The Marked

Chapter Four

Ryder is sat in a classroom for extra study, just finishing up. The teacher dismisses everyone and Ryder exits the classroom and gets outside only to be stopped by Axel.

"Ryder, enjoy tonight with your mind on Lily, I know I will." Axel laughs with his friends.

"Go to hell." Ryder turns around.

"Don't be jealous RyRy, you've always got Maisy to fall back on." Axel teases further causing Ryder to shove him.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Axel gets in Ryder's face.

"If anyone's jealous Axel, it's you, as if Lily would ever go near a guy like you." Ryder shoves Axel again and he stumbles before regaining his balance to land a punch on Ryder's nose.

Ryder stumbles back grabbing his nose but manages to regain his balance.

"A guy like me, huh?" Axel spits back, "no Lily to save you now Ryder, you think you can take me?"

Ryder steps forward but Axel hunches over and grabs his chest in pain.

"Ax, You okay?" One of Axel's friends ask as the other one looks behind Ryder.

"Guys, lets just go, this isn't worth it." The other one says looking freaked. The three move in the direction towards Axel's car leaving Ryder behind.

Getting that feeling again he turns around but sees no one, freaking out he takes his phone out to call Lily before he has chance to look around again he hears a voice through the phone.

"Ryder? You there?"

"Hey Lils, how's it going?" he replies as he starts his walk home.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing, I'm just walking home, why'd you ask that?"

"Because you sound scared?"

"Just a bit paranoid is all."

"About?"

"It feels like someone's watching me... been feeling like this all day..."

"And you phoned me?! The person the furthest away from you..."

"Yes, I told Casey and Tristan and they said that I'm probably just being paranoid because I miss you, and I should just phone you to talk."

"They might be right, but it also might be a murderer lurking in the shadows and you've just become his newest target. And if you get attacked while on the phone to me, you'll most likely be dead by the time I phoned someone to get to you."

"You were supposed to tell me I'm being crazy. Why did I phone you."

"I'll go then, have fun getting murdered."

"Why can't you be a normal best friend and say that everything is gonna be okay?"

"Because that could be lying, I don't want your last dying thought of me to be that I lied."

"What makes you think I'd think of you in my dying moments?"

"Well, you're on the phone to me right now as opposed to anyone else."

"Point made. Anyway, how are you doing? Learning anything?"

"Yeah, some things. My Aunt is driving me nuts, she woke me up again this morning with one of her brain saving drinks, I swear I miss your Mom's cooking, and the diner, I definitely miss the diner."

"Leave poor Aunt Matilda alone, she's only trying to help you, Kalani."

"Don't start with that, you know I hate being called it. I get that she named me and all, but seriously, call me Lily, it's much nicer than both my full name and Kalani."

"I think it sounds exotic."

"To you a pineapple is considered exotic. What about you? Anything happen today?" 

"Same old at home and at school, I missed you in Study Hall, Axel made a comment about you."

"You didn't let it get to you did you?."

"No, but then we got in a fight just now. And before you ask why he made a comment about Maisy, it just got to me."

"I get that, are you okay?"

"Yeah, for once I'm grateful about my situation, I've avoided a nose bleed."

"Funny, once I get back, I'll do some more research into it, there's gotta be an explaination."

"Don't stress yourself about it, anyway, I'm home now. Gonna go eat either some of my Mom's cooking or order from the diner, I'll think of you as I eat."

"Try not to choke, because then I will be your last dying thought."

Ryder laughs at her response before opening the door to his house and going inside, "Bye, Lils."

"Bye." He hears Lily respond before hanging up the phone.

***

Later that night Ryder wakes up in bed because he feels cold, he's shivering and can feel a breeze in his room. He looks over to his window and notices that it's slightly open, not thinking anything of it he walks over to close it, but as he looks up he sees a figure standing outside his house, they're hiding in the shadows.

He quickly shuts the window and closes the curtains, then moves away.

Before climbing back into bed he turns on the night light in his room, then gets under the covers trying to relax, his last thought before managing to get some sleep was: 'why's it always gotta be the window.'