Slender

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter thirteen

Mrs. Doe told me I could start my last project of the semester early so I started drawing the Eiffel tower in pencil for my draft. “Alright, since we only have about a month and a half left of the semester I’m allowing you to switch seats. You will get this privilege taken away if you act irresponsible and disrupt my class.” She said as she eyed Conner.

“What?” He shouted with a goofy grin on his face as he looked around the glass. Conner was one of the biggest attention whores I had ever met. “You’re staring at me.” He said as if he was offended, but he wasn’t due to the grin on his face. I stared at Conner’s pale face that had a natural blush. I gave him a death glare, but he didn’t notice. He was too busy seeing the looks he was getting from the amused class. I just rolled my eyes.

“Do you even like Conner? Because it seems like he’s one of those people you hate secretly, but act nice to on the outside.” I had asked Micah at the beginning of our friendship.

“Yeah, he annoys the crap out of me.” He bluntly told me smiling.

“Whenever he’s being annoying just scream apple at him. It could be like the secret code for you are so annoying shut up.” I told him with my plotting face. He had laughed and nodded.

The reason I thought of that was mostly because I heard Micah shout “Apple!” across the classroom. I looked up from my table locking eyes with his dark blue ones and smiling a toothy grin. Conner had a confused look on his face and then Mrs. Doe signaled us to pick seats.  I walked over to Micah.

“I’m sitting by you.”  I told him. He nodded and I felt relieved. I was honestly thinking he was going to ditch me for a posse table, but he didn’t like Conner or Daniel so that left me a seat. He sat down at the front right table, and I sat across from him. “Where’s Gregory?” I asked. “He’s absent like all the time.” I stated.

“Yeah, whenever he wants to stay home and play Call of Duty all day he just stays home.” He told me like it was a normal thing. I gave him a weird look.

“Wow, wish I could do that.” I murmured flicking my blonde bangs out from my eyes

“Me too.” Micah said. “I guess only big fat black guys can do that.” He said. I gaped my mouth open and let out a surprised laugh. Micah started giggling.

“Oh my God!” I exclaimed with some laughs.

“It’s true!”  He exclaimed laughing. I shook my head is surprise and continued to sketch.

“Are you ever going to finish that?” I asked.

“Yeah are you?” Mrs. Doe countered as she stood over our table. I smiled up at her amused.

“Yes, eventually.” He said pointing to his nonexistent progress.

“Right.” She said as she walked away pointing to her grade book.  I laughed and glanced at Micah. He finally picked up an oil pastel and began finishing the coloring of his Slenderman’s portrait.

“So…what’s so in about this dude anyways?” I asked as I focused on my rough draft.

“Do you want the long version or the extra long version?” He asked with a smile. I sighed with a smile on my face as I rolled my eyes.

“The summed up version.” I said.

“Well, like anything mysterious it intrigues people. I mean this story has been around forever just gone by different names over the years. Just like clothes. The seventies hippie style is back in but under the name hipster. Or old fashioned grandma clothes from the eighteen hundreds is coming back, but under the term vintage. It’s under a new name and it’s a mystery.” He told me with a crooked smile. I stared at him quizzically for a while with an intrigued grin on my face.

“You know, you’re pretty smart.”  I told him pointing my finger to him with my grin still present.

“Well I did just get accepted into the school’s gifted program.” He told me. My eyes widened.

“Wow, that’s a-amazing! You’ll be going on the field trip to the art museum with us then!” I said impressed with an excited smile on my face now. He nodded with a proud shield over his facial features. My phone buzzed and I pulled it out under the table.

“Phone!” He shouted. I gave him an annoyed glare. He wasn’t that bad of a seventh grader, but he still was one. He started laughing hard and whenever he laughed his eyes squinted and looked like he was Asian with his longish black hair. Lucas had texted me, ‘left school early.’ I had a confused look on my face. I texted back; ‘why?’.

“Who you texting?” He asked.

“Lucas, you know him from wrestling.” I told him.

“Oh yeah, I don’t think he likes me.” Micah told me.

“He thinks you don’t like him, because I told him you basically hate everyone.” I replied.

“Well, that is true…” He murmured smiling.

My phone buzzed again and I quickly looked at it. ‘My nose wouldn’t stop bleeding. I went to the doctor and it stopped for awhile, but I feel sick’ he texted. ‘feel better L’ I replied.  ‘Thanks <3’ he texted back. My heart fluttered a little. I put my phone back in my back pocket. I was worried. I couldn’t help it. Lucas and I were so close that I was affected by his feelings a lot more than he realized. If someone trash talked him I would get so mad and upset I’d get to the point of tears. It was insane how important someone can be to you.

I began to gather my stuff together. The bell rang and I scurried out of the class room.

The rest of the school day was boring without Lucas around. The rest of the week was boring without Lucas around. I felt glum and sad all week. Lucas was sick, and I could feel it even though it wasn’t me.

Friday night I called him up. “Hey.” Lucas said weakly.

“Hey… You okay?” I asked worriedly.  He laughed a little.

“Does it sound like I’m okay?” He asked with a nasally voice due to clogged sinuses.

“No.” I admitted with an awkward laugh.

“Shit…hold on.” He said as he rummaged on the other side of the phone. “I had to get a tissue. My nose is bleeding again. They say it’s an affect from a bad head cold.” He said.

“Oh okay. You sound like you think it’s something else..?” I suggested by his tone. The other end was silent for awhile. “Lucas?” I asked.

“Yeah, sorry. No, I’m just tired.” He told me sneezing.

“Oh, want me to go?”  I asked.

“No, no, of course not.” He said.

“Oh okay, cool. So, you missed it. Yesterday Shoni Dobbs got sent to the principal’s office for trying to punch Lexi Smith in the face.” I told him.

“Nice. She deserved it. She’s a slutty prep.” He told me. I laughed a little.

“Are you sure everything’s alright?” I asked. I could tell something was wrong.

“No. I keep having these nightmares and I keep feeling followed. My mom thinks I’m developing schizophrenia. They say it usually shows up in the teen years. I’m scared.” He told me with all seriousness.

“Look even if you are schizophrenic I will still love you the same and help you through this.” I told him stunned by this sudden news. I never thought of him as the schizophrenic type. I was scared too.

“I love you.” He told me with a warming tone in a friendly way. Even though it was a friend love, the words still caressed my insides making me clutch my sheets and hold in a scream. I breathed out a feel filled sigh.

“I love you too.” I said truthfully and genuinely. “I’ll let you sleep, I’m going to bed.” I said with care.

“Bye.” He said. I returned the phrase and then hung up going to sleep with peaceful dreams that night.