Lost To Me

by Jamie Blair

  She put her arms around my neck. “Yes. I’m ready for everything that happens tonight.”

  As we kissed, it was all I could do to resist convincing her to stop at our hotel and arrive late to prom.

  LAUREN

  As we walked through the doors at the civic center, the parent chaperones handed us each a mask. The boys’ were the traditional, white Phantom of the Opera mask that covered half of their faces. The girls’ were black, covered both eyes and had red sequins and feathers decorating the edges.

  “You knew, didn’t you?” Kolton asked, eyeing my matching dress and mask.

  “I might have,” I said, with a sly smile. The girls’ mask sat on my face like sunglasses, which was perfect for not messing up prom-perfect hair. When Kolton put his on, I wished the dance committee wouldn’t have thought of masks. “How will everyone see my hot boyfriend?”

  “I’ll have to remain a mystery.”

  I spotted Kristin and Conner waiting in a line for pictures. “There’s Kristin. Come on.”

  “Ah, more pictures. Of course.” Kolton let out a pretend sigh. “When do we get to the part where we slow dance?” The tip of his finger ran along my spine.

  “Soon.”

  Kristin left Connor holding their place in line and ran toward us on her tiptoes in her heels. “You’re here!” She took my hands and held them out. “Wow! You look so beautiful!”

  “So do you!” Her ice blue, form-fitting dress made her look like a Barbie. “Kris,” Connor called, “we’re up.” He waved, and I waved back.

  “We’ll catch you guys inside.” She took a step away and swiveled back. “I know you’re Kolton. I’m Kristin.” She grabbed his hand and shook it.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said, as she dropped his hand and darted to the photo backdrop where Connor and the photographer were both watching and waiting for her.

  We took our spot at the end of the line. Kristin and Connor posed between two giant silver candelabras. Six red candles burned in each, dripping wax down over the silver holders. They stood in front of a backdrop of a black night with a full white moon, hazed by fog and clouds. “It looks like Halloween,” Kolton said.

  “It does.” It was such a strange set up for prom photos. Even the red rose the photographer handed Kristin didn’t make the picture any less eerie. “There should be a coffin with a vampire, or a werewolf howling at the moon. Guess it works for Phantom though.” I shrugged. “At least Mom got normal pictures.”

  “I’m sure these will be great, too. Not that you couldn’t take better ones. Too bad you can’t take a picture you’re posing in.”

  We reached the front of the line and the photographer handed me my rose. “Masks on or off?” he asked.

  “Off. We’ll hold them.” The first picture was awkward and we had to look like poorly posed mannequins.

  In the second, I held the rose in my teeth and just as the photographer said, “Three!” Kolton dipped me and the camera flashed. We laughed hysterically, and when we left the photo area I noticed the couple behind us did the same thing.

  “You’re such a trend setter,” I said, and patted Kolton on the rear as we entered the auditorium. “There’s Kristin and Connor getting drinks.”

  Kolton and I headed toward the side of the room where tables of cookies and snacks had been set up. In the middle, a giant silver champagne fountain bubbled with the non-alcoholic variety, of course.

  At the back of the room, a faux grand staircase had been erected that spilled out onto the dance floor. It was the masquerade ball scene from Phantom of the Opera. More giant candelabras lit with flickering light bulb candles filled every corner of the room. The dim dance floor was packed with masked couples gyrating to a fast song as fog billowing out from the D.J. booth crept over them.

  “Happy Halloween!” I shouted behind Kristin.

  She jumped a little, turned around and smacked my arm. “You almost made me spill my nasty fake champagne all over the place.”

  “It is like Halloween,” Connor said, and nudged Kristin. “I told you.”

  “It is not like Halloween!” She put a hand on her hip. “It’s Phantom of the Opera. How else would you do Phantom?”

  “I wouldn’t,” Connor said. “It’s stupid.”

  “Whatever.” Kristin waved her hand dismissing his comment. “Connor, this is Kolton. Kolton, Connor.”

  “Hi,” Connor said.

  “Hey.” Kolton shook his hand.

  I smacked Kristin’s arm like she’d smacked mine. “He’s my boyfriend. I can introduce him.”

  “Whatever. Why are we standing here? Let’s go dance!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her. I latched on to Kolton’s arm and dragged him along. Connor followed us.

  Kristin weaved through other couples. We waved and said hi to everybody on our way to the center of the floor. The fast song ended and transitioned into a slow one. Kolton stopped and pulled me to him. “Finally,” he whispered, placing a soft kiss on my neck.

  I sank into him, feeling his chest expand with each breath, catching the smell of him—warmth and a hint of sunscreen that never seemed to go away. “I missed you.”

  He hugged me tight. “I missed you more.”

