It's been a few days after my birthday and everything's gone back to the way it was before, meaning everyone was always busy leaving me again to wonder what they actually did for they're jobs.
Lilli spent the whole weekend with me watching movies, I've definitely been getting more and more comfortable around her and it shows. I used to be very shy and reserved around her but the more we've hung out I've found myself opening up to her more and feeling like she won't judge me whenever I open my mouth.
She's been an amazing friend. Jace and Becca have been to however I haven't talked much with them outside of school besides the memes I've gotten from Jace at odd hours throughout the night, and Becca asking the group chat for answers on the homework.
Aaron's been a good friend to but I haven't talked to him much recently. I've never been a huge fan of texting, preferring speaking to people in person instead of over the phone.
Plus I've been to scared to ask Enzo if I could hang out with a boy since one of the rules was, no boys.
There's also how I'm not comfortable enough yet to spend time one on one with any boy.
It's now the middle of the week and school just ended resulting in me wandering the emptying halls to get to my locker. My last teacher held me back to talk about my test scores so by the time I was able to leave most people have already headed home.
I hurriedly grab my things and head out to the parking lot not wanting to make the twins wait long but they weren't there yet. This has been happening a lot, they're normally now always late and are very vague when I ask where they were.
The cars locked so I'm stuck in the almost deserted parking lot.
Closing my eyes I lean back against the car exhausted, my nightmares have gotten better so now I only have them once maybe twice a week but I still find myself afraid to fall asleep at night resulting in me only getting a few hours each night.
On the verge of sleep my eyes snap open when I hear footsteps approaching me. Only hearing one pair my body tenses as I know Antonio or Emilio without each other.
My arms cross over my body instinctively while watching a guy who looks to be in his thirty's at least stop a few feet in front of me.
My eyes quickly scan him to see if he's a threat and I take notice of how he looks like a teacher with a name card pinned to his tan pants.
His body is relaxed and he smiles nicely at me with his pearly white teeth. He looks friendly and yet my body doesn't relax. That's the first red flag.
I almost always trust my instincts and right now I'm not getting anything good from this guy.
"Hello miss I was just wondering if you were okay?" His face shows concern with his furrowed eyebrows.
"I'm fine." I mumble while taking a few side steps so my back isn't to the car.
"Ah well I just noticed how you were alone. Are you waiting on someone? I just want to make sure your safe." He smiles again and a shiver goes down my back.
"Yeah, I am." I purposely shiver and slip my hands in my jacket pocket to make it look like I'm cold but my hand tightens around my phone ready to call someone in case I need to.
"Your sure? Because as a teacher in this school I have to make sure my students are safe so if you need me to I can make a call for you if you want to wait in my office?" He takes a tiny step closer to me and I notice he tried to subtly eye the distance I put between us.
"That's okay my brothers will be her any second." My hand tightens around my phone.
Like I said I always trust my instincts and right now they're telling me to get away from this guy fast.
"I see well I'll see you around miss?" He question awaiting for me to say my name.
When I don't answer he smiles forcibly before waking back to the school but not before my eyes catch the name on his tag.
Bruce Wright.
I take a deep breath of fresh air I didn't know I needed. My body finally relaxes at the sight of my brothers coming towards me.
"Hey Ella sorry we took so long ready to go?" I just nodded getting in the car.
What did he want? Was he really a teacher? If he is a teacher why haven't I seen him before?
Ive never seen him around the school before but than again I've only been at this school for a short period of time. If he really is a teacher I'm gonna make sure to stay away from him.
✼ •• ┈┈┈┈๑⋅⋯ ୨˚୧ ⋯⋅๑┈┈┈┈ •• ✼
I haven't told my brothers about that creepy guy yet. I'm scared I overreacted and made a big deal over nothing, they all think I've been doing really well which according to Clara I have been but what if I was wrong about this and was only frightened because he's a guy.
It's embarrassing how I can't even be five feet within a guy I don't know without have a panic attack.
I don't want to burden them with this since they've been so busy with work. Besides I'm sure it meant nothing it was just a teacher looking out for a student, it makes more since than what I came up with in my head.
Relax Ella it's not like he was going to hurt you on school grounds with cameras everywhere.
Nodding to myself I leave my room and start to head towards the library. Passing the open doors to gym I peak inside seeing Leo punching a punching bag.
Stopping I watch his movements for a couple of seconds. I don't know much about fighting but I can guess he's good by how much the bag is moving.
I cautiously make my way inside stopping when I get a few feet away from him and the poor punching bag.
"Ca-can you teach me how to do that?" My voice comes out scratchy from how dry my throat is.
His movements pause before he turns to look at me with an eyebrow raised. "You wanna learn how to punch?"
I hesitantly nod. As much as I hate fights and plan on never punching anyone I feel like it's a good skill to have.
I could've used it a few years ago.
He breathes heavy from his workout while still watching me before he nods. "Okay. Come here."
I follow him to bench against the wall and watch while he pulls out this tape that looks like the one wrapped around his knuckles.
"Give me your hands." I do as told and stay silent as he wraps the tape around my knuckles.
