Chapter 8.2

Sitting in the cracked orange chair across from Ava became excruciating. For the past twenty minutes, all she’d done was trace invisible patterns on the ceiling as she twirled her gold earring around a finger. Each clink of its delicate chain shredded Adeline’s nerves further.

“So do you have any ideas for the fundraiser since you don’t like any of mine?” Adeline pushed through clenched teeth. Not only did her head feel as though tissues stuffed every inch of her skull, but this whole charity thing had been nothing but a pain.

Ava paused mid-chew, eyes narrowing before continuing to chaw her gum. The fluorescent light hanging from the spotted ceiling tiles flickered, the growl of an air conditioner echoing through the walls.

“No.”

“Okay fine, then I’ll have Mrs. Castillo pick one from my list.”

Snatching the newspaper cuttings about last year’s charity event off the table, Adeline slapped them inside a manila folder and shoved it into her backpack.

With a sigh, Ava rested her cheek against her palm and rolled her eyes. “Stop pretending like this is super important to you.”

“Well, it’s clearly not to you.”

“Come on, we both know we’re only doing this because Mrs. Castillo can’t take no for an answer.”

Now it was impossible to keep in the frustrated growl. “It doesn’t matter why I’m doing this. But I am, so I’m going to do my best.”

Yanking her backpack from the table, Adeline dropped it by her chair and instantly regretted it--who knew if she’d even be able to pry it off the sticky floor when this ordeal finished? She glanced at Ava, who raised an eyebrow and, planting her elbows on the table, leaned forward.

“Even the school doesn’t care. Just look at the room they put us in, not to mention the fact that nobody else even showed up to this stupid meeting.” She gestured at the room in all its dust-coated, moldy glory: a floor that boasted puke colored stains older than Adeline and walls even the crusty paint hated, not to mention the strange smell of formaldehyde and ancient socks.

Adeline grimaced. “Agreed.”

Eyes widening for a split second, Ava blinked and then flopped back in the chair. It slid across the floor, creaking and groaning as though it was going to break into a dozen pieces at any moment.

“But since I’m the only one doing any work, I don’t see why I have to stay here to do it—I could do this anywhere but here. And I’ve got other things to do than sit here with you.” Standing, Adeline jerked her backpack from the floor and pried the energy drink from the table. Some of the liquid splashed out but wiping it up seemed pointless.

Ava shot up, her jaw-dropping in indignation. “You can’t just leave me here, Adeline!”

Really? Adeline clenched the can, thumb crumpling the thin aluminum as she rolled her eyes. “And why not?”

“Why should I have to deal with Mrs. Castillo?”

“Why should I have to do all the work?”

Hoisting her backpack over her shoulder, Adeline strode to the door. Due to the uneven frame and immovable knob, it was open a crack, allowing a whiff of basement air to waft in. Even though it reeked like Sebastian’s week-old gym socks in the summer sun, it was crisp mountain air compared to whatever she was currently breathing.

“C’mon, Addy, please?”

She froze, hand hovering over the knob. Water sloshed through pipes, transporting her to under a stairway, pitch black save for a sliver of light creeping under the crawlspace door. Her shoulder ached with phantom pain from the edge of a stair digging into her skin, wrist sweaty from Ava squeezing it to keep from whimpering. Serena’s muffled voice slithered through the cracks, demanding they reveal themselves this instant and explain the shattered perfume bottle on her bedroom floor.

Swallowing the memory along with the bitter taste in her mouth, Adeline flung the door open. A gust of air washed over her and her skin tingled, hair standing on end. She couldn’t get out of this cursed room fast enough.

“Addy--”

Whirling, she pinned Ava in place with a glare. “Don’t. Don’t you ever call me that again.”

The squeak of a janitor’s cart drew closer, and heavy footsteps pounded above. Ava stared with wide, unblinking eyes, lips pressed in a straight line.

“Only my friends can call me that,” she finished. Her voice echoed in the room, flat and hollow, burning into her brain.

Without waiting for a reaction or even a response from Ava, Adeline dashed for the stairs. Her vision blurred and she blinked, but it didn’t help. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and glanced down, wondering why it came back wet.

####

Adeline stopped by her locker for no reason. Hands shaking—perhaps from the caffeine—she typed in her combination and opened the door. An avalanche of mechanical pencils tumbled to the floor with a clatter, rolling in a dozen directions across the gritty floor. Fluttering after came crumpled protein bar wrappers, shiny insides sticky with residue.

“Ugh, I thought I already threw those away.” She sighed, checked the time, and sighed again. Ivy and Sebastian wouldn’t arrive for another ten minutes.

To keep from sighing a third time, Adeline took another swig of the energy drink. She crouched, gathering the wrappers and pencils within reach; no use putting in extra effort getting ones she wouldn’t use. Maybe Jessica would pick them up and stop asking Adeline and Naomi for something to write with.

Doubtful, but--

“Hey, can you help me?”

“Ah!” She leaped to her feet, stumbling back and dropping the wrappers and pencils.

“I’m so sorry,” the man apologized. “Let me pick those up.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” But her protest was half-hearted.

The man knelt, offering Adeline the opportunity to scrutinize him. He was around her age, probably a few years older, judging by the smooth skin and boyish look. Nothing stood out about him, from the brown hair framing his round face to the black cargo pants and Steelers T-shirt.

