The Hell Files

Chapter 3: Change

I have never seen people so on edge in the dining room. The whole place is full of whispers and our table keeps looking around frantically. Maybe Riot went to someone else's room. Maybe one of the teachers held her with them and she just stayed in their classroom.

"What's going on?" a boy asks, sitting down in one of the few empty spots we have, his voice deep. I've never seen him before.

"Two kids missed curfew," Lisa answers, raising her head a little to look above the crowd for Riot.

"Two?" the girl at the table next to me exclaims, he conversation with Dawson short. Everyone shushes her. "Who?" she asks a bit quieter.

"Riot and Benjamin," the Lisa answers and whispers increase around the tables nearby increase slightly. I can see the younger years looking over at us in confusion.

"That doesn't make any sense though? Why aren't they back yet? If anyone missed curfew, they should be back by now."

"What happens when you miss curfew?" New Boy asks. We all look over to him with fear in our eyes and a prayers on our lips.

"No one knows, that's why this is so bad," I answer and move my hand under the table to squeeze Mayhems slightly.

The door to the hall opens and Headmaster walks down it. Everyone shuts up as all eyes are on him. Behind him, a boy walks in and takes a seat quickly. He's slouching so much that I can't even see a hint of his face and his hair doesn't help at all either, not controlled in anyway. Benjamin. I only know it because his girlfriend hugs him immediately. He looks nothing like he did yesterday which is odd because I think he's wearing the same clothes. Everyone looks back to Headmaster as his words which sound like doom come out.

"Hello Students. I realize many of you are wondering what is going on. First off, as many of have heard, two students missed curfew last night. There is a perfectly reasonable explanation to this. Benjamin Dossle, as many of you have just seen walk in, missed as he was in the school hospital." Murmurs drifted across the room for a second before it was silent again.

"As many of you also have probably heard, Riot also missed curfew last night. Sadly, she had different reasons. Yesterday she caused the accident that lead to all classes being canceled, therefore she received a Detention."

The air stills. I feel Mayhem stiffen up and stop breathing next to me. My hand is being squeezed so tight I swear he could probably break it.

"She attacked Benjamin yesterday for reasons we still do not know. I do not know when she will be back but I can assure you, this will be taken care of. As a result of this though, as I am sure you all will still be in shock for a while, no classes for the rest of the week. That is all," Headmaster says and sits down but no one speaks.

After all, what is there to say?

§§§

Mayhem's a wreck. His eyes have glazed over and he doesn't move much. Dawson and Lisa helped me get him to his dorm, but we haven't been able to get a word out of him. The two left about ten minutes ago when they realized it was useless but I just sit on the floor.

A cough at the door causes me to turn around and I see New Boy from earlier standing there.

"Hey, is it okay if I come in?" New Boys asks.

I nod and he steps in, taking the desk chair.

"I'm sorry about your friend," New Boy says before adding, "and your sister."

I sigh and wipe my eyes. "It's... it's not your fault," I somehow manage to get out. New Boy gives me a sympathetic smile.

"I know, but I can't help but feel bad. You three seem really close, like you've always been there for each other," he explains.

"But we haven't," Mayhem whispers and my head whips over to him. He's staring at the floor and I can see a single tear drop on his cheek.

New Boy looks at me and then back at him. "I-I'm sorry about that. I hope she's okay for both of your sakes."

I nod and stand up to sit down on the bed next to Mayhem. I know I won't probably get anything so I just rest my head on his shoulder before whispering softly, "I hope so too."

New Boy looks away from us and sighs. "I'm sorry, this is probably so intrusive but, is there any reason why she would do this? I mean, there has to be one, and it looks like you two wouldn't even see her hurting a fly," he asks.

"Not that I know of, sorry... um..." I say, trailing because I don't know his name.

"Riley."

"Sorry Riley, I don't know."

"He used to bully her."

I pull my head off of Mayhem's shoulder to see his face better.

"Our first year of school here she didn't have any friends, she just always hung out in the library and was at the top of her class in every subject. I-I... I didn't really like that. Our parents... they-they always praised her for it and I felt... left out. I took her being alone to my advantage and got Benjamin and his friends to bully her. It lasted for about a month before she finally snapped and did something about it, but she never got any of them." Mayhem explains softly.

"But why now then?" I ask, placing a hand gently on his wrist.

"I- I don't know. It's not like her to do that anyway," Mayhem says and looks at me.

"But you said she had snapped before, there had to be signs or something then, wasn't there?" Riley asks, eyebrows knitted.

Mayhem shakes his head. "The only sign was right before the snap. She just had this look in her eyes. It wasn't even of revenge or anything, it was more betrayal. And she only went after me then, like, she purposely tried not to hit anyone else and I don't think she even realized it," Mayhem answers.

Riley runs a hand through his hair. "That doesn't- this doesn't make any sense! She was in my class right before they got canceled too, like in the classroom as it was announced."

Mayhem seems a bit more interested now, leaning forward slightly. "And she didn't look scared or ticked or anything?"

"No! She just, looked... I dunno... somewhere else. Like not in her own head because she would answer the questions without hesitation and still get them right, but like she wasn't entirely there," Riley explains, sounding confused and slightly frantic.

"She's like that all the time though, at least in our dorm she it," I pipe in.

The three of us sit in silence, thinking. What was going on? Seriously? I've never been more confused or scared before. This School is known for never having a single Detention. What the actual hell could've caused one?

My head pops towards the door as the sound of running comes down the hallway and Dawson slides by before scrambling back into the doorframe, breathing heavily. Another friend of his nearly runs into him, breathing just as hard. Both of them have gigantic eyes and Dawson holds up a hand to keep us from asking anything while he catches his breath.

"Riot. She's out of Detention."

§§§

Woot! New chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this one and the song. I might start adding them more often because I feel like this one fits, not only with with chapter but the next one that I have planned too!

Enjoy the cliff hanger and until next time!

-H