After enduring a restless night of unease, Caroline made her way to school. She hoped that her day would be at least relatively normal.
She waited in the courtyard, where all the students would congregate before school officially started, and they were all sent to homeroom. It was around this time that Kirsten would usually pop up and greet her, but she wasn't to be seen. Despite this, Caroline didn't worry much of it. She had her own problems.
A mere five minutes after arriving, she had already received another message from her mystery messenger.
He wears his heart safety pinned to his backpack. His backpack is all that he knows.
Shot down by strangers, whose glances can cripple the heart and devour the soul.
Nope. Caroline was not having this. She simply slid her phone back in her pocket, and continued waiting as normal.
"Hey, Carrie." Kirsten greeted, finally arriving.
"Oh, look who's gone and finally shown up." Caroline replied.
"Sorry 'bout that... I was talking with Caelan. His dog must've ran away or something, they can't find it anywhere." Kirsten sighed.
Caroline immediately felt terrible for criticizing her friend's tardiness.
"I'm so sorry to hear that! That's so awful..." Caroline comforted her friend. "But hey, at least he's got such a loving girlfriend like you to help him through this, right?"
Even when trying to cheer up her friend, it was still difficult for Caroline to gush about such lovey romance bullshit. Nonetheless, she put her own animosities behind her temporarily, for Kirsten's sake.
"Aw, you really mean that?" Kirsten smiled pitifully.
"Of course I do! Why would I lie about something like that?" Caroline cheered.
(To keep herself from feeling like an asshole, of course.)
"Thanks a lot for the pep talk, Carrie. Buuut, I gotta get going. If I'm late to homeroom again, my ass is grass, you feel?" Kirsten explained, back to her old self again.
"Uh-huh. Sure. See you later." Caroline muttered, not even attempting to understand Kirsten's metaphor.
As Caroline turned away to head to her own homeroom class, her phone vibrated once again in her pocket. Yet another message was sent. As much as she would've loved to simply ignore it, her intuitive curiosity once again got the best of her.
All alone, he turns to stone, while holding his breath half to death.
Terrified, of what's inside, to save his life - he crawls like a worm from a bird.
Caroline decided to reply.
Once again, who are you? I'm happy to speak with you all you want if you simply answer that question.
The strange person, of course, didn't answer the question. They did respond, however.
It doesn't have to be this way; Let's kiss and make up, then you'll learn.
Yeah, no. Caroline Septima was many things: an overachiever, a know-it-all, and sometimes a bit of a bitch.
But she wasn't a quitter. If she wanted answers, she was going to get them, no matter how long it took.
***
neon.september: Is there any reason you're refusing to comply with my demands?
YOU ARE READING
APEX
Mystery / Thriller"If you have a quality, let it define you. No matter what it is." Caroline Septima was your ordinary over-achiever. She has always been the top of her class at her charter school, and envied by many of those around her. However, all that changed on...
