SWNOVELS Chapter 19 Vengeance Pt.2
Just as I contemplating my life choices that got me here, I saw Josh as no one even noticed me yet which is concerning. Anyway when he came into view, the first thing I heard him say was
“Hey, I saw Brittney leave suddenly, so I wanted to see what she was up—oh no! Ben!” Josh said, immediately spotting me hanging on for dear life. He immediately dashed towards me and stuttered,
“W-W-W-HAT—H-H-HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!”
“Brittney! She caught me off guard and—”
Before I got another word out, I saw Allison coming this way and muttering something before suddenly stopping, as I saw her looking at me. Before shrieking with pure terror, catching the attention of the guests at this museum who I heard other people telling me to hang on and help was on the way, trying not to make me panic. But of course, Allison’s first instinct rather than helping me up was to yell at Josh as I guess his positioning kinda framed him where she shouted,
“What do you think you are doing to our friend?!!”
Before he had a chance to defend himself, I immediately barked back,
“He didn’t do anything, your so called BESTIE snuck out from our group, caught me off guard and pushed me. You think I wanted to hang here for fun!”
Josh, being the voice of reason, said,
“Me and Ally will go grab one of the teachers for help. But whatever you do, don’t look down.”
As soon as he said that, I looked down and reality settled in as to how high up I was in this museum as I was pretty sure I shouldn’t see my reflection on top of the taxidermied elephant’s head!
“I looked down. I looked down!” I then heard cries and screams from the crowd as my hat fell to the ground and one of my shoes fell off, as I heard a thud sound coming from below.
“Why would you say that, Josh?”
as I saw Al smacking him in the back of the head as they started to leave.
I was starting to lose my grip so in a panic I shouted back,
“Can you kill him after I am back on solid ground please?! I’m starting to lose my grip!”
They nodded and rushed back to my aid. Good thing I spoke up because a minute or two longer and I would’ve been a goner. I managed to grab Josh’s hand but I couldn’t reach Allison’s hand as I still had the note which was barely hanging on my clenched hand. Allison, noticing the paper, told me to let go of the paper. But I pleaded,
“I need it, how else are you gonna believe me without—.” Suddenly she tearfully pleaded,
“Ben, let… IT… GO. You are more important than some lousy piece of paper!”
I nodded and let it go as I looked down and saw it slowly floating down on the ground and as they pulled me up, I could hear the group of onlookers cheering.
Back on solid ground again, Al said,
“Brittney’s got some explaining to do but don’t you scare us like that ever again.”
I don’t know why but at that moment I laughed and caused Al and Josh both to laugh uncontrollably to the point where we couldn’t breathe. That was until two security guards, uniform and black caps and all, came to us. They weren’t exactly happy to see us and one of them asked me, “What’s so funny, kid?”
“Nothin. I am just happy to be rescued by the coolest people I know.”
I answered with a smile looking at both Josh and Ally.
One of the security guards replied, “We’ll be the judge of that as we have cameras throughout this museum.”
The moment he said that, I noticed something that I hadn’t noticed before Brittney’s meddling, on the white ceiling was a black camera. Not just any black camera though it was a security camera that one of the guards had just mentioned. So I took this opportunity to get revenge and said,
“Our classmate Brittney caught me off guard and pushed me. I have no idea why she did it, but I think that security camera” as I pointed up, “captured the whole thing too.”
“Oh Sh—” Josh whispered before covering his mouth as one of the security guards looked up and said,
“Let’s go have a look, shall we?” as they started to bring just me, I looked back and saw Josh and Ally waiting and said, “Wait, can I bring my friends too? I want them to see it.”
“Are you sure, kid? Cause you were just hanging on from three stories up.”
“Uh yeah, I’m sure. After all, they did just save my life. It’s the least I could do and I want to see how scary it looked for them.”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn yuh.” He then looked at his partner and hollered, “Jack, bring those two kids into our office as well.”
As we were walking back down the steps toward their office, Al walked up to me, tapped me on the shoulder and asked,
“Hey, what was in that note that was so important for you to show me anyway?”
“Well, in the note Brittney threatened to kill me for taking you away from her for two days and—”
“What?! I thought she agreed to it already?” She interrupted me and asked shocked.
“I don’t know, but it said that if she caught me making you upset, she’ll tell everyone that it was me who pranked the school—”
“Back in fifth grade, is that what that whole conversation between you two was?! That stupid prank you two geniuses somehow pulled off undetected!?”
“Wait, you knew? How? Did you see me?”
“No, I figured it out on my own.”
“HOW?” Me and Josh both asked in disbelief.
“Figured it was a two man job. There had to be one person on the lookout and the one to actually come up with the plan.” She paused looking back on it and asked, “Who do I know that gloats about being a so-called “mastermind” all the time but is too scared to do anything by himself.” looking at Josh and continued, “He had to have help so who do I know is like the most gullible person ever.” Looking directly at me. Which begged the question,
Am I really that gullible?