  As we kissed and swayed back and forth surrounded by fog and sweaty bodies in taffeta and tuxes, it struck me that prom wasn’t all that exciting now that we were here. Being with Kolton was exciting. Being with Kolton is what I’d been waiting and waiting for since spring break. “We don’t have to stay until the end.”

  He glanced down at me. “You’re not having fun?”

  “I’m having fun. I’d be having more fun if it were just me and you.” The words tumbled out and I thought I should be embarrassed by them, but I wasn’t.

  Another song came on, and Kristin’s thin arms wrapped around my waist, tugging me away from Kolton. “Potty break.” She patted Kolton’s chest. “I’ll bring her right back. Talk to Connor.”

  I gave him an apologetic smile as Connor stepped up beside him. “Be right back.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Connor said, “go gossip about us. Talk about how hot we are. We’ll be right here. Or over there by the cookies.” He tapped Kolton and jerked his head toward the cookie table.

  Kristin’s energy seemed to bounce and vibrate in the air around her. “So?”

  “So?” I slipped past a guy on the soccer team and got a whiff of beer.

  “Tonight?” Kristin smiled mischievously. “You and Kolton?”

  We got through the crush of people on the dance floor and strode to the side doors leading to the hallway. “None of your business.”

  She laughed and pushed open the door. The hallway was dark with more flickering candelabras every few yards leading the way to the bathrooms. “Like I don’t already know the answer,” Kristin said, clucking her tongue. “You have to call me tomorrow as soon as you get home. I want details.”

  “I’m not giving you details!” I turned and faced her while pushing the bathroom door open with my back. “That’s private. But you know I’ll call.”

  “You better, or I’m coming over and bribing you to talk with cherry chip muffins.” Kristin entered the first stall and closed the door. “Are you nervous?” she asked.

  A couple girls, Nina and Sarah, from my government class came in. “Hi,” I said, hoping Kristin would shut up.

  “Hey, Lauren. I love your dress,” Nina said, angling up to the mirror and taking her lipstick out of her purse.

  “Thanks. I love yours, too,” I said, before darting into the stall beside Kristin’s.

  “I asked you a question,” Kristin said, the stall door banging behind her as she walked out to the sinks.

  “No. Stop talking about it.” I swear if everyone ended up knowing about my plans for the night thanks to Nina, Sarah and Kristin’s big mouth, I was going to freak out.

  The water rushed out of the faucet, garbling whatever she was saying to Nina and Sarah. When I came out, Kristin was alone, waiting for me. “
Don’t worry. Like I would tell anyone.” She studied her nails. “But, are you ready?” She glanced up at me. “I mean, I’m no expert, but if you have any questions…”

  “Thanks, but I’m okay.” Kolton and I would do what came naturally.

  Kristin stepped forward and hugged me. “I’m going to miss you next year.” She smacked her lips against my cheek in an exaggerated kiss. In the mirror, the dark pink outline of her lips showed on my cheek.

  After wiping her lipstick off of my face, I followed her out of the bathroom. “Lauren,” a familiar voice called in a loud whisper from the end of the hall.

  I turned and narrowed my eyes into the darkness—the candelabras stopped at the bathroom door. “Kolton?” His face, half hidden by the Phantom mask, peered playfully around the corner. He bent his finger summoning me to follow. “What are you up to?”

  Kristin giggled. “I’ll see you back inside.” She took off down the hall toward the auditorium.

  The click-clack of my heels echoed down the empty hallway. Kolton must not have been able to wait to get me alone. I knew how he felt and picked up my pace. With one hand on the wall, I made my way to the dark corner and rounded it, expecting to find Kolton waiting for me.

  Nobody was there. “Kolton?”

  I took a few steps forward.

  A door creaked opened a little farther down the hall, and I could just make him out in the dark, disappearing into a room on the right.

  Bubbles of excitement fizzed through me like fake champagne, and I ran down the hall toward him.

  “I found you,” I said, laughing as I reached the door.

  Strong arms grabbed me, yanking me into the room.

  A quick hand covered my mouth and shoved me against the wall.

  My heart pounded as eyes—eyes like Kolton’s—bored into mine. Angry. Crazy.

  The door slammed shut. Pain seared through my head as he bashed it into the wall, jarring my neck.

  His urgent breathing rasped in and out against my ear, mingling with my whimpers behind his hand.

  I bit down on his fingers. He jerked his hand back and backhanded me in the face, knocking my head into the wall again.

  Barely conscious, I felt the edge of something cool and sharp burn as it glided across my cheek.

  His knife slashed my face again and again as I kicked and lashed out.

  Warm blood dripped down onto my chest.

  I faded from consciousness.

  KOLTON

  Where was Lauren?

  Connor stuffed his fourth chocolate chip cookie into his mouth and wiped the crumbs on his pants. He was an okay guy, I guess. We hadn’t talked much.

