Our Deep End | ✔️

CHAPTER 34

A/N

Trigger warning: Mention of S.A

Elle's POV

"Girls, enough with the talking!" Our second period english teacher scolds us. Esme and I exchange mischievous looks, redness invading her face as she tries to refrain from a laughing episode.

"Ms. Randell is such a bitch!" She whispers with a chuckle, holding her copy of the book close to her face.

My mouth takes the shape of an 'O', as her language shocks me. Esme never curses.

"She is." I agree, trying to hold back my own laughs. This is both our least favorite class, mainly because we were stuck with the world's most terrible teacher. English teachers are supposed to be fun, exciting and approachable. Ms. Randell is the absolute opposite, and I just know she's bound to make the rest of seventh grade hell. Luckily Esme and I sat close to each other, due to our alphabetically similar last names.

"Hey Esme, are you still coming over after school? Audrey agreed to drive us to the mall. I literally had to beg her for hours!" I look over at my best friend with excitement, but her previous smile vanished and her eyes went completely white. I'm very confused.

There's a sudden rise of fearful shrieks by my classmates.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" One of the girls in my classroom screams, and I watch Ms. Randell run to the phone frantically. All this commotion is very confusing to me until I notice that Esme had blood oozing from her mouth. My heart instantly starts to race. What's going on?

"Esme?" I exclaim loudly, shaking her limp body. "Esme?!"

Her body slumps over the seat upon my touch and I'm horrified, but I continue to shake her.

"Esme, wake up!" Tears pour down my face rapidly. I feel helpless.

Suddenly the once hectic room is silent. So silent, the only thing that can be heard is my loud heart beat. All eyes are now on me fearfully, and I'm confused why until I look down and see a bloody knife in my hand. My eyes travel back to Esme's body, which now lay lifeless on the floor...a large gash in her stomach.

No...I couldn't have. I love Esme....We were gonna go to the mall...

"I'm calling the police!" My teacher bellows, causing me to fill the room with my loud, piercing scream.

"No!" I instantly spring upwards from the couch. I could barely catch my breath, and my ears were ringing. I reach over and turn the lamp on, comforted by the brightness it brings to the room. Sweat beaded my forehead and soaked the front of my hair. My eyes are also wet and heavy.

It was just a dream, Elle. I think to myself, as I try to calm down. I check my hands just in case, and they were perfectly fine. There was no classroom, no knife and no Esme. I didn't have nightmares often, let alone about Esme. As if tonight wasn't bad enough.

My heart sinks when I don't see any new notifications on my phone. It was a little past midnight and I had left the club, and Christian behind a few hours ago. It hadn't been an extraordinary amount of time, but there was still a decent chunk of it to at least text, or call me. We're talking about the same person who would ring my phone endlessly because he couldn't reach me while I napped. This the first real fight of our relationship, and so far it's going horribly. The unpredictable nature of this situation makes my stomach churn. I hate not

knowing where we currently stand.

To my surprise there's a ring at the door. I know I wasn't expecting anyone, but I have a feeling I know who I'd find. Flinging the now dampened blanket off my body, I trudge over to the door. My hands are clammy and trembling, but I turn the nob anyway.