In My Skin

CH 30 || Killy

The inside of my car was starting to heat up from the sun blasting through the windows but I made no move to get out. The beautiful day did nothing to lighten the boulder sitting on my chest. Another envelope, this one stuck beneath my windshield wipers, was currently crumbled inside my hand. Jules and I were supposed to meet up in five minutes.

Should I read it...or just throw it away?

Ah, fuck it. It couldn't be worse than the other ones.

I took a deep breath and braced myself for another cryptic message. However, there was no folded piece of paper this time. Instead, a single picture fell into my lap. A blond girl wearing a blue beanie and a dark gray jacket stood next to a very familiar car.

I whipped around, twisting in my seat. My eyes searched among the cars and trees spread across the parking lot. It was easy to find the place from where the image was taken. Because I'd parked in the very same spot. And the girl in the photograph was me.

Someone had been watching me. Someone had taken a picture of me without my knowledge.

As if my car suddenly caught fire, I snatched up my backpack, jumped out, and spun in a circle.  A few students mingled at a bench. An old man was walking his chihuahua. Nobody suspicious stood around and nobody seemed to be taking any pictures. 

My hands shook slightly as I ripped the image apart, piece by piece, until only small snippets remained. They landed unceremoniously inside the nearest dumpster.

My shoulders tightened as I marched towards the library, feeling as if somebody was drilling a hole into my neck. Fuck whoever this was. I wouldn't give them the reaction they wanted. Maybe if their little prank didn't work they would give up.

I found Sam sitting next to Jules's laptop, a stack of notes in front of him. He looked up when I dropped my bag and jacket on the chair next to him. "Hey, Tay, Jules went to grab a coffee."

"I think I need one as well. Be right back."

I trudged over to the campus café, trying to act casually. How did I normally walk around? What if I was being watched right now? I shook my head. No. I shouldn't get worked over something stupid like this. It was easy to take a picture of someone.

Yet, I couldn't stop scanning the faces of the people around me. The glaring sun caused the temperature to feel more like spring rather than winter. A few students were outside, enjoying the good weather. They all looked like normal and minded their own business. 

Fuck. This shit was starting to make me paranoid.

The café was crowded but Jules was easy to spot. He was still waiting in line, completely oblivious to the two girls ahead of him who kept turning back to throw him a smile. A smile he didn't even see because he was typing away on his phone.

He didn't notice me either until I was right next to him and nudged his shoulder. 

"There you are," he greeted me, lifting his gaze. Then he paused, scruntinizing my face. "What's wrong?"

Damn. Was I that obvious?

"Nothing," I said. "What's wrong with you? Are you waiting for a call?"

He raised his brow skeptically. "You sure you're good?"

"Yep," I replied, popping the "p" for extra emphasis. If that pseudo stalker thought they could scare me with some letters and a picture they'd be in for a surprise. "Wanna game tonight?" I rubbed my hands. "I'm suddenly itching to kill people..."

"I'm meeting Cody and Killian at the gym later. But afterward, sure."

"You're always at the gym these days," I complained as we moved ahead in the line. I'd barely seen Killian between classes and he saw him nearly every day. Wasn't that unfair? Wait. And where did this thought come from?