School Creepypasta

17: A break?

A yawn escaped Charley as he tried to fix his hair. The party had gotten late, Stephen still alive and fortunately oblivious of what the three almost had done to him, thanks to their secrecy.
Valley met them on the field with Toby, and they started a bit of a work out before class would start. Toby was convinced they needed it, but Charley was just glad to get to spend more time with Valley (and training without a death threat above your head was always nice).

The sun rose up to announce the start of class, and Valley went to make a detour, Toby hurrying after her with the claim that she shouldn't walk alone.

"Overprotective," Anthony said, rubbing his face with a wet cloth to get the sweat off.

As Charley looked after them, and they argued, he tilted his head. "Is he though? I mean, if Toby ends up out with zero wins, or with someone unusable, he's in trouble."

As Anthony got up from the damp grass, he shrugged.
"It's probably fine though, I mean, what would walking the halls do?"

Remembering how Charley himself had had to dodge a random attack once, he knew how bad it really was.
"Think about it this way," Charley said, "If Stephen kills her off guard, he gets less competition later."

"But," Anthony pressed, "I'm just saying, Stephen won't just kill her like that. Then he might as well kill anyone and call it getting rid of the competition." Anthony helped Charley up and they started walking to class. "I just think Toby is too careful. I wonder why."

Charley shrugged that he didn't know. The classic romans novel told him something, but this wasn't that. This was a killer talking to a kid who he trained.
He just hoped that Anthony was right, and that the protection wasn't needed. Though Charley knew something he didn't...

—

The rains turned into storms as November came, soon it would be winter, and the training would turn even worse. Instead of wet, Charley would have to be cold and wet. That was why he was glad that the students got a 'break'.

Some parents got to see their children, but not without a proxy spying on them, threatening to slice each of their throats if the parents should find anything out.
Valley would see her parents, Charley was glad she was.
He missed his own parents, but they hadn't been able to make time. On a phone call, one which he had been rubbing away tears at despite Jeff watching him, he had heard his father had a new job, one which payed better. He was glad his parents were... he would almost say, moving on. As if he were dead. He wasn't, but he knew he would be.

Now he was sitting in the main hall, a book in his lap, but he looked up at the fresh bodies. After the ball, it seemed like people had become more cheerful despite the situation, and some pastas disliked it, sending people 'to the lions' for irrational reasons. Charley was lucky. He was very lucky that he, or Anthony hadn't been caught doing anything stupid. He was lucky that Valley had Toby to protect her, but he wondered how long that protection would even last. Soon enough, they'd all die.

He was sure of it.

Which was why he smiled up at Valley when she ran up to him. She grinned back, excitedly talking about having seen her parents, or just her mother and her stepfather.

They walked to the library, and Charley listened as Valley talked brightly. Suddenly Charley got stopped by Jeff.
Valley stopped walking as well, confused at the hand that held Charley's shoulder firmly.

"Go grab a coat or something, we're going out."

Valley froze up.

"Out?" Charley asked confused. Jeff just told him to be at Slender's office as Valley looked away with vague eyes, stuck in her thoughts.
"What does he mean?" Charley asked, feeling weird as he could only guess what this was about.

As Valley rubbed away an escaping tear she took a shaky breath in. The sudden switch in mood had a chill down Charley's spine.
"Toby took me out... once..." Valley looked up and Charley felt as though he was on thin ice. He wasn't going to like what was going to be said, his legs feeling weak. "Because I was too nice, he made me." Charley stared at her.
He made her, made her kill? Charley didn't have to guess, he knew all too well by the look in her eyes.
He held out his arms and Valley buried herself into the hug.

Her hair tickled Charley's nose as he pressed his lips together. Usually he had hours to prepare before he had to kill. Now he wasn't sure wether it would be even one hour, but he knew what was coming. He was going 'out'.

—

Valley let go of Charley and rubbed away her tears. She gave Charley a reassuring smile. "When caught of guard... they are easier."

It didn't reassure Charley, but he nodded anyway, giving her a smile.
Valley returned the smile, thinking she had assured him, even if slighlty. "Good luck," she said sincerely, "And, be careful."

Charley nodded more sharply now. Valley reached in her pocket and handed him her knife. Surprised she even had one, Charley looked at it.

"It's okay," Valley grinned sadly, "Toby gave me three or so," she put a hand to her mouth as though saying something ridiculous, "he thinks there's murderers everywhere."

As Charley smiled,  he shook his head, taking the knife.
"You take care, as well—"

"Oh hush, I'll be fine— as will you," Valley said with a smile, turning Charley around. "Go focus on yourself, I trust you'll be fine, okay?"

Charley nodded. Valley watched him leave before she stepped back and leaned against the wall, her chest cramping with how she had been forcing herself to suppress her sobs, her tears, all her feelings.

Just now, she had been talking to her parents. They had been proud of her good grades, they had smiled at her, telling her she was being 'a good girl'.
As a tear leaked from Valley's eyes, she sniffled and rubbed her entire face with her sleeve. She couldn't do this here, for all she knew someone was waiting to practice stabbing skills around the corner.
She couldn't risk being caught of guard, not again— Stephen wasn't the only maniac here.

"Valley! There you are!"

Crap.
Valley looked up, finding Dorcas rounding the corner slowly. He had crutches to hold him up, a long scar on his face and part of it bandaged still. Valley didn't smile back.
She just gave him a polite nod before she turned around, stopping her tears from coming again. She couldn't deal with this, with anything, not right now.

Dorcas hurried to catch up, but he couldn't walk fast with the crutches. Even though Valley knew, she started running, tears leaking from her eyes as she tried to hold everything back. She reached a hallway with people and rushed through, finding a staircase and hurrying up. She didn't stop until she found a window.

One particular window.
She stared out at the grounds, her hand resting on the place theirs had been. Dian...

A sob left her and she covered her mouth quickly.
This wasn't safe, but the thought got covered by too many others.
Eventually she found herself sitting against the wall below the window, her body trembling as she cried. She couldn't get through this. She couldn't. She was a murderer. She was a killer. Her parents would not only be disappointed in her, they'd hate her.

Would Dian hate her like this as well?