Skylar's POV
"--it's not so bad here. I like this school." Brody said.
I hadn't been paying much attention to whatever he was saying, not when I was finding it a little too hard to sit upright and not slump over my desk (to doze off). I was tired as fuck. Between all the overwhelming thoughts and one specific nightmare about Alex, I didn't get much sleep last night. I had to keep reassuring myself that no one was breaking into my house, not when Mom and Dad were still here.
But I just missed Alex.
"Hey." It was when Brody gently nudged my shoulder with his, that I looked up at him. "Why do you seem so down today?"
I inhaled slowly. "I'll give you an answer when I find one."
I was counting down the seconds, waiting for this class to just be over. The teacher wasn't present today and the substitute one had been kind enough to give us a free period. That, however, hadn't given me a chance to take a nap, but the others to talk louder than they usually did--chatting and gossiping and not letting me have even the slightest bit of peaceful silence.
I was glad that Brody was here though. Listening to him talk proved out to be a lot more comforting than sitting here alone and being enveloped in my own miserable thoughts, even if I wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. Brody had been a nice company ever since Alex stopped coming to school--for days now--and I appreciated that.
He slung an arm around my shoulders--which I took as a friendly gesture. Alex did that to me all the time. And now I missed him.
"I shouldn't bore you off with my stupid rants then." He said, giving me a cute, sheepish smile. I returned it, though it must've come out way unreal.
"Anyway, for that biology project, we need to meet up after school." He pointed out. "Your place or the library?"
I was a little confused why he hadn't mentioned his place as an option too, and as if reading the silent question on my face, he added, "I kind of have my place booked up for the night. So mine isn't an option."
I wasn't so sure about my place either. Thankfully, the bell rang right on time.
"I'll let you know before my last class," I told him and got up. He agreed to it with another one of his charming smiles.
I didn't get the time to catch up with him though, not even when all my classes ended. All because I got detention from my Calculus professor since I had forgotten to submit my assignment on time.
Was it my fault that I hadn't had the energy to do anything after yesterday's event?
The truth was, there had been no Alex to help me out with it. Even though he wasn't any good at helping me out with my homework, he always stayed holed up in my bedroom and did his best to help me out with Calculus problems. Remembering that just made me more sad--sadder than usual.
When I entered the classroom where the rest of the detention kids were, I decided to sit down at the very back of the class, near the window overlooking the empty parking lot. Everyone had already left the school grounds, excluding me and the other, few students who got unlucky with some nasty detention.
I didn't remember ever getting detention before. My life was starting to feel so messed up. I missed those days when I just cared about my sleep and Netflix.
Blowing out a tired sigh, I placed my head on the desk.
"--who am I kidding? You'd always find her sleeping during free periods. Especially since Alex stopped coming to school." I heard a voice from somewhere in front of the class. A hushed whisper. "She arrived so late to class today. I wish you guys could've seen Mr Nicholas's face."
I tried ignoring the snickers that followed. I shouldn't be bothered by their remarks. After all, they did not even know half of what I was going through. A major case of trust issues, that's what.
First Alex. Then Caden. Why was this even happening to me?
I knew I shouldn't have done that. Rushed it with Caden, I mean. As far as I knew him, he always had his guards up. He didn't like making things easier for himself or the people around him. He was stubborn that way. But I was too. Even if he thought I didn't deserve an explanation, I'd ask for one. He couldn't just start pushing me away all over again. Not after he told me that he liked me. Not after he told me that he wanted this as much as I did.
I'd let go of Alex. I didn't want to do the same to Caden.
Whatever this was, he'd have to tell me why. He'd have to explain this to me. He couldn't just tell me that he liked me, kiss me, and still hide things from me. Either that, or he was just lying about his feelings for me.
I just really, really hoped it wasn't the latter. Even thinking about that made me feel like a complete fool.
I'll talk to him.
"Don't even get me started, dude. Both Alex and Caden left the football team at almost the same time." I heard another voice. "And they were last seen with her."
I heard some more muffled laughs.
"I don't even know what Caden saw in that geek. It's probably just a fake rumour anyway. We all know he rarely goes out with any girl, and with her out of all--"
I tuned her out just as quick, squeezing my eyes shut and letting my mind drift off to something else. Anything else. I really didn't want to hear whatever they were saying. Why was I suddenly the main talk in this room? Just because this was my first time in detention?
"She must be doing some sort of black magic." A girl whispered.
I scowled at that. First, it was geek, now a fucking witch. I didn't understand why the teacher wasn't telling them to shut their awful mouths.
"Oh, I forgot. She's more into her sleep." More snickers.
I groaned and had to stifle the urge to look them in the eye and tell them to shut up. Because if I did that, I might just end up getting more hours of detention. So in the end, I decided to mute them all out.
Taking out my phone and hiding it under my desk, I opened the browser. If the teacher was sleepy enough to not hear all the bullshit going around in the classroom, then there was a ninety-five per cent chance that he might not bat an eyelash at me either.
