Author: A. N. Senerella
Category: Young Adult
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/a-n-senerella/page,16,76697-mine.html
“Okay. Thank you for telling me. I really appreciate it.” I finally stepped back from him. “You really are my best friend, Mitchell. I love you.”
The smile stayed in place, but it didn’t seem any more real to me than it had been before. “I love you too, Anika, trust me.” His voice had lowered, and I felt slight chills on my body when he said it, like something wasn’t right. But I didn’t have time to think about it. I had bigger fish to fry, and damn, did I plan to fry him to a crisp.
***
“What is wrong with you?” I yelled the second I saw him.
Brady and Foster looked up in surprise, eyes widened in confusion.
I jabbed my finger at Brady. “You’re joining the army.”
Immediately the color fled from his face, and his eyes shot to Foster.
My body shook slightly as a moment of realization came over me. “You knew?” I asked Foster numbly.
“He asked me not to tell you,” Foster murmured gently.
Brady stood up, walking toward me. “It wasn’t his information to tell, Anika. Look, I was going to tell you before I left, I just figured you didn’t need to know that yet. It would’ve hurt you.”
“And this doesn’t?” I half screeched, my voice shooting up an octave but trembling violently. It felt like part of me was being torn away, even though he and I weren’t close anymore. He was someone I’d known for almost my entire life. “You’re going to die,” I whispered.
He shook his head slowly. “No, I’m not.”
“You are!” I snapped, my eyes filling with tears. “You’re literally going off somewhere to be shot and killed!”
“That’s not what I’m doing, Anika.”
“Then what are you doing?!”
“Living for me for once!” he yelled back, shaking. As I stood there, not speaking and instead just staring at him without understanding, he took a deep breath. “I waited for you Anika. I did. I’m so tired of waiting. I want to do something with my life, something good. I’ve never done anything good for anyone, and that makes me dread being who I am.” He shook his head as if trying to will me into understanding. “I’m going to do this no matter what you say.”
“I don’t want you here,” I whispered. “If you’re going to die, I don’t want to watch you go off to do it.”
“You know,” he laughed angrily, “I almost thought that you would want me to do something for myself. I almost believed that you would be happy that I found something I wanted to do.” His eyes skimmed my face furiously for a moment before he turned sharply. “Whatever,” he hissed as he walked. “I’m leaving.”
“Good!”
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
The door to his room slammed hard enough to make the walls shake slightly, and I felt like falling to my knees and sobbing.
Mitchell’s hand touched my shoulder gently, and he kissed the top of my head.
I tore away from him. “Don’t.”
“Two,” I heard him murmur under his breath quietly.
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
I laughed dryly in response.
Foster stood up and looked down at me. “Anika—”
“Shut up.”
His mouth closed reluctantly, and he nodded slowly.
I took a deep breath. “We have a party to get ready for. Guests will be here any second. There’s a lot of people coming. So if you want to say anything, make it related to my party, and make it useful, because I am going to enjoy myself today, no matter what you say.”
Foster nodded again.
“Okay.” I took another shallow breath and the doorbell went. Brushing down my pants as though I was wiping away the anger, I plastered a smile on my face, though tears tore at me internally. “Let’s have a party, then.”
Chapter 31
Foster
Anika laughed and hugged Sierra around the neck, pulling the small blonde close to her and grinning. I couldn’t hear what she was saying from here, but it was probably just thanks for her gift.
I sipped from my punch slowly. It tasted like watered-down gummy bears, and I didn’t like it, but I needed something to do. While Anika was surrounded by friends and family for the past few hours, I’d been trying to keep my eye on Mitchell. He’d come in on me sleeping next to Anika, and there was no telling what had happened to him and his fragile mind.
People had started leaving already, leaving only a few drunken family members scattered about.
Sierra hugged Anika again, then walked off. Well, skipped off.
I chuckled quietly as I watched them and approached Anika. “You having fun?”
