Black

XXXV

I stood with the rest of the class in front of our PE teacher as she gave us a batch of balls that we would use to play dodgeball.

She looked at me out of the whole group, "Do you have a ball?"

I blinked and readjusted my grip around the ball, "No, I'm holding a cabbage."

She rolled her eyes and blew her whistle, signaling the start of the game as we scattered around the place. I spotted my first target and threw the ball at her with all my might. On being hit in the back, she turned around to look at me, her face screwing in pain and anger as she caught my eye.

"Jones, out," the teacher said from across the court. Maia glared at me, placing her hand on her back, as I didn't try to hide my smirk.

"Dodgeball got to be dodgeball," I mouthed and looked at the other team, recognizing a couple of them from their stares and laughs at me in the hallway.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but it seems like I was going to have a lot of fun on these grounds.

~

I washed my red colored face, breathing heavily. I was already exhausted from running around and it was yet the beginning of the day. It wasn't even Friday, it was Monday, which meant no PE classes, but thanks to the absence of our math teacher and the persistence of her substitute, the PE teacher, that we use that time instead of being losers, here we were.

Whilst running, my ponytail went loose, freeing practically all my hair. So, now I looked like that red angry bird that I guess built his nest upon his head. I caught my hair and was about to throw it in a bun when I noticed a strand of my hair attached to mum's necklace.

"Oh for god sake." I tugged on the strand of hair to free it, but it ended being knotted further into the necklace. Unclasping the necklace, I practically tore my hair from the chain and placed it on the bathroom sink as I finally took all the hair off my face and neck. I really want to cut my hair soon.

"Uh..Black?" I moved my eyes to the reflection of the girl who entered the bathroom, Lilly was her name, one of the girls on my team, "You might want to get out of this place and head to class before Mrs. Johnson comes and beheads you."

I nodded, "Okay." I retrieved my bag from the floor as I watched her not move from her spot. I cleared my throat, "Thank you."

"Sure! So, what do you have next?" I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.

"Biology."

"Oh, I've got English. Want to walk together?"

Not at all.

"Sure," I said for the sake of getting out of this bathroom, trying to not question the sudden act of kindness.

She moved from the door and we started walking, "So, what do you think of our school so far?"

"It's cool," I said, keeping the conversation as surfaced as possible.

"You seemed to have a rocky start though...with Maia and all."

I shrugged, wondering why the biology class didn't come into view yet. "I just want you to know that just like there are the horrible people here, there are great ones as well. I would be glad to further know you."

How awkward will I seem if I just raised up my thumbs to that?

"Okay," I simply said, stopping finally in front of the class.

"Maybe we can hang out sometime." She stopped in front of me. I opened my mouth to reply just in time to see two heads peak at us from the corner, disappearing the second I caught them. I knew who they were.

The other two girls on the dodgeball team.

This was a dare.

I looked back at her, "Sure," I said before entering class just as she opened her mouth to say something.

~

I have been in this school for a little over a month, and this was my only second time to sit in the school cafeteria. If it was for me I wouldn't even come here in the first place, but I was too tired from the PE class; all I wanted was to die on a table and I couldn't do that outside of here.

To my luck, the table in the back that was detached from everyone, and Harry labeled as 'his', was empty, so I advanced to it and sat down, propping my chin in my palm as I closed my eyes briefly. Once I opened my eyes, I caught Harry in one of the tables with the group of guys he usually stands with, eyeing me.

He lifted his lips in a lopsided grin and I returned the gesture as one of the guys grabbed his attention and started talking to him.

I sighed, opening one of the books that I had laid on the table. Even though I felt drained of energy, I had a lot of school work that I didn't as so start. Now was the perfect time to finish some of the stuff I piled.

I solved a page out of the math homework that was assigned like a week ago then found myself doodling circles at the corner of the second page. Huffing, I dropped the pencil and rubbed my neck, my eyes falling on the coffee machine that sat on the farther table.

We have a coffee machine in school.

