The Shadow of Stars

Fourteen

Late chapter oopsies!! I am currently moving homes so schedule is a lil hectic rn. But I wanted to edit this [to the best of my sleepy ability] and make it a great chapter. 

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"You missed gym this morning." I slam my locker shut to see Henry smiling, leaning on his own locker next to mine. "Very convenient but I would've loved to get the memo."

I roll my eyes, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Of course he had already been given the rundown on the current situation. We'd worked together both days over the weekend and whilst I strictly made a point to make him not tell Gabe, we still had breaks to chat all about it. It seemed like work was my only escape, Gabe and Henry were the only things making me laugh while my mind compounded.

"I'm sick," I say sarcastically, a small smile slipping onto my face.

"And I'm..." his eyes drift from mine and he methodically takes a step back from our usual comfortable closeness, a hard look coming over his face. "Incoming," he mummers and I turn my head, looking to the end of the hall to see his warning walking through.

At least five large men, clad in football jersey's saunter towards us, dominating the hall with Micah positioned dead centre. The curves of his lips don't tilt into a soft smile and he doesn't wave his strong arms in peoples direction like usual. Instead, pure exhaustion rims his normally sparkling eyes and every well-defined muscle in his body is stretched tightly. Heads turn almost automatically.

I stare for a moment too long and his eyes lock onto mine, his expression only further hardening. I notice the way his stern pace quickens and I shut my locker with a loud slam. "Let's go," I say, turning to Henry but his eyes remain trained behind me, wary and assessing.

"Too late," he mutters, folding his arms tightly across his chest as he straightens, his body unmoving as if his feet grew roots into the very hall. My skin prickles with goosebumps and I don't need to turn to know Micah is right there. The wrenching twist of my gut is warning enough.

His friends continue on but linger at the edge of the hall and I catch their stares. It makes me grind my jaw to the point of pain but I bite through it, twisting slowly to meet Micah's intent hazel stare.

There isn't a hint of the usual softness to his features and I realise there will be no buttering up for this conversation. "We need to talk," he says firmly, glaring at Henry before meeting my eyes again. "Alone."

The finality in his tone makes my skin crawl. Suddenly the irritation I clamped down on was replaced with something worse, a feeling that threatened my composure.

"I—" I clear my throat, removing the awful terrified steak that it holds and straighten myself. Get your shit together and remember what mom and dad told you, I remind myself. "I've got an overdue assignment to hand in first thing next class, now isn't really a great time," My response is even and firm, however something in the way he looks at me makes the turn of my stomach turn into a tumbling carnival ride.

"That can wait. We can either talk here or go somewhere private, I'll give you that decision but we need to talk." The thought of being alone with him makes more nerves scatter over my skin. But heads are already starting to turn, they were turned the moment Micah's demeanour was different from usual. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid.