Hidden In The Dark (IN EDITING)

The Perfect Candidate

It's official, I hate my life.

I mean really, I have everything so figured out it's not even funny, like life is just great for me you know? By how long you've known me you should've have been able to sense the extreme sarcasm I weaved into those few words. Every ounce of common sense in my head screamed at me to do a 180 and not walk in that class room today.

The odd stares I've been getting from Mr. Lakis these past few days have left me extremely uncomfortable, the other kids too busy squabbling about boring teenager gossip to see him stare harshly at me. Now that I knew who he actually was and where I had met him before, it left me with a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Logically, a previous hitman working for some kind of business or gang would definitely not become an underpaid World History teacher. Not to mention my teacher at my school. Things were starting to be so obvious it was unsettling, I didn't even know if he knew I knew about him, because he didn't seem to care about masking his odd staring episodes.

Even when I looked his way and made contact, which was more than I would like only because his eyes burned on my skin, he didn't look away. That left fear to swarm through my body at a toxic pace like the effect of alcohol infiltrating your bloodstream.

What was he planning, the same man who killed my father and almost put me 6 feet in the ground? I could try to tell myself that the stares were just him trying to remember my face from what he had done in the past. But even thinking that was foolish of me, and even then, I doubt the man would ever forget my face. After all, it had only been a few short years since everything had happened.

I arrive at the wooden door later than I usually do, I was dreading this and decided to waste time by going slow. Usually, I was the second kid to be in, the first being Phea, but today every kid was already planted in their designated seat other than the kids that skipped every class on their schedule. Ignoring the eyes of my much-disliked teacher, I take my seat next to her and sling my backpack disgracefully to the floor beside the feet of the desk.

"As I was saying, please take out your textbooks and read chapter 3 through 7. Answer all the questions at the bottom of each page and make sure to note down all of the important vocabulary. There will be a pop quiz on these questions tomorrow so make sure you note things down and pay attention." His voice is luring enough to force my eyes from the scratched-up desk to the front of the class where he leans against his wooden desk. The large classroom textbook spread open in one hand and a pen in the other.

He's dressed in a similar outfit to the one he wore the first time he introduced himself, he was simple dressed and spoken which was a distinguishable from the other teachers that were neighbored to this very room. The other teachers were more strict and less laid back with their bright colored clothes and large smiles that we're usually accompanied by false blinding white teeth and mint chewing gum.

The powerful flame infused stare he gives me almost makes me fumble out of my chair. My hands start to play with the string from the holes on my ripped jeans, a nervous habit I had just previously started to pick up on. My eyes shot back down to the desk while I pulled out the textbook from my backpack, flipping the cover over and finding the designated page we were supposed to be reading. My grades weren't the best right now given my absence for the past month so now I was working my hardest to catch up on my assignments that my teachers had graciously kept available for me to complete.

But all of this was proven to be quite difficult with the constant knowledge of what happened days before. Through the long hour I feel Mr. Lakis's eyes on me though I refuse to look up from the worn pages to make eye contact. It would be as if I'm facing my fears, fears I didn't know I had. If I look up, I'll have to meet the strength of his eyes, listen to the silent conversations they project towards me, ones I don't want to hear. Pages flip around me signaling the students moving swiftly through their work, they do not face the teacher breathing down their necks so it is fair they can work unbothered.

"Ms. Maraigne, please stay behind." The dreaded words stop me right in my tracks just as I place my work on the desk at the front and ready to walk out to my next period, chemistry. The other students exit around me through the door without any second glances, why would they? It's not like the they were aware the teacher was staring at me like a predator. Something inside of my stomach turns sickly, although I am sure I didn't have anything to eat during lunch today, or rather any day.

"Sir?"

"Tomorrow we are expecting a new student. I figured you'd be the perfect person to show him around the school." A sense of relief hits me, momently threatening to show my relief by a sharp exhale of breath. He doesn't need to know I realize what he's doing, that I know who he is or that I remember what he did. Not only to me but to my father all because of a ridiculous debt he owed, although Ahria didn't specify the names of the organization he owed, I still know it was something that could have been totally avoided.

"Yeah sure, where am I supposed to find this new kid we speak of?"

"He'll be at the main office tomorrow getting his schedule. You'll meet him there and show him where all of his classes are." With a nod I slip my backpack on and exit out into the hall, making my way to another class I don't favor. But the teacher and students have a mutual feeling about the girl who messes up everything.

They've even given me a nickname of 'Wrecker', it's not even a decent name but I keep my mouth shut like always. Everything remains the same, kids still lean against my locker sucking each other's souls out and Rachael is still bratty.

You can never catch a break around here unless you're on the brink of death.

After classes I make my ways outside to the magnolia tree me and gray always graciously lounge under during rest period. He's promised that this is our spot only and Alessandra wouldn't be here every day, although it wouldn't have bothered me if she were. As long as they don't start clashing teeth, I'm completely fine, I just don't like that cringe stuff that couples do. Gray has completely given up on trying to correct their relationship title, partly because deep down he wants it to be that way.

"Sup dork." throwing my bag on the ground I lay my head on it and readjust my sunglasses so they don't slip off, Gray sits against the tree with his eyes closed and headphones in. One out so he can hear me.

"You're a minute late." My eyes roll to the back of my head at his dismissive tone, he always does this even if I'm off by even thirty seconds. I'll never understand how he keeps up with the time so keenly when his eyes are closed and his phone buried in his back pocket. He's weird though so I don't spend too much time thinking about it, I'd probably end up with a massive headache trying understand it anyways.

"I literally ran here, plus I had to stop by the office to see Mrs. Teresa."

"What for?" I watch the clouds through the sprouted tree branches, trying to picture objects or animals to the shapes like some people do. Although I can never make anything of the white puffs, I guess I'm just not creative enough to picture anything. I have relatively, always been on the more realistic side of things.

"There's supposed to be a new kid tomorrow and my oh so lovely teacher decided I'd be the perfect candidate to give him a watered-down tour." Gray burst out laughing and I join him before we return to silence, both of us just bathing in the warmth of the sun before we return to the cold stuffy cages we call our classrooms.

Mmm the perks of being a teenager.