"Dope," I murmured then cringed at the usage of the word before getting up to treat myself with a cup of coffee.

After a cup of steaming, delicious coffee was in my hand, I got back to the table and noticed a yellow sticky note on the side. I placed the cup down and reached for it. I did not write anything on a sticky note.

I have a few information about that psychopath that I didn't tell your hero about. If you are curious, meet me at eight sharp or else I know nothing about anyone.

I turned the paper around and found an address that I didn't recognize scribbled. I moved my eyes across the cafeteria in search of his face and found him laughing with his friends at a table. He side-glanced at me, smirking in triumph.

Sitting back down, I erased any kind of emotion that could have taken place on my face as I sipped on my coffee, welcoming its burning sensation with open arms.

Now, what was I going to do about this?

~

I lifted my head up from my palms as a knock echoed through the room.

"Come in."

I was sitting on the edge of the bed, and Zoe was on the floor hovered over by Charlie who was trying to lick her face as she giggled and squirmed to get him away from her.

Harry opened the door and came in, "Hey," he said, leaning against the door frame. His clothes were ruffled in a way that gave away the fact that he was sleeping before coming here.

I smiled slightly.

"Harry, 'elp me," Zoella shrieked. He smiled faintly and pushed Charlie away from her as she tried to regain her breath then he bent down and carried her off the ground.

"I was going to come and ask what you wanted for lunch, but how about we eat lunch in some place and have some fresh air as well?" He asked as both of them focused on me.

Zoe raised her arm, "I agree!"

He chuckled and waited for me to answer. I peered at the clock to check the time.

5:47 PM

2 hours and thirteen minutes.

"Sounds cool."

~

I watched as Harry carried my sleeping sister and placed her in the backseat carefully. She had exhausted herself to the point where she didn't as so move a muscle when Harry accidentally hit her leg in the car door whilst he was opening it, and she was a light sleeper.

She was so thrilled when we came here because she found a playground just beside the restaurant, and made us sit in one of the tables placed outside so I wouldn't worry about her as she played.

Me and Harry barely interacted with each other, mainly, because I was too busy with spacing out which made me, for some reason, feel guilty.

I cleared my throat, making Harry halt in front of me after he closed the door behind Zoe, "I need to tell you something."

He furrowed his eyebrow, placing his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the door, "Go ahead."

I handed him the paper that I had placed in one of my pockets.

He clenched his jaw after reading it and crumbled the paper into a small ball, "Is this the reason why you look so troubled?" He asked, inching closer to me, "because of this!" He threw the paper and shook his head, leaving me and walking to the driver seat.

I exhaled and leaned down to grab the paper before the wind could carry it away then got into the car.

I saw him lick his teeth before he said, "Shall I even ask why you haven't told me about this earlier or shall I just save myself the trouble?" I looked down at my hands as I saw him nod from the corner of my eye and start the car.

It was already a half an hour past seven; I was supposed to meet him in thirty minutes.

"Are you going to take me there?"

"Oh yeah," he said, taking a sudden swerve to the left. My hand flew automatically to the backseat, acting as a barrier between Zoe and the floor, "but he won't be met by who he expected to see."

"What? No! If there was anyone who was going to meet him, then that would be! And will you slow the damn car down, she is going to fall," I almost shouted at the end of the sentence.

He glanced at Zoella and ceased his pressure on the pedal. I breathed and sat back properly, "This is why I didn't want to tell you anything in the first place."

He scoffed and didn't say anything more.

When there were only nine minutes left, and we still hadn't reached that place yet, I started to panic. Two minutes later, he stopped in front of a place that looked like it had nothing but trees and a few benches.

"You wanted to come here alone, huh?" He asked and made to get out.

"Hold on,"

He stopped but didn't turn around to look at me. "I'm the one going," I said, but it was like I didn't say anything because he reached for the handle again.

I pulled his shirt to stop him, "He told me to come, not you."

He turned around this time, looking at me as if am mad, "Let us recall something together, okay?" He ran his hand over his face, "Remember that time in chemistry when I told you what that ex-boyfriend of yours had planned?"

"Yes, bu-"

"Remember," he cut me off, "how I told you that he wanted Christopher to induce you to go to a certain place and then leave you, so you would be left alone with your ex-boyfriend."

"Yes," I gritted.

"Yet you still want to go meet him alone at night?"

I looked at the clock. Three minutes.

I opened the door, "I'm leaving, no one can do anything to me, I can protect myself. Besides, you are not a few minutes away from me, if something happens, I will scream."

He said something that I wasn't able to hear because it was at that time when I placed my hand around my neck to hold the necklace and clutched air.

I looked at the ground with furrowed eyebrows, did it fall?

"Harry, where is my necklace?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.

"What?"

"Harry, my necklace, where did it go?" I got out and searched my clothes, hoping that it might have fallen into my clothes.

"I don't know, I didn't see it," he said as I saw him from the corner of my eye start looking in the car.

"No, please," I whispered, and my hands hurriedly moved its way through the car's floor, but caught nothing. "Didn't you see it around my neck at all today?"

"I didn't pay attention," he said after a moment.

"God, how did I not feel that it isn't around my neck at all? I can't lose this too!"

"Hey, hey," he said as his hands enveloped both of mine, "calm down and get in so you would be able to think properly where you last had it."

I looked at him. "Get in," he urged.

I obliged, his hand leaving mine to close the door and returning a second later, "I-I had it today morning in PE because it got stuck in my hair."

"Then?" He asked softly.

"Then I took it off and went out of the bathroom," I said, closing my eyes as I rested my head on the headrest.

"Okay, see that's great! You can go check up on it tomorrow. I don't think it would have gone any-"

"No." I shot up, snapping my eyes open. "No." I shook my head. "Won't the school be open now?"

"It sure will be for the different activities, the practices, the gyms, and the library, but those who stay need to notify someone that they are in there and it's already too late for that. You will have to get in and get out fast, okay?"

I nodded.

"Okay," he said and squeezed my hands. One of his hands left mine and held the steering wheel as he started the car.

I moved my leg up and down as my mind raced with thoughts of what will I do if I lose that necklace—it was the only piece I had left of her.

He parked the car in front of the school and I got out as he did the same.

"Do you want me to come with you?" I looked at the school that was always lighted from the inside but now it was dim.

I was about to nod and let go of all the 'I can protect myself' bull because I felt so vulnerable without the necklace, but my gaze slipped to Zoella who was sleeping in the backseat.

"I will come quickly, you don't have to come," I said and turned around to head to the school.

I heard him sigh as I went up the stairs to get to the entrance.

Well, I had hope that the dimness which I saw outside was going to be....less dim. The place was as dark as Voldemort's heart.

I stood still for a while until my eyes adjusted to the darkness then made my way to the gym, praying to god that I don't get lost.

A few minutes later, I spotted the gym doors and got in. Fortunately, the court had more light than the halls. I darted towards the bathroom and stopped at the sink I remembered using, but the necklace wasn't there.

I moved my hands over the surfaces of the sinks, but they were all empty of anything except water.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I bent down and scanned the floor for anything shiny. I huffed, not finding anything, and got up.

I took a long breath to stop myself from panicking.

Maybe I left it somewhere else?

I made to leave but stopped when I saw something glinting in the moonlight. I walked to the same sink I used today again and looked under it.

Sighing in relief, I reached out for the chain that hung on the pipe that was attached to the wall. It must have fallen.

I kissed the necklace's heart and held it close to my own heart, "Thank god," I murmured.

The sound of a door being slammed outside frightened me as I fastened the necklace around my neck, regaining safety, and got up.

It sure will be for the different activities, practices, the gyms, and the library, Harry's words rang in my head.

I'm not alone in the school. I shouldn't jump to conclusions.

I left the gym and started to retrace my way back to the entrance.

