𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐇 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 [slow updates]

𝟏

One of these days, I'm going to "accidentally" let the dog out and leave the front gate open.

I pad up the stairs and decide to check in on Mom before I leave.

She's been bedridden for almost a whole week from back pain. Being pregnant is my worst fear and she's lived it, what, four times now? I'd rather die.

I knock on her door, opening it before she can give me permission to come in.

"You feeling okay? Do you need anything?" I ask her. She shakes her head, a small smile on her face as she pats the spot on her bed where Dad usually sleeps.

I slide under the covers and nestle into her side.

"You're so warm." I mumble as I hug her arm to my chest.

She chuckles, running her fingers through my hair as she shakes her head at my question.

"I'm okay. But I'm in dire need of entertainment. Dad won't even let me get up to grab the remote." She rolls her eyes and I laugh.

Sounds like him.

She says, "Tell me about your day?"

"Well, I woke up and Bow tried attacking me. Left for school. After school I went to the library to grade some stuff and thought back to the horrific monstrosity that is the doberman in our kitchen. Then I got here and Bow almost attacked me. Lian made fun of me for wearing gloves in the middle of spring. And now I'm spending time with my beautiful mother."

She rolls her eyes. "You're only saying that because I'm pregnant."

I force a grimace, raking my gaze over her before nodding and scooting way.

"Sure am."

Laughing, she reaches out to plant a kiss on my temple. "Love you, Sandy."

I smile at the nickname.

Before I could say my name correctly, I would always say "Sandy" instead. Admittedly, I was in my Spongebob phase. I couldn't be blamed for anything that came out of my mouth other than my teeth at that age.

I kiss her cheek and toss her the TV remote on the way out of the room.

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It's back to the library for me.

I wholly planned on going to my house after leaving my parents' place, but then remembered that if I didn't grade these quizzes in my bag, my email would get flooded and my unopened voicemails would go back up to two-thousand.

Parents can be ruthless.

It's always been easier to be productive for me in the library. The mere thought of being able to read any book in there that I want is like a little reward once I've gotten work done. Franklin Library is easily my greatest motivation... along with my minor need for appropriate nourishment and roof over my head.

I pull the folder from my first period class out and get to it.

Most of my kids are doing great in my class. English is pretty easy and I don't assign much writing at all. I know how much I loathed long writing assignments when I was in high school. I've been told that's setting them up for failure in college, but that entirely depends on what they major in, I guess. Unless they don't go to college.

Whatever they choose to do is nobody's business but their own.

When I make it to a paper turned in by a student that got fifty-two percent, I pull out my notebook and make a note to ask him if he would like to come by my class during lunch or before or after school.

If any student of mine gets less than fifty on a quiz or test, I don't count it unless I know they're one off the kids who don't really ever put any effort into their work and don't intend to change that. I give them a chance to come study in my class and then give them the option to retake. If they decide not to, then I log the fifty or less.

Vincent, the kid whose paper this is, is one of the sweetest, smartest kid I've met. And I know he can and will want to do better.

When I'm done with the stuff from first period, I pull out my other folder for second.

Everyone in second and third did well. No notes need to be made for any of them, but for fifth there are three kids who I make a note for. Sixth period is my class with the most overachievers, the lowest grade being an eighty-nine.

I shut the folder, rolling my shoulders back when I hear the door sensor buzz. Nobody is ever really here past five and it's almost five. As far as I know, I'm the only person here.

When I look up, my entire body is left in shock. I lose all feeling in my limbs and my heart starts beating out of my chest.

This big-ass guy is coming right for me. My whole life starts flashing before my eyes, and I thank the universe for the fact that I told Mom and Dad I love them before leaving their house.

I jump when he slams his palms onto the table I'm sitting at, the weak little limbs keeping the circular slab holding all my stuff up rattles and I do too.

A squeek escapes my mouth as I reach to put on my glasses. I push them up my nose, blinking up at him with wide eyes.

His wide shoulders rise and fall in time with his heavy breaths. While he's incredibly scary looking, he's also considerably handsome. Long eyelashes brush his pink cheeks, thick eyebrows complimenting his soft, yet striking features.

"Please," he begs, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Please help me. Do you know where the bathrooms are?"

My heart slows just slightly. This could still be a trick to, like, kidnap me.

I really hope his problem isn't that he has to poop really bad, because:

"There aren't any bathrooms here." I mumble, chewing the inside of my cheek.

Please don't kill me, please don't kill me.

The parents of my students will be furious.

"Fuck." He curses, but it sounds like a whine. A plead, really, to the universe. He runs a large hand down his face, frustrated. "Is there anywhere I can hide?"

I nod and point to the reading corner for kids. They always play hide and seek over there. There's a wall behind one of the play castles that you can just barely squeeze into.

"Behind the wall." I tell him.

With a brief nod, he pushes off the table, ready to sprint in that direction before he stops in his tracks. He groans and gives me a look like he's expecting me to pack up my st—

"Well? Grab your stuff! They can't see you in here if they saw me come in!"

I don't know who the hell he's talking about, but he's thoroughly scared me so I don't ask questions as I shove everything into my bag. He holds out his hand for me and I take it because... I don't know why, I just do! What if I'm about to get killed by whoever the heck is making him run?!

He stops again when he doesn't understand where I told him to go, so I pull him along with me behind the wall. He groans when he notices how small the space is, but doesn't ask questions just like I didn't.

Just as we squeeze in, the door sensors buzz again. He tenses beside me.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE
unedited
First chapter! Tysm for reading.
I haven't written anything like this before, but I'm really excited for this book. Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. (: