The Perfect Witness

Math Class Madness

I walked into my next class, my mood still floating on the high of my earlier conversation with Vincent. But that joy quickly evaporated when I saw my brother Noah and his unsettling friend Colton.

You've got to be kidding me.

My heart rate spiked, and my palms started to sweat. I tried to steady my breath as I awkwardly made eye contact with both of them.

Noah's face was a mask of anger, while Colton's expression was disturbingly smug. His eyes, dark and assessing, made my skin crawl.

"Hey princess," Colton drawled, his voice dripping with a tone of unwelcome familiarity as he looked me up and down.

I mustered what little courage I have and rolled my eyes. "Don't talk to me."

I kept my gaze steady, determined not to show how unsettled I was. If I showed any sign of weakness, he'd only push harder.

I quickly made my way to an empty seat, desperate to distance myself from them.

You know what I've learned? Monsters aren't always the ones with green skin and sharp fangs; they're ordinary people like us, just hiding their repulsive side with charm.

The auburn-haired boy scoffed at my remark in utter shock, looking over to where I'm now sitting.

His eyes narrowed as he watched me take a seat. He started to rise from his chair, but paused, his amber-brown eyes locking onto mine with a cold intensity.

Noah watched the boy's every move like a hawk and spat, "Colton, stop--." His voice was profoundly authoritative, almost a growl.

A few curious heads turned toward the commotion, and a girl nearby snickered softly.

I barely noticed the mumbles of students around me; my mind was too wrapped up in a storm of anxiety and unwelcome thoughts.

"Excuse me, Miss. Are you okay? Do you need me to repeat the question?" The teacher's voice pierced through my reverie, pulling me back to the present.

Embarrassed, I looked up at her, cheeks flushed. "Yeah, I'm good... sorry. What was the question?"

"It's all good, Ms. Anderson. Can you tell us your name, what grade you're in, and something interesting about yourself?"

"Yeah sure--um-- I'm Ivy Anderson, I'm a junior, and my brother's a crazy freak."

"Excuse me? What did you say, Ms. Anderson?

"I was making a joke, Ms, uh--I've been a swimmer for ten years."

As I finished speaking, I cautiously glanced over to my brother, who's essentially foaming at the mouth from my remark.

"What was the joke you made, Ms. Anderson?

I froze, feeling a flush of vulnerability. "Oh, nothing important. Just a dumb joke because my brother's in this class with me."

Feeling exposed, I sank deeper into my seat, hoping to disappear from the eyes of my classmates.

"Well um-thank you-- Ms. Anderson," the teacher replied slowly, retreating to her cluttered desk.

As I watched the teacher struggle slightly with her heels, the girl to my right started talking,

"Hi, I'm Bella Luis, I'm a junior, and um I don't know, I have a parrot named Quincy?" She gave a nervous laugh, and I returned her smile with a friendly grin.

Bella's honey-blonde hair and striking blue eyes made her stand out, but I sensed a vulnerability beneath her confident exterior.

She quickly looked away from me while fixing the spaghetti strap of a pink crop top that tightly fits her slim frame.