"Okay, how am I supposed to notify you that I'm behind you-"

I turned around, and in a swift motion, I slammed whoever was behind me against the lockers, twisting their arm and pinning it to their back in the process.

"Without scaring you," he finished the sentence.

"Dylan?" I asked, ceasing my grip around his arm but then I tightened it again. "What are you doing here?"

He moved his head to the side to be able to talk, "It's a school, Black, not your house. I was in the library drawing. You can ask the librarian."

"And you coincidently came out the same time I did?"

"No, you passed by the library doors—they are transparent—so I got up to see what you were doing here alone."

I sighed and let go of him, watching him turn around to look at me. "Damn, you got a strong hold right there," he said as he rubbed his wrist.

"You are the one who crept up on me!"

"How else was I supposed to tell you that I was there?!"

"It's as easy a-"

I titled my head to the side, catching a shadow coming down the stairs at the end of the hall. Dylan looked behind him as well.

"We aren't the only ones in this building, Black. There ar-"

"Shh," I said as I dragged him to the side of the lockers, using it as a shield.

I could barely make any features out of the shadow, but it was short and had a cap on its head. It crawled down the stairs as it twirled a thread like wire in its hand. I studied how it walked: deliberately and slowly.

A shiver went down my body as I perceived that shadow a claw gliding down my back.

"Is that a whip?"

My eyes slowly traveled back to what I thought was a wire. It was so thin that you wouldn't be able to pinpoint what it was, but the way the shadow walked, the cap and the height—so familiar.

"Run." I spun around, pressing myself against the locker as I noticed how close he stood behind me. His face was pulled in a frown, but there was no time to explain.

I took hold of his hand and sprinted to the left. My attention, instead of fixing on where we were going, was attached to the floor, waiting for the shadow's movements behind us.

The grey and white ceramic tiles suddenly turned to a gravel street. I removed my eyes from the ground and examined the lockers that were now replaced with dumpsters as the narrow halls became even slimmer.

A repugnant odor pervaded the air. I whipped my head to the side to see the tall form of Dylan replaced by my tiny sister's form who clutched my hand for dear life.

"You might as well stop running. You will be caught either way," a voice resounded through the place, and I didn't know if it was truly said or if it was all in my head.

By blinking, the school halls returned, and Dylan was by my side again. My breathing and my heartbeat were in a wild rhythm.

I caught his shadow plastered on the floor and forced Dylan to take another left, only hearing his fast breaths.

I scolded myself for not carrying a single weapon. I also forgot my bag at Harry's; I never left the house accompanied by Zoe without getting a weapon along with me.

I needed a weapon.

As if on cue, my eyes landed on one of the doors that lined the hall labeled chemistry. I pulled him to that door, opening it as silently as I could but knowing that it was a matter of time before he catches us here.

We both backed away from the door, trying to catch our breath. The lab had different windows scattered among its walls, sufficiently lighting the room.

"Now what? We throw our bodies at the glass windows to jump out?" Dylan said as I darted towards the volumetric flask I spotted, banging it on the table to break it and use it as a weapon.

"Shall I shout that we are hiding in the chemistry lab instead? Because that was such a quite glass breaking noise." I acted like I didn't hear him and stepped to the door, opening it slightly so I could peer out at the hall. Dylan came to stand behind me a moment later, his height giving him the ability to look over my head.

"Do I even want to ask what the hell is going on?" He whispered in my ear, earning a small no from me.

This could be the moment that I have been waiting for.

"Did you know that Oxygen is colorless in its gas form, but it's blue in its liquid and solid form?" I raised my eyebrows, stealing a look at him.

He cleared his throat, "Sorry, I spout out random facts when I'm nervous."

I shook my head, tightening my grip around the flask when I caught the shadow entering the hall. Dylan backed away to the side, and I did the same. The door had a translucent window set in the middle. We would be easily spotted if we stood behind it.

I prepared myself for what I was going to do with the flask, not able to hear anything due to the adrenaline that rushed through my body and my heartbeat that rang vigorously in my ears.

