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Downright High without Colin was unimaginably mundane.
I hated the school even while he was here, so without him made it that much more unbearable. At the start of the day, I dragged my feet to English class, dreading that I was now alone. A disturbingly loud creak met my ears as the classroom door swung open. Heads turned my way, and I sighed loudly at the realization that I was late again. The real struggle of getting out of bed and actually leaving my dorm room was becoming harder the more time I spent in this school.
Mr. Johnston paused at my entrance. The muscles in my stomach constricted at the sight of him. I couldn't look at him the same now that I knew he and Imogen were officially hooking up. She still hadn't told Chase and myself. I obviously hadn't mentioned my discovery to anyone, but that didn't mean the matter still wasn't pressing on my mind. Something like this usually wouldn't bother me, but there was something I did not like about this guy. He scowled at my interruption, so I gave him a flat stare. I wanted to be here just as much as he wanted me here.
"Glad to see you made it to class today, Hayley," he drawled, folding his arms across his chest. "Your presence is always a delight."
Obviously, my bad mood had been noted. If I managed to make it to class, I was always late. Besides, there wasn't any point in turning up anymore because I was leaving in a few days anyway. In this case, though, the guards kept making stops at my dorm, so I was forced to attend at least some lessons throughout the day.
"Likewise," I retorted with an eye roll.
I wandered toward my desk and sat down roughly. There were only two days left until I could sign out and leave. Two days until I was eighteen and a legal adult. Two days until I could begin a life for myself with the person I love. That thought alone was able to evaporate my bad mood and leave me with a dreamy smile on my face that probably creeped people out.
I planted my chin in my palm and studied Mr. Johnston closely. He was arrogantly walking around the classroom as usual. I just couldn't get the thought of Imogen and him together out of my head. The idea had gotten under my skin, and I had no idea why. I tugged my thin cardigan and wrapped it securely around my body. Then I leaned back in my chair and began studying him.
He was a tall man with a structured yet thin build. He always overdressed, making him look highly superior over the rest of us. He had dress pants on and a light gray shirt tucked neatly into his waistband. He always wore dark gray, blue, or black outfits, matching his dark hair perfectly. He had pale translucent eyes that gave me goosebumps if I stared at them too long. His smooth, unblemished skin was as white as marble. All in all, he was an extremely attractive man. No wonder Imogen had the hots so bad for him. I think every girl in the school did.
Speaking of Imogen, she had been really annoying lately—more than usual, I mean. Everything she did or said seemed rehearsed. And she was overly nice to me these days. I was beginning to think she knew that I caught her and Mr. Johnston together and was trying to suck up to me. I personally think it didn't make a difference whether I knew or not. Other than that, I didn't want to hurt Chase, so I was keeping my mouth shut.
I let out a deep exhale, flicking my pen back and forth. This whole situation really irked me. I knew it was none of my business, but I thought she was making a huge mistake being with him. He was an arrogant ass who I instantly disliked the moment I met. There was something off about him; I just didn't know what it was yet. I didn't know the full story between them, and I wasn't sure I wanted to.
The lesson dragged by painfully slow. It didn't help that the cool air was nipping at the exposed skin on my face, making me more uncomfortable. I tugged the sleeves of my cardigan over my hands. Afterwards, I glanced at my phone for the umpteenth time this morning. I was, yet again, waiting for Colin's texts. He had been apartment hunting for the last few days. The best option he found so far was from an elderly lady renting out her basement. It wasn't an ideal choice, but beggars shouldn't be choosers. She also probably didn't want two reckless teens living beneath her either. However, it was cheap and not far from where I would be working, so no complaints from my end. He didn't really fancy the idea though. I completely understand why he was against the place, considering he had lived in an amazing house. Living in a basement would probably be a little beneath him (no pun intended). It didn't bother me, though, having lived in worse places. At the risk of sounding sappy, anywhere with Colin beside me was perfect in my eyes.
The bell buzzed loudly in my ears, and I cringed automatically. I was not going to miss that sound, that's for sure. I leaped to my feet, eager to get away from Mr. Johnston. I had almost successfully made it out of the classroom when he called my name. I froze, looking over my shoulder at him. He was leaning against his desk casually, his eyes slightly narrowed. The rest of my class shouldered past me on their way out. Uneasily, I took a few steps toward him, not liking how rapidly the classroom was emptying.
"How are you doing, Hayley?" he asked me quietly.
The question caught me off guard that I shifted my weight and folded my arms across my chest defensively. Why he was even speaking to me? Did Imogen go to him with her suspicions that I knew? Was he going to threaten me?
"Fine, thanks," I replied uneasily.
"I see Colin has signed out of school."
