The Curse of Betrayal

by Taylor Lavati

  “This is lame. Let’s do something.” Kara sits up, breaking the silence from everyone watching the movie about an hour into it. It was just getting to the good part, but Kara flicks it off so the room fades to black.

  “Like what?” I question her, wondering what crazy idea she’s concocted in her mind. I can tell from the gleam in her eye that she thinks she has a good idea. It’s the same kind of look Junior gets, and those never end well.

  “Let’s go prank the boys.” Kara claps her hands together like she’s just come up with the idea of a lifetime. She jumps up and flicks on the light near the door so the room is illuminated in yellow fluorescence.

  “Yes!” Megan loves the idea. She reaches across me and high-fives Kara.

  “Won’t we get in trouble?” I ask, not liking the idea of visiting the dean the first week at a new school. I know how big reputations are, so I don’t want to blow it. I just nod along to their master plan.

  “Only if we get caught,” the girls say back in unison as if they’ve rehearsed. I don’t want to get in trouble, but my need to fit in wins over so I agree to the plan. They all jump up and dance around, excited to embark in some risky fun. I go with it, as I flap my hands and do some spins. But as I laugh and play with the girls, I worry about the adventure coming.

  “Find black clothes,” Kara commands once the victory dance is over. She goes to dig through her closet, and I scrounge through mine as well, coming up with a couple long sleeve tees, a sweatshirt, and sweatpants, and a few stretchy pairs of yoga pants.

  We all get dressed, most of us double layered since it’s so numbingly cold out. Of course instead of being normal teenagers and sneaking down the stairs or to a bottom level window, they decide to jump out of my third story room. My heart literally plummets out of my chest when Kara announces the escape route.

  Kara goes first, without giving us any notice and jumps out of the window. I run to the sill to see if she landed without breaking a leg. And what do you know? She landed in a perfect crouch on the grass just below our bedroom window. Luckily, there is a light dusting of snow that looks like it may cradle a fall since I know this is going to end in disaster. Kara smiles up at us and waves for the next person to plummet to their death. Lisa leaps, and then Megan, who stumbles a little in the landing but recovers quickly.

  “Please let me live,” I pray to whoever will listen and fling myself off the side of the building. I squeeze my eyes shut so I don’t see my impeding death, but for just a second, I’m weightless. I love it and open my eyes to see. It’s as if the world has slowed just for my fall—to show me how precious life is. My stomach shoves itself into my throat, but the fall feels so good, like nothing matters, and I can be whoever I want to be and do whatever I want to do.

  But the floor comes up fast. I land with a resounding thud on the snowy ground on all fours. I catch myself before I face plant, but my arms and legs tremble in protest. I stand, surveying my body and am happy when nothing feels broken. I’ll never get used to this powers thing, but that was pretty amazingly spectacular.

  “Let’s go,” Kara whispers as she pulls her hat-turned-ski-mask over her face so her identity is hidden. We all do the same and get into a tight formation. I’m last in line, which leaves me feeling exposed and vulnerable, but I don’t speak up for fear of being deemed weak—new Ryder is strong and has been to Hell and back…literally. I stay within arm’s reach of Megan, who’s in front of me, so I know I’m not far from the pack.

  “Here’s the hall.” Kara points to the stone building next door. It’s not directly next to the girl’s hall. In between the two is a patch of woods, but it’s not too vast—just ill lighted, spooky, and cold.

  Instead of being in front of the hall, we’re near the back entrance, which is perfect since there are no bystanders or people who could spy us. Instead, when I glance behind me, it’s all trees and then deeper woods beyond a high black gate.

  “Can any of us climb?” Kara asks, looking from Megan to Lisa to me. I shake my head, not wanting volunteer myself.

  “How are we getting in?” Megan’s voice is shrill when she realizes we’ve hit a dead end and this plan sucks. I knew we should have planned this more. I start panicking alongside Megan when I imagine us getting caught and me getting kicked out and never getting powers.

