🎵 "Take a Bow" - Madonna

🎵 "Cha Cha Slide" - DJ Casper

🎵 "Angel of Mine" - Monica

__________

TRACK #5 - SPRING

"Take a Bow" - Madonna

Prom day arrived more quickly than I had hoped. I took a deep breath as I looked at myself in Emma's bedroom mirror. I was only faintly aware of the people that were gathering downstairs and really only recognized about a third of them. Luckily, Brock obliged when I begged for Emma and Elijah to ride with us in our limo, and they were nice enough to agree. I knew I was going to need my best friend by my side. I couldn't face this night alone. Adrian and Mia were going to be there as well, providing another sliver of comfort. I attempted to add Kody to the mix, too, but he was still protesting Prom on account of being dateless. I had tried convincing him that one wasn't necessary, but... Kody was Kody. I just wished that he would have somehow known I needed him there. Luckily, I did have one final slice of solace, and it was that we would be leaving for Prom from Emma's house. I could at least pretend to calm my frayed nerves from a familiar home base.

I had to admit; seeing the whole package put together, I looked pretty. More than pretty, if I was truly being honest. My hair was pulled into a romantic updo, twisted back on both sides that curled at the back of my head. The hair on the crown of my head had been teased slightly to provide more volume, and a few strands had been curled and left to hang down. My makeup was heavy enough only to compliment the fire engine red lipstick that was an exact match of my dress. The long, lace gown fell daintily off the shoulder and boasted a deep v-shape down the back with a beautiful scallop trim. It was my dream dress, but unfortunately, I was wasting it on my nightmare date.

Yes, everything looked perfect on the outside, but on the inside, I felt defective. I was prepared, yet I felt shambolic. I was determined, yet I also felt anxious. And tired. So very, very tired. I hadn't been sleeping again. The nightmares had come back in full force. God... how did I get myself into this mess?

I let out one more sigh while I said a silent prayer that things would go smoothly tonight. Emma glanced at me. She had been touching up her makeup in the mirror. "Are you ready?" Her eyes scanned my face, searching for answers that I wasn't even sure that I had.

"As ready as I can be." I stood up fully and looked at her. She looked stunning. Her ensemble featured a black taffeta skirt with long, elegant folds that fell elegantly around her toned legs. The matching halter top showed off a few inches of her bare midriff, clinging to her figure perfectly. She left her hair down, large curls framing her face. It was partially pulled back on the right side, a sparkly black hairpiece holding it in place. Her makeup was darker than she normally wore, but it complemented her. The outfit was finished off with a pair of high, strappy black heels.

She gave me a warm smile as she took my hands in hers. "No matter what, just remember..." Her eyes locked onto mine. "I will be with you every step of the way." A sense of calm spread throughout my body, and a smile finally graced my face. Emma always knew exactly what to say to cool my spiking blood pressure. I pulled her into a tight hug. No matter who my date was tonight, I was grateful that I got to spend the evening with my best friend.

She squeezed me, then pulled away slightly. "Okay!" She nodded confidently as if to reassure the both of us. "Now we just have to grab our masks..." She tapped her chin in thought before walking over to her dresser.

"Our what...?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Our masks, Aria. It is a masquerade, after all." She turned to look at me, her hands on her hips. "Please don't tell me you forgot."

"Uhh..." Forgot? No. That implied that I had known about it beforehand. Or cared to know. To be honest, my mind had been preoccupied with other obvious matters.

She sighed, a bit too overdramatically, while she turned back to her dresser. "Well, it's probably for the better anyway." I cocked an eyebrow at her. "I mean, if I could count on you to remember these things, then who would wear the one I made for you?" She turned back around to face me, holding a red lace mask. I gasped. The mask was cut in an intricate design, all flowing to the fleur-de-lis that would rest between my brows. Rhinestones lined the top of the eye holes, and decorated the mask sporadically. It matched my dress perfectly.

When I looked back up at her, Emma had slipped her mask on. It was a replica of mine in black. She had also added large black and silver feathers to hers on the right side. "Thank you," I smiled at her, truly grateful that she had my back in more ways than one.

"You're welcome. Shall we?" she asked, opening her bedroom door. I slid my mask over my face and gave myself one last look in her floor-length mirror. My reflection stared back at me as she summoned the power of all of my divas, proudly lifted her chin, and nodded.

"Yes," I responded to Emma, and turned on my heel to exit her room.