Her eyes were tired, but happy. “Yeah.”
“How does your ankle feel?”
“Like it’s being cut off.”
“That doesn’t sound healthy.”
“It’s probably not, honestly.”
I smirked slightly. “Then go sit down for a bit.”
“Nah.”
“You kicked Brady out?” Sierra’s voice came, small and disbelieving.
Anika sighed and turned to the girl who I hadn’t noticed approaching us. “No. He left. We had an argument over his stupid—”
“Over him joining the army?”
Though her mouth fell open slightly, Anika quickly closed it. “You knew too.”
“Of course I knew, I’m his… friend,” said Sierra. She fidgeted slightly and glowered at me. “Did Foster have anything to do with it? Is he why you made Brady leave? He only decided to join because he wants to do some good, Anika. It’s not our choice.”
“He had nothing to do with it,” Anika sighed.
“Do you care if I leave early to go see him?” Sierra asked nervously.
“Of course not.”
Sierra nodded and took off in a small jog toward the house, disappearing soon after, and Anika groaned quietly. “My ankle is killing me,” she grumbled again.
“Sit down for a bit.”
Anika looked past me and waved at someone a little. “Mitchell! Can you grab a few chairs and come over here?”
My stomach twisted uneasily. I didn’t want him here. The sooner he left, the better.
He was upon us within a few seconds with a few fold-up chairs tucked under his arm. “Here we go,” he chimed, setting them out. A smile was spread across his lips, and he was unsettlingly… neutral.
“So, college girl,” Mitchell smiled, leaning back in his chair. “You excited? We’re down to one.”
“One?”
“It’s just us and Foster,” he reminded her cheerily. “Then when he leaves, it’s off to college.”
Anika laughed a little. “Oy, don’t remind me. I don’t need to feel older than I already do.”
“Foster, would you go get a CD for me?” Mitchell requested in a civil tone, looking at me expectantly. “It’s in my suitcase. And take your time, I have some things to say to Anika that I’d rather say alone. It’s her favorite CD,” he added, urging me to go get it once he saw me hesitating.
“Please?” Anika asked eagerly.
I looked between them uncertainly. “Alright,” I gave in eventually.
She smiled up at me. “Thanks, Foster.”
“Of course.”
***
Anika
I looked at Mitchell, smiling at him as Foster disappeared toward the house. “So, what CD is it?”
“A special one,” he purred lightly. “Would you like to dance with me?”
“There’s no music, you dork,” I scoffed.
Mitchell raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think that’s what I asked.”
After a moment of consideration, I nodded, standing up and looking at him. “Alright, fine. Only because you were such a huge help today, though.” I sighed. “It’s a good thing I love you. I can barely stand right now.”
“Why? Your ankle?”
“Yeah. It sucks.”
&
nbsp; “You shouldn’t have fought a nurse.” Mitchell smiled, shaking his head. “Step on my feet.”
I grinned. “I don’t think there was doubt about me stepping on your feet. I’m not the most graceful of dancers.” Still, I slipped off my one shoe and stood on his feet. His arms were around my waist, holding me securely as he swayed us slightly.
“You know, Anika, you’ve made more mistakes than just fighting a nurse.”
My amusement was gone immediately. “Yeah. So what? Everyone has.”
“Mistakes that are going to get you hurt.”
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” I muttered.
“Interesting choice of phrase.” Mitchell dipped me back, leaning me backward over his arm and looking down at me. Something scary was in his eyes. I’d never seen it before.
“L-let me up, okay? I’m done dancing.”
“So am I. Because we’re at zero now.”
“What are you talking about? Mitchell, you’re starting to freak me out. Let go.” I squirmed, but only one of his hands left my waist.
“No.” Something sharp touched my back and I flinched, pressing against him. A cold grimace of a smile hinted at his face. “I’m going to show you what it’s like to be stabbed in the back like you did to me.”
