Reapers - Thirteen Brothers

III - "They"

III – "They"

I was heading for my Literature class when Crazy Blond Girl startled me again.

"Uh... It's you. What's your name again?"

I quickened my pace. Something about the way she looked at me freaked me out.

"Lindsay Moseley." She caught up with me as she fidgeted with her long blond curls.

"Nice to meet you. Uh, I really have to go to my next class now or I'll be late." I forced a smile.

"Wait! You don't understand. You shouldn't have sat there. You should have listened to Miss Cruz. It's cursed." Her clear blue eyes widened in sheer terror.

"Done what? Sit on a cursed school desk? I mean, seriously?" I stopped to face her.

She grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes, which was a little awkward since she was too tall for an average senior. "Hazel Hemlock. She used to sit there; in that very spot. You know what happened to her? She died in her sleep. But I saw him!"

"Saw who?" I spoke in a hushed tone even if no one took apparent interest on us in the crowded hallway.

"Vincent Sinclair." She shivered as she whispered the name. "I saw him that night lurking around Hazel's house. They were with him. Those people in black; they took her. Then the next day, she was dead."

I totally had no idea how to respond to that. This girl was completely bonkers.

A shudder ran through my back and the hairs on my nape stood up. Contemplatively, I opened my mouth for a sensible retort but caught my tongue when I saw Lindsay shaking. Her wide eyes bored through mine with a warning. Like saying I would be next. She just looked so terrified, her fingers were trembling while she clutched on my arms.

My breath caught in my throat and I could feel an attack coming. And I barely got through second period.. Good thing Carter came.

"Lindsay, let's go. We'll be late." He looked up from his schedule, seemingly surprised to find me in a competition of tug of war with Lindsay.

"But—" she began to protest.

I started to make my escape before she could start on the cursed chair theory again. Or worse, before I started believing her.

"Okay... I'll be going now. To my Lit Class." I backed away slowly.

"Literature? That's our next class too. Want to walk with us?" Carter sounded hesitant.

"No," I answered. "Thanks but... I can manage."

"Oh, okay. Well, you're going the wrong way," Carter said, turning away.

It's just walking to class, Aramis. Not like they're going to be your best friends or anything, I told myself.

"W-wait!" I caught up with them. "Carter, right?"

Carter smiled. "Carter Applegate. Welcome to Duct Tape High, where the students' sanity and the buildings themselves are held together by the unadulterated powers of duct tape."

That made me smile. "Do you say that when the teachers are around?"

"Yeaaah...," he chuckled pushing his glasses back into place. "You wouldn't want to do that. Unless you want Principal Underwood to call your mom."

I tried keeping my smile. "Well, he can't call someone who's already dead."

"Oh... Sorry," he mumbled, looking down.