I let Emma descend the stairs first and watched Elijah's face as his eyes widened at the sight of her. He looked handsome in his black suit and silver bowtie. His black mask had silver embellishments that reminded me of a Roman warrior. He quickly excused himself from talking with his parents and walked over to the bottom of the stairs, offering Emma a bent arm. I smiled at the both of them, wishing for someone to look at me tonight the way that he was looking at her– with real, sincere admiration. Not with a hedonistic glare, the way Brock would be looking at me. It made me feel like a piece of meat. Like an innocent lamb headed to slaughter.

I took one last steadying breath, and I followed suit. My eyes scanned the crowd that had gathered in the foyer and parts of Emma's living room. I immediately locked eyes with my mom. Her face lit up when she saw me, and she covered her giant smile with her fingertips. She quickly made her way over to the bottom of the stairs while I beamed back at her. As much as I would be forcing my happiness tonight, for my mom, it was genuine. She immediately threw her arms around me once she got to me.

"Your father sends his love," my mom whispered while she held me tight. "I know he'll be so thrilled to see all of the photos." I answered in a nod, unable to utter anything else lest I start crying before the night even began.

She let go of me, and my eyes returned to my immediate surroundings to land where, surprisingly, Brock stood waiting for me. He looked incredible; there was no doubting that. He wore a black suit with a red vest and tie. His mask was also black, with bits of red flames that looked like they were dancing across it. My eyes hazed momentarily, and when I blinked, I saw Noah standing there instead. He smiled coyly at me as he bowed slightly. My breath hitched, and I reached out for him.

"You look absolutely stunning," Brock's voice cut through my vision like a knife. I blinked a few times to clear my head before my arm lowered. "May I?" he asked politely, holding a beautiful corsage in his hand. Unable to find any words, I nodded at him as he slid it into place. He then held out his arm for me to take so that he could lead me into the living room. My face was tight, but I allowed the corner of my mouth to twitch upwards to keep up with appearances.

"Oh, Aria!" Mrs. Walker stopped me. "You look amazing." Mr. Walker hooked his arm around his wife and warmly nodded to me.

"Thank you," I replied softly to the both of them before I lowered my head. I felt embarrassed to even look at them. Surely, they had to know what I had done to Noah. Did they hate me, too?

"We have to get a group photo! Let's go to the back yard! Elijah? Adrian? Noah?" Mrs. Walker called. Wait. Noah? Why was Noah here? My throat tightened, and my eyes darted from one edge of the room to the next.
"Thought it'd be a nice surprise to have Little Walker and his date tag along, too," Brock whispered into my ear, a devious sparkle in his eye. "I know how you're all such good friends." Bastard, I luckily thought instead of said. He knew exactly what he was doing. I swallowed hard before Brock led me to the back yard for photos, gripping my arm with such force that I felt my eyes water. He leaned into my ear once more, and I could feel his hot breath nestle my lobe. I shuddered as he murmured, "Better be on your best behavior tonight."

I closed my eyes and grimaced while the grin flashed in my mind's eye once more. I started to panic and wondered if this had all been a terrible mistake. A huge, horrific mistake.

I could feel an acidic burn rising up the back of my throat. My eyes widened as I blindly searched across the yard for Emma. And there he stood– Noah, my sweet Noah, with the one person I'm sure he knew would make me jealous: Quinn. They were unmasked, speaking with Adrian and Mia. I inhaled sharply and drew a straight line with my lips. I had to calm down. I had to act naturally. Easier said than done when your heart was beating wildly out of your chest. I locked eyes with Adrian, and his eyes narrowed. He immediately grabbed Mia and dipped her backwards before laying a sloppy kiss on her lips. Mia squeaked loudly in surprise, effectively grabbing everyone's attention.

"Ariaaaa!" came Emma's overenthusiastic voice. She grabbed my hands and began pulling me away from Brock's grasp. "Take pictures with meeee!" I glanced back over my shoulder at Brock while she continued to move me. He was busy joining in on the hooping and whistling that was occurring because of Adrian's silly display.

Once we were far enough away, she pulled me into an embrace. "Breathe," she gently instructed. I did as she bid, and felt the world around me settle. "I'm sorry about Noah. I didn't know he was going to be here."

"A surprise from Brock," was all I could muster.

I saw Emma's jaw clench. She shook her head, then tried to change the subject, knowing she had little time to help me calm down. "Squirrel-girl could have at least put in a little effort for the occasion." I knew she was trying to make me feel better, but I couldn't bring myself to respond. It didn't matter to me how Quinn looked. She could have been wearing a banana suit, and it wouldn't have erased my jealousy. It was her that was with him. Not me. I took a long breath in, and let a long breath out. We were being called back over to the group for photos, so Emma laced my arm in hers, and we slowly made our way to where everyone else stood waiting.

"Smile," Brock forcefully commanded me once I returned to him. To anyone else, it would have sounded like a normal request. I knew better. I closed my eyes to take a second to breathe. He inched his hands around my waist in perfect prom-pose as we all stood for photos. I felt my skin crawl.

After everyone's parents were done taking more pictures than were needed, it was time to pack ourselves into the limo. Brock and I let everyone pile in before us. He held the door open with one hand and took my hand with his other to steady me while I lowered myself into the car. It was a gesture that was surprisingly gentle for such a slug. It just came too easily to him when there were watching eyes.

Emma had purposely placed herself on the seat next to the one that would be mine so that I wouldn't have to deal with the Bridgeville High royalty that made up the rest of our limo and, unfortunately, our dinner table. I was so glad that Emma, Elijah, Adrian, and Mia were there. Even Noah and Quinn were at least familiar, but the rest of the crew, I didn't associate with and had a feeling I wouldn't like if I did.

Noah... I tried to peek at him. He hadn't spared me a glance, let alone said two words to me. I knew I couldn't expect much from him, but nothing hurt worse than anything. Even now in the limo he kept his face turned from me. I just had to hold on a little bit longer. He would wait for me... right?

It didn't take long to reach the Bridgeview Crown Hotel. Brock exited the limo first and offered me his hand once again. For a moment, I saw the Brock who pushed me on the swings and kissed me beneath the autumn moonlight. I shook the vision aside, remembering that a good Brock never really existed. The only Brock that was real was the one who thought it was okay to take whatever he wanted from whomever he wanted.

We all entered the hotel through the main entrance but were guided by the staff to one of the ballrooms in the back. As we entered our assigned ballroom, "Who Let the Dogs Out?" by Baha Men immediately assaulted my eardrums. My heart sank as I remembered Noah comically barking with the song at Homecoming. I gazed at him through my peripheral vision and realized that this time, his mouth never opened. I pushed the memory aside before my eyes widened to a magnificently decorated ballroom. Deep purple, gold, black, and silver fabric ran the length of the ceilings, joining together at several grandiose chandeliers. Candelabras and balloon towers were placed throughout the room. The tables were adorned with candles, masks, feathers, and flowers in vases of varying heights. I turned to look at Emma, who also was taking in the sight before her. Our eyes met, and a soft smile graced both of our faces. At least the venue was beautiful.

A station was set up on the side for formal pictures. Couples that had arrived before us were already in line. I swallowed hard as Brock led me to the back of it. "More photos seem really unnecessary," I said casually, though Brock ignored my implied request. It was clear he had plans for this night, and a part of them was to show everyone what a "normal" couple we were. It didn't matter how I felt or what I said; it was his rules to his game. I didn't have a choice in this match. I was just a pawn– his pawn– and I had to play along.

The evening was spent mostly with forced smiles and unavoidable conversations. My only respite was during the few times that Emma was able to pull me away from Brock to dance. Because of her, I was able to truly laugh once that night. She and Mia were trying to teach me the dance to the "Cha Cha Slide" by DJ Casper, but watching Adrian and Elijah's futile attempt at it was what made me giggle the most.

I snuck glances in Noah's direction during the very few opportune times that Brock was not hovering over me. Noah and Quinn were sitting at their table, not really moving. It seemed as though they were barely even speaking to each other. I sighed.

Please, Noah. Just a little longer...

Brock quickly stepped into my field of vision. I had been on the dance floor with Emma and Mia, trying to escape him for a moment. I gulped, and hesitantly met his eyes. He continued to act charming on the outside, but I could feel the burn from his icy glare. It was a warning. He must have caught me looking at Noah. Goosebumps littered my skin, despite the increased temperature from the many hot student bodies that bumped and danced together around us. I tried my best to pretend it didn't bother me, but I still shivered involuntarily.

In the background, I could hear the DJ request that everyone take the floor. Before the Prom Queen and King could be crowned, it was customary to take part in a ceremonial dance. I couldn't recall the name of it, only that I thought it was a stupid tradition. Brock lifted his hand, silently telling me that I was going to dance with him. He must have thought it was mandatory for a normal couple, and was telling me without words that I would be joining him. I looked at him hesitantly. He narrowed his eyes at me before gripping my hand to pull me towards the floor.

