.73

“THERE YOU GO CALLING ME SARA AGAIN!” I jerked myself away from him. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”74

He looked away with his jaw stubbornly set.75

“Fine.” I turned around and stormed off the dance floor.76

I ignored the puzzled glances Shelby and Penelope sent after me as I stormed past them and out of the hotel lobby.77

I could hear Blake calling after me but I reluctantly ignored him as I dug my heels deeper against the pavement of the streets and clung tighter to my shawl. Next thing I heard were rapid flat footsteps closing in on mine before I felt his grip on my elbow.78

“Will you wait?” He said sternly.79

“Let me go!” I shook him off.80

He edged closer to me, his stern look was still intact so I held mine. “That was so unnecessary you know, storming out like that.”81

“Is this what you came after me for?” I hissed. “The last thing I want from you right now, is a lecture.”82

“Then what do you want Sam?” His voice was gravely low.83

“I want an explanation.” I said matching his tone.84

“You’re sure.” The seriousness of his coffee black orbs were enough to make me hesitate but not change my mind.85

“Yes” I swallowed hard.86

“Fine.” He said edging closer to me. “Then I won’t just tell you… I’ll show you.”87

Before I could figure out what was going on, his arms were wrapped around my waist and my body was pressed against his.88

I gasped his name before I felt warm thing lips pressed hard against mine. I shivered at the intrusion of his tongue against mine before I instinctively closed my eyes and wrapped my arms round his neck. At that moment, I felt as is if I was transported to another world. A world were only the two of us existed.89

Somewhere in the daze of our kiss, a lady stood in a vast empty hall. She was clad in a white robe, made of an unidentifiably beautiful material. Her long golden locks fell down her waist in sun-kissed waves and her face looked… exactly like mine. With her angelic beauty placed aside, she was a complete replica of me. Her green eyes stared dreamily at a young man clad in a black robe. His jet black hair was pulled back in a pony tail to reveal the mischievously handsome facial features of Blake. He smiled lovingly at the young woman as he raked his hands through her hair. He mouthed the words “I love you” before bringing his face towards hers. Just as their lips were about to meet, there was a loud crash that sounded like large doors being flung open. I was then returned to the darkness that was brought on by my closed eye-lids.90

I gasped in sheer astonishment at such a strange vision and pushed Blake away with such force that he staggered back a bit.91

“What the hell was that?” I barked at him as passers-by stared.92

“I tried to tell you!” His eyes widened frantically, “I tried to explain…”93

“Explain?” I shrieked. “I’m more confused that ever! What the heck was that?”94

“Samantha…” He said in a warning tone. “You need to calm down.”95

“That’s the last thing I need to do Blake!” At that moment I felt so angry at him for driving me to such a state of confusion and frustration.96

“Sam!” I heard Shelby call from behind me. The next thing I knew she was beside me, with her arms around me. “You okay? What the hell is going on?”97

I fixed my glare on Blake. “Stay the hell away from me. I never want to see you again, you got that?”98

“I don’t know what you did to her.” Shelby spoke up in my defence. “But you better do what she says”99

“I didn’t do anything.” He sneered. “She’s just so damn stubborn.”100

I felt anger swirling inside of me- just waiting to break out. “I think we better go home now Shelbs.” I said in a voice I could barely recognise. I turned around to walk away right after seeing the slightest hint of remorse in his eyes.101

“Sam…” He called out in a voice so broken it gave me the slightest urge to turn back around. But I couldn’t. I was too angry… and Shelby’s arms were wrapped tightly around me. “I always knew there was something off about him” she whispered.