A sigh left my lips once I heard his comment. I should have known he would ask about Colin. Mr. Johnston always had a weird fixation on him.
His stare was penetrating that a cold shiver ran down the back of my spine. Instinctively, I tugged my cardigan. I wanted nothing more than to just leave, but I stayed because my curiosity got the better of me. My back was rigid, and my muscles felt tight as I stood there. I became aware of everything I was doing as he studied me so intently.
"Yeah," I finally spoke out.
"You're all alone now. What a shame." His tone was cold and slightly menacing as he said that. I wanted to cringe away from him, but I firmly stood my ground. His gaze was unnerving. What was he trying to achieve here?
I didn't reply but just looked at him dumbfounded.
"I hear you are also planning to leave?"
"That's right," I answered more uneasily.
"In two days?" he asked with a slight smirk.
I narrowed my eyes as I stared back at him. He looked like he knew something that I didn't, which honestly had me a little worried. Was this all because I knew about him and Imogen? How would they know that I knew?
"Yep."
"You..." he began but was interrupted as the classroom door opened loudly. I whipped my head to the right, and my stomach fell. Imogen stood there. Her eyes were narrowed into slits and her lips pressed into a thin disapproving line.
"Oh. Didn't realize I was interrupting something." Her icy tone felt like a physical slap in the face.
With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom childishly. A small smirk danced on my lips at her reaction. It was blatantly obvious something was up between the two of them. I faced him once more to find Mr. Johnston was still studying me like I was a science experiment.
"I wonder what has her so worked up."
The words slipped out of my mouth before I thought it through. My tone was a fair indication that I knew and one of my eyebrows arched as I mockingly stared back at him. What surprised me, though, was that based on his reaction, he didn't realize I knew. His lips were parted as he stared at me, the shock evident on his face. He was busted, and we both knew it.
With that last statement, I spun on my heel and exited the classroom hastily. As I left, it dawned on me that I just let him know that I definitely knew. If they had suspicions, my smart mouth just confirmed it. Belatedly, I realized I was an idiot for what I did. In my blind panic to get away from him, I ran straight into the chest of someone. I staggered back and fell painfully in a sprawl on my butt. Pain skittered up my arm as I used it to soften my blow. A groan left my lips as I stared up at the ceiling.
"Jeez! Hayley, sorry!" Jeremy cried out. His strong grip tightened around my arms as he hauled me to my feet.
Jeremy has been my go-to guy since Colin's departure. Every night, we have been hitting up the gym and watching movies all throughout the day instead of going to History class. He loved horror movies almost as much as I did, which worked out perfectly. Jeremy was probably the only person I would bother to stay in contact with once I left. Maybe Chase and Imogen as well, if they put in the effort too.
"What has you in a mad rush?" he asked, staring at me quizzically.
"Oh! Er..." I stammered, suddenly feeling flustered. Despite the cool air, my cheeks were hot. "I was looking for you actually."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah, um, want to hit the gym?"
He chuckled at me. "Wow, you lasted one class today. Good job."
"You know it would be fun," I persuaded, giving him a flirtatious smile. That smile has gotten me away with many things before, and I knew this case wouldn't be any different. When he gave me a lopsided smile, I knew I had won him over.
Jeremy rolled his eyes and slung his arm over my shoulders. "Fine, let's go."
We headed back the way he came. As we were rounding the corner, I glanced back and saw Mr. Johnston standing at the doorway of his classroom, watching. I turned away while gritting my teeth and feeling goosebumps erupt all over my skin.
I couldn't wait to leave this place.
* * *
I hadn't been sleeping well, as per usual. I was continuously tossing and turning in my bed, mainly because my body ached for Colin's warmth and comfort. I woke up in a sweat, my heart beating furiously against my ribcage as I called out his name. Imogen has been making jokes about it all week. Anthony was our night guard thankfully, so he let me have some warm milk before bed. Although not even that was helping me much at the moment. Friday couldn't come quicker.
With a groan of exasperation, I threw off the sheets of my bed. Clambering to my feet, I marched toward the bathroom. The cool water felt refreshing on my heated skin. I leaned heavily on the sink, my eyes stinging with exhaustion. I just kept seeing Mr. Johnston's cool, unblinking gaze whenever I closed my eyes. I hadn't seen Imogen all day, and by the time I got back from watching movies with Jeremy, she was asleep in bed. This was the longest I'd gone without speaking to her in a while. To be honest, I was glad for the separation. Her clinginess had been driving me insane. Now that Mr. Johnston told her to stay away from the twins, I was her best friend again. The twins hadn't caused me any trouble, thankfully. I think they've given up on trying to get me to be their leader, or whatever they were trying to do. Once they heard I was leaving, I went off their radar faster than you could say crack.
