Holding Me Back

Chapter 6

I felt a chill going up my spine, and my palms got clammy. A soft breeze ruffled my copper brown hair, leaving me in suspense and wondering what was happening. When I turned around, a guy in a white mask appeared, welding a sharp machete, looking like he's used it before. I turned the other way to run, but another one appeared. One after the other, all in the same white masks, the same black trench coats with a devious smirk on their face and furrowed eyebrows. No where to run, no where to hide. I was hopeless, an eight-against-one situation where I was the unfortunate one. They all narrowed in on me, taking slow steps that were more painful than if they had just pounced on me. I was doomed now, and there could be no chance at all for me to make it out of this incident alive. None. I shut my eyes slowly and took in a deep breath. In and out, in and out. The footsteps got closer, and I kept on praying for my life, I had to get out of this alive. Somehow I had to.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

My alarm clock blared on this Friday morning for school (my sleepover with Riley was last Saturday if you're confused). Cold sweat covered my body, and I was still freaked out from that nightmare. Luckily my alarm clock woke me up just before I died in my dream. After touching my arm to make sure it was all real, I quickly made my bed and grabbed my clothes for school and changed into them. I had plans on swimming this morning, but then I woke up way too late to even consider it. After grabbing my backpack, I rushed downstairs to "eat" breakfast.

"You're up," My mom joked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Yup," I rolled my eyes as I took the tiniest amount of Cheerios to exist.

My mom forced me to drink a glass of milk, against my will, and then said that it was okay for me to leave the kitchen table. I quickly brushed my teeth and ran back downstairs, only to tie my sneakers and hop into the car so that I could go to school. The drive was dreaded like usual, and whenever Nicole asked me questions, I answered with a smile I claimed to be "real". Truthfully, it was a smile full of lies.

"Oh, Christine. I found your journal from middle school in my room. Here," Nicole tosses me the blue printed journal back from middle school.

I gape at her. I had no idea that my journal was even there. Unfortunately for me, there isn't enough time in between the drive from the middle school to the high school, so I just tuck it away safely in my backpack. When we arrive at the high school, my mom tells me to "make healthy choices" like usual. I feel like exploding with laughter every time she says that. After I get to homeroom, I have some time to spare, so I get my journal and flip it open. My finger catches onto one page, a page where I decided to write some lame poetry. Even though I know it will be pretty bad, I decide to read it anyways. From the title, the date, and the words, I can tell this is after Nick ruined my heart a few years ago. I read it to myself, and note that it's called Nothing. How optimistic already.

There's nothing you can do

To mend the mess you've made

Sweep it, dust it, hide it

It's something you can't fix

There's nothing you can do

To make it up to me

You've broken my heart

Into a million small parts

There's nothing you can do

Say, laugh, or joke to me