  “Who’s got a room on the bottom floor?” Kara’s eyes are trained on Lisa. Megan mutters that she knows all the boy’s rooms by heart—I’m guessing she’s been around a lot.

  “Carter and Sam, and Trent and his roommate.” She rattles off a few names, using her fingers to count them off.

  “Let’s break into Carter’s room,” Kara says. We all nod, and I drag along, because I can’t back out now. I’m in too deep. Lisa leads us around the hall to the other side of the building. She silently points to a blackened window, signaling that either Carter is sleeping or isn’t in there—I’m hoping the latter so we don’t get caught.

  Kara slinks over to the window and slides her hands up to the pane to push it open. At first it doesn’t budge, but when she applies more pressure and starts shaking it a little, the glass slides up with her hand, screeching slightly. She sticks her head in the hole, checking to make sure the room is empty.

  “We’re good,” she whispers down to us, nodding with an evil grin.

  Megan and I brace ourselves like cheerleaders, one knee out front and the other lunged out back. I clasp my hands in front of me for a foot hold to hoist the first girl up.

  Kara jumps in first and we lift her up to the window. She swings a leg in and then ducks so she doesn’t bang her head on the pane. She falls in but lands silently.

  Lisa does the same, only faster since she barely needs our help because she’s so damn tall. I help Megan in next by throwing her upwards as forcibly as I can. It’s a little harder since it’s just me, but Megan and I are the lightest, thus why we go last. With my short height, I can barely reach the window and get a good hold to pull myself up.

  Lisa should have been the one to go last, but nope, she had to have her way. I look up to the window and try to think of how to get in. Should I just reach? Or ask for help? Or tell them to go ahead without me and run home?

  Instead of being a scaredy cat, I take a few steps back and run towards the wall. I run up it for only two steps, but it’s enough to allow me to grab onto the window sill. I don’t have much strength, but I’m able to muster enough to do one single pull up so I’m level with the room.

  Megan reaches down from inside and grabs my elbows, helping me heft my leg up and hook it inside the window. Between Megan’s hold and the leverage of my leg, I’m able to roll in the rest of the way. I didn’t think of the fall, so when I get in, I land with a turbulent bump on the solid wood floor. I roll until I fall onto someone’s bed and then onto the floor. My eyes flare up with stars, but they fade fast, and I’m back to normal, just a little dizzy.

  “Shut up,” Lisa scolds me as I start to stand up and fix myself. I giggle a little when Megan covers her mouth. I sneer at Lisa, and then dust myself off, looking around Carter’s room.

  “What’s his most prized possession?” Kara searches around the room for something we can steal. It has to be something he would detect but not sacred enough that he would get really upset over. We don’t want a full out war to start. I don’t want any of my stuff stolen or broken or kidnapped.

  “Me, of course.” Lisa makes us all cringe and roll our eyes. Gross.

  “Other than that,” Kara says, exasperated as she rummages through his bedside table. The room is nasty, cluttered and overall a dump. It’s only day one here, and it already looks like shit. I can’t imagine trying to get in here a few months down the road. He’s got clothes everywhere, bottles that look like they’re filled with pee, and food smushed into all of the surfaces.

  “Maybe his soccer jersey?” Lisa guesses. I leave the mess by his bed and tag behind Kara as she goes over to his closet and rummages through it until we find a signed Ronaldo j
ersey. Kara holds it up and Lisa nods, telling us it’s the right one. Kara smiles this evil genius grin, and I return it completely.

  We did it.

  “We should write a note on the white board! Some sort of clue.” Megan rushes towards the door where a white board with messages between the boys is hung. Nothing on the board is an important message; it’s more like a hookup board tallying their latest conquests.

  Carter- IIIIII

  Sammy- III

  Megan looks behind her back quickly and then returns to the board. She wipes the tallies off before Lisa can see and nods to me, pursing her lips. I like that she’s protecting her friend. She’s loyal.

  Then she starts scribbling on the board…

  One, two, three, four

  We declare a prank war

  Say bye bye to your Jersey,

  It’s about to get dirty.

