Chapter 9
Don't get close
"NNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" I screamed as far as my throat would let me.
"Shhhhh Nikki, calm down, calm down." Arms were wrapped around me as they gently rubbed my back.
"It was just a nightmare," Aaron crooned. "Only a nightmare you're fine am here."
"It -it felt so real," I choked out. "I was -the coffin -death." I couldn't make out a sentence my voice trembled with fear. I was trembling. I was in a coffin and I was thrown!
God, it was so real! Aaron unwrapped his arms around me and looked at me.
"You look terrible," he cringed. "You look like if you've seen a ghost or the devil."
I pressed both hands down my chest. My heart was pounding; it wanted to rip itself out of my body. I realized I had not breathed and inhaled air deeply. It hurt my lungs deeply. As if an elephant pressed down on my chest with its feet.
"You alright," he said looking into my eyes for answers. I nodded.
"Do you want me to stay with you?"
I shook my head. I couldn't say anything. I felt as if my voice was taken away. As if it was miles away from me.
"Ok, but I'm going to stay close by just in case," he assured me as he studied my face.
He lay me down on the bed and covered me with the sheets as he slowly caressed my forehead smiling at me kindly.
"Am here and always will be," he said seriously.
It reminded me of something. I just couldn't put a finger to it, but it was something...important.
He got up and shut the door behind him. I stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. I couldn't close my eyes for fear that that nightmare could return again. The sensation of being shrink alive was terrifying, let alone being thrown and not knowing when you will hit the ground!
I shuttered still feeling it. The way the coffin felt as it pressed all over my body. I decide to do something else to distract me from the nightmare, but what?
I'll find a way. I jumped to my feet, went to my closet, and pulled out my backpack. I yanked out my unimportant notebook and a mini pink flashlight while opening the notebook.
The wrinkled and writing pages automatically fell open to a half-page photo in the front. It was an old gray photo of me and Chris on our first year anniversary as a couple.
He had taken me to the movie theaters and then an arcade as a celebration. Beneath the photo of Chris and me a paragraph was reading by him to me.
"'To my girl, the future mother of my kids, Nikki, geez will I'll try my best to express what I feel though you know am not good at it sorry, Well all I want to write to you is that I love you more and every day. Each time I see you my hands get all sweaty and my heart feels like it's about to explode. I can't even believe that I have your heart and that you are all mine! Each time I'm with you it feels like heaven to me.'"
I skipped the paragraph and went straight down to my favorite line, the last line: I'll become a shooting star just to find you...
I giggled remembering. Such calmness it provoked in me just by reading it.
"I love you, Chris," I whispered as I hugged the notebook. "But I need to let you go."
I felt a sharp pain in my heart as I placed the notebook along with flashlight under my bed. I sighed feeling utterly exhausted. I climbed back to bed and let the darkness consume me into a deep sleep.
* * *
I woke up early. I couldn't go back to sleep, I lay there staring at the ceiling thinking if it was true what Aaron had told me about Elizabeth.
"Maybe is she telling the truth... maybe not," I wondered. "Ugh, I don't know what to believe!"
"For one thing, that bastard who is obsess with me and for the other that weirdo of Matt and now Elizabeth!"
I jumped out of bed and changed clothes. I didn't want to see Matt if I went to school later on. I looked at the clock which read: 6:50 am. I silently tip toed outside into the freezing air and walked my way towards school.
As always the school was open, but not a single student on sight. It felt deserted and lonely. I almost waited to see a ghost pop out of the nowhere right at my face as I made my way towards the girls locker room. Today I would have swimming class first. I yanked open one of the big double door and walked inside the cozy locker room.
I went towards my locker. My sneakers echoed endlessly through the whole room. I changed and quickly went towards the big pool.
"It's so cold," I shivered. I dived in the pool and sure enough my body began to warm up I began to swim, but I lost of time and got out rushing towards the locker.
It was like a scene of the movie "Scream". Lonely and dead silent expect for the creepy background music.
"No one has come yet," I muttered as I stood by my locker looking both side. My heart accelerated with fear. What if a serial killer pops out of the nowhere and kills me with no one around as witness?
