"You look cute."
Jen commented once she saw me making my way out of the house and towards her car.
"Thank you." I blushed at the compliment. "You look pretty too."
"Aww, you're so cute." Jen gushed, making a face as if she didn't know what she was supposed to do with me. She cooed so adorable numerous times until I got inside her car ready to head to school.
I wasn't wearing anything fancy, a simple bright yellow t-shirt and jeans, ducked the shirt under the jeans and paired it with a belt. Then, wore a matching yellow ankle socks and sneakers. The weather was pleasant and going well with my outfit. I had my hair in a high bun, a few strands leaving the confinement of the rubber band and framed my face.
It has been a day since that incident in the alley. Dustin and Jen didn't think twice before informing my mum about the incident. I received an earful from mum and a dozen of pepper sprays. She wanted to buy tasers for me but said, she didn't want to take a chance with me because I'd get curious and test it on myself.
But hey, I wasn't stupid. I might get curious and tempted but I won't...okay, I'd certainly test it on myself just to check how much effective it'd be if I used it on someone else.
I had two pepper strays inside my backpack, mum insisted I keep one or two in every bag I carry.
Dustin was still brooding over the fact that Dominick wasn't showing up at school or was he able to get a glimpse of Dominick during his morning and evening jog. It was going to be a week since his news of arrival reached Dustin's ears and he was losing his mind over Dominick's absence.
Dustin made sure to call me everyday and rant his frustration out over the call.
Our school gate was visible and soon, Jen was pulling up in her usual parking spot. We got out at the same time, Jen waving at someone- her teammates.
"They are calling me over." Jen muttered, eyes focused on them before meeting mine. "I think it's regarding the practice."
"I will wait." I smiled at her and motioned her to go to her teammates. "They need their captain." I said cheekily.
"It will be quick." Jen promised jogging away from me and towards her teammates.
"Ruby." I turned around to find Vinn and Julian waving at me before beckoning me over.
My head quickly turned around towards where Jen, she met my eyes and I motioned towards Vinn and Julian, she got my message as she gave me thumbs up. Turning around, I walked towards the couple.
"Good morning." I chirped happily.
"Good morning." They both greet simultaneously before bickering about who greeted first. I chuckled at the couple who were always bickering yet so cute.
"Whatever." Vinn gave up, like he always have to. Julian was happy to win the argument.
"Anyway, I am returning back the book you wanted to borrow." Julian informed me. I nodded my head at her vigorously, happy with the news. All the copies were on borrow from the library and the assignment was due next week, on Monday.
"Woah..." Vinn let out, his tone dreamy.
"What are you- holy shit." Julian exclaimed, her eyes wide and in awe. Both of their eyes were behind me, looking at someone or something intently and with such awestruck look on their faces.
I slowly turned around, not prepared for what I was about to witness. A fancy, shiny black sports car drove through the school gate and five cars down from Vinn's car- where we were currently standing and gaping- not me but Vinn and Julian.
Soon the door to the driver seat opened and someone- a guy walked out, his facing us. His large frame conspicuous by the view of his wide back. He raised his hand and drew the shades from his eyes before throwing it carelessly inside the car. When he did it, his side of the face was visible to us.
Even from this distance, his sharp jawline was noticeable and his pink plump lips. His arms wide, which flexed with his every movement.
"Is that...that's..." Julian gasped. Her words jumbled and not understandable.
We were not the only ones staring, every student present on the school ground were staring at him. His presence was conspicuous.
He could crush me into a puddle easily with his large hands and I wouldn't even stand a chance against me.
He raised his right hand and raked it through his hair, ruffling it a little. My eyes went to the brown band aid on the back of his hand. His head turned and our eyes met but Julian's excited voice made me look away from him.
"Oh my god, he's looking here!" Julian shrieked, her voice filled with panic and excitement. "How do I look, Vinn?" Julian asked nervously, making her hair. Vinn scowled at his girlfriend as she gushed over the unknown guy.
"You're my girl." Vinn glared, pulling her towards him by her shoulders.
"But he's- oh shit, he's walking towards us, what do I do? What do we do?" She rushed out despite Vinn's firm hold over her shoulders.
My head turned towards the unknown guy who had wreck havoc amongst the girls by his mere presence and he doesn't even go to our school. Transfer student, perhaps.
My eyes went wide when I saw, he was indeed walking towards our direction. I looked around to find anyone close to us, who might be his friend and his reason for walking in this direction but there were none, other than the three of us.
Julian had a star struck look on her face as he walked closer and closer towards us, while Vinn had an annoyed look over his face.