I was nervous. Not only to have to touch Brock again, but also because the last time I attempted this dance was when I was still small enough to stand on my father's toes. The memory was hazy, but I was nearly positive that it called for partners to change for varying increments and time periods. The girls were to line up on one side, their original partners directly across from them. As Brock and I joined our peers, Emma excitedly placed Mia to my one side. She quickly locked eyes with Adrian from beneath her lashes before she took her place on the other side of me. The lights dimmed, and I broke out in a nervous sweat. If I messed this up, Brock was not going to be happy. We all stood still and listened as the interlude began for the radio mix of "Angel of Mine" by Monica.

As the first verse spilled from the speakers, my eyes met with Brock's, and we took a step towards each other, our arms slowly raising before we took each other's hands. Even with just that simple moment, I could feel my heart leap into my throat. Slowly we turned to stand in the other's spot. A shiver ran down my spine as I recalled that the dance was going to resemble a waltz next, and I began to taste bile.

Breathe, Aria.

Brock placed one hand on my hip, the other holding my hand in the air to the side. I tensed at his touch, but rested my free hand on his shoulder to give the appearance that everything was fine. I had to remember that I had to bend to his rules. We continued to move as partners, awkwardly spinning in our own little circle while all of the couples formed a giant one.

Mercifully, this brought us to the chorus, which marked the first part in the dance that called to switch partners. I glanced up and was relieved to see that Adrian was looking down at me through his dark green mask.

"It's okay," he reassured me, lightly taking my waist and my hand. "We're here." He was smiling down at me. I wasn't immediately able to return it, but I found myself being able to breathe more easily.

We danced together for a few more bars before I found myself looking up at my next partner, his face completely covered by his mask except for his mouth. It was mostly white, but also had gold and red venetian designs with staves of music beautifully woven throughout. Hazel eyes looked down at me, and I caught myself realizing that I was staring back at him. I tilted my head to try to figure out who he was, but before I could, he quickly spun me away from him and then back again. Gently grabbing my waist with both hands, he lifted me for a moment before setting me back down on the floor on the opposite side of him.

Suddenly, he grabbed my hand before lifting it to his lips. I blinked in surprise. That wasn't part of the dance, was it? I looked around and noticed that it was, in fact, not the next move. My eyebrows furrowed once my eyes returned to him. A smile appeared on his face, and he gazed intently at me. My heart began to race.

He quickly pulled me back into the routine. Our arms naturally found their position as we began gliding across the floor in unison with the rest of our peers. Our eyes locked on each other, and in that instant, I knew.

"Noah..." His name escaped my lips like a prayer. A solemn smile fell over his lips, and I sighed. "I..." I had so much that I wanted to say, but I couldn't find the words.

"Shhh," he hushed me gently. "Let's just get through this." I nodded slightly, unable to offer him much more. Just then, from across the room, I could feel Brock's gaze burning into me.

"You need to switch," Emma whispered, cutting in and taking Noah away seamlessly. My breathing hitched, and my eyes followed as she started dancing with him. I felt like she took a part of me with her.

Elijah was now in front of me. "I know that this is neither the proper time nor the proper place," he began in both a curt and discreet manner, "but I feel that I must ask you..." I blinked up at him, slowly trying to pull myself together from the feeling of Noah being ripped away from me. I was shocked to see Elijah's expression. He looked sad, worried even. "Do you know the reason why my girlfriend and Adrian have been sneaking glances in each other's direction and whispering in hushed tones?"

Cervello. My throat went dry while I searched for a reply. "I..." I didn't want to lie to Elijah. I truly didn't. But I couldn't tell him the truth, either. I was stalling, and he knew it. He frowned. "I'm sorry, Elijah– I can't– I–" I tried to explain before I was turned away from him and into another partner. Brock again. I internally winced when he locked onto me once more. At least this meant that the dance was ending as we had returned to our original partners. I looked up at him and smiled widely like nothing was wrong. I couldn't clue him in on the one moment that I had with Noah that night.

Brock walked me back to the table after that. It wasn't hard to figure out that he wanted to keep an eye on me. So, naturally, I asked him to grab me a drink while I used the restroom. He obliged, but I felt his eyes remain on me until I disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Unsurprisingly, Emma was waiting for me inside. I glanced around the room to make sure we were alone before I leaned against the sink and began to take deep, steadying breaths. Emma put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It's going to be okay. I'm here," she said steadily.

