In the Shadows of the Night

Chapter 8

Kyle parked my jeep in the first available parking spot and then walked me into the school, he had already made the arrangements, so he could stay by my side at all times while I was at school, although it took some time for him to convince the principle and the super intendant of the school that it wouldn't cause any disruption with the other students.

He walked behind me a few steps but always kept me where he could see me. Shelly noticed right off and started asking questions, but I was reluctant to talk to her about it. I simply told her that we would talk about it later. It took Shelly until lunchtime to realize that the man following me was Kyle.

I sat down at the same table I had sat at every day at lunch, but this time my usual perky attitude had fallen to a more somber attitude.

"What is going on? I have to know before I explode with curiosity." Shelly said as she sat down beside me.

I stared at my food blankly as I moved it around with my fork. I couldn't eat a bite and felt sick every time I tried.

"Jess are you ok?" Shelly asked when she noticed how upset I looked.

I fought the tears that begged to fall from my eyes until I couldn't fight them any longer; I stood up and ran out of the lunchroom.

Kyle followed me to the women's restroom and waited outside the door. Shelly gave him a dirty look as she walked into the women's restroom.

When she walked in she saw me sitting on the bathroom floor with my knees up to my chest crying.

She knelt beside me, "Please tell me what's wrong?"

"My entire life has been a lie." I started my story with that and it unfolded just the way it happened. When I had finished Shelly was sitting there in disbelief. She didn't know what to say.

"Ok, let me get this straight, so like you are a princess and Kyle is the leader of an army on an island that isn't even on the map."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. I mean I can't even believe it myself, so how could I expect you to believe it."

"I never said that I didn't believe you I just think this is like some shit you would see in a movie or something. Think about it, it's like a fairy tale."

"No, it's like I've fallen into a nightmare and I can't seem to wake up." I complain as I wiped the tears from my eyes. "My parents aren't my parents. The people I loved and who raised me aren't my parents. The man I fell in love with can't even look me in the eyes without the chance that he might get killed for it. This isn't a fairy tale, this is hell."

"Jessie you are seventeen and he's... How old is he? How old do you have to be to be a leader of an army?"

I began to cry again, "I don't know," I admit in between sobs.

"Oh man he could be like thirty or something."

I sat up and looked at my friend. "No, you don't think... do you? Oh God he could be. This is awful what am I going to do?"

"Well if he is he's kinda sick don't ya think?"

"He's not thirty would you get back to the problem at hand?"

"Ok, I don't know I'm stunned. Give me some time."

Just then we heard a knock on the bathroom door and I instantly knew it was Kyle. I had been in there too long and he was coming in after me. "I'm fine will you just give me a minute." I snapped at him. I wasn't really mad at him I was just overwhelmed with the entire situation.