A Chill In The Air (Book 1)

A Chill In The Air - Chapter 7

A Chill In The Air

Chapter Seven

Rounding the corner of the hallway she just left, Layla looked up as she panted slightly and softly as her eyes caught the back of his head once more, this time as she followed him she saw the path he was taking. He was heading up towards the old wooden stairs that led up to the boy’s dormitory in the main building, obviously in which boys were only permitted to go up to. As much as she was repulsed by the thought of being taunted by the students the next morning for sneaking up to the boys inside dorm, she had to go. A feeling deep inside her was telling her that this wasn’t the right thing to do, as if something was pre-warning her not to go up but despite her gut instinct and everything telling her no, she left the spot in which she had watched him step onto the first step of the flight of stairs and she headed on up after him.

The old stairs were clearly worn down a little despite best efforts to keep them highly polished, prim and proper. The wood varnish smell filled Layla’s nose as she ascended up the first flight of stairs sneakily so no one would notice that she was going up them. She could just about see the backs of his shoes as she followed him up as if she had followed him closer it would be obvious and he would most certainly hear her. Her heart wasn’t beating as quick now as it was when she read the note that remained scrunched up in her hand; she was calmer knowing she’d soon be getting to the bottom of all his problems with her.

Thankfully there were many shadowy spots around corners in which Layla could hide herself when in times he would turn his head, suspecting that he heard something behind him. Layla slowly peered around the corner of the shadowy spot she was currently in and she lightly on the balls of her feet gently moved to the opposite corner of the four way hallway intersection he had already been past and had kept going. Checking all around her Layla decided it was safe enough to move on without anyone coming out of their rooms and she silent as the night kept on following him down the path he was taking.

After a few more minutes of following him, she saw him stop by a door. “This must be his room” Layla quietly said to herself as she flattened what she could of her body in a doorway not far from his room. Another student had stopped to talk to him and despite being so close to his room she couldn’t quite make out what he was saying so she held her breath and would do until the other guy had gone away so she wouldn’t have to suck in her stomach more than she normally does. The time soon passed quickly and thankfully for Layla her suspicions were right it was his room, he swiftly unlocked the door and in a spur of the moment decision Layla bolted from her spot and tackled him to the ground.

Now on top of him she used her knees to pin down his arms and the rest of her to keep his body under hers as she unfurled the note from the palm of her hand and opened it up and had the writing facing his face. “What’s this about huh? What on Earth do you think you’re playing at? Planting a sick threatening note in an innocent girl’s locker like that, I’ll have you up for this this is totally wrong and out of order! Do you hear me huh? What do you have to say for yourself now you sick stalker you!” grunting and gasping he looked at her with his pinned hands spread out as far as they would go. “Woah woah lady! I think you have the wrong guy here, and your knee is in my lower region.” Taking a second look at him Layla blinked as below her wasn’t Tanner but an innocent guy she didn’t even know. She quickly stood up and put the note away embarrassed at what had just happened.  “Oh my God! I’m so so so sorry, I was looking for someone who rather upset me earlier and I thought you were him and I had to follow you to make sure and I got it wrong now I’m feeling so stupid and so silly for this.” She said rather quickly as she was fully red in her cheeks standing in front of this poor guy whom she’d just tackled. He stood up chuckling and dusting himself down. “No harm no foul, though I gotta say lady you’ve got quite the tackle there.” He seemed to understand her predicament rather well as he introduced himself to her as Tyler Dickens. They talked for not all that long not about what she tackled him about but rather university work and life, normal things students mostly talked about to one another. Layla quickly made her apologies to him and left the room and back the way she came, still feeling stupid for putting all her efforts into following the wrong guy.

As she took the small time she had to calm down between Tyler’s room and the stairs she spotted something that caught her eye the moment she looked at it. Layla stood at the top of the last flight of stairs before the ground floor of the main building and crossing it at the bottom was no one other than the real Tanner. She no longer had as much determinism and energy as when she first set out after him as her afternoon lessons were soon about to start as she had spent her whole lunch chasing around after the wrong guy, but none the less she still had a small fire burning within her telling her that she mustn’t give up and that’s exactly what she decided not to do, she left where she stood and casually and at a normal speed, set after the real Tanner Shay.