  This prank war has officially begun

  You boys are ‘bout to get hung!

  GIRLS- I

  Tally this, bitches

  “How’s this?” Megan asks as we all huddle around the door to read her little challenge.

  “Oh my god. That’s perfect,” I say loving it. I know the boys will get a kick out of it. I wrap my arm around Megan’s small shoulders and give her a little pat on the back. The poem is so clever. Job well done.

  “Nice one, Megs,” Lisa praises her with a large smile.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Kara shoves the jersey into the kangaroo pocket of her sweatshirt and then zips it up so it’s safely tucked away.

  We all take turns jumping out of the window, leaving Lisa to jump last. The door to his room opens with a thud, and the lights flick on with Lisa still in there. Lisa jumps through the window with unbelievable speed and dangles on the ledge, staying hidden in the blackish night. She uses her hands to cut through the air, and she creates a little ledge of wind to hold her up.

  She stands on it outside the window, looking as if she’s just floating. I stare up in awe at how she’s basically standing and levitating mid-air. “What the hell?” I growl over at Kara.

  “She can control air.” Kara shrugs like that isn’t a huge deal, which it definitely is. She hovers outside, peeking into Carter’s room like a bond spy.

  “And I had to go last?” I growl at them, feeling like I’ve been played.

  “Sh!” Megan shushes at us as we watch above.

  I don’t know what Lisa sees, but as she drops to the ground after leering, her eyes are pinched together. She bends down so we can’t really see her, but I watch her wipe a tear from under her eye. When she looks back up, though, the sadness is gone, only to be replaced with a scowl.

  “We did it!” Megan exclaims once we’re clear of the boy’s dorm and in the woods. I jump and cling onto Kara, happy that I’m even alive. I have to admit, while the entire process was nerve-racking, it was pretty damn fun.

  CHAPTER SIX

  kidnapping

  As we make our way through the icy night, I am last in line, yet again. The freezing air whipping against my body numbs my skin so I can’t feel a thing. My hair blows fiercely in the breeze, sticking to my cracked lips and frozen nose.

  Kara is first in the lineup, and as we walk she pauses mid-step, making everyone else stop dead in our tracks behind her. She moves off course into the woods, but Megan doesn’t escort her. Instead, we all wait for her to get back. I whisper to Lisa, but she just bats me back, so I have no idea what’s going on.

  “I thought I saw something,” she says when she returns, waving us off nonchalantly.

  We continue to walk for another minute towards the dorms in silence when I’m pulled backwards and knocked off my feet. I reach back trying to brace for my fall, but two large arms wrap around my waist and catch me, holding me upright.

  I struggle until a current of sparks travels where my captor’s hands connect with my bare skin. I turn and wrap my arms around him like an anaconda killing its prey with love.

  “You scared me.” I pull back and slap his shoulder, but he only laughs down at me.

  “I needed to see you,” Ari whispers before peppering kisses down my neck, tickling his way to my collar bone.

  “I’m glad.” I plant a light kiss on his lips. Electricity runs down my neck all the way to my toes giving me goosebumps all around. His lips are so soft and inviting that I don’t ever want to stop. His tongue meets mine, and I explore it completely, missing the kisses he gave me in the Underworld. Our tongues swirl together, and I try to keep up with his passionate, rapid pace.

  I need more.

  As Lisa, Megan, and Kara’s voices fade in the night, the intensity between Ari and I grows. Knowing that we’re alone gives me an added thrill, and I’m nowhere near done.

  My hand digs into his hair and tugs on the loose, sooty strands. I pull him against me. I’ve missed him so much, and now that I have him, it’s like getting addicted all over again.

  He groans with pleasure and grabs under my butt, lifting me up so I’m fully held by his solid arms. I cross my legs behind his back when I feel his hardness press against me. It’s intimidating, but oddly, it only makes me want him more.