"Elijah is onto us," I warned. Emma nodded in understanding.

"Elijah will be fine. Just a few more hours, and this will all be over. You can do this. I know you can."

"I have to," I said flatly as I stared at myself in the mirror. For Noah. For the chance for us to be together. But mostly, I had to do it for myself. I might have to bend to Brock's rules, but I wasn't going to break. Not when I was this close to the end. I turned towards the mirror and stared at my reflection once more. Find your divas, Aria. Right now, you're going to need them all.

Emma and I walked out of the restroom arm and arm, pretending to be giggling about something that was much less funny than we were making it seem. Brock, Elijah, and a few others waited at the table for us as the lights dimmed even further.

"And now..." The DJ's voice boomed overhead. "Your 2001 Bridgeview High Prom King and Queen... Brock Miller and Brittany Jenkins!" Cheering and clapping ensued; and while all eyes should have been on them, many of them tried to not-so-subtly gauge my reaction. Especially Brittany, who stared daggers at me while also maintaining a smug look of triumph on her face. I stood clapping politely with the crowd. I knew the part I had to play, and though I knew I should attempt to look at least slightly disappointed, I didn't budge.

After their obligatory dance was finished, Brock came back to the table to Emma and Adrian trying to keep a group conversation alive. He narrowed his eyes before commenting that he would be right back. Another warning. I watched as he disappeared into the bathroom and shivered at the thought of what he must be doing. I opened my eyes to see that Adrian and Emma were looking at me with concern. The crowd was dying down, and everyone seemed to be heading out for the evening. Noah and Quinn were missing. I sighed, wishing that I would be able to see his face once more to get me through the rest of this. Emma grabbed my hand from underneath the table and gave it a squeeze. She was offering one last time for me to back out. I shook my head slightly once. I saw it this far; I wasn't going to back out now.

"Time to go." Brock said to me when he returned, his lips curved into a complacent smile. I could smell the fresh alcohol on his breath. I shivered as he leaned into my cheek to whisper lowly, "Say goodbye to your friends."

"But–" I began to protest. I told Brock I wasn't going anywhere with him after Prom, but it didn't seem like he cared. He raised an eyebrow at me as if daring me to protest further. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat and hugged Emma even more tightly than I intended. I knew this was the only way to get Brock off my back for good and to make sure that Noah never found out about what really happened between us. I had to finish what I had started. I had to pretend.

Brock looped his arm through mine and led me down the lobby to the hotel elevators.

"Where are you taking me, Brock?" I asked with no emotion as we entered the elevator and Brock pushed the button for the top floor.

"You'll see," he smiled fully this time, flashing a toothy grin at me. I noticed that his pupils were blown wide again, indicating that he did more than just sneak a few swigs of alcohol on his little bathroom break. My throat ached while the numbers ticked vertically. I balled my fists so tightly my entire arms were stiff. I could do this. I could do this...

"I agreed to go to Prom with you," I egged him on, more strongly than I actually felt. "Prom is officially over. I'm done playing your game now."

I flinched as his fist slammed into the elevator wall beside my head. My eyes widened, and my breaths came shallow. Brock slowly lifted his gaze to my face. He used his other hand to cup my chin and hold it forcibly still. "I say when you are done. It is my game, after all."

I didn't have a response. The bell chimed softly, and the doors opened to an empty hallway. Brock grabbed my wrist and began leading me towards the room. I tried to pull my arm away multiple times, but his grip only tightened. As we walked down the hall, a set of vending machines came into view. A firehose sat behind a glass door in a box mounted to the wall, an extinguisher beside it. When he guided me past the opening to the machines, I reached back with my free hand to stop him, brushing the box with my hand. "Could you at least buy me something to drink?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Afraid of what I might give you?" he taunted wildly and yanked me forward. "Don't worry. I have plenty of things ready and waiting for you in the room." He led me further as we stopped at room number 923. My stomach dropped. This was it.

He forcefully nudged me into the room. I quickly tried to gather my bearings and scanned the entire room with my eyes. They landed on a bag waiting on the bed. I could only imagine what mysteries lay waiting for me in there. I felt sweat beginning to bead on my forehead, and I quickly wiped it away. "I still remember what happened last time I drank something you gave me." I blinked repeatedly and tried to steady my rising blood pressure. "I'm not taking a single thing you offer me. I'm not an idiot."

"And yet here you are!" He laughed without humor while he gestured widely to the room that surrounded us. "So, why don't you get comfortable, and I'll get you that drink?" Brock suggested, pointing towards the bed. He casually removed his shirt and made his way over to the miniature refrigerator in nothing but his dress pants.