Opening the browser, I typed in Fernando Miller on the search bar. I wasn't really expecting anything to pop up when I waited for it to load. But I was taken aback by surprise when a few pictures did take over the screen.
Pictures of a house--from the inside. It had black, scorch marks almost everywhere on the walls. Another picture showed the outside of the same house and several firemen surrounding it. All in all, I was left a bit shaken.
I tried looking for any sort of article but found absolutely none. Not even a single thing related to those pictures. As if somebody had made sure to wipe out all the information from the public eye.
It was the abrupt sound of the bell ringing that broke me out of the stupor. I looked up and saw the rest of my classmates filing out. I guess I hadn't ever been that grateful to leave a classroom.
All the school halls were empty when I exited the classroom. To make matters worse, it was raining heavily outside and I had no ride back home since I missed the bus. That meant I'd have to walk and get all soaked in the rain.
I wouldn't have complained if it weren't for the howling wind along with the rain. Winter was kind of nearing and I was no fan of walking around in rain-drenched clothes, shivering my ass off.
I hadn't even taken two full steps out of the school parking lot and I was already drenched with rainwater. My hair was clinging to my shoulders and I had my arms wrapped around myself. Clutching my bag to my chest, I really hoped it won't be all watery once I got back home. If I knew it was going to rain, I probably would've remembered to bring an umbrella with me.
Gritting my teeth, I tried walking a bit faster so that I could reach my house early and be done with this cold rain. I was trying my best not to step into any puddles as I walked along the street.
It was when I felt a presence behind me that I grew a bit alert. I waved off that feeling at first, thinking that it was just in my head. Storms did make me feel a bit more paranoid than usual.
But when I glanced over at the glass doors of a shop right beside me and saw the reflection of a hooded figure, I kind of started panicking a bit. Mainly because that guy was dressed in a long black raincoat with the hood over his face. The basic definition of a creepy stalker.
I had to will myself not to stop and turn around. There were other people on this street too. I wasn't alone. That hooded guy couldn't harm me.
I started walking a little faster towards my house.
When I peeked at the closed window of a car right beside me, the guy was still behind me. A few feet away.
I licked my lips anxiously and hugged my bag closer to my chest. I shouldn't go to my house, I thought. What if this guy wanted me to take him there so that he could corner me? What if he was from Blake's gang and wanted to corner me just to get that USB drive?
The drive that would now be in some trashcan, after being officially crushed in that blender.
I was broken off from my thoughts when I felt the rain stopping abruptly. Or rather someone placing an umbrella over me.
"Caden?" I whispered.
He took hold of my hand, interlacing our fingers together, and for a tiny second, I felt a different kind of feeling within me. I felt warm and I felt safe.
"Someone's following you." He glanced at me. I hadn't stopped walking and he was walking alongside me.
Why was Caden always the one to save me from creepy hooded stalkers?
"I know." I looked away from him when I realized that I had been staring all along. He tightened his hold on my hand before changing the route and pulling me along an empty alleyway.
Footsteps followed right behind us.
I peeked over my shoulder to see the hooded guy still following us.
"He's still following." I breathed out, feeling the anxiety creeping up in my gut. Looking ahead, I saw the alley ending just a few feet ahead of us. We had nowhere to go. Almost as if hearing my thoughts, Caden looked at me, his eyes slowly darting across my face.
"Hold this." He passed me the umbrella and I slowly, unsurely took it from him. My hands were trembling and so was I. I didn't even know if it was the cold or just the panic.
Everything happened a bit too fast after that. I saw the hooded guy nearing us and reaching out for me. Caden didn't let him get any closer and stepped in the way, looking a whole lot angrier than he did a few seconds ago. I wasn't really surprised when he grasped the front of the guy's coat, swinging a punch on his face. Near his nose--which must've hurt. However, that wasn't why I gasped in shock.
It was when that guy stumbled back and his hood fell off from his face, that I felt the shock taking over.
It was Brody.
There was blood dripping down his nose but I recognised him just fine. That might've also been the exact moment when I realized how fucked up my life really was. Brody, on the other hand, didn't even have the decency to spare me a glance. As if he hadn't been going all charming on me for days now with all those smiles.
Stupid smiles.
I couldn't think straight with all the anger I felt right then. Was he also with Blake? Of course, he was. This was so incredibly familiar. Why else would anyone want to be my friend all of a sudden? Why else would he fool me so easily?
Before Caden could've punched him again, I came in between them, and faced Brody.
"Why the fuck were you following me?" I sounded even angrier than I felt. God, I wanted to punch him so bad. Just so that I'd feel a little less awful than I felt at that moment.
The blood was smudged a little over his lips too. He wasn't the same, smiling Brody that I remembered.
"Where's that locker?" He glared at me. There was nothing familiar about him.
I couldn't believe this. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was this the reason why he was so willing to meet up at my house for that Biology project?
"Oh, for God's sake! Why do you guys keep playing with my fucking feelings?" I yelled right at his face. I didn't even realize that I had cornered him against the wall, pointing accusingly at his chest.
"I need the locker!" He growled.
"Sky--" I heard Caden behind me. Whipping my head around, I passed him a glare. "What?"
