Professor McCafferty [Edited]

9. Dark Heart, Dark Thoughts [edited]

I glanced back at the door as someone knocked on it.

Camille's eyes got wide, "I'm gonna go pee."

I flinched when the person pounded on the door.

"Just open your door."

I narrowed my eyes as I knew that voice.

"Anna, open the fucking door!"

I grabbed the door and tossed it open as Duke came into the room.

I looked back at him as he stepped on glass from the mirror, "Did anyone see you?"

"I hope not." Duke glanced back at me.

"How did you know where I was at?"

"I looked up your room and board." Duke glanced back at me.

"Isn't that illegal?" I looked back at him.

"Shut up." Duke said back to me.

"Doesn't matter, Abby called the administration."

"And I fixed it." Duke glanced back at me.

"You did what?"

"The security guard at the library, he was about to come in here and grab you. They all were."

"The bomb exploded." I muttered back at him.

Duke looked around my room, "Yea it exactly did."

I bit down my lip as I saw the broken chair and the glass on the floor, "I have a temper."

"This isn't a temper. This is the hulk." Duke said back to me.

"Why did you help me?"

"I saw it all over your face. It's PTSD."

"Yea, I know what it is. I was diagnosed last year with it."

"Then you know when something triggers you like that then it's really not your fault."

I glanced back at him.

"You went through something, I know what it was but you went through what someone should have never have gone through."

I wanted to speak but I didn't know what to say.

"I look at you and I see someone trying to rebuild. I see someone trying to make tomorrow possible."

I nodded my head back at him.

"You are fighting for tomorrow and Anna you are gonna win as long as you keep fighting."

I closed my eyes as I fell into Duke's arms.

"You can't give up this battle."

I wrapped my arms around him as I felt the knot in my stomach start to loosen up.

"Always keep fighting."

I sat up the next morning as Duke was gone and Camille was also gone from the room.

I pulled my legs up to my chest as I could hear people outside my door.

I put my forehead on my knees as I knew it was someone to tell me that I had to leave.

"Anna, can you open the door?"

I looked up as it was my mother.

I pushed my covers back as I went over to the door.

My mother looked at me as I pulled the door open. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"They called me last night after a student reported an accident with you."

I glanced back at my room as the glass was cleaned up and the chair was gone. "Yea about that."

Mom pushed my door open, "You alone?"

I glanced back into the room, "Yea, I mean who else would be here?"

Mom glanced up as the school councilor walked into view, "I'm pretty sure she looks ok."

The councilor looked at me, "Another report on you Anna and we have no choice but to kick you out."

I nodded my head back at him as he walked down the hallway out of sight.

I looked back at mom, "So you paid all of that money to tell me that I will probably come home with you?"

Mom closed the door behind her, "You destroyed your room, didn't you?"

I sat down on my bed, "What?"

"I think a mirror should be there and you are missing a chair."

"Mom, I don't wanna talk about it."

"You saw Xavier, didn't you?"

"No, I had a flashback of that night."

"Honey, I told you and so did your therapist that coming back here wasn't smart."

"I had it under control. I was ok."

"You can't control this kinda thing. Anything can trigger it."

I glanced up at her.

"You went through hell."

"And I got out."

"You are still in it Anna. Look around."

I looked at her.

"Being in this school is just torture for you and your mind. You need something to cleanse you. You need to walk away. You won't be weak if you are trying to mental become someone stronger."

"I am strong." I mumbled back at her.

"You are the strongest person I know but Anna, you have a road block that you will never escape."

"I just wanna be ok."

Mom sat down next to me taking me in her arms, "You will be ok."

"But when?"

"I don't know, but right now, you are not gonna get better staying here."

I closed my eyes as she was right.

The timing was off.

It wasn't right at the moment.

"So what should I do?" I looked up at her.

"You should go home Anna. Just come home."