Intoxicated

Chapter Seven

I'm not about to die. Not by Jace, at least. My heart lodges in my throat at the thought. The temper that took control of my fist is gone. Just my survival instincts and me now - flight. 

Almost everyone in the hallway comes to a standstill, watching. 

I swear veins bulge from Jace's forehead, all scrunched up. "Better start running now, bitch."

Fuck. I turn on my heel, making a beeline for the next hallway. He chases after me, his trainers smacking against the floor. There's no way I can outrun him all the way home, and the park won't do, either. I need to find another place. The bathroom, I recall. My bag jars against my shoulders as I take a sharp turn, catching sight of the toilets just ahead. He'll still come in. I need to get to a stall and lock it. 

"Yeah, run to the bathroom, bitch," he hisses between breaths. "I'll still get you."

People follow after him, just watching. Doing absolutely nothing about it. 

Just go. I ram against the girl's toilet door, adrenaline pounding all over. Or fear. Either fucking one. The door is about to swing shut when he bursts through it, ravenous with rage. I meet his bloodthirsty eyes. Shit, shit, shit - 

"You can't fucking run or hide, bitch." 

I dart into the first stall, slamming the door shut. He bangs his fists against it. I lean on the door, locking it with juddering hands. 

He strikes the door again. "Come out, bitch!" he snarls, kicking it hard.

The door jolts and the lock rattles loudly. Don't fucking break, I plead, my chest heaving with each panicked breath. Don't. 

His trainers squeak against the floor as he paces about. "You've got to come out eventually," he points out, his voice echoing within the walls. "I've got all day. I can wait."

I press my eyes shut, keeping my back against the door. This shit only happens in crappy, cliche American movies, I think. Alex hated those. We both did. Now I'm living one. Sorry 'bout it. 

Jace lets out a sharp sigh. Steps closer to the door. BANG. The hinges jar against his strength. "Get the fuck out." He demands, starting to pace again - like a predator circling their prey.

Or cornering them.

He's the wolf and I'm the rabbit trapped in a burrow or whatever the fuck they live in. 

"If you don't get out right now," he warns, the anger in his voice thundering in my ears. "I'll make it worse. Tomorrow will be worse. I will get you, you hear me?"

I slide onto the floor, pulling my knees to my chest. Tight. Breathe, I remind myself. Just breathe. Wait it out. It couldn't get any - 

The bathroom door creaks open, footsteps following.

"Jace?" comes a voice, an oddly familiar voice. "What's going on?"

My eyes snap open. Noah. 

"Nothing, man," Jace replies, tone tight and almost trembling. "This stupid bitch won't get out."

"Just..." Noah's voice trails off, his low and even - unlike Jace's. "Just let her go for now. We have training. We'll get her tomorrow." He insists, though not very convincingly. 

I trace my tongue over my lips. Silence. Deafening silence. 

"Fine," Jace snaps. "Whatever." 

Their footsteps start to recede. 

"I'm still gonna come for you." He calls, his voice disappearing with him and Noah.

Thank fuck doesn't even cover it. 

The streets are quiet, near empty. The woosh of one car fills them. Walking slowly, I glance up at the sky, as gloomy and gray as ever. Me too. No thanks to Jace - at least Noah was there. It almost seems like he's trying to help, or maybe he just doesn't care. Tired of Jace's games. I can't blame him - so am I.

I haven't done anything to him. Ever. 

Except exist, and be friends with Alex. But what does that matter? They've never been friends, and they certainly didn't seem to have any rivalry until I showed up. Probably my fault, I think, even though I'm not quite sure how or why. As per usual. 

I focus on placing one foot in front of the other, trying to block out my thoughts. They're not helpful - they never have been. And I don't care what my counsellor says. They could be, but they're not. 

With a heavy sigh, I lift my head. How far have I got to go? Like twenty minutes?  Feels like twenty minutes too long. I just want to go home already. Something lands on my face, drizzling down my cheek. I look skyward. The clouds are suddenly darker.

Rain? Now? Really? I love rain, don't get me wrong - but walking in it? Not so much. Especially when I'm wearing jeggings. More droplets fall on my face. I flick my hoodie up. Within seconds, the pavement is dotted with dark spots.

Great.

Head hanging lower than before, I march on, my thoughts unusually quiet. Maybe the rain isn't so bad after all - except for it dampening my pants, which now stick to my thighs. I've always had relatively large legs, but I don't really care. I wouldn't be able to walk or sit on my ass without them. So there's that. 

Okay, I can't be that far - 

My eyes widen the moment I look up. There's a dog, a golden Labrador with long shaggy, soaked fur. They have a collar, I think as I continue walking, though more slowly even though they're at the end of the street. The dog watches me, tongue lolling out. There's no one else around. I might as well check, I think. The dog seems friendly enough, anyway. 

I approach the Labrador with caution, pulling back my hood. They keep their soft, dark brown eyes on me. I kneel down, offering out my palm. I purse my lips together, making a clicking sound. "Come here," I urge, shuffling a little closer. The dog just stares, their tail wagging slightly. "Come on."

Ever so slowly, the dog pads forward, their canines bared in a goofy-looking grin. Don't bite me, please, I think as they come closer. "Good dog," I remark in a too high-pitch voice for me. God, we talk to dogs weird. "Come here."

With a pant, the dog sniffs my hand before nudging their head against my palm. I can't help but smile. 

"You're a friendly doggo, aren't you?" I say, running my hand along the scruff of their neck. 

Their fur is damp, but parts of it are still soft. I continue running my hand through their fur, the dog pressing against me with their tail wagging happily now. With my free hand, I fumble for the collar, pulling it around properly. It's a bright red, with a silver tag on it. Why does this look so familiar? 

I turn it over, revealing barely visible text engraved into the tag. It reads 'Nugget', as well as an address and phone number. My face falls as the realisation dawns on me. 

"Nugget!" I exclaim, unable to stop the grin on my face from growing. I pull him closer to me, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I can't believe it's you! What are you doing out on the streets? You could get lost or hurt, you silly thing." 

He jumps up a little to lick my face. I let out a laugh, scratching him behind the ears. It's Alex's dog, or his family's dog, really. Nugget continues to stare at me with his big, brown and gleaming eyes. I haven't seen his family since... since the funeral, really. 

The emptiness in my chest starts to surface. Frowning, I rise to my feet. I should go visit them. "Come on," I prompt Nugget, who's shaking the rain from his coat. Bits of water flicker at me. I scoff at him, managing a small smile. "Let's take you home."