I closed my eyes and took another breath. Was I really ready for this?

When I opened my eyes once more, I found that he was holding a red Solo cup in my face. "Your drink," he said snarkily and shoved the cup into my hands.

"I told you, I'm not drinking anything from you," I informed him once more and set the cup down. "Should I get desperate enough during whatever this–" I gestured into the air, "–is, I will order room service since you denied me the vending machines."

A glint sparkled in his eye. "You think I need to drug you to get what I want?" He glared at me. He took a step towards the drink that I had set down and put it to his lips. He then took a sip of it and handed it to me once more. "I already had you once that way, and I never use the same trick twice." I tried to conceal the shock that hit me at his words. We stared at each other blankly for a moment, neither of us moving. "Besides," he smirked at his sleazy joke before filling me in on it. He took another sip from his own drink for added flare before continuing, "you won't be able to resist soon enough."
My mind began to race as I considered my options. He was not breaking eye contact with me, challenging me to defy his authority. "Fine," I conceded to break the tension. I pretended to take a sip of my drink by curling my upper lip into the rim of the cup before letting the liquid rest on my upper lip. There was no way I was letting whatever was in that cup actually enter my system.

"Good girl," he cooed in approval and made his way over to the couch. "You know, Aria, you should consider yourself lucky. Do you know how many girls would kill to be in a hotel room alone with me?" He flipped on the television and turned the volume up, effectively filling the silence of my response with background noise. It was absolute torture just sitting there, trying to figure out how he would try to take advantage of me.

"Maybe a pizza is in order," he managed to say through slurred speech. A wave of relief washed over me.

"Great!" I scrambled to sit by the room phone. I quickly picked up the receiver to my ear and punched the three-numbered code to reach the assistance I knew was waiting for me.

A chipper female voice answered. "Hello, this is Room Service. How can I help you?" Before I could respond, Brock was next to me, yanking the phone from my grasp. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and lifted the receiver to his ear. "Hello? This is Room Service speaking. Is there something I can help yo–" He slammed it back on the base.

I looked up at him questioningly. He lowered his face to mine, and I could almost taste the vodka fumes I smelled on his breath. "You're awfully excited to get on that phone tonight, aren't you? Is there someone you're trying to call? Maybe a certain drummer?"

I swallowed hard. Even stoned and drunk, Brock knew I was up to something. "Very funny," I mocked him and rose to my feet, my voice wavering a bit. "You heard it yourself; I dialed room service. But if you're so keen on ordering, then fine. I like pepperoni." I shrugged nonchalantly to deflect his suspicion and sat back down on the couch. He spared one more glance at me, an evil smile gracing his lips as he picked up the phone and ordered.

We waited in silence for the pizza to arrive. He accepted the box at our doorstep, and the sweet smell of mozzarella and marinara filled our room.

I stood up to gather my own slice when Brock put a hand up to stop me. "Please, sit. I'll get it for you." A devious grin fell over Brock's lips, and I realized it was the same grin I had burned in the back of my mind since Homecoming. I swallowed hard while he handed me my plate. "Eat up." He winked at me before taking a mouthful of his own slice. "You're going to need your strength."

A high-pitch ring assaulted my ears at his words, and the few noises that had filled the room became further muffled in the background. I tried to breathe, but felt like I couldn't catch a complete breath. He continued to stare me down, daring me to consume the sustenance that I dubbed safer to eat than his. He was calling my bluff. Realizing there was nothing left that I could do, I took my first bite. Nothing tasted strange about the pizza. It was a slice of greasy, cheap pizza that you could get from any establishment. I took another bite.

Suddenly, my stomach clenched, and the world began to blur around me. I mentally tensed as my body began to relax without my consent. "This tastes disgusting," I enunciated as slowly and loudly as I could manage before the world became even more obscure.

I only had time to think of one thing as the familiar, frightening blackness started to take a hold of me once more: Please, God... let this work.

And then, once again, the world blurred into a dark haze.

__________

⭐ Okay, okay... we know what you're thinking; "WAIT! WHAT IS GOING ON?! NO!! YOU CAN'T LEAVE IT THERRREEE!!" ...Oh, don't worry, faithful reader. There is still one more Track to go. "WHAT?! ONE MORE TRACK?! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO WRAP THIS UP IN ONE MORE TRACK?!" Perhaps you hit that STAR and find out? ...😈