Red Herring ✔️

51. Tip of the Iceburg

5 Days to Halloween

From the moment Mazie woke up, she went through her morning routine with the intent and anticipation of seeing Christian. The night before was much needed - rest, sleep, and a good meal. Though she shirked some of her homework responsibilities, she didn't feel any guilt for the amount of work she would have to do today to catch up. Anyways, she could complete the assignments with her free time at work at the library.

Unfortunately, he didn't arrive to school until the tardy bell rung and she had to hurry off to class. In the past week, she had been late too many times and her teachers mentioned her tardiness. Because it was unlike her, she vowed to stick to her timely schedule to assure her teachers she hadn't fallen off the deep end. This school already saw too much of that.

After second period, Mazie purposefully arched around the school to take the long way to her own locker to insure she would run into Christian near his own locker. As much as she wanted to text him, she'd rather talk to him face to face.

Her heart trilled in her chest when she spotted him afar off, walking down the hallway towards her. When their eyes met, Christian shared a private smile with her before he returned to the conversation with his friends at his left. Her pace slowed and she straightened her oversized tall neck grey sweater that she French tucked into her straight leg cropped black pants. Purposefully, Mazie dressed that morning with the motive of grabbing Christian's attention. She had been told before that this particular sweater brought out the grey tones in her eyes and lit up her face.

Stalling by his locker, Mazie sought to make eye contact with him again but Christian was laughing with his friends and jovially clapping them on the back. She liked the way his face lit up with happiness when he was around his friends. She admired his handsomeness when he wasn't paying attention, enjoying the view of him and enjoying even more that he liked the look of her too.

Waving to his friends in parting, Christian stopped short in front of his locker and gazed down his nose at her. Containing her childish grin, Mazie leaned one shoulder against his locker and tilted back her head to look up at him.

"Good morning," he said quietly, keeping his voice low to share the intimacy of the moment solely with Mazie.

"Good morning," she greeted back. Already, she felt lighter, more like herself, at the prospect of flirting for a few minutes with hunky Christian Slater.

"How is your morning going?" He asked.

"Help! Help! Please, somebody!"

At the incessant cries from someone in the hallway, Mazie glanced over her shoulder expecting to find the playful antics of a group of students.

No game at all.

It was Demi, lying unconscious in the arms of Jason Woo who blubbered incoherently while crying over Demi's body.

As the breath escaped her lungs, the books in Mazie's arms slipped from her grip and scattered across the floor. With a single knowing glance that passed between the two of them, Christian and Mazie took off running through the hallway, shoving students out of the way.

"Help! Please, this isn't a joke!" Jason Woo cried out.

Christian and Mazie reached Demi at the same time. A freezing cold chill wound around Mazie's body at the sight of Demi's legs twisted up underneath her body. Her arms hung wide open from her chest. Her head hung over Jason's forearm as he curled his arms protectively around her limp body.

"Jason, Jason, calm down," Christian commanded, dropping onto one knee beside Jason.

"Please help!" Jason cried, real tears slipping down his cheeks and falling onto Demi's shirt.