  I deepen the kiss more and more as I try to get as close to him as possible. He loves my forwardness and walks us backwards until we’re pressed against a hard tree. Without hurting me, he pushes my back against it and dives in for a long kiss.

  I try to breathe when his mouth leaves mine and travels to my neck. He sucks on my vein which makes my heart rate skyrocket. Butterflies tickle me from the inside out and my need for Ari reaches an all time high.

  “Want to see my house?” He breaks our sexual trance, bringing me back to real life. The woods come into focus, and my face instantly freezes.

  “Sure,” I answer breathlessly. I would probably agree to anything he asked me right now, which is a scary thought.

  Ari’s house is near the front of the school, beside the large entry gates. The walk is chilling, but Ari’s hand clasped with mine gives me warmth. I stay quiet the entire walk, trying to compose myself after our make out session.

  We walk down a cobblestone pathway leading to a two story gothic-style house. The shingles are black with perfect white shutters, offering a harsh visual contrast. The large, lurid blood-red door welcomes our entrance. The house looks to be straight out of a Halloween picture book, and the more I stare at it, the more it fits Ari perfectly.

  “Come on,” I say, reaching back and eagerly pulling Ari’s hand as I skip towards the door. I want to open this new part of our relationship.

  “Relax, Eury. We’ve got all night.” His voice is all deep and seductive, sending heat down my body. My familiar butterflies migrate to the pit of my stomach, and it’s impossible to ignore the sexual energy they bring with them. He unlocks the front door with a key he pulls out of his pocket and pushes the door open so I can enter first.

  The house is much larger than Ollie’s cabin back in Connecticut and looks more lived in. We enter a foyer with a bench against the wall and shoes shoved underneath it. I quickly pull off my black coat and hang it above the wood seat. Then I kick my shoes off.

  I walk through an arched doorway and am in an immaculate kitchen. It’s large with stainless steel appliances. There are granite counter tops and an island with stools. The cabinets are painted a faint coal matching the counter tops, and despite everything being obscure, the room is heavily windowed and open, making it airy.

  As I explore more, I find a bathroom, dining room, and a living room. His house is messier than Ollie’s, but it’s not a turn off. Instead, I feel comfortable here.

  In the living room, he has a large bookcase with movies, books, and CDs. Some are open and some discs are sitting on the outer part of the shelf, disorganized. On the coffee table, he has half-read magazines and books flipped open as if he was in the middle of reading them all when he left to find me.

  From the living room, there’s a carpeted staircase bringing me upstairs to a long hal
lway with doors leading to unknown rooms. The first room I explore is a study that takes my breath away—literally. I could live in this one room alone and be content for life.

  A large wooden desk sits in the center of the room, facing a large peaked window. I glance out of it briefly, and it has a view of the opaque woods. I’m sure during the day it’s much more scenic.

  The room is lined with bookshelves that are more than over-filled with books. The shelves house everything from large encyclopedias to small trade paperbacks. There are also some plush chairs in between each book case.

  With Ari still waiting downstairs, I find his bedroom. I creak open the heavy door and peek inside. Piles of clothes on the floor block the large walk-in closet, but his bed is tidy. Throw blankets and pillows are piled atop it. The walls are painted a deep cranberry, and most of the furniture is darkened, too. He has white curtains that whimsically cover the windows.

  After scouring the top floor, I skip back downstairs, athirst to tell Ari how much I like his house. I find him in the kitchen, making us some hot chocolate on the stove.

  “I know it’s not much, but I love it here.” He feels the need to explain.

  “I love it. It’s so homey.”

  “Oh, well, yeah. I spend most of my time here.”

  “You’re a little piggy, huh?” I crave the way we used to talk. He’d joke with me, and I’d come up with some stupid remark. I want my old Ari to come back. I love Ari when he’s witty and fun, not so insecure and professor-like.

  “Excuse me?” His face is perplexed, eyes deep, as he turns to face me while still robotically stirring the milk on the stove.

  “You’re a messy boy.” I put my hands on my hips like I’m scolding him.