Rose Blossom - By Renee Travis Page 0,32

name mentioned. I began to walk toward it, what was happening? I picked up the pace as I heard Mel and Killian's voice add to the mix.

"You need to leave, you're drunk, go home!"

"C'mon bro, don't start a scene, just get out of here."

A crowd had begun to gather and I had a hard time getting toward the front of the mess to see what had Mel so upset.

Finally after making it through and past everyone the sight that greeted me was Athol being cornered by his friends and my best friend. His eyes were blood shot and his costume skewed, straw flying everywhere. Confused, I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.

"I am not going anywhere; I feel fine, back off." Athol said.

"If I have to I will get my father," Mel told him, her hands on her hips. Uh oh, I knew Mel and that stance meant that whoever she was talking to was in serious trouble.

"I need to see Rhodanthe," Athol was angry and his voice was as loud as I had ever heard it.

"You don't want her to see you like this man, just go home, sober up and call her tomorrow," one of his friends dressed like the Tin Man told him. Tin Man tried to put his hand on Athol's shoulder, just to have it violently knocked away.

"Fine, that's it I'm getting my father," Mel stomped one delicately heeled foot.

"Bitch," Athol hissed at her. At his harsh word I gasped. His eyes found mine in a second.

"Rhodanthe," he moaned. I could smell the liquor on his breath from where I was standing. But I didn't have much of a chance to think about that because Athol covered the five foot distance between us like it was inches.

I never even knew what happened. Athol hit me like a truck, every inch of his weight was behind him as he launched himself at me. I didn't have even one second to move out of his way. As our bodies collided I felt something in my chest, almost like a small popping, like when you crack your knuckles only deeper.

His mouth attached to mine as we hit the floor behind me, I heard screaming but I couldn't even breathe so I knew it couldn't have been my voice. My heart was thumping so loudly in my ears that it slightly dimmed out the hysterics going on around me. My sight began to dim as Athol ground his hips against mine. I knew I was in pain but it was as if I was far away from it. I began to be able to count between heartbeats, first to three and then to five.

Then before I could count past five Athol wasn't on top of me anymore. I don't know where he had gone but the pressure of him on my chest allowed me to at least breathe a little better. The last thing I remembered before passing out was relaxing with Julian's scent surrounding me.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed between smelling Julian and waking up. When I did finally open my eyes I was very confused about where I was. That was until I saw the white washed walls and the monitors that were all beeping and blinking. I tried to move but there was an IV in my arm and I was connected to every machine it seemed they could hook me up to. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and licked my dry lips. I had a funny metallic taste in my mouth and wondered if they had given me oral medicine, which would have been strange since they had me hooked to an IV.

As the confusion and sleepiness wore off, I also began to be aware that my right hand was firmly in the grip something cold and hard. I looked down and saw that a slim pale hand was gripping mine. I followed the hand to the arm and all the way up until my eyes rested upon a shock of black hair against pearly skin. "Julian" I whispered, his head jerked up automatically his eyes, so bright blue, focused on my face.

"Ah Rhodanthe! Thank the great Goddess." He brought my hand to his lips and began to kiss each of my fingers. It sent tingles up my spine and a smile stretched across my parched lips.

"Julian, could I have some water?" My voice harsh, I cringed when I heard myself, damn, it must sound awful!