The owner of the shadow finally came into the light, and I was able to identify who it was as my jaw dropped seven floors.

"The janitor?" Dylan said, backing away completely from the door. "The janitor holding freaking headphones."

I clenched my jaw. This was not what I was expecting,

"Oh my god, we are screwed!" He murmured, "We are screwed! How the hell are we going to explain this? And we broke one of the school appliances! Are you even supposed to be here?! We could get suspended for this!" I turned around, facing the panicking boy with a blank face. He was panicking more for the thought of getting suspended than he was panicking when he thought there was a stranger with a whip following us.

I averted my gaze to the broken pieces of glass that littered the floor, getting an idea. I stepped towards those shards, placing the flask beside them softly.

"Why am I the only one panicking about this? This could land us in a lot of trouble." I faced him again, catching the janitor's shadow behind the door as I gulped at what I was thinking of doing. "We need to hid-" before he could complete his sentence, I silenced him by pressing my lips to his.

He took a deep breath, freezing beneath my touch before slowly giving in to the kiss as he pressed his hands on both sides of my body. I tried not to think of the fact that I was kissing a guy as I heard the door open.

"Both of you, kids," the janitor said, his voice laced with annoyance. I pulled away and watched as he opened his eyes, looking deep into them as it searched mine.

I cleared my throat and held Dylan's arm to turn him around with me.

The janitor's eyes fell on the broken glass beside our feet, "What are you both doing here?"

"We just thought of making some chemistry in the chemistry lab," I said, giggling like a teenage girl to hide me cringing.

The janitor's bottom lip curled in disgust as his round eyes traveled from the glass on the floor to us. He raised his arm to tuck his brown hair that fell from his cap, "Get out."

I heaved a sigh of relief and pulled Dylan towards the door and past the middle-aged janitor that I thanked god wasn't one of the annoying ones.

"Good thing I didn't waste my voice and energy on running after both of y'all," we heard him grumble as we moved our legs faster before he could change his mind.

I let go of Dylan's hand as soon as we were away from the janitor's eyes, avoiding to look at any part of him while taking long steps away from him.

We got out of the school, the awkwardness that hung in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife.

We were met with Harry pacing around the car. He lifted his head up upon hearing the door close behind us.

"I was two seconds away from getting in, I swear to god. Why did you take so long? I couldn't even get in contact with you because your phone isn't with you!" He exclaimed as he climbed the stairs towards us. "Did you find the necklace? Why are you so pale?" He asked once he was close enough to see my features, his eyes sliding past me. "And what the hell is that? Why is he pale too?"

I breathed in some fresh air and walked past him to the car, feeling both of them follow me, "That's a Dylan."

"What the hell is a Dylan?" I heard Harry ask as I got into the car.

"Shall I remind you what the hell is a Dylan? I mean, I won't mind," Dylan finally muttered something since we went out. I looked out of the window at them as they exchanged looks. I didn't know if I was imagining it or not, but I could swear I caught Dylan looking at me from the corner of his eye then back at Harry.

Harry smirked slightly, earning a cold smile from Dylan, and walked to his side of the car, climbing in. He turned the car in the other direction and was about to drive when Dylan spoke.

"Where is he going? Your house is in the other direction." I glanced at him reluctantly.

"I don't live there anymore."

His eyes went from me to Harry then back to me as I nodded. He gave me a curt nod and moved out of the way so Harry could drive.

Clenching his jaw, he drove away, "Why the hell do you trust that freak?" He asked bitterly.

"Same reason why I trust you," I said flatly and looked in the other direction, hoping that he would get from that that I didn't want to talk.

I closed my fist around the necklace as I placed my other hand in my pocket, my fingers brushing against something inside.

Without taking it out, I knew what it was.

It was way past eight o'clock, and I didn't show up to meet him.

~
AN// That chapter took me ages to write. Literally.

I hope you guys have a great night/morning!