Under Ground by Alice Rachel Read Free Book Online Page A

The music is pounding loudly from inside the
building. As we get closer, more students appear in my view. Most
of them are chatting, with drinks in their hands.
    William's green eyes dart around
some more before he takes me inside. The gymnasium at my school is
big, but this one is gigantic. Posters representing the different
teams ornament the walls. I recognize the one for the football
team: a blue panther engulfed in purple flames. The floor is
covered with confetti. A disco ball is hanging from the ceiling,
reflecting lights all around the dance floor. No band was hired for
this event. Instead, a DJ has taken the job.
    William takes me further in. He
doesn’t look at me once. Maybe he’s simply nervous. He pulls me in
as quickly as possible, drops my arm, and finally turns to me. "Do
you want a drink?"
    I nod and he heads to the punch
table to fill two cups. I use that time to study my surroundings
and observe the other couples. Some of them seem nervous while some
others are familiar with each other. All the girls are wearing blue
dresses.
    William walks back to me, his head
held high with pride. I catch his eye when he gives me my drink. I
open my mouth to talk, but his glance shifts right away, cutting me
off. I can’t tell if he’s just extremely shy or truly
inconvenienced with having to bring me here tonight. If anything, I
should be the nervous one. It is my future resting in his hands
after all and not the other way around.
    I'm about to reach for him when he
says, "I'll be right back." And just like that, he’s gone. It’s as
if he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
    His attitude is upsetting me. The
boiling anger surfaces, erupting slowly, and I’m not sure I’ll be
able to contain it this time. I cross my arms and send him a nasty
glare as he turns his back on me. The arrogance and rudeness of
this family is getting on my last nerve. I didn’t ask to be dragged
to this stupid ball. The least he could do is act like he
appreciates my presence here. I watch him closely as he walks
toward his friends. They tap him on the back when they see him. I
notice that one guy doesn’t though; he just holds out his hand for
William to shake.
    I'm vexed that William didn’t care
to present me to his friends. I wonder if he’ll have the decency to
do so at some point, but seeing how things have gone so far, I
don’t really count on it. Am I that repulsive that he’s trying
to hide me like some nasty little secret?
    I thought we had managed to cross
a bridge and reach toward each other in the car. I thought I'd be
more comfortable around William. But now, I realize I was wrong.
William is not interested in me. I’m just a formality, something he
has to deal with, and he doesn’t want to put any effort into our
relationship. His snubbing me makes my position quite unstable and
shaky, and I’m not comfortable with that.
    I keep on staring at him with
anger. I couldn't care less if he sees me. He’s being rude. I wish
my eyes could throw daggers so he would fall down on the spot. I’m
so mad that my life and future are resting in the hands of such a
careless, inconsiderate jerk that I’m shaking at the mere thought
of it. But he just stays there, talking to his buddies and laughing
as if nothing’s the matter. I have a sudden urge to walk up to him
and slap him right in the face in front of all his friends. The
anger is still rising from within. Something new is taking shape
inside my heart. It’s not hatred really, but something close to it.
Right now, I just truly despise William, and knowing I'll have to
spend my life with him makes me want to throw up.
    I'm ready to walk out of this
place when a gap opens in the group and he appears—the boy who held
out his hand for William to shake. It’s him—the boy from the
stadium. I stand here, frozen. Of course, his presence at the
football field means he’s going to William’s school. Why didn't
I put two and two together?
    I stare at him a bit too