Stay...Calm

Chapter 25

"I think we all could make a mutual agreement that we shouldn't trust Yolanda anymore," Horace proposed later in the day while sitting in kid's lounge upstairs.

"No way!" Pauline exclaimed.

"We shouldn't' trust you!" Buckley chimed in. "You're stuck-up and mean to everything and your shirt the other day was so weird and-"

"Hey, shut up!" Horace interjected, then got quieter. "And I personally think that shirt was very creative. You liked it, right Victorine?'

"No," Victorine stated. He inhaled sharply.

"You don't just speak for anything, do ya?" he grumbled. Just then Yolanda walked down the hallway, and Horace's eyes widened.

"Hey!" he yelled. "We're all about to die! Whatcha gonna do then?"

"I'd say 'your mother', but that'd be beastiality," she responded, going as quickly as she came.

"OOOOOOHHHHH!" the twins shouted. Victorine let out a little giggle, as Horace groaned at his lack of luck.

"Do you even know what that means?" he grumbled. 

"Nope," Buckely chuckled. 

"I need a drink," he uttered under his breath. Suddenly, a fast thumping traveled up the stairs and into the boy's room. A door violently slammed and hastily locked. The people in the lounge all froze and listened as even heavier footsteps followed up the stairs. And all four of them jumped when a giant clang was heard. Then another, coupled with Anais yelling, "OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!!"

In almost unison, all four of the kids peeked out into the hallway, hoping the wall would conceal them from the crazy girl pounding on the bedroom door. Anais had the sickest, angriest expression imaginable plastered on her face. Her eyes were terrifyingly insane; you could see every red vein lining her pupil. Her hair probably hadn't been brushed in days, and her teeth were barred. The teenage girl looked like a wild animal, about to pounce and maul its enemy. It was like all the pent up anger, fear and desire was pouring out of her at once. She was insane, plain and simple. She pressed her elbows against the door and stared right at it, ready to pry it open with her bare hands.

The kids were frozen behind the wall, but Victorine observed what she saw. She knew that Timothy was in the room somewhere, cowering behind a locked door, his shouts for help drowned out by Anais's growls and yells. But Anais had one thing in mind: removing this barrier and getting to her own true crush. The boy who lured her in just to toss her away. Her wrecked heart became just as twisted as her actions. She banged her fist on the door so loud that it echoed through the halls, undoubtedly bringing everyone's attention to the action upstairs.

"I WAS MEANT TO BE YOURS, TIMMY!" Anais screamed at the top of her lungs. "GET OUT! GET OUT RIGHT NOW!!!"

"Get away from me!" Timothy yelped back at her.

"FINISH WHAT YOU'VE BEGUN! YOU'RE ALL I NEED! YOU HAVE MY GODDAMN HEART!!"
"No, I don't you crazy-!"

"NOW!"

Frustrated, she dug her nails into the top of the door. Slowly and painfully, she scratched the door with both hands. An unbearable screech emerged from the action, causing a shirt to go right up Victorine's spine and jiggle in her brain. The little girl knew she couldn't do anything about it. Anais was too far gone. The month or two of being inside after seeing the brutality of war had gotten into her head. And Timothy had plucked out the last straw.

When a whole line of scratch marks was on the door, Anais went for more. She tossed symmetry to the wind and started to claw at the wood like a panther. Just then, Thelma ran up the stairs and took one look at what became of her friend. She yelped scurried back down the stairs, exclaiming,"No! No, no, no!"

Within a minute, the door looked like Wolverine just attacked it. Giving up on that, Anais started to yank at the door, but to no avail.

"I KNOW YOU WANT ME!" Anais screamed. As she leaned back as far as she could, putting all of her efforts into the doorknob, she makes eye contact with Victorine. It was a brief second, but it was enough for an impact. Victorine didn't gape at her with fear or terror or surprise. It was instead a look of pity. Her eyebrows were lowered, and she frowned bitterly. Her eyes were glistening with worried and empathy as if this whole thing could've been avoided. It even got Anais to raise her eyebrows a little, but immediately knit them back into a scowl. She put even more effort into this door than before.

She banged on the door with both of her fists, each punch making a horrifying loud thud noise. In the midst of it, Anais screamed, "COME OUT HERE IF YOU REALLY LIKE ME!!!"

She drew her fist back as far as she could, gaining loads of momentum, and rammed it right into the doorknob.

WHAM!

After a tense moment of silence, Anais opened her eyes and saw that her fist had gone right through the door. A big hole was right where the doorknob used to be. She heaved heavily, all her rage being put into that one punch. All the witnesses stood stunned as can be, unable to notice anything but what was before him. Anais herself seemed the slightest bit pleased with herself about her mega-punch to the door. Her mouth curved up into a smirk as reached her right arm through the hole. She started to pick at any loose chunks of wood so she could have more room for her upper arm.

Realizing that she could, Anais kicked open the door and surged right inside. Timothy screamed as she grabbed him right by the neck. Just then, Ms.Kion, Mrs.Daniels, and Yolanda ran up the stairs, where they saw the scene of the crime. Thelma scurried up behind them, followed by a few of the most curious guests. The three adults ripped Anais off of Timothy and pulled her out of the room. They grabbed her by the arms and waist as she resisted them. Anais kicked and scratched and bit, but it was no use. Timothy sat up the on the ground, Melissa by his side as he watched in terror.

Anais continued to scream as she was pulled down the stairs. Surprisingly, tears started to slowly stream out of her eyes. Victorine knew that they couldn't be tears of just frustration and anger. She saw hints of defeat and pain in the droplets that streamed down Anais's cringed-up face. Everything that she'd felt throughout the past months, even years. She just couldn't take it anymore.

Victorine followed her as Anais was ruthlessly led down the stairs. However, the little girl stopped at the top of the stairs, as to no get too close. Pretty much the entire house was watching. Most were by the bottom of the stairs, watching on in shock. Linny had to be watching from above somewhere, too. But Victorine shook that thought right out of her head. It took a good five minutes to get the hysterical girl down the stairs and through the downstairs halls. As the shouts grew distant, the whole house stood in shock. No one had anything to say, anyway. The theme was as transparent as it got: life had turned Anais mad.