Fractured Fairytales

Chapter 11: The Devil In Disguise

Elizabeth:

"Welcome to the Fall Play," Miss Darcy said, entering the auditorium. It would've been more dramatic if more than five people had showed up. But this was usual for the drama department on any given day. I guess that being "artsy" is warrants you the right to not go anywhere on time. Normally I would take advantage of that fact. But that was before the arrival of Mark at our dorm ten minutes ago, which led me to disappear before the love fest began.

Ms. Darcy seemed to finally become aware that those of us who had showed up weren't in the mood for a speech she'd have to repeat in half an hour and just took her seat.

An all too familiar laugh sounded from beside me. I hadn't even noticed the boy sit beside me, which was unusual because I had a tendency to notice everything this boy ever did.

"Alex," I said, somewhat exasperated. In all the years I had known Alex Larsen, I had never known him the type to try out for a school play. Or any play for that matter. He had always been much too athletic for this sort of thing. Something I both loved and hated about him.

He smiled that perfect smile of his at me. The way he used to smile at me everyday, but it wasn't a smile I'd seen in a while. "You're probably wondering why I'm here," he teased.

"Well, yeah," I replied. It was no secret that Alex didn't act, at least not on a stage.

"Some guy told me it would look good on college applications."

I laughed loudly, before seeing the serious look on his face. The Alex I'd grown up with had cared about higher education about as much as he cared about school plays. "Since when are you gonna go to college?"

"Thanks for your confidence, Bits," he joked. After a few moments of silence he explained. "Tina thinks its a good idea,"

"Ah," I replied, nodding my head. "It's all suddenly clear. The girlfriend."

I turned away before he could reply. I wasn't in the mood to hear about Tina right now. And dispite what the rest of the girls might think, my hatred of Tina isn't, and never was a jealously thing. I was always a strong believer in the whole if you love someone, let them go thing. Alex was a teenage boy who was going to date. It was a simple fact of life. The thing that bugged me was that everyday he spent with Tina, he stopped being Alex and became this whipped freak whose girlfriend controlled his every move.

"You're angry," he said.

"And how would you know?" I snapped back.

He glared at me slightly. "You're not exactly trying to hide it," he replied, clearly annoyed.

This was what Alex and I did best. Fight. We fought about everything all the time for years. And I hate to admit it, but some sick, twisted part of me loved it. You know, up until he just stopped fighting back.

"I could've chose a different extra curricular activity, you know,"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Then why didn't you?"

He chuckled slightly, rolling his eyes. "I thought it'd be obvious."

"What?" I asked, trying to mask my anger slightly.

"The more time I spend with Tina, the more time I spend with the girls on the volleyball team-"

I closed my eyes, taking in what he was saying. It hit me like a ton of bricks. "Ashley."

He nodded and continued. "The way she talks about you. She's so defensive."

"She's my friend, Alex. Friends stand up for each other when-" I dropped my sentence there. "Your girlfriend's a bitch." I said, blatantly.

Alex tried to look offended, really tried. Some part of him had to know I was right though.

"I don't get you, Liz,"

I shook my head, chuckling slightly. "You never did, not really."
"I want to, though. I mean, we've only got two years of high school left. I want my oldest friend to be a part of it."

When I left the auditorium an hour and a half later, Adam Roy was leaning against the lockers outside, grinning at me.

"Elizabeth Peters," He said, pushing himself away from the lockers and giving me one of his devilish grins.

"Adam Roy," I responded, not bothering to hide my annoyance. I started walking toward the door that would lead me out of this building and back to my dorm.

"Wait, wait, wait," He said, before I could walk away. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into an empty classroom.

"Get off of me, Adam," I yelled, swatting his hands away from me.

"Chill," He replied rolling his eyes, and sitting down on a desk. "It's not like I'm trying to rape you."

"For some reason, that wasn't what I was afraid of. I just don't know where you've been,"

He chuckled. "I shower monthly," he joked.

I folded my arms over my chest. "What do you want, Adam?"

"You-"

I cringed.

"-to thank me."

I raised my eyebrows. "What the hell do i have to thank you for?"

 "It takes a special kind of person to convince Alex Larsen to try out for the school play. And an even more special person to convince him to do so behind his lovely, and somewhat psychotic girlfriend's back."

"You?" was all I could come up with. I had this disturbed feeling in my gut.

"Satan doesn't do favors without asking something in return,"

Adam grinned, his eyes glistening evilly. He put an arm around my shoulders and led me out of the drama department. "I'll walk you home," he said. "We'll talk."

I had this strange feeling I had just made a deal with the devil.