She stared at the screen like it might change if she blinked hard enough. Paige’s voice sounded like it came from underwater. Everything around her muffled—except her pulse. Loud. Unforgiving. Ruthless.
“SERENITY!” Paige yelled to snap her friend out of this trans she seemed to be in. She walked toward her, almost in a walk-run panic-induced manner. Serenity dropped the phone as tears streamed down her face. As Paige approached her, she turned to her bestie and stumbled through her next words. “P, Ch… Chan… Chance is com… coming for you.”
Paige dropped to the floor in a moment, head in her hands, in a cry heavy in fear, regret, panic, and drenched in hopelessness. In that moment, Serenity had no words, no advice, no comfort, she too now felt the fear her friend faces.
****
Chance sat in the corner of the dark room. Back to the wall, knees to his chest, head resting on his knees, cell phone resting at his feet. The last two years of his life had been a world-wind. He began to think back to where everything started.
Junior year, LaSalle-Breaud High School. Rising basketball star who was destined to lead his school to at least two state championships. He had it all, scouts were ringing his phone, he had the popularity, and the love of his life- Paige Amore Langley. Everything seemed to be going well. Until that night. Prom night.
Chance arrived to Paige’s home dressed in a tailored cream colored suit that hugged his 6 foot 3 inch tall framed physique perfectly. His muscles were impeding the suit, as his emerald green bow tie accented his softly melanated skin tone.
He knocked on the door, nervous out of his mind. Patience, Paige’s mom, answered the door with a wide smile on her face and phone in her hand ready to record.
“Chance! Look how handsome you are. Y’all are going to be so cute!. Come on in.” Patience said to him. “P! Chance is here baby girl!” Patience screamed down the hall to let Paige know her prince had arrived.
Paige finished the final touches to her makeup, and hair. The Mermaid styled prom dress caressed her body. All 150lbs, every curve of her 34 inch waist, her hips secured the hour glass figure that every girl in her class envied. The emerald green fabric laced with gold and iridescent gemstones throughout the dress sparkled amazingly leaving her stunning to the eyes of anyone who was blessed to have her in their sight.
Her green eyes glistened as her make up was perfected and the updo hair style, and gold rhinestone accents in her hair added to the look. As she made her way down the hall to Chance, she saw the moment he was mesmerized be her beauty.
Chance stopped breathing for a second, his heart rate sped up, as he witnessed the love of his life approach him looking like a goddess from another world.
“P, you’re beautiful!” He whispered to her. Patience interrupted his glancing, “come one love birds, let’s get these pictures in.” Before you knew it, Patience had turned this moment into a full fledged photo shoot.
“Ma! That’s enough! We need to get going.” Paige told her mother. Patience giggled. “Girl, I only get this once, let me have my moment!” Eventually, Paige gets her mother to step away from the camera.
“Come on Chance, let’s go.” She stated. They get into Chance’s rental for the night, and ride off to prom.
Chance arrived to the School’s gymnasium where the entrance had been recreated to have a red carpet and fancy strobe lights. Paige gasped in awe, “they really did it up for us.” Chance chuckled, “they had better, those junior fees were no joke.” They both laughed.
2 Hours Later
Paige told Chance she needed to step outside for a second to get some fresh air. “Need me to come with you bae?” Chance asked. “No. I’ll be fine, Serenity is out there too.” She replied. She walks off.
Serenity greets her bestie. “Hey P! How’s your night going? Can you believe they did all of this for us as Juniors?” She exclaimed.
Paige looked at her friend, “Girl they really did a lot, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for senior year! But I need to tell you something.”
Neither one of them saw Chance coming around the corner of the gym. “I’m breaking up with Chance after tonight.” Paige said with her head lowered.
Chance decided not to reveal himself.
Serenity gasped in shock and disbelief. “Girl that’s your person! Why?!?!” Paige looked up with tears in her eyes, “ It’s more to him that you don’t know about, plus I’m kinda thinking about seeing someone else.”
It was in that moment, Chance couldn’t stay hidden.
“Paige!!!” He yelled! Serenity looked at Paige. “Oh shit girl, I think he heard you.” Chance had turned a shade of red he didn’t know he could achieve. “So you breaking up with me?! For another dude?!? WHO IS HE!?!” Chance couldn’t hide his anger, she screamed so loudly that others turned to see the commotion.
“Chance, let’s not do this here please. I’m … I was gonna talk to you I promise.” Paige whispered.”
“BREAUD, it’s time!” Chance heard as he snapped out of his flash back. He tucked the phone under a mattress near by. Stood up, and walked toward the door of the room, and waited for the male to open it to allow him out. It was time to take his medicine. There he stood, in his beige uniform, awaiting the pills he hated to take, but knew it was necessary for his release. The last two years at Bayou Center for Mental Health Hospital had been a journey.
Chance had “worked the program, and shown tremendous growth” in the words of his doctor and counselors at this facility. If he could just make it through another week. He’d be home. And His plans to get his woman back will begin.
“Open, tongue, good. “ Chance knew the routine. Swallow, raise the tongue, show both sides of the jaw are Empty. He wouldn’t dare mess this up now. He was too close to getting what he wanted. Revenge and his woman.
(To be continued)
Kae Jaye The Writer 