They Came In Hoodies

Chapter 36: Break Out Your Boyfriend

Look out for the <>! This is really Gray's father's song. Anyhow there isn't many chapters now! It's been excited to see the end in this story. 

Stella POV 

Walking down a flight of stairs, I tried to think of places they would keep a prisoner. I had been walking halls for what felt like an hour already. With no plan and no idea of where he would be, I felt like I was walking in circles, walking aimlessly, hoping to stumble on something that was useful.

A group of kids that looked younger than I passed me, laughing, paying no attention to me. Even though they weren't looking at me, I still looked at the ground, hoping I wouldn't draw their attention. However, over the past hour, this wasn't the only group of kids I passed that ignored me. I wondered if that was normal, because Jackson was completely different. The first day in Jackson, I was the talk of the school. Walking around the halls here, it surprised me that no one stopped me.

I didn't question it, though. I was glad no one paid attention to me because I had more important things to manage. Soon Else would be back and she would realize I was gone. She would come looking for me, maybe even throw a search party, and I needed to find Gray before she found me.

Sweat bubbled up on my forehead, reminding me I still wasn't feeling 100% back to normal. I dabbled my forehead and rested my back against the cold stone wall. In the empty hallway, I quickly checked my shoulder to see that only around my shoulder was blackened.

"That Darkling scratch is going to leave a terrible scar on your shoulder," a voice rang out.

Panic rose within me as I pushed off the wall and looked around for the source of the sound. Quickly, I laid eyes on a man with a blackened hand. He was dressed in a suit and tie, making me believe he was a professor, but as he walked closer to me, there was something that told me he wasn't who I originally thought. Maybe he was a guard, but not a professor. He was the only person who paid attention to me, meaning he was looking for someone like me.

I took a step back from him, worried he would turn me in. Else must have sent him to track me down before I had a chance to get Gray. Looking for the closest exit, I tried to plan my next move until his blackened hand sparked electricity.

"You must be Stella."

I shook my head as I took a step back from him. I would deny that fact until the end. If he just let me go, I could continue on my quest. But with his hand sparking, I was afraid he would use it against me, then send me back home before I had a chance to save Gray.

"Relax, I am not going to send you back to Jackson just yet. I have one more thing you can do for me."

I took another step back from him, as I didn't understand what he was telling me. One more thing? I had never met him before, so how could I help him again? "What is that?"

He smiled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets casually. "How about we break out your boyfriend?"

"Grayson?" I didn't even bother to correct him because all I wanted to do was find him.

He nodded as a group of students passed us, paying little attention to us. One made eye contact with him before turning back to their friends, as if that were more interesting to them.

Silently, I drew lines in my mind. The only reason why this man would be interested in breaking out Gray is if he was connected to him in some way. No one else cared about him in this place, so I couldn't help but think the man in front of me was his father. But Gray told me he was evil. Gray hated him, but if he was so evil, then why was he interested in freeing Gray?