“Mitchell,” I repeated shakily, squirming away from the blade and trembling in fear. “Stop it! Get off of me!”
“No!” His eyes lost their cool, a wild look overtaking them now. He was shaking, and his eyes pooled with furious tears. “You need to feel what it’s like! What it was like for me!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Stop it! Foster!” I shrieked.
“Mitchell,” a deep voice snapped.
Immediately I was spun around, twisting my ankle in a way which caused me to scream. Mitchell was wielding a large knife.
And it was pointed directly at Foster.
Chapter 32
Foster
I held out my hand toward Mitchell slowly as if putting my hand there would convince him not to do anything rash. “Mitchell,” I tried carefully, “you’re sick. We know you’re sick, and we aren’t mad, but I need you to put that knife down before you do something you’ll regret, okay? We don’t need to do it like this. Let go of Anika, and we’ll talk about this.”
His jaw clenched, his eyes full of tears. “Shut up!”
“Mitchell,” I repeated more softly, “you don’t want to hurt her, right? You love her.”
“I can understand her loving someone else even while I love her,” he snarled suddenly. “I can be patient while she kisses other people.” Mitchell yanked the knife away from her and pointed it at me. “But she slept with you!” he yelled shakily. “You! I’ve been here for years, never not loving her, and you come in and just… just, take her!”
Anika was frozen in place, her eyes locked on me desperately as her lips shook and tears slipped down her cheeks.
“If you just calm down, we can talk about this.”
“I don’t want to talk anymore!”
“Okay, would you like to propose a fight, then?” I offered quietly.
He laughed sharply. “I’m not that stupid, Foster.” His crazed eyes were still full of tears. “You know why I drugged her? You want to know why? I mean you clearly do, you asked me, right?” Mitchell exposed his teeth in a sickening grin and he shook his head slightly. “It’s simple. If she got drugged while you were there, it would’ve been your fault. She would’ve left you alone. You’d have been arrested. But you,” he growled through his smile angrily, “you saw me. You ruined everything. You ruined my entire life. You ruined her!”
Anika’s legs were shaking now from how stiffly she was standing in place. “Mitchell,” she whimpered.
“No!” He tore his arm from the air and pressed the blade to her neck.
“I didn’t sleep with him!” she cried, shaking.
“Don’t lie to me!”
I took several steps forward instinctively, now just four feet from him. He swung the knife wildly toward me with wide eyes. Keeping my arms steady at my sides, I looked him in the eye. If I was going to help her at all, I needed to play into what he believed to be the truth. “I know not seeing her drove you a little more insane,” I murmured. “I know me sleeping with her put you over the edge. But Mitchell, think. Think about how long you’ve been friends with her. How happy she makes people. You can hate me, and you can hate her, but do you hate the world enough to take her away from it?”
His jaw clenched and unclenched, and Mitchell squeezed his eyes closed hard for a moment, before opening them with a calm look that made fear and certainty form in the pit of my stomach. Once more, he let his smile come to his face, though his eyes were absolutely empty. “Yes.” The veins in his arms bulged slightly as he prepared to move.
Anika slammed her elbow into him suddenly, into his chest, and he groaned loudly. Tears were running down her face as she threw her leg back hard, trying blindly to land a kick. “I’m sorry Mitchell!” she sobbed as she kicked out more, stumbling toward me the best she could with her brace on. I grabbed her as soon as I could reach her and yanked her behind me, launching myself onto Mitchell almost at the same time.
He let out an almost animalistic screech and squirmed on the ground as I used my bodyweight against him, pressing on his chest as hard as I could manage. Mitchell swung his arm, catching my arm with his knife, and I immediately turned my attention to trying to get the knife out of his hand. It would be hours until Anika’s father was home, which meant I needed to get Mitchell down, and fast, because I wouldn’t last a few hours.
Mitchell dug his fingers into the cut in my arm viciously, pushing past the skin, and pain seared my body so intensely that I couldn’t move. He shoved me off of him and got on top of me. I could hear Anika screaming.
