I woke up hearing my own screams again. I let out a groan and hit myself on the head with my heel of my palm, trying to dislodge the horror in my brain. As I shifted from the grasps of the dream to face reality, I could hear my phone vibrating on the floor. Groaning again, I shifted until I grasped the phone in my hand.
I accepted the call and pressed it to my ear, saying a gruff hello to the person who happened to call me at this timing. All I could hear at the moment was heavy breathing, like as if that person was still thinking of what to say to me. I frowned and looked at the caller id, seeing it was an unknown number, I pressed the phone back onto my ear to hear that breathing again.
Feeling rather irked, I ended the call quickly.
Muttering under my breath, I forced myself to sit upright. I knew it was four in the morning since I last saw it from my phone and I knew I won’t be going back to sleep. So I did what I always do whenever I woke up too early. I pulled on a pair of socks and stuffed my feet into a pair of running shoes.
I’m going for a run.
I gathered my phone and my earpiece, plugging them into my ears before heading out of the house. I left quietly and a smile was on my face as soon as the doors from the elevators slide open. My legs started pumping its way along the pavement and my arms moving along in synchronised moves, I could my whole body growing alive as adrenalin pumped through my system.
I loved running.
I feel alive.
I didn’t know how long I ran but by the time I came back home, the sun had already risen and I could see the signs of people waking up for the day as I pass many houses to get back to my building. I rode up the elevator, humming a song under my breath as I waited. As soon as the lift doors slid open, I stepped out and made my way along the carpeted hallway. I was beginning to get used to living here.
I like living here, no stress and no fear. I was beginning to live freely and I don’t feel like as if my own home was my own torture chamber. I don’t feel like I was being chained to the wall, my ankle locked and I certainly didn’t feel as if I was being tied down to the ground. I feel happier, I feel better about myself.
I am beginning to be a better and a more cheerful person. I knew it was a slow procedure but I was on the way there. Mum was awake as soon I stepped into the apartment. I could hear her moving around in the kitchen, cooking some eggs and bacons for the both of us. I greeted her as soon as I got within earshot and I saw her break into a huge smile as she saw me coming in.
‘Hey baby, how was your run?’ she asked me as she moved around the kitchen, pouring the eggs onto plates, sliding the bacons onto another plate and making coffee for the both of us. ‘I hope you feel better though Honey.’
I smiled warmly at her. ‘It was okay Mum; yeah the run did make me feel better thought. It always does,’ I told her easily and sat down on the stool as I waited for her to put the plates on the counter. ‘Maybe you can join me on one of the days?’
She broke out into laughter at my question. ‘Oh I don’t think I’d be able to wake up that early dear,’ she replied me with an easy grin on her lips. ‘Here’s breakfast!’ She placed two plates brimming with bacon and eggs on the table, with two empty cups before pouring the coffee in.
I could hear my stomach grumbling.
Twenty-five minutes later, I waved Mum goodbye as she dropped me off from school. She had given me her usual hugs and her kiss on my cheeks before I got out of the car. She beamed at me and waved back, turning the car around before leaving the school’s carpark. I watched the car retreat before heaving a sigh and made my way into school.
I was beginning to fall into a normal routine yet again.
I was dressed warmly today since it was cold. Wearing a thick woollen sweater over a black top and dark ripped jeans, I made my way into school. I kept my eyes trained on the ground as I weaved my way pass people and hurried towards my locker. I greeted my friends as I passed but not staying long to speak to them since I didn’t have the mood at the moment. I stood in front of my locker and let out another sigh as I gripped the lock.
While I was on the verge of unlocking it, I felt a chin resting on my head and someone yawning heavily. ‘Hey what the-‘
‘Don’t move Captain, I was trying to sleep here,’ a whiny voice cut into my exclamation and I let out a shocked shout before jerking backwards, my back hitting onto my locker as I saw Marcus standing behind me. He broke into a smirk as he noticed my panicked and surprised expression that was etched on my face.
‘What the hell?’ I exclaimed at him, moving my arms around at him as I glared at him. ‘What are you trying to do Marcus? Sheesh that is so not cool man, crazy bugger.’ I ignored him and turned around, to unlock my locker with a loud bang. ‘I don’t need this in the morning Marcus, really I don’t need all this.’
I heard him laugh and moved until he was standing on my right, leaning onto the next locker as he looked at me. I suppressed a sigh as I felt him staring at me as I transferred my bag into the locker and took out some books. ‘Seriously Marcus? What are you trying to do?’ I asked him with a scowl.
