Amaranth

9

        "Hey there, Beautiful. You wanna go for a ride?" The slurring mixed with alcohol and a little bit of something else did not shock her. She didn't know enough to tell the difference.

        She was about to tell him that she couldn't when David turned around and interrupted them. "Get your hands off her." She hadn't even realized that the guy was holding her arm. He wasn't hurting her, and she didn't understand why David was so mad. She had never seen him like this before, which scared her a little.

        She backed up into the arms of the motorcyclist. A frightened look meant for her protector, but she had it all wrong. She didn’t understand why he was rude to his guy when he had never met him before. She had seen him being rude to other people on various occasions, but it was never like this before.

        "I'm not going to say it again. Take your hand off her or I will do it for you." He stepped forward in challenge.

        "Geez man, relax." He dropped his hand all the same. "You with this guy?" He asked into her hair.

        He unknowingly tickled her when he talked into her hair. It felt funny, and she wanted to laugh, but she held it back because the look on David’s face was not much for laughing.

        "She's with me."

        "Back off. Let her speak for herself." They both looked at her.

        He was defending her. She smiled at him. He was the wrong guy. It fueled David’s anger even more.

        "Let's go." he said roughly before he grabbed her shoulder and pushed himself between them, not even waiting for anyone’s permission.

        "It was nice meeting you!" She waved as she was dragged away. He would have carried her away if he wasn’t so mad, but he was, so his arms stuck by his side. Something about the other guy edged him over the cliff and broke a chord in him.

        David fumbled over these irrational thoughts as he sought out a secluded space at the perimeter of the crowd. Once they were out of the world’s hearing range, he wheeled in on her.

        "You don't talk to anyone. You don't drink anything. And you most definitely don't take rides with strangers."

        "Why not?"

        "Because people are dangerous, and never leave my side. You got that?"

        She nodded, still wondering why he was so upset. "What's wrong?"

        He looked at her hard. He wanted to tell her but knew she wouldn't understand.

        "I'm in charge of you. I don't want you getting hurt. Now are you going to do what I say or do I have to take you home?"

        "No!" She blurted out.

        His anger had subsided at last, and he looked upon her with amusement. She had wanted and waited to go to this party for days ever since she found out about it. She talked of nothing more and nothing less. She loved meeting new people. That much he could tell, but it was that exact thing that worried him.

        He sighed. "Okay," he relented like he was doing her a big favor.

        "Yes!" She tackled him in a hug while jumping up and down, barely able to contain her delight. He was so caught off-guard by her embrace that by the time his arms came up, she was already out of reach.

        She turned around excitedly as she peered across the heads of people that made up the festivities while standing on her tip toes. He was aware that if she had sugar in her right now, she would jet off without his notice, but living off the high of people was more than enough for now. He wasn't quite sure if he could manage to keep up with her tonight but brushed the thought aside. "You ready?"

        She spun back at the sound of his voice and nodded like an eager child.

        He could only hope that he was ready.

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November 18, 2014