"Why is he staring at you, Ruby?" Julian asked me, her eyes narrowed in confusion still looking at the unknown hot guy. "Do you know him?" She asked yet her eyes not once meeting mine.
"I don't know him." I whispered, answering her before turning around to face the guy.
My breath hitched when he stopped at almost a feet distance from me. His eyes were zeroed on me, staring down at me making me feel more self conscious of my short frame.
I couldn't look away from him, he had the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen- cold grey eyes, his thick lashes framing his eyes beautifully. His lips a dark shade of pink, his skin darker than mine- or maybe because I had a milky white skin, too fair for my liking. His nose was slightly crooked, a proof it has been broken not once but many a times. His jaw sharp and defined and silky brown locks.
He was almost perfect- yet in a dangerous and malicious way.
The guy, unknown guy to be precise, walked a couple of steps and was before me. I had to strain my neck to look at him, I was in an entranced by his sight.
He was so beautiful.
His deep grey eyes didn't waver from me, yet I couldn't decipher what he was feeling or thinking or what he even wanted from me.
His right hand was lifted slowly, and he made a move to touch my face but his hand stopped mid way, his eyes narrowed slightly as if he was contemplating his next move. His decision was made when his finger tips lightly grazed my skin over my left cheek.
A loud gasped resonate around us, I thought It was me who had made that sound but it was Julian, Vinn with her, they were still standing behind me.
The unknown guy's palm lay flat on my now red cheek, as his thumb softly rubbed the skin under it. I was immobile and statuesque, blinking up at him in awe.
I should push him away and not welcome his touch but i wasn't even able to think straight to decide what was right and wrong.
Warning bells were ringing at the back of my mind but I couldn't gather and arrange my thoughts because of his mere touch, that felt so familiar yet unknown.
I watched him enthralled by his beauty and his warm touch, when a small smug smirk slowly covered his face.
"I told you..." His spoke up, his deep voice rang in my ear. A shudder ran down my spine when i heard his deep timbre voice. I recognised his voice from somewhere but couldn't pin point where because my mind was in haze and his vague words put me in a confused state.
"Wh-what?" I managed to whisper out, finally getting my voice back.
"That I'll find you." He whispered, leaning down slowly and tentatively. His words at first didn't register on my mind because my mind step sided his words and focused on his face leaning down on me. His lips hovered over my ear, his cheek lightly grazing mine. "Kitten." This one word was enough to crash me back to reality.
My brain started recollecting everything, the night at the store and in the alley- the stalker!
"Get away from me!" I screamed pushing him by his chest but he didn't even budge. My strength unmatched to his humongous strength, but he still took a step back. An eyebrow quirked at my reaction, in what I assumed was amusement.
When there was a necessary distance between us, I ran away from him not sparing a single glance behind my back and towards the direction where I had last seen Jen.
Jen was not there, in fact her teammates were also missing from the spot. I looked around frantically, my eyes searching for a familiar short hair girl but instead met with curious, confused and slightly annoyed faces of the students around me.
I was thankful when the stalker didn't follow me, perhaps because we were in the school grounds and there were people around us. He can't do anything when he got witnesses, that thought gave me little relief but my relief soon turned into a cry of joy when I saw a familiar car driving through our school gate.
The car parked mindlessly at the side of the driveway and out came a frantic looking, slightly flustered Dustin.
I didn't wonder about why and how he was here when he should be in his school. I was just happy to see him here when i needed him the most.
Dustin's eyes were wondering around the school grounds as if he was looking for someone. His eyes not linger in one spot for more than a second.
"Dustin." I screamed running towards him. His eyes snapped on me and it widen before he let out a oof at the impact of my body colliding with his. "You've come at the right time." My words were rushed.
Dustin eyes widen more at my statement- he almost looked comical. He nodded his head vigorously at me. "I know. I am always at the right place at the right time." He sounded excited.
"Call the police. We should call the police." I stated hurriedly. Why didn't i think of this sooner?
"Yes, we should because his presence itself is a crime." Dustin had a dreamy look on his face.
I nodded furiously at what he said, not giving heed to his reactions but his words.
"Dustin? What you doing here?" Jen came around from behind Dustin's car, her teammates hot on her trail.
"Because the stalker is here."
"Because Dominick is here." Dustin and I answered at the same time.
Dominick was here?
"What? The stalker! Where is he?" Now, Dustin and Jen shouted in unison, looking around the school grounds. Their murderous glare and intent palpable.
"There." I turned around and pointed in the direction where I last saw the rapist. He was still standing there- arms crossed and looking straight at us.
"Dominick." I heard a familiar voice yell, before someone lunged at the stalker, making him stumble back. It was Kaiden who lunged at him, while Jace was shaking his head at Kaiden trying to pull him away from the rapist.