His eyes widened a little in surprise, but he still gripped my arm and gently tried to pull me away. "Don't step in between." He muttered.
"I'm not stepping in between!" I yelled at him, jerking back my arm from his grip. Pointing back at Brody, who looked kind of stunned, I said, "I thought he was my friend!"
That line kind of seemed old by now. If Blake was here, I'm sure he'd have laughed like a fucking maniac.
"I will be your friend if you tell me where that locker is." Brody hissed at me.
I kind of lost it at that point. Curling my fingers into a fist, I clenched them tightly before slamming the same fist in his face. He staggered back at the impact and a sharp, tingling sensation spread around my knuckles. I didn't back off though. I was so fucking angry.
"You're a jerk to work for him, Brody! What are you even getting out of this? Fooling me and making me think I could trust you!" Before I could've literally tried to strangle him, I felt an arm snaking around my waist, trying to pull me away once again.
"Leave me the fuck alone, Caden!"
"I'm not letting you--" He successfully managed to push me behind him, albeit I could've seen the soft glint in his eyes. "--hurt yourself, Sky!"
I didn't have to, I wanted to say. I didn't have to hurt myself when Blake was doing just that. So bloody amazingly.
It took both of us by surprise when Brody shoved Caden away, throwing a punch somewhere near his abdomen. I stumbled back in horror, something twisting painfully in my stomach.
Oh God.
I didn't step in between them again. I felt horrible, beyond horrible, of the situation I was in right now. Caden didn't bother stopping himself from injuring Brody even more. He was taller than him. Probably knew fighting better than Brody too. How would I know? And even though I didn't really care what happened to Brody right then, I just wished he would stop.
I wished everything could stop right then.
I cornered back against the opposite concrete wall, sliding down against it. I pulled up my knees against my chest and heard the clouds rumbling in the sky above. My heart was beating the same. Wild and too fast. Scared.
Blake wanted to ruin me. He was winning. How could he?
First, he took Alex from me. And even if Brody wasn't ever the best of my friends, he still had been my friend. Blake took him away too. Blake was taking everyone away from me. Leaving me stranded. Alone.
The same Blake who'd cheered with me at Alex's football match. The same Blake who could've pushed me over that rooftop. But he hadn't. Because ruining me like this was way more fun, wasn't it?
I sucked at this. I was horrible at trusting people, seeing their true intentions, knowing their hidden motives. Caden was right. I was a fool.
I ran my hands over my face and through my hair. Gripping my hair. Every part inside me wanted to scream out loud. Scream in anger. Scream in frustration.
My bag was thrown across one corner, the umbrella too. I saw Brody running away at some point. I even saw Caden coming over towards me, holding out his hand to help me get up.
I let a few cold, silent seconds pass by. I didn't take his hand. I was scared. What was I going to do?
"Sky." Caden exhaled out, still holding out his hand. "Come on."
I rested my head back against the wall, pulling my fists in between my pulled up knees and my chest. I felt cold.
I stiffened a little when I saw him kneeling down in front of me.
"He's gone." He told me, a whisper over the pounding rain. "It's all right."
It wasn't.
"I'll take care of him." He added. "He won't ever come near you again. I promise."
When I finally met his eyes, green eyes so filled with anger and frustration and even a bit of concern, it took me a while to say anything.
"Don't." I shook my head.
He clenched his jaw. "Let's just get out of here."
"No." I swallowed and it took everything in me not to let my voice break. "Please just..." I faltered, not sure what to say. My throat felt too tight.
Caden kept staring at me, waiting.
"I-I don't understand. Brody was just fine with me this morning. I think he was. I hadn't known...not even for a single second. My mind feels fucked up. And I just want you to..." I stopped, trying to search his eyes for something. Anything. "Please tell me why. Please just tell me you weren't--"
"I wasn't playing, Sky." He finished it for me. I saw the way his gaze lingered on my face. "I wouldn't do that to you."
I blinked in relief, sadness, before pushing myself a little away from the wall and a little towards him.
"And I was wrong." He added. "I do owe you an explanation." He slowly ran a hand through his drenched black hair, pushing them away from his forehead. A raindrop fell down the corner of his brow as he opened his mouth to say something else. "I'll tell you everything."
When I didn't say anything, his eyes held mine in a pleading look. His eyes alone told me something that his words couldn't. He wasn't playing with my feelings.
"I didn't mean to push you away. I didn't mean to but I just fuck things up sometimes." He frowned. "I wasn't--I'm so fucking sorry--" I cut him off by throwing my arms around him, moving closer and closer until I could've felt his heart beating as wildly as my own. Until it was just him and I.
I really needed him.
Trying to swallow past the lump in my throat, I closed my eyes. He slowly wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me even closer.
"You'll tell me why," I said, feeling the wetness drifting down my cheeks. "I won't let you dodge it, Caden. I swear."
I felt him place a small, lingering kiss on the top of my head.
"I won't."
______
Make sure to click the ★ below ↓ if you liked this chapter.
Xoxo,
Crystal 🌿