To Protect, Serve and... Love?

Chapter Two

Sitting at the window in her bedroom, Caroline couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. She tried focusing on the book in her hand, tried turning up her iPod and focusing on the lyrics, but nothing worked. Looking out the window, she saw no one walking on the streets and no one staring out their window but her. There were a few parked cars here and there, but they were all empty. Or at least appeared empty.

James Clark sat crunched down in the drivers seat of his beat up car, staring up at Caroline’s shape in the window. His friend and follower, Lucas, sat beside him, looking boredly out his window.

“When are we going to get the girl?” He sighed, finally looking at Caroline’s bedroom window. They’d been out there for hours, just sitting in the car.

“When she’s not protected,” James scowled, angered by his friend’s stupidity. “We’ve got to wait until she’s alone.”

“Are we going to get the wife?”

“No.” He smirked, before turning the car on. “Not anytime soon, at least. They’ll be expecting that.”

With one last look at Caroline, he drove away. But James and Lucas weren’t the only ones watching Caroline that night. Nick Sharpe watched the car drive away, squinting his eyes at how bright the headlights were. He looked back as the car parked behind him pulled out and followed them.

“It’s only a matter time now.” He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. A movement out of the corner of his eye made his head snap to the left, to see that Caroline’s window was dark now. She’d turned off the light and gone to bed. Nick checked the time on his watch; 11:24 PM. He turned his car on and started to drive, relieved that he could finally go to bed, too.

--

“Happy Monday, everyone!” Mr. Sharpe exclaimed, grinning at the class in front of him. “Good news, I’ve survived a week teaching at this school. I think I deserve an applause?”

Caroline rolled her eyes and clapped her hands, a little less enthusiastically than the rest of the class. Her frown stood out against the smiling faces around her, and Mr. Sharpe happened to notice that. He smiled charmingly at her, only to get a glare from her in return.

“And the bad news? I’m collecting homework!” Caroline’s eyes went wide, and she watched her teacher begin to walk down a row of desks, holding out his hand to collect papers. She’d completely forgot about the homework he’d given them; a two page essay about how the Jews were treated in the Holocaust. It’s not her fault that she forgot though. She had a bunch of homework on the weekend, mostly math, which of course was her worst subject.

“Miss Knight?” She groaned inwardly, not even looking up at the man. But her head shot up when she heard the classroom door open. Almost everyone in the class went quiet as a boy walked in, holding a sheet of paper in his hand, and a terrified expression on his face.

“Please tell me this is History.” He said to no one in particular, staring at the class with wide eyes. Mr. Sharpe finally turned to look at him.

“This is History.” He chuckled. The boy sighed dramatically, as if he was extremely relieved. Caroline cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering who this guy was.

“I’ve walked into three rooms, thinking they were a History class. How embarrassing, right?” He rolled his eyes, “Anyways, I’m the new student, Dean Bowers.”

“Oh, right, I forgot you were coming. Take a seat.” Dean turned to see that the only empty seat left in the class was the one next to Caroline. She smiled at him politely when he waved goofily at her as he sat down.