"Which hand is your dominant one?" He asks.
"My right." He nods before bringing me next to a different punching bag than the one he was punching earlier.
"Punch the air." He commanded.
Punching the air I feel ridiculous but I don't question it, after all he knows what he's doing.
"You have a tight fist but you need more power behind it, step back on your right foot and as your swinging go on your left one okay? And for your fist always make sure your thumb is outside your fist and not in it otherwise you can break your finger." He stepped away from me while prepared to punch the bag.
Doing as he told I went back on my right foot before sending my fist into the bag.
"Not bad but bring your elbow up more before you punch, almost line it up with your ear."
Doing again as he said my fist collides with the bag again only this time my hand bounced off the bag. "Ow." I hissed in pain while clutching my hand to my chest trying to soothe the pain.
"You okay?" Rolling my wrist while stretching my fingers I nod. "Good. Try again."
The next twenty minutes was spent with Leo giving me more techniques to try and also him teaching me how to block a punch. I wasn't good but at least I could punch someone if I need to now.
I sat on the bench breathing heavily while watching Leo pack some things in his gym bag.
"Hey Leo?" He hums letting me know he's listening. "I was wondering if there was something else you could teach me maybe?"
He looks at me as if to say 'what is it?'
"Could you teach me self defense? Like how to get away from someone dangerous maybe?" As intimidating as my brother was he was an amazing teacher when it came to this stuff.
He looks like he's thinking for a few seconds and I'm hoping he doesn't ask me why I'm asking to learn it today. Thankfully he doesn't and only nods.
"Sure. Let's start with if someone's approaching you from behind." He moves behind me and I shriek slightly as his arm comes around my neck in a chokehold. His arm isn't tight around my neck it's just resting there.
"If you are able to when someone puts you in a choke hold put your chin in the crease of they're arm and use your hands to pull down on they're arm so you can breath. However because your so small if your ever in a situation like this, which you will never be, you go for weak spots to take them out." Releasing his arm he steps away from me.
"What are the weak spots?" I question.
"If they're behind you elbow them in they're stomach and stomp on they're feet. When your able to get out of a chokehold and can face them kick them between they're legs." He smirks at me with his last sentence making me laugh slightly.
"Like this?" Pretending I'm going to kick him I lift up my leg.
"Hey! No no!" Jumping back he glares at my slightly raised foot before meeting my smiling face.
"I'm not actually going to kick you!" I say laughing.
"You better not." He gathers his bag heading for the doors to leave before turning back to me with a devilish smile on his face. "If you want to see how good you punch don't be afraid to try it on Luca."
With that he leaves. Looking around the empty gym I crack my sore fingers from being in a fist for so long.
Back in my room I feel my mood drop now that I'm by myself.
When I'm by myself there's nothing to distract me from my overbearing thoughts circling around in my head.
So I make the wise decision to wander the parts of the house I haven't explored yet, which isn't much.
I've almost explored the whole house everywhere but the third floor.
How bad I want to see what's up there.
I've tried to 'wander' closer to the stairs but I'm always found by someone whether it be my brothers or people that work for my brothers who take care of the house.
Feeling claustrophobic from my thoughts I walk until I reach the end of the property line outside.
The edge of the property is covered in trees and bushes making it so you can't see in or out so therefore I've never seen what's behind it, I'm ending that today.
I climb what I've determined to be the tallest tree I could find, until I reach the highest point I could go.
Pulling my myself up to the next branch I'm suddenly blinded by the golden rays the suns projecting onto the world as it goes down.
Sitting on the branch I stare out at the sun hiding behind the mountains I didn't know were there.
There was a hill leading out into a field full of wildflowers and overgrown grass before it turns into mountains covered in different shades of green.
It was something out of a movie. It was a picture I never thought I'd see in real life.
I close my eyes as a breeze flutters through the trees making my hair blow slightly behind me as two blue jays fly ahead of me towards the field.
Right here I feel free, like I could conquer anything and everything I desire to. It was a feeling I never thought I'd feel again.
Up this high I finally felt in control of myself. I lost control of my body to him and I never thought I'd get it back but being up here this high with the sun turning my whole face golden, I couldn't have felt more in control.
Standing on the thick branch I put one arm out to feel the breeze slide through my fingers just as it had down to my hair.
I felt alive, like I wasn't just living anymore but truly alive.
I could feel my heart beat in my chest while my blood pumps through my veins and I loved it.
This feeling I didn't know I was chasing after but I somehow found anyway.
Smiling the hardest I have in a while I let a scream slip through my mouth and travel with the wind.
And I knew this was a feeling I was never letting go of.
Hey lovelies!
I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long I've just been going through a lot of emotions and haven't really been myself lately. And even thought I'm still not 100% I'm working on it. Thank you so much to all of you for being so patient with me.
This chapter was written in two parts so I'm sorry if the beginning of it might be a bit slow, I absolutely am in love with the second part because that's something that I've found for myself.
Being outside and just watching the sunset or even thinking about that and just feeling the wind makes me feel free and that's the most amazing feeling ever.
I hope you all like this chapter and have a wonderful day!