Control // Liam Dunbar

Chapter 7

I crawled into bed that night as happy as could be. Reaching over to turn off my bedside lamp, my phone vibrated on the table.
It was a notification from the Beacon Hills school website, 'Lydia Martin tagged you in a photo'.

I was confused for a second until I unlocked my phone and logged into my profile. My feed was overflowing with the picture of Liam and I at the lacrosse game! The original picture Lydia had tagged me in read '@LiamDunbar & @AshleyMcCall Quit being so cute!😍🙌🏼'

The school website posted the same picture only minutes after Lydia posted the original.
'Congrats to the lacrosse team for a win against Devenford Prep! @LiamDunbar & @AshleyMcCall really stole the show! Lots of love to our star pair!❤️'

Tons of Beacon Hills students were posting the photo; almost everyone saying how adorable we were. The occasional girl saying how she thinks it should be her. I smiled at how cute our picture was and because it filled my heart with such joy I decided to literally fill my heart... my locket that is. Which I haven't taken off since Liam presented it me.

I printed the smallest version possible of the picture and cut it to fit the locket; putting it inside I smiled, gently clicking it shut.
I climbed back into bed and shut off the lamp, pulling the covers up to my chin and falling into a beautiful sleep.

~

"Looks like the whole school knows about us now." Liam said as we walked down the hall with our fingers intertwined.

"Yeah, but at least almost everyone is supportive."

"I know, isn't it awesome!" Liam said excitedly, squeezing my hand.

I laughed at how cute he was as we reached his locker.
He opened up it without releasing my hand, and put his history book inside, replacing it with a biology one.

My expression dropped as I realized I didn't have any more classes with him today. He slammed his locker and turned to face me.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"I miss you in chemistry and math!" I tried not to smile while he looked into my eyes.

He laughed a little, "you'll see me at practice after school."

I sighed, "okay."

"Great, see you then." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and let go of my hand, walking in the opposite direction.

"Wow, I can literally feel the chemistry between you two." Lydia smiled at me.

I laughed and looked down at the chemistry book in my hand.
"Speaking of chemistry, I should probably get to class."

I walked past her and down the hall to Mrs.James' room. I sat down next to Mason, who just happens to be my lab partner.

"Hey!" He said cheerfully. I could see the mythology book under his textbook.

"Hey."

"Sorry I missed you at the game last night, but I guess you were busy anyways." He chuckled and pulled up the picture of me and Liam at the game last night.

An ear to ear smile almost immediately sprung across my face and I turned a shade of pink.

"Okay class, let's put electronics away and open your books to chapter 7." Mrs.James walked into the room.

Mason clicked his phone off and slid it into his jacket pocket.

"Ah before we begin I'm going to be returning your previous tests from yesterday. I think you all did very well!" She picked up a stack of white packets.

When my test was returned I was proud to see a 92% written in red pen at the top of the page.

"Oh and Ms.McCall!" She said from in front of my table.

I looked up at her and she whispered, "Congratulations." She smirked slightly.
She must have seen the photo- wow, really EVERYONE has seen it.

I kept my smile hung proud on my face, and she walked to the seat behind me, continuing to hand back tests.

~

It finally came to the end of the school day, and I quickly stood up from my seat at math once the bell rang. Returning my books to my backpack and stopped at my locker to grab a sweatshirt I had left yesterday.
I speed walked out of the bustling hallways and started my journey towards the lacrosse field.

I knew I was early, I was the only one out here.
I sat down on the bleachers near the bench again, and pulled out my math book- if I have extra time I might as well get some homework done.

A few minutes into my homework I jumped as an arrow hit the wooden podium next to the bleachers.

I stood up and looked out into the empty field, but no one was there.

I looked back over at the arrow in the podium, and it was gone.
Confused, I sat back down and tried to focus back on my homework.
Then another arrow whistled through the air and this time hit the grass in front of me, causing me to flinch again.

This time I stayed seated and squinted my eyes in the direction the arrow was pointing. I saw a girly figure in the distance, walking towards me. Looking harder I could see short brunette hair, and a bow in her hand.
A blood stain on her stomach.

"Allison?" I whispered to myself.

She stopped to fire another arrow, this one hitting the bleachers next to me, then she continued to walk towards me.

Allison and I were very close friends while Scott and her were dating, and we stayed close when they broke up.
But after she died, I thought my life was ending.
Four long months of sadness and grief, thinking how it should've been me.

She continued to fire arrows all around me, each one moving closer and closer to me. Until she was only three feet in front of me.

"Allison?" I was still in aw of what I was seeing.
"This isn't real. You- you're gone." I said to her.

She didn't say anything.
She pulled a dagger out of her boot, and looked me in the eyes.

"Allison?" I said a bit louder as she pulled her arm back and slashed the dagger at me, putting a clean slice over my neck.

Blood ran down my chest and stained my white lace top.

She smiled, as I fell back on the bleachers and my vision blurred.

"Ashley!" Malia said as she shook my shoulder.

I flinched and shook my head looking down at my top, still perfectly white. I put a shaking hand to my throat, and there was nothing but the chain of my necklace.

"Are you okay?" Malia asked.

"Yeah, yeah I'm- I'm fine." I flashed a quick smile at her.

She gave me an unsure nod, and went back to highlighting her math book.

What was going on with me?

The lacrosse team flooded onto the field, and Liam threw his stuff down on the grass in front of me.

"Hey Ash, sorry I gotta rush out real quick, but I promise we can do something together after practice okay?" He pulled his gloves on.

"Okay." I put on as real of a smile I could find.

"Great, see you after practice!" He pressed our lips together for a few seconds, then pulled his helmet over his head, and ran out with the rest of the team.

But I was still trying to comprehend why I was seeing Allison.
And why she wanted to kill me.