‘I’m looking at you,’ he replied.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ I murmured under my breath and slammed the locker shut before turning away from him swiftly. I left Marcus hanging by the locker and made my way towards my first class-homeroom period. I turned to my left and let out a sigh as I see him catching up towards me. I raised my eyes to the heaven, muttering under my breath and wishing that Mitchie was here to tell Marcus to stay away from me. I really don’t need this.
I kept quiet as we made our way towards my class. He didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t speaking and he was openly staring at me, I could feel his eyes on my face. It was as if he was memorizing my face or something at the way he was looking. By the time we were at my class, I was exasperated at his staring.
I whirled around at him and stopped walking which made him halt too. ‘Stop staring at me!’ I shouted at him. ‘Stay away from me Marcus! Go and stare at some other girls!’
‘No.’
‘What do you mean no?’ I exclaimed at him, furious at his lack of answer. ‘I don’t like what you’re doing Marcus, so stop it! Stop doing this-‘
‘I won’t stop this Ally,’ he cut me and a smirk was on his lips as he stared at me. He looked quite deranged at the way he was staring at me and I felt fear clawing inside my chest as I looked at him. He stepped closer towards me, making me take a step back. He raised both arms out and placed them in-between my head, blocking me from escape.
‘S-stop Marcus, what-‘
‘I like you Ally and I’m going to make you see that,’ he cut me again. His eyes slid to my lips and his smirk got deeper. My eyes widen at his words and I felt my face drained of all blood. He let out a small chuckle and straightened himself, giving me some space. ‘Well I see you later.’
I just stared blankly ahead, unsure on what just happened. I let out a groan and pressed the heel of my palm onto my suddenly aching temple. What the hell happened to having normalcy in my life? This isn’t normal! I don’t want this, I don’t want to deal with a lovesick puppy.
God what had I got myself into?
…
I stared at the photo in my phone and sighed sadly. It was a photo of Mitchie and me taken about two months ago. We were in the field and standing side by side. He had leaned over towards me, throwing an arm over my shoulders and breaking into his devil smile that a lot of girls seem to fawn over. I was there beaming at the camera.
The both of us were wearing our softball pants and tank tops, showing off our lean forms as we grinned at the camera. It was like any normal day, any normal practice. The rest of the team were behind us practicing since I could see them at the back, throwing the balls around. I had one of my arms wrapped around Mitchie’s waist and the other hand was poised on my cap.
I shook at my thoughts-I was thinking as if Mitch had left me for good or something but it’s been two weeks already. I don’t even know if he’s going to ever wake up. I let out a shaky breath and felt my eyes brimming with tears as I stared at the next photo. We were hanging by my locker in this one.
I was smiling at the camera and he had leaned over towards me, his lips on my cheek. I could see his eyes twinkling in happiness and his lips lifting up at the corners as it met with my cheek. I think it was during my birthday last year and he was there to wish me a happy birthday somewhat jokingly before swooping down to give me his usual ‘peck on the cheek’.
I really miss that boy.
‘Hey Captain, why are you standing here alone? Why aren’t you-oh what happened to you?’ I hear Marcus asked as he stood a little ways from me.
I let out a sigh and pocketed my phone. ‘It’s nothing,’ I answered him softly, turning away so that he couldn’t see my face. Without a word, I felt a cap being pressed onto my head and the bill was pushed down so that it hid my eyes. ‘You know you don’t have to claim your territory by doing that,’ I said to him quietly as I pushed the cap higher so that I could look at him.
He gave me a small smile and shrugged. ‘You looked like you’re about to cry,’ he said softly. I looked away from him and swallowed my saliva, trying to dislodge my clogged throat. I gritted my teeth and pushed the cap down even lower, hiding my eyes from him as it threatened to spill over with tears.
‘I have to go,’ I croaked at him and began walking down the empty hallway as fast as I can. I was glad that school was over at the moment but it also meant that Marcus was able to follow me swiftly. I took a corner and grew extremely annoyed when I could hear him behind me.
‘Stop following me Marcus!’ I yelled back at him, seeing him making good progress. ‘Seriously, please stalk some other girl!’
I whirled back around and turned a corner before skidding to a stop when I collided with a wall full of rugby boys. I huffed and wanted to side-step them when Blake called me out from within the group of boys. I froze, swearing under my breath. This is not the time.
I turned around and plastered a fake smile. ‘Hey Blake,’ I greeted him cheerily.
