His Mission

Reckless and Dumb.

Concentrating on school when there's a daily war inside my head isn't an easy task. My mind drifts back to the conversation with Mom, and I quickly begin to zone out. Her threat rings through my ears on a continuous loop, and I feel like it's torturing me. The thought of Mom threatening me with abuse makes my stomach churn uneasily. She may not put her hands on me, but she's just as responsible for using Trevor to force me into obeying her. My hand slips into my pocket, and I brush my fingers over the money she gave me earlier.

"Emily Wentworth! Are you listening?" I jump in surprise when my name is called out. The teacher is glaring directly at me, and multiple students follow her line of gaze. I shrink into my seat, and an embarrassed blush begins to spread from my neck to my cheeks.

"Yes, I was listening." I lie in a quiet tone that makes me sound incredibly guilty. My hands form into tight balls, and I feel the moisture penetrating through my palms.

"Do you know the answer?" Mrs Wilkins asks me with her voice full of irritation.

"No, I'm sorry." I mumble under my breath while avoiding eye contact with her. The words feel heavy when they roll off my tongue, and I silently curse myself for allowing Mom's words to affect me so deeply. I wish I was as unbothered as I try to act on the outside.

"That is the third time today you haven't been paying attention in my class, Emily. I'd like you to stay behind at the end." Mrs Wilkins says sternly before continuing to teach. I drown out the sound of her voice as she recites the passageway for the second time. I stare down at a graffiti spot on my desk, and the moisture begins to strip itself from my throat. How am I supposed to concentrate when I feel like the walls are closing in around me?

After several long minutes, I lift my head in an attempt to catch the rest of the lesson. Before I turn my attention to Mrs Wilkins, I make eye contact with a set of ocean blue eyes. My heart instantly thuds faster when I realize Jake Melvin is watching me again. His face is emotionless, but there's a hint of curiosity peeking from behind his eyes. His gaze slowly travels down to my hands that are balled into tight fists on my desk. A wave of vulnerability hits me, and it feels like I'm being exposed. I quickly drop my hands to my lap before tearing my eyes off him.

I've never met anyone like him who's stare could penetrate straight through me. It's unnerving.

I hang around awkwardly at the end of the lesson, preparing myself for Mrs Wilkins to give me a lecture. She remains seated at her desk before releasing a deep sigh of frustration. "Is anything wrong, Emily?" Mrs Wilkins asks while peering at me from over her oval shaped spectacles. I bite down on the inside of my cheek before shaking my head in protest.

"No, Mrs Wilkins. I'm fine. I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention, it won't happen again." I say obediently. Her gaze lingers on me for several seconds before she nods her head in acceptance. A look of approval flashes across her face, and I silently wish it wasn't so easy to convince her that I'm okay. If she questioned me a little further, would I divulge all of my darkest secrets to her?

"Very well... You're dismissed." She waves me off with a flick of her hand. I release my cheek before scraping my chair back to stand. My legs feel weak, and my arms quickly follow. I stumble toward the exit while dragging my backpack behind me. My throat begins to constrict, and my breathing catches in the back of my throat. I pull open the door before stumbling out into the empty corridor. My backpack immediately drops to the floor, and I lean against the cold wall to gain my balance. My eyes flutter closed, and I take deep breaths to subside the panic brewing inside my chest.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven —

"Are you okay?"

A voice interrupts me from finishing my count. My eyes fling open, and I immediately find the strength inside me to stand up straight. I reach down for my backpack before looking up at the person beside me. Jake Melvin is standing on the secluded end of the corridor, and he's watching me with suspicion in his eyes. My eyes grow wide at the sight of him. What is he doing here? Does he usually hang around empty corridors alone waiting to jump out at people?