"Ohhhh, Dominick is here."
"He's so hot."
"Look at that frame. Hot!"
"He's ten times sexier than he was in sophomore."
"All that London air certainly did him good, just look at him."
All sorts of comments flew around us, Jen's teammates were gushing and squealing at the sight of the rapist who they now were addressing as Dominick.
"I am pregnant just by looking at him." It was Dustin. I turned around to face him, his eyes ogling at the rapist who they were calling Dominick.
There must be some mistake. He can't be the Dominick Dustin was always talking and ranting to me about.
But he was hot, sexy, very, very, very attractive- just like how Dustin had described him and said he was.
"That's...the stalker." I muttered, lost for a moment. My mind fuzzy with what it had to process in a short span of time.
"You're probably mistaking him for someone else." Jen suggested, cocking her head studying me.
I shook my head at her. "No, that's him."
"How can Dominick be a stalker? Pshhh." Dustin said offhandedly, still staring at the person I had recognised as my stalker.
"But his hand, I bit him...the band aid...kitten." My words were jumbled up. My eyes averted towards Dominick and saw him getting pulled away by an excited Kaiden towards the school, Jace a step behind them.
I was certain there was no mistake from my part in recognising him. He recognized me too and that proved he was the guy from the alley.
I heard Dustin complaining and cussing at Kaiden as he dragged away the person who was his item of spectacle.
"Are you sure?" Jen asked, her eyes urging me to tell her honestly.
"Yeah." I nodded, certain of myself and what I've seen and heard.
"Are you calling our Dominick the stalker?" One of the girls from Jen's volleyball team asked. Her eyes looking down on me. I recognised her instantly as Bianca, because she was the tallest among them all.
"Why would he stalk you?" Another girl, Gina asked, her tone patronizing. Her eyes ran all over me, regarding me condescendingly. The rest of the five girls were glaring at me, whispering among themselves.
Who does she think she is...
Dominick would never stalk her..
She needs to get down from her high horse...
Jen turned around slowly to face her teammates, all their eyes widen in unison before their murmurs quieten down. "If you guys are done spitting shit from your mouth, get out of my sight before I hit your faces like I hit the ball."
Jen's words were enough to make them apologize profusely as they scurried off towards the school building.
"Don't listen to them." Jen touched my shoulder, once they were away from us, then added. "If they play as good as they run their mouths we'd have been the winner of the last interschool volleyball championship."
Dustin barked out a laugh before hugging Jen all of a sudden. "I knew you were and will be taking good care of her." Dustin said pulling away from a surprised looking Jen.
Dustin dramatically wiped his cheeks as if he was wiping away his tears- there was none though. Jen rolled her eyes at his drama before slapping his arm lightly.
"Anyway, Ruby says Dominick is the stalker, what do we do now?" Jen asked, looking at Dustin then at me.
Dustin bit his lip, looking deep in thought. "I believe you but I also know there must be some sort of misunderstanding." Dustin sounded confident. He knew Dominick more than anyone else, his constant stalking and keeping tabs on him, gave his that leverage against us, who didn't know a thing about Dominick.
"I agree." Jen mused.
So was there some misunderstanding? But then why would he follow me late at night? And his words? Was I missing something?
Our school bell rang loudly blaring through the whole school grounds. "Shit." Jen cursed.
"Fuck, I am late." Dustin shrieked looking down at his wrist watch. Our school starts at the same time. He was going to be in trouble. "Dammit, I didn't take any pictures of Dominick." Dustin clutched his head, looking utter shattered by his realization. "My news club is going to sink before it even sails." He cried.
"We don't have time for this. Come on, Ruby. We gotta get to class." Jen held my wrist, blatantly ignoring Dustin.
"Hey!" I heard Dustin yell but Jen already broke into a sprint, her firm hold over my wrist making me follow her.
"Sorry Dustin. I'll call you later." I yelled over my shoulder.
"Try taking some of his pictures." Dustin yelled before getting in his car. Without wasting a minute, he reversed and sped towards his school.
Dustin was out of his mind if he think I was going to click Dominick's pictures for him. I'd make sure to keep a good deal of distance between us- 100 meters at the least. I wasn't going to linger around him. And just to be extra cautious, I'd use the pepper spray if I have to.
They may think and believed there was some misunderstanding from my side in labelling him as the rapist but I knew what I saw and heard. I wasn't going to take any chances.
I'd make sure our paths never cross.
But, it was easier said than done.
***
Don't forget to DROP down your thoughts regarding the chapter or the story so far!
Hit me with your love and comments!
VOTE, COMMENT & SHARE.