  “There you are.” Kristin came up behind us and wrapped her arms around Connor’s middle. “Kolton, how did you get back here before me?” She glanced around the room and nodded to the doors on the opposite side. “You guys must’ve gone around and come in the other side. Sneaky. Where’s Lauren? Did you mess up her lipstick?” She shrugged her eyebrows suggestively.

  “What do you mean? I’ve been standing here the whole time.” Lauren only told me Kristin was smart, she didn’t mention anything about her being nuts. “Isn’t Lauren with you?”

  She smirked and tilted her head. “Very funny.”

  “I’m not being funny.”

  “Stop messing with me,” she said, laughing and shoving my shoulder.

  Whatever.

  I stuffed my hands in my pockets and searched the room. Lauren probably came back in and stopped to talk to someone. She knew everyone here, after all.

  “We’re going to go dance,” Kristin said. “When Lauren comes back, come join us, ‘kay?”

  “Sure.” I smiled and watched them walk onto the dance floor. After a few more minutes, I felt like a stalker who crashed the prom—the guy nobody knew, standing there staring at everyone around him.

  Where the hell was Lauren? Unease crept in, and I fought against it, because we were at prom—what was there to be uneasy about? But Lauren wouldn’t leave me standing here alone like this.

  Something felt off.

  I made my way between couples to where Kristin and Connor were dancing. “Hey. Where did Lauren go?”

  She looked at me like I was stoned. “How should I know. You were the one who lured her down the hall and around the corner.”

  It felt like a brick dropped inside my head. The realization slammed into me hard and heavy. “No. That wasn’t me.”

  “What?” she said. The music was too loud for her to hear me.

  “That wasn’t me!”

  She took in my expression and her eyes widened. “Come on.”

  With my hand in Kristin’s iron grasp, she dragged me off the dance floor. We ran out into the hall and down past the bathrooms with Connor on our heels. “Around this corner. You—someone—called out to her and she followed him.”

  “You didn’t recognize him?” We rounded the corner. “Lauren?” I called.

  “We thought it was you.” Kristin darted ahead. “Lauren!”

  I could hardly see, it was so dark. There was the sound of shoes sliding, and Kristin squealed. “Ouch! Shit!”

  “Kris, are you okay?” Connor was right beside me. We were only a few feet away.

  “Yeah,” she said. “The floor’s wet in front of this door.”

  “I wish we could freaking see.” I said, trying to avoid the puddle.

  There was only enough light to not run into each other or the walls.

  “I don’t think this is water,” Connor said, helping Kristin to her feet. “Your dress…”

  “What the hell?” Kristin twisted around, looking at the dark splotches on the back of her dress.

  “It looks like blood,” Connor said, bent over getting a closer look.

  Blood?

  Dread flared through my veins, ice cold and fevered, probing me forward. I grasped the doorknob and flung the door open.

  My world crashed around me. Lauren lay crumpled in a pool of blood against the wall. I fell to my knees and grabbed her. “Lauren!”

  OhGodohGodohGodplease. Please!

  “Oh my God!” Kristin cried, hysterical. “Oh my God!”

  “Lauren?” I shook her gently. “Please, open your eyes.” Choking back tears, I felt for a pulse. It was faint.

  “I’m calling 9-1-1,” Connor said.

  Kristin knelt beside me, shaking and sobbing. “Lauren.” She picked tendrils of Lauren’s hair out of the blood drying on her face.

  I pulled the red handkerchief that matched Lauren’s dress out of my breast pocket and dabbed the blood from her face. “She’s alive,” I whispered. It was all I could manage.

  She was alive and had to stay alive.

  She was everything. She was my future. My life was laying on the floor in a pool of blood.

  LAUREN

  Faint wisps of memories lingered in my head—flickers of how I ended up in a hospital bed. My face was sore and swollen and covered in bandages and tape.

  “Please talk to us.” Mom sat beside me on the bed with her hand on my leg. “How could this happen?” she whispered. Her face was splotchy from crying.

  Amy knelt beside my head. “What do you remember?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” It was all a blur that I couldn’t piece together.

  “How can we help?” Mom scooted closer to my head and rubbed my arm.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Hey,” Amy brushed my hair back and lowered her face closer to mine. “Look at me.”

  I turned my head, blinked back the tears, and she came into focus. Her brows were drawn together. “I feel like I’m dying,” I said, and started bawling.

  Her arms pulled me to her. She kissed the top of my head and rocked me. “I’m so sorry. Will you talk to me about it?”

  I pushed myself away and looked down at my hospital gown, remembering my beautiful dress. “His brother. His brother did this.”

  Struck by panic, I recalled the slash and burn of the knif
e across my cheek in the dark. I gasped for air and touched my face.

  She pulled me to her again and held on tight. “That’s what the police told us. Why did he do this to you?” Her voice was calm, but edged with hysteria that could crack her composure any second.