I thought to myself. As me and Josh were soaking all of this in, she stated with a slight chuckle,
“What do you two take me for? Seriously. I know you two like the back of my hand, you may have fooled everyone else, but you can’t fool me.” She sighed and added, “Also, I didn’t say anything cause… I-I wanted to be a part of it too.” she mumbled that last part to herself.
AWW, that’s so sweet that unbeknownst to Ben and Josh she was covering their butts for the longest time. That’s a sign of true friendship right there. Friends to the very end.
Speaking of friends, it was time to relive “MY” horror with them again. We finally made it to the security guard’s room. From there we went to review the tape and I was horrified to see the events transpiring… on the big screen. It really clicked how lucky I was to be alive, even seeing myself being so easily pushed off and dangling on while clearly showing Brittney walking away laughing like I was the butt of some joke. One look at Allison and she looked like she wanted to tear her limb from limb and I don’t blame her. Even the officer couldn’t help but comment,
“Hard to believe a little girl like her could be so evil. Why I hate to be friends with her.”
“Yeah… me too. So glad I’m friends with these guys.” Allison muttered while having this look of pain and regret.
All of us didn’t have to say anything but we all knew at that moment that we wanted answers from Brittney. These security guards didn’t even want to watch the full thing. They just took all of us out of the room and back to our class where they were all standing and lingering about and the only thing they said to us was that “We are free to go” and that I “Should be thankful to have some pretty cool friends”. They then spotted Brittney who was talking to some local police officers that were at the scene and the security said, “Officers, take that little girl into our office for some serious questioning.”
The chaperone Mrs. Andrews, confused, asked, “Why what for?”
One of the security guards whispered something into her ear and the reaction said it all, where she said, “Brittney, how could you?!”
“What?! That’s ridiculous! I was nowhere near Ben.”
But when one of the security guards said that they got it all on video and the fact the police said that’s not what she said to them, was when she changed her story and said,
“Okay, so I was there but it was an accident. It just didn’t cross my mind, that’s all.”
“An accident, yeah right. We need to have a word with you, missy.” Brittney was then taken away while Mrs. Andrews scurried to join them. Brittney being taken away was music to my ears, but I didn’t want to leave just yet as I still had a lot of questions to ask.
But Josh beat me to the first question that was on both our minds I guess and that was,
“Do you still plan on being “besties” with her or any of the other girls anytime soon?”
“Nah, I thought they were my “besties”, but I realize now they are all just like her…all pretty and fake like the barbie dolls I have. My real “besties” are the ones standing right next to me.” She turned to Josh and said “I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Josh…I just thought—-”
“It’s okay, Ally,” Josh interrupted, holding her hand. “I thought so too. Maybe you’ll have better luck in high school. Heard there’s plenty of new girls there.”
“Yeah…maybe.” She suddenly paused to smirk, laughing to herself and said, “But I think I’m done hanging out with girls for a while, I just want to hang out with my younger brothers more.”
“Younger brothers?” I asked, confused. “I thought you said you didn’t have any?”
“That’s us, amigo.” Josh chuckled elbowing my arm.
“Oh.” beaming red in embarrassment, I then started to ask, “Wait, does that mean….”
“YES, BEN” Al interrupted, “We are back together where I’ll never doubt you two on who I hang out with ever again.”
“All for one.”
I replied, sticking my hand out, looking at both of them. Josh and Al both put their hands on top of mine and Josh added,
“And one…” with a smirk on his face looking at Al who also was smiling too as she said the final words,
“For all.”
We raised our hands in the air, and a strange green fog rolled in. Before I knew it, I was back in my red 2014 Chevy Impala. I let out a little sniffle and said, “Okay... that one got me. Now that’s what I call a proper send-off.” I paused to take a deep breath and said, “Where to next, my strange and mysterious green fog friend? Where to next?”
Suddenly, the fog faded, and I found myself back outside. Only this time, I was in some... park. No, not a park. As my eyes adjusted, I recognized this strange place as a college campus. I say that because I started to see students in strange pointy clothing with books walking to their classes, and they were staring at me like I was the crazy one. But something was different about them and the environment I was in. The air felt thick, almost hard to breathe, and it smelled a bit funny, like someone was burning a scented candle. My ears were now slowly picking up new voices that almost sounded like a protest going on.
“What the hell is going on?” I muttered to myself. “Where am I?”
Next thing I know, a black girl wearing a brown buttoned shirt, bell bottom jeans, dark blue jean jacket with an orange peace symbol on her right arm with a big black poofy Afro came into view with two signs. One says, “Make Love Not War” and the other is just a drawing of an orange peace symbol. The woman who gave me the peace symbol told me or rather happily shouted,
“Wave this proudly, babe!”
Kissing my right cheek and handing me the sign. Okay, I think WHEN is a much better question. I thought to myself. Looking down, I saw bell bottom jeans, a tie dye shirt with a denim jacket with the same orange peace sign logo patch on my right arm.
OH MY GOD, I’M A HIPPIE!
I thought to myself.
To be continued……