Imogen's phone vibrated, and I sighed. It had been vibrating nonstop. Who would be texting her this time of night? I wandered back into the room and saw Imogen awake. She glanced up at me, a slight frown on her face.
"Nightmares again?" she asked.
"I just can't sleep," I responded exhaustedly.
"Right," she snapped.
She was annoyed. I sighed and sat roughly down on my bed, facing her. If she thought I was also having a fling with Mr. Johnston, she was very, very wrong. I almost laughed when I thought about it. Mr. Johnston and I together would make an interesting couple.
Her phone vibrated again, which had been doing so for the millionth time that night. Throwing my hands in the air, I went over and pulled it off of the plug. I glanced down and saw sixteen missed calls from a number labeled "Him" with a heart right next to it. It was accompanied by a photo of Mr. Johnston topless. I refused the urge to gag, although what I saw was quite impressive. Just as I was about the throw the phone at her, a message from him caught my eye.
She knows. This changes everything. We do this now.
Imogen got to her feet, and in panic, I chucked her phone at her, my heart rate spiking after reading the message. What did he mean by that?
"Your boyfriend wants you," I choked out.
"I'll see Chase in the morning," she said quietly, running a hand through her mane of hair.
"Your other boyfriend."
Her body froze as her eyes snapped up to me. I stared back at her challengingly. She glanced down at her phone, her face paling slightly. I stared at her in slight surprise. I thought she must have suspected that I knew. Clearly, that wasn't the case.
"I don't know what you mean—"
"Mr. Johnston? Really? Of all people?" I spat in disgust.
Her jaw hung open at this point. "What? How?"
"You're not very discreet. His contact photo in your phone is a bit of a tip off, don't you think?"
She opened her mouth once more to say something, but her phone began vibrating again before she could. She swallowed uneasily and answered, getting out of the room. I hadn't realized my hands had been trembling until she left. What on earth did he mean by "This changes everything?" What was going on? At that moment, once again, I wished Colin were here. The strong urge to have him here with me almost knocked me off my feet. I knew I would be safe if he were here.
I sat rigidly on my bed for a long time, waiting for Imogen's return. I nervously picked at a loose thread on my pajama shorts. After an hour passed, I decided that she wasn't coming back. I texted Colin again and decided to tell him everything. I told him my discovery about the two and the fact that they now knew that I did. He hadn't replied though. With a sigh, I fumbled for my shoes and slipped out into the hallway. The guard patrolling the hall turned instantly at the noise, and I frowned when it wasn't Anthony.
"Warm milk?" he asked and smirked. "I'm covering for Anthony tonight. He said you might come out for some."
"Is that alright?" I asked, just to make sure.
He shrugged. "It's just warm milk."
He turned, and I trailed wordlessly behind him, a little surprised. The hallway was eerily silent as we made our way toward the kitchen. As the guard began jostling around the kitchen, my eyes were widened by the second once I realized what he was doing. He was going to get some for me? Not even Anthony did that. I sighed, leaned back against a wall, and rubbed my hands roughly over my face, my eyes still sore. I just wanted to go to sleep, but my mind wouldn't shut off. Once again, my thoughts drifted to my creepy English teacher. I hated to admit it, but there was something about Mr. Johnston that scares me. I could still feel his gaze on my skin. If Colin would just reply, maybe I would calm down a little. I quickly texted him while the guard's back was to me, telling him to call me as soon as he could. I had just slipped the phone back in my waistband as he turned around.
"There you go," he said, snapping me out of my trance.
"Thanks," I mumbled, taking the mug from him.
"Why don't you just take it with you and return the mug to the kitchen tomorrow morning?" he suggested.
"Is that alright?" I asked him in surprise.
"Yeah." He shrugged, shutting the cupboard behind him quietly. "I won't tell on you if you don't."
"Thanks." I yawned, suddenly feeling weary. "I'll be fine walking back."
"Suit yourself." He smirked, leaning against the door frame. I wandered back down the hallway and headed for my dorm. As I exited, I could feel his eyes on me until I slipped back into my room.
Once I arrived, Imogen still hadn't returned. Exhaling heavily, I allowed myself to drain the warm milk then collapsed face first on top of the bed.
It wasn't long before my eyes felt heavy. Strangely, my limbs felt like lead as I tried to roll over. It felt like I was really drunk and my bodily functions weren't working properly. When an ear-splitting alarm pierced my ears, my body jerked in surprise. Sluggishly, I attempted to sit up, but my body was too weak. It was becoming a battle to open my eyes.
The sound of the siren died in my ears as I slipped into unconsciousness.
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