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Chapter 2

Insane, inside, the danger gets me high,
Can't help myself, got secrets I can't tell
I love the smell of gasoline
I light the match to taste the heat...
I've always liked to play with fire.

Play with fire, Sam Tinnesz

Warning: This chapter mentions deep mention of strong subjects such as intense bullying, ambush, angst, blood, death/sort of suicide. If this is a sensitive subject to you, I will put a warning when this starts and write a summary at the end so you can understand what has happened.

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I shook off the thought of Miah being more than what he seems. It's clear that he's just a lot more confident than me, and when I see someone with that level of confidence I think they are of the same importance as the Queen of England. I quickly gathered my things messily and scooped them into my arms before I ran off to my next class, stumbling a bit as I did so.

After what seems like a lifetime, I finally arrive at my mathematics class. Late, of course. Caught in my own thoughts, I don't notice the small but bluntly obvious step in the doorway. Before I realise what is actually happening, my books and other properties are viciously ripped from my hold by an invisible force, and my legs are lifted from underneath me. Falling down flat onto the old carpet, I felt a sharp pain stab my knee.

Suddenly, the whole room turns to black as I hear the deafening sounds of judgmental laughter surround me. Waves crash over me, drowning me as I feel my airway close up. As I was gasping for the air that was quickly leaving my lungs, the laughter was getting louder and louder. The once peaceful sight of the peeling baby blue walls was replaced with an infinite black. The walls menacingly snickered at me and started closing in, my breathing becoming even more ragged.

Just as I was about to be crushed, I felt a warm embrace against my stone cold skin. Slowly, my breathing started to go back to normal, the pastel blue walls brought back their peaceful demeanor, and my vision started to unblur.

Once I was mainly back to normal, I could feel the eyes of an entire classroom judging me. I could feel tears well up in my eyes under their judging gaze, but before they could spill a hand roughly took my own and dragged me out of the door.

"Hey! Where are you taking me?" I stuttered, looking at the messy brown-blonde haired stranger. Savior?

"I'm helping you." A deep and unbothered voice replies, alerting me of the stranger dragging me across the school. "Why are we at your locker?" I asked once we arrived at a locker area where he started unlocking locker 69.

Rather than replying, he pointed to a nearby seat; clearly implying me to sit there. I simply sat down and watched as he got out a couple objects and walked towards me. "Ouch!" I exclaimed as I felt a sharp pain at my knee again. Whimpering, I look down to see Miah applying pressure... maybe too much pressure... onto my knee. "Do you have to do that?" I complained quietly. His eyes showing a glint of annoyance, he gave a slight nod and applied more pressure making me wince.

"You may not realise Miss Silvers, but your knee is bleeding. A lot." He added, making me blush slightly at the formality of how he said my name. "You don't need to say my name like that. It makes me sound a whole lot more important than I am." I replied, causing him to glance up at me.

"Hm. Here, take this." He said, tossing a bottle of water at me. "It's for you to cool down. It apparently helps after you've had an anxiety attack." He explained, seeing the confused expression I wore. "Oh... thank you." I mumbled, embarrassed that I had yet another anxiety attack in front of the whole class. "Do you have them often? Attacks?" He asked, snapping me out of my miserable thoughts. "Oh..." I replied before pausing for a bit, slightly anxious to tell him. "Yes." I finally answered. As predicted, his stoic expression didn't change but his eyes sparked the smallest glimmer of interest.