Breaking to Pieces

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The dance was two days away, the nerves and excitement seemed to be eating at everyone. It was quite amusing and sweet to see boys come in to class and ask girls to be their date. Some made your heart melt, and others failed so badly that you want to cringe. I had one boy ask me out to my surprise, but I said no. I intend to keep the pact that Summer and I made; for the dance we will go together as friends, and not with dates.

The school was decorated with lights and posters. It was amazing how excited everyone was for the dance. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited as well. Summer is jumping with joy for the dance and Eva, she won’t admit it, but she is happy too. It’s hard to believe that four months have already passed since I’ve been here. To think those four months ago I was a lonely girl mourning for her father, and now I can’t remember a moment where I’m not smiling. Time does heal even the worst wounds.

I headed towards my locker, and saw a group of girls huddled around a poster next to my locker. I shook my head in amusement. Though the dance is only two days away, it seems as though people can’t wait any longer. The dance is on Friday, which is also the last day before the holidays! Christmas is also just around the corner; this month is packed full of exciting things!

The day went by with nonstop talk about the dance, boys asking girls, preparations and pretty much anything and everything you could do about the dance. Eva was not in, apparently she was ill, and Summer came in to school around lunchtime. Her younger brother had a doctor’s appointment so she had to take him. She looked disturbed, but when I asked she said she was fine. It felt like to me that she was hiding something, but I didn’t press the topic too much. She did start acting better during lunch.

“I can’t wait for the dance, dancing, singing and scaring the crap out of girls in the girl’s toilets” Summer grinned mischievously as we went to our table in the cafeteria. I laughed at her reply; she would seriously kill someone with her pranks.

“Just don’t cause too much trouble, I am your date and my date should shower me with gifts, not terrorising girls” I said dramatically. Summer looked at me with amusement, before laughing.

“Sorry Tessa, I didn’t know you rolled that way.” She smirked and I shook my head laughing. We spent most of our lunch eating, before I remembered something.

“Shoot! Summer I need to go print something off in the library; can we meet up in the car park?” I questioned, she nodded her head and said bye, as I ran to the library. I had to print my essay my history teacher set for us, which also happened to be due in next period, aren’t I lucky?

I ran inside the library, only to stop when I saw Ryder in there.

He looked tense, his posture was stiff and his jaw was clenched. To summarise he looked angry and frustrated. Whoever he was talking, they must’ve been talking about something serious, for him to react like that. I hid behind a bookshelf. I didn’t know why, but I felt like I should hide. I stayed hidden and started to unintentionally listen to their conversation.

“What do you mean you have lost the trail? I don’t care how, just find the damn rogues!” He growled into his phone before cutting the phone call. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Rogues? What does he mean rogues? In my confusion, I accidently knocked over a book, which made Ryder look my way.

“Tessa I know you’re in here” Ryder said quietly. Darn! My cover was blown. I shyly came out from behind the bookshelf and looked at my feet. I felt like I was a school girl being scolded by her teacher.

“Hey” I shyly said waving at him. He looked at me in the eyes, his hazel eyes clashing with my own. It was only then I realised that no one else was in the library. To make the situation worse, I remembered our almost kiss. My heart started to beat faster and I blushed. When did my crush for Hunter start and how?

“How long were you here for” Ryder said leaning against a bookshelf. I’d be lying if I thought he didn’t look handsome, because he did, just by looking at him, made my heart skip a beat. Wow, that sounded so cliché.

“I just came in” I quickly said, trying to maintain a cool composure. He looked at me intently before sighing. The next few moments passed by in silence, I really hate silence. The awkwardness of it kills me, so in order to destroy the silence I said the first thing that came to mind.

“So the dance huh, are you excited?” I blurted out. I mentally smacked myself. Why was I so nervous? I mean I’ve always been nervous around Ryder, but now I’m just acting like a lovesick school girl.

Maybe because you are a lovesick school girl, my conscience taunted me.

I watched as Ryder’s eyes darkened and his body stiffened. He clenched his fists and jaw before looking at me. The intensity in his eyes made me gulp.

“Are you going with anyone?” he spat out. Was he jealous? No, he can’t be, we’re talking about Ryder Woods, he has much worse problems to deal with than a crush.

“No, I mean yes, well technically no.” I sighed and started talking again. “I’m going with Summer as friends, since us both were dateless, and we thought we’d have a much more fun time going with each other.”

Ryder looked relieved? He looked me in the eye, and my insides burnt when I saw a playful glint in them and a smirk on his lips. It wasn’t every day; I got to see this side of him. He stopped leaning against the shelf and came up to me, my heart beating faster with each step he took.

He came close to me until our faces were really close. This moment reminded me of the day we nearly kissed. I blushed at the thought. His hands came to my waist and he pulled me close to him. A gasp escaped my lips, as I thought my heart will explode because of all this. I could feel his lips close to my ear. It was nice being this close to him, it felt right.

“Save me a dance” he whispered before walking away. I blushed. Was it ok that I enjoyed what just happened?

***

The bell rang and everyone packed their bags, ready to go home. I wasn’t paying attention in any of my lessons, because of Ryder. I packed away my things, and frowned in confusion when I saw a white piece of paper, neatly folded, inside my bag. I took the note, confused at what it was. I opened it up and read the four words written extremely neat in cursive writing.

I’m watching you Tessa.

I froze in fear. This was the second note. Surely this couldn’t be a coincidence, someone wouldn’t play a cruel prank like this? I looked around me, only to see no one out of the suspicion, and the remaining students that were left here didn’t even notice me. I quickly packed my bags and speed walked to Summer’s car. She looked at me in concern.

“Are you alright?” I nodded and got in the car, not ready to talk.

As the car rode in the direction of my car, I thought about everything. Who was this? After all these weeks of silence I had thought it was only a prank. I had gotten a note like this twice, and felt like I was being followed one day when I walked to school. My emotions were all jumbled up, shock, fear and feelings of terror overwhelmed me.

What is going on?

This could only mean one thing, I thought, as I gripped onto my seatbelt tighter, in fear and anxiety.

I had a stalker, and this wasn’t the last time I was going to be hearing from him.

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A/N: Aloha amigos! How's life? So i have finally written this chapter and am so excited for what is to about to happen in the next few chapters! Let's just say that Tessa's life is going to take 180. Hope you guys have liked it. I absolutely love Ryder *Sighs* If only he was real, I could have him for myself. It's the holidays in England, or as we like to call it the half term, it's only a week long. Which I don't mind, since I enjoy school. Shocker, I know! Read, vote and comment :) Also I just love the song on the side! Please listen to it, it's my new obsession >>

Stay out of jail my little serial killers! (Not the most positive farewell >.<)

C.I.A