I shook my head both sides quickly, trying to wash away the fear. I couldn't. I opened my locker and just as I was about to get undress, I heard footsteps behind me. I spun around quickly, but saw no one.
"Me and my imagination," I whispered to myself. Again I heard footsteps, but only this time they were slow and heavy moving closer to me. A chill went up my spine. The hairs from the back of my neck all stood up in an instant. I wanted to run, but my legs suddenly felt like two cement blocks.
I was so scared to death. I was afraid to turn around for fear he would attack me. My eyes darted inside my locker trying to find something use to defend myself with.
A brush? No, not strong enough. This pole thing might work. I slowly grabbed it.
I whirled around, swinging the pole on my upraised hand.
I stared into the eyes of my attacker.
The pole fell from my hand and clattered on the grey cement floor. It echoed loudly.
Matt.
"What are you doing here? This is the girls locker room."
He didn't say anything. His eyes were fixed on my swimming suit. I yanked the towel that was on the bench and cover myself with it.
"What are you doing here, Matthew?" I repeated coldly.
He tore his eyes away from the towel and forced himself to look me in the eyes.
"I -I need to talk to you about the math problems," he said flatly.
"Well couldn't you wait when we were in class or something?" I stared at him seriously.
"No," he replied. He balled his hands into a tight fist.
"Can you leave," I ordered coldly. "A boy isn't supposed to be here."
He hesitated, wondering something. Then out of the blue he threw himself to me. My back crushed against to the locker besides mine. The locker lock punched my back sending a sharp pain down my back until it became numb. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He kissed the side of my shoulder and up my neck and jaw.
"Matt! Let me go!" I shrieked. I pushed him with all my strengthen but he didn't budge.
"I like you a lot," he blurted out. "Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I liked you a lot. You have no idea."
"What-" He grabbed my jaw and tried to kiss me. I tried to turn my head to the side, to dodge it but it didn't work. His whole body was like an iron grip!
His lips were hot and wet. I bit him hard on the bottom lip. I tasted blood, salty and metallic. He howled in pain as he grabbed his lower lip with both hands, letting me free. I ran away from him, but he was fast. He grabbed my forearm and slammed me against the locker. I yelled in pain.
"Hel-" Matt covered my mouth with his sweaty hand. I muffled a cry. I twisted myself free, but it made no difference.
God, help me, I begged in my mind.
Just then Clark pushed Matt from the side. Matt whirled around in surprise, but didn't have time to react.
Clark punched him in the face as Matt lost his footing and banged the side of his right eye with the edge of the bench. He yelled in pain. Clark, furious like hell, went up and kicked Matt in the stomach.
Matt spit out blood as he coughed. His nose began to bleed rapidly.
He's going to die! I thought terrified. He's going to die!
"Clark," I said weakly tugging his arm. "Clark!"
"What?" He yelled, but he still didn't stop.
"Clark! Stop this you're going to injure him!" I yelled setting myself in front of him pleading for him to stop.
He hissed angrily. "Aren't you going to be happy that this bastard gets injured?"
"No!" I screamed at his face. I saw his face grew tight as he stared at me. He stopped kicking Matt. I'd seen that expression before. Right before he was going on a rampage.
I braced myself. "No. You're going to kill him!"
"So what?!" He demanded screaming at my face.
"Leave," I ordered coldly.
"Then why did I even bother rescuing you, if you're only going to defend him!" He sneered pointing at Matt who was unconscious on the floor. "I know because you were enjoying yourself while you were cheating on me with Matt!!"
"You're being irrational," I yelled. "Just leave!"
He hesitated angry, wanting to say more, but he turned around and stormed out of my sight. I whirled around and dropped next to Matt.
"I need to call help," I said as I put the towel under his head. I got up and rushed to the office outside the girls locker room. I saw couch Harris at her desk.
"Ms. Harris," I cried. "Ms. Harris, it's emergency. I need help!"
Ms. Harris alarmed rushed to aid me. I led her inside the locker room. I rushed to the place where Matt was lying in the floor unconscious.
My eyes widen with fear. Pressure pushed down on my head.
"No," gasped. "No, this can't be happening."