Within The Shadows Read Online Free

those adorable puppy dog brown eyes, and his
gorgeous cheeky grin that first made me fall for
him.
    God, I was nervous.
    I flipped
the disc in my hand, and slipped it into the DVD player Alex had so
kindly set up for me earlier. Walking to the front of the stage, I
fidgeted nervously. All eyes were on me, and, trembling, I removed
the crown from my head.
    “ You know something? I always dreamed of this night. Marc
and I standing here, hand in hand, living what every high school
couple dreams of. This is so cool, seriously, but I kinda have to
forfeit this great, honourable prize.” I heard the echo of stunned
gasps. “I know you all probably think I’ve gone mad, but I believe
that a girl here tonight should be standing where I am instead of
me, because this girl has earned it, in more ways than one. And for
your pleasure, I’d like to introduce you to a match made in
heaven.”
    Clicking
play on the remote control, I waited for the penny to drop. I could
not stop trembling. The adrenalin was pumping through me, and Alex
was soon by my side holding my hand. He was my saviour.
    Marc was
taken aback. He looked at me, confused, and for a split second, I
felt sorry for him. On the screen, Evie moaned, moving her hips
back and forth. Marc held her ass, sweating as he kissed the nape
of her neck. It was pretty obvious what they were doing, but I
could not bring myself to look. The noise from the tape drowned out
any chatter amongst the crowd, and inside, I felt my heart crumble
into a million little pieces.
    Looking
around, I saw the reactions on people’s faces. Some stood with
their hands over their mouths. Others laughed, and a few of the
football guys cheered, while teachers rushed around trying to find
the off switch.
    I stood in
front of the mike, and exhaled. “I believe Evie Stokes is the
rightful owner of this crown. She has earned it.” I dropped the
crown on the floor, and left the stage.
    Concentrating on nothing but the exit sign above the
security door, I briskly walked towards it. I had to get out of
there, and no one was going to stop me. Marc tried to run after me,
but Alex thwarted his advance.
    “ Let it go, man. She doesn’t want to know.” Alex pushed Marc
back into the crowd.
    “ It’s not what it looks like. Alex, dude, you’ve got to
believe me. You know the truth. You know what really happened. You
gotta help me out, man!” Marc pleaded breathlessly.
    Alex laughed
as he pushed his hair from his eyes. “You know, I’d believe you,
only the footage speaks louder than words. Besides, I’m not
interested in your sob story.”
    The noise
from the crowd became a mere echo as my tunnel vision led me away
from the chaos I had caused. Chaos that would one day come back to
haunt me.
     

Chapter
Three

     
    OUTSIDE, THE
COLD night air hit me hard in the face. I
ached inside, and soon, the tears were burning my eyes as I cried.
I ran as far as I could, not stopping until I entered Round Lake Park . The dimly lit pathway led me down to the shore of the
lake, and I crumpled in a heap. I sobbed for what seemed like an
eternity, only stopping when the silence around me caught my
attention. It was so dark I could hardly make out the street lamps
on Old Highway
8 . The water rippled gently, silently
hitting the stones on the bank. I felt more isolated than ever
before.
    From the
corner of my eye, I could see a dark figure standing there watching
me. The silhouette was covered by the low hanging branches of the
trees, and I could barely make it out.
    I froze.
    Holding my
breath, I looked around, trying to get my bearings. I knew I had to
make a run for it, but the damn dress was so tight, and even in
bare feet, I probably would not be able to outrun the
person.
    Fumbling
around in the darkness, my hand found a lump of wood. I grabbed a
hold of it tightly, and got up. Frantically, I tried to control my
breathing.
    Come on, Giselle . Get
it together!
    I studied my
opponent. I could not make out the
person’s