He stretched for a wrapper, the sleeve of his over-sized shirt sliding up to reveal well-defined muscle. Rising with ease, he stepped forward, balancing on the balls of his feet; each movement flowed into the next, chin high and shoulders back but relaxed. It reminded Adeline of her mother when she danced, twirling and flying effortlessly through the air, body one with the music.

“I’m really sorry to bother you further, but I’m looking for a Mr. Feist?”

Adeline blinked. “I’m sorry?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as a small smile appeared. “Could you show me where Mr. Feist’s office is?”

“Oh.” She paused. “He’s probably gone home already, but we can go check.”

Resisting the urge to ask why he needed to see the history teacher, she shut her locker with a snap. She turned on her heel and started down the hallway. The man’s footsteps sounded after, so light they could have been an echo of her own.

“I’m Adeline, by the way.”

“Nice name,” he said, but he didn’t offer his own.

She frowned, debating whether she should ask him what his name was or how he knew Mr. Feist. As she turned the corner, she caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye. An intensity not present before coursed through his motions, from the way his arms no longer brushed his sides to how his shoulders inched forward, head lowered.

And then she couldn’t see him, though his eyes burned into her back and her skin crawled.

You’re being paranoid because you barely slept and now you’re guzzling caffeine. Adeline shook her head, but she couldn’t help but wish Sebastian was walking beside her.

The air conditioner kicked in, bathing her face in lukewarm air. A fly buzzed against one of the floor-to-ceiling windows, confused by the invisible wall and oblivious to the carcasses of his kind piled in the corners of the sill and overflowing the net of a spider’s web. On the opposite side of the building, a door crashed shut, and Adeline’s pounding heart skipped a beat.

Last time I drink one of these things, she thought, glaring at the neon pink and green can clenched in her hand.

“Here, it’s that blue door right by the exit.” She spun to face the man. “Since it’s closed, he’s already left, though you could leave a note.”

He nodded, glancing at the door. His eyes scanned the corners and ceilings before focusing on Adeline again.

She hadn’t been sure before, but now there was no doubt that something was off. Her gut screamed at her to get away but there wasn’t any way to do that without turning her back to the man.

“Can I leave by this door?”

What door is he...oh. The exit door, of course--the one a few feet behind her.

He only took one step forward, but the space between them seemed to shrink until they were inches apart.

Swallowing, she straightened and stared him in the eyes. Maybe he’d see her as too much trouble to bother with and leave. “Yeah.”

Glaring at him as he drew closer, she lifted her chin, daring him to try something. Even as he brushed by, so close his breath was hot on her neck, his sneakers made the faintest of taps.

It took every ounce of willpower to not jerk away as their arms bumped and the back of his hand brushed hers. Adeline’s lungs stopped working, frozen along with her limbs. Whoever this man was, he was no Jeremy Reich.

Only when she heard the creak of the door opening did she finally moved, lurching forward as she checked over her shoulder. Despite being halfway out the door, his eyes remained glued to her. The icy fingers wrapped around her heart squeezed and she gasped in pain.

Run, run, get away, NOW.

Adeline dug her toes in and pushed the floor away with all her might, sprinting across the slippery tiles. The panic clogging her throat and chest stabbed her lungs with each breath.

It took a moment to register a hand squeezing around her throat and threatening to cut off all air. An arm squeezed around her chest and shoulders, pulling her close to keep her from kicking with any force.

She screamed but only hoarse, animalistic sounds came out. The squeak of shoes and the grunting of her attacker morphed into a hellish lullaby, black threatening to consume her vision.

She flung her head back, connecting with something that gave with a crack. A jolt of pain shot across her skull and she squeezed her eyes shut. But the grip around her neck loosened, allowing Adeline to suck in precious air. As she stumbled back his balance shifted, and she hooked her leg around his and jerked.

Pulling on her shoulders, he tried to straighten himself but it was too late. He fell, Adeline collapsing on top of him. His grip loosened, and she planted an elbow in his gut and pushed away.

Somehow, she found her footing and scrabbled for safety behind the glowing red EXIT sign. She slammed all her weight against the crash bar. The door swung open easier than she’d anticipated and she pitched forward. Her stomach twisted, terror stabbing her heart and stealing her breath.

Adeline’s pulse pounded in her ears and she half-ran, half-crawled for the corner of the building. Her body moved of its own accord, muscles straining and screaming for oxygen, but she felt nothing. Her brain stalled, unable to process the roar of a distant vehicle or even the blood on her hands. Only the crunch of pebbles between shoes and asphalt remained, a timer ticking away the seconds until capture.

Get away.

Only twenty yards until she reached the front parking.

Get away.

Fifteen.

Hope flared in her chest, mixing with the adrenaline thundering in her veins. Sebastian and Ivy should be here by now, right?

But someone grabbed her shoulders, fingers digging under her collarbones and wrenching her back. Her body smashed against the asphalt and a boot rammed into her stomach, crushing the air from her lungs.

Sunlight burned through Adeline’s eyelids and the uneven pavement dug into her back. Something blocked the light and hands wrapped around her arms and under her armpits. Her eyes shot open when they hoisted her up. The world spun, knocking her off balance as it swirled into a pool of dull colors pierced by sky blue.

She stumbled, unable to keep up as they dragged her back towards the school.