He frowned a little at my high-pitched voice and my fake smile that didn’t seem to reach my eyes. His eyes roved to the cap on my head and turned to Marcus who was still making his way towards us. ‘What’s going on Ally? Whose cap are you wearing?’ he asked me softly.
‘It’s mine,’ I answered far too quickly.
His frown got deeper at my quick answer. ‘No, your number isn’t sixty-three,’ he replied me calmly. I felt my face drain at his too calm voice. ‘As I recall, your number is seventeen. What-‘
‘Captain, why are you speaking with the enemy?’ Marcus shouted and pulled me away from Blake hurriedly. After he made sure I was behind him, he rounded towards the older boy. ‘Stay away from her, she’s mine.’
What the.
Fuck?
Blake’s eyes grew dark at that. My mouth fell wide open at that. ‘Listen here you, Ally isn’t yours and I am going to make damn sure that she doesn’t belong to you at all. She has always been mine far longer than you’re here and I’m not going to stand here to let you just claim her so suddenly like that!’
I watched him with my mouth wide open.
Okay this is so not confession time boys. Really.
‘If she’s yours far longer than I was here, then why hadn’t you take the claim on her yet lover boy?’ Marcus taunted him, a smirk plastered on his face. ‘What’s stopping you eh? Oh I don’t know maybe it’s because you two should be enemies instead of lovers. Don’t tell me you’re going to be just like Romeo and Juliet!’
‘The both of us have reasons why we’re holding back, don’t be such a smart-ass and just spout nonsense at me! We don’t need to be in a relationship to love each other Marcus Gordon and yeah who cares if our lives is like the Shakespearean novel?’
‘This is fucking epic, but oh what are you going to do about it Blakey? What are you going to do when I do this?’ Marcus asked somewhat evilly and gripped me hard onto my collar of my shirt somewhat suddenly. I had no time to yell at him to cut whatever he was doing before I felt his lips on mine.
My eyes widen and then my reflex came in. I shoved off of me as I stared at him in shock. ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ I screamed at him and then that’s when I felt someone rushing past me, growling under his breath. I saw Blake brushing past me and then he was on top of the younger boy, beating him senseless.
‘Blake stop it!’ I screamed at him and then tried to pry him off the younger one. Blake was pissed off, I could see it in his eyes and his hard punches but I was determined to get him off before they both get into trouble. I tried shoving Blake off; it was like trying to push against a freaking mountain.
‘Stop it! Stop it please! Blake stop it!’ I pleaded at him and screaming at the top of my lungs as I grasped his arms tightly in my own hands. I knew it was no use trying to push him off the younger boy so I tried the second attempt-pleading but he was so angry, so hell bent to beat the kid into a pulp that he didn’t pay any attention towards me.
‘Blake stop punching him please! You’re killing him! Goddammit Blake, snap out of it!’ I shouted at him and slapped him in his face hard before pushing the bigger boy off Marcus once he was stunned. I held both hands on Blake’s shirt as I pushed him away, trying to calm him down at the same time. ‘Look at me Blake, look at me. Calm down please, breathe Blake. Look at me and breathe.’
He was panting under my grip and his eyes were hard as he stared at Marcus. He seemed to notice that I was there in front of him because he snapped his eyes towards me. At once, his body relaxed and his eyes soften when they latched onto my own irises. Just then, his arms went around my waist and tightened before he lets out a growl. ‘Nobody touches my Angel except me,’ he said roughly before leaning his head onto my neck.
My eyes widen at his words and my knees went slack, feeling his lips on my bare shoulder. I would’ve fallen onto the floor if not for his arms supporting me upright. Oh my god, this is the first time that I had gotten close to him and this feels so good. But good things don’t last so I peeled myself off from him, frowning a little.
‘You shouldn’t have beaten him to a pulp you know,’ I muttered at him before turning to see Marcus limping away. ‘You could’ve gotten into trouble with the Principal and I don’t think you’d get off easily though.’
He chuckled at my words and broke into a smile, a dimple appearing on his cheeks. A blush crept towards my cheeks as I stared at him, my heart going overdrive at how cute and handsome he looked. ‘Hey he was kissing you, I did the only thing that was on my mind,’ he replied me in his sexy voice. ‘You know that you’re mine so you’re off limits to the other guys.’
I let out a faint gasp and the blush on my cheeks felt warmer than ever at his confession. His smile grew into a smirk at my expression and he leaned down to softly press his warm lips onto mine. My eyes fell close without my consent and I could feel him smiling against my lip as one thought kept repeating in my head.
You’re mine now blue-eyed boy.
…