It was all happening so quickly: Mitchell pulling the knife above his head, ready to plunge it down into me, a man’s voice…
And then a gunshot, followed by pain.
A scream tore its way from Mitchell’s throat as he fell over to the side, grabbing his bleeding side desperately, and my hand flew to my shoulder where the bullet had nicked the top. I looked around for the knife, grabbing it and hurling it over the fence.
I fell onto the ground again, panting hard, and lay with my eyes closed. Stabbed and shot? What a Saturday.
Anika screamed my name repeatedly and I felt her body on top of mine as she searched for other places I was hurt. I shook my head, still panting.
“I’m okay,” I huffed.
Her arms wove around me and she buried her face against me, shaking hard. I put my good hand on her back and looked behind her at the person who had shot Mitchell.
Brady had finally been of some use in my life.
***
The paramedic pressed another bandage to my shoulder and I grimaced, then turned to look at Anika and Brady.
“Thank you, Brady,” Anika said to him quietly.
Brady gave a slight grin. “I’ve always wanted to shoot Foster.”
I smirked.
“Why did you come back, though?”
His hand went to the back of his neck, rubbing slightly. “I forgot my gun.”
“Oh.”
A silence settled, and I cleared my throat. Anika looked at me and offered a smile, and she brought Brady over to me. “I think you have something to say to Brady, Foster.”
“Thanks for not hitting any vital organs.”
“I aimed for your head,” he dismissed with mock disappointment.
“You mean Mitchell’s head?”
Brady grinned again. “Yeah, that.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “You’re a horrid shot.”
Sierra approached, looking at all of us nervously. “Where’s… Where’s Mitchell?”
“Cop car.”
She nodded slowly, then cast her gaze at Brady. “You’re a lifesaver, you know that?�
� Sierra hesitated, then stood on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to Brady’s cheek, turning bright red.
I chuckled, giving Brady a knowing look as he let his arm fall around her waist.
Anika smiled at them slightly, giving a small nod, and laid her head against my shoulder. Then, the four of us just stood there in the flashing red and blue lights.
Chapter 33
Anika licked the spoon in her hand slowly, eyeing me. “And how exactly did you get admitted to my college last second?”
“The things money will buy,” I hummed innocently.
She scowled at me half-heartedly. “Look. I said I’d date you, but that doesn’t mean you can go around throwing money around everywhere, got it? It’s stupid.”
I shrugged and took a bite of her ice cream.
She made a quiet yelping noise. “Hey!”
“Could you two not share food in front of me?” Jensen groaned. “It’s enough that I let you stay here for college, I don’t need to see you doing… couple stuff.” He gestured, and I grinned, leaning away from Anika obediently.
“Yes, sir.”
She smiled warmly at me. “Ha. I win. Get your own next time.”
“I already did.” Raising an eyebrow, I chuckled and shook my head, “You moved half of it to your bowl, remember?”
“Details,” she dismissed.
“Right.”
Jensen took a swig from his drink, and I could see him smiling from behind the mug as he watched us. We’d be starting our classes in a few months, but it didn’t matter to me when we did. I was ready for it. For the next chapter of my life, with a beautiful love interest at my side, and no messy love triangle to screw with it.
The birds sang louder now, and everything smelled better; even Jensen’s burnt coffee.
I’d always believed that once they locked eyes, people destined for each other would never truly look away again. My eyes had been set on Anika since the day we met, even when she wasn’t there anymore. I guess I saw with my heart. Maybe that’s why I’d been able to see through Mitchell’s ruse.
He wasn’t evil. He was just sick. He was a sick, sick boy who no one had helped over time. He’d tried so hard to hold on, I knew that. But sometimes, you just can’t anymore. At least, he couldn’t. And because of that, I couldn’t fully hate him for what he did, and I knew Anika didn’t either.