Don't Let Him Get You

Chapter 16

The halls were filled with gleeful chatter and excited whispers. Everyone was talking about the party and all the mischief they could get up to once it was in full swing. Some teachers had decorated their doors for the holiday, while others chose to think of it as another day that they had to spend with rowdy teenagers; although, today they would be worse than any other day.

Kiara walked down to her homeroom, clutching her binder to her chest as if something would jump out and hurt her. Halloween wasn't her favourite holiday, although she had always loved going trick-or-treating with Matt. Last year, he had foregone an 'epic party,' as it was advertised, in order to spend the night watching old horror films with Kiara. Their tongues sweetened by chocolate, they had laughed as Nosferatu rose from his coffin on the ship.

"Kiara!" Kat called from her locker. She was pulling out a large box of sugar cookies decorated to look like pumpkins and ghosts.

"Hey Kat."

"Didn't you have class with Dani? Where is she?"

Before Kiara could reply, a hand landed on her shoulder, "I'm right here." Dani replied, slightly out of breath from running from the Biology class. "Ooh, you brought cookies!"

The three girls turned from their lockers and walked into their homeroom where Mr. Alder was sitting behind his desk that had a skull sitting on top. He was chatting with some of the boys about the upcoming football game. He smiled at the girls, staring a bit longer at Kiara as usual. Even though she had been his student for two months, he still couldn't get over the fact that she looked so much like her mother and father. He too had noticed her skittish behaviour, but didn't want to intrude in her personal life; her grades weren't really affected by whatever was going on and so, as a teacher, he had no reason to interfere. Mr. Alder didn't think anyone was bullying her either, and believed that if they were, her friends would jump in immediately.

"Good morning Mr. Alder!" Kat exclaimed as she placed the cookies on an empty desk at the front of the class.

"Oh man! Are those your homemade sugar cookies!" Mr. Alder groaned as he rubbed his stomach. "You'll be getting a little bigger buddy," He said to his stomach.

The class giggled and chuckled as they crowded around the sugary creation. Kat always made cookies during special holidays and on her birthday—and she always made a huge batch, so everyone could take more than one and enough were left for her friends at lunch.

"Sounds like you're more excited to see the cookies than me." Kat placed her hand over her heart and stared, open-mouthed.

"What? Who told you?" This brought on more laughter.

Dani and Kiara sat at their seats already and waited for Kat to sit with them. "So, are you excited for tonight?" Dani asked.

Kiara hesitated. The notes still hadn't stopped and the pictures were now predominantly of her inside the school or inside her home. She didn't know which was worse. "I don't know if I'm in a partying mood today."

Dani knew that something was going on that Kiara was keeping from them. She knew that Kiara was scared of something or someone, but wasn't willing to share. Dani sighed. "It'll be fun! We'll all stay beside you the whole night and none of us really get that drunk."

"Speak for yourself. My brain will be soaking in alcohol by the end of the night." Kat joked as she took her seat. "But even if we do get really drunk, it doesn't mean we'll just leave you on your own. If anything, some of us will get extra clingy." She sent a pointed look at Dani.

Kiara picked at the skin around her nail and chewed on the inside of her bottom lip. "I don't want to ruin your fun by having you guys babysit me."