Surviving High School With My Imaginary Fiend (Ziall AU)

Chapter Three

          For fifteen minutes I stared at the white sky outside of the window, not realizing I had been day dreaming the whole time. It was such a cloudy day that the contrast, between the light in the room and the light outside, made my eyes feel droopy.

I was back in English class for day four, where the teacher was finally starting a lesson on literary devices. Which I'm pretty sure was already covered in fourth grade. And in that five minutes, he practically gave me a mental journal entry of his day. God, I knew I should've worked harder back then; I wouldn't have to be stuck attending St. Malachy College Prep. These charter school teachers don't teach crap to students.

Maybe I should transfer out the next year? Then again, I probably won't ever meet anyone like Josh again. And by sophomore year, everyone else would've gotten used to their environment. It would be like becoming a freshman all over.

     "Hey, do you have an extra pencil I could borrow?" The kid beside me whispered. He actually talked... Well, the first time to me at least. Justin, the cute brunette: the captain of our school's football team.

Without even thinking twice, I handed him the one in my hand. Which I then realized was also the only one I had. Oh. Well, it's not like I needed to jot down any notes.

"Thanks," he said, "Niall."

He smiled and went on with his life, writing.

Heartthrob. He knew my name.

Anyways, today was actually Friday and Josh had suggested that we would go to the roller rink to hang out, since his uncled worked there. Roller rink! I said yes of course. The thing is, who ever talked about going there anymore? Whatever, at least it'd be spent with Josh. Where to begin with him? We were kinda growing closer each day, even though it had merely been a week.

Four days ago, I would've thought Liam and I would've had more chances to bond. But, I honestly can't say what even happened to him, except that he sorta went missing in action.

~*~

"Hold on, lemme just see when's the next club meeting gonna be," Josh said, taking a faster pace than mine. Nevertheless, I managed to keep up, swerving around other passing students. "What club?" I asked, suddenly gaining interest in what he was so interested by. Was there really something he enjoyed other than sports?

"Student Council," he quickly replied.

We stopped in front of the bulletin board, covered in flyers all over the place. Chess Club, Badmitten, Volleyball, Baking, Science, you name it. It's like a shopping magazine sale, except for activities and they all came in different colors and sizes.

"Next Monday, right after school," he said, "You're going to do this with me, right?"

I cocked my head, "Wait, what? Me?"

"Yeah. We gotta be more involved at school, starting this year," he declared. "Then, we could do Social Justice, LGBT, National Honors Society," he went on, feeling ever so enthusiastic about each one. I raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Niall. Add it to your resume in four years time and you'll be thanking me."

I laughed. He was ready to take on college at this rate. "Fine..." I nodded, slightly getting a bit overwhelmed by the thought. "Great. Be right back, gotta use the washroom real quick," he said, taking off once more. I stood there, shaking my head, chuckling. Josh was a saint. Too good of an influence...but I mean, it's a good thing. Befriending him couldn't possibly hurt me in any way.

The hallway was finally cleared out, and no one was left. But then, I noticed a lone figure in the distance. Someone watching me.

His body was leaned against the wall. Tall, dark, and mysterious altogether. And by dark, he was wearing a black hoodie and faded denim-colored jeans. Though, his presence did, in fact, give off an ominous effect. His black hair was pushed upward, creating a small shadow under his forehead. I fought the urge to keep eye-contact with his, because it started to make me feel uncomfortable. Even at this range.

The side of his mouth tugged sharply, as if to form a smile... or maybe I was wrong and he was smirking. Crap, that a bad thing, right? I looked around to see if I really were the only one around. And I was.

What. I don't even know him though?

He straightened up his body and appeared a little more taller: a seventeen, possibly eighteen year old. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, he began taking small paces. Chills rolled down my spine like a wave with each step he made, until he was about twenty feet away.

Fifteen feet.

Ten feet.

"What are you waiting for, Niall. Let's go," Josh's voice rang through my ears, and I turned away for one second. When I tried returning my attention back at the stranger kid, he was gone.

Gone completely.

Josh, in turn, walked towards me. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Yeah," I replied. He was just there though. "Then, come on," he urged, pulling me away with him, from the dazing spot I stood at.

~*~

          It was nearly nine-o'clock by the time I got home. Louis wasn't home nor my parents. So everything was nice and peaceful just the way I liked it to be on a Friday night, because usually, it was never quiet. Feeling tired, I headed upstairs and into the bathroom to take a quick shower. But in the middle of it all, my eyelids fell heavy and I experienced some micronap or dream sequence.

A second later, I felt awake again standing in the tub that was slowly filling with water. My eyes focused on the walls at first, until they started changing colors. No, it was just the lights. They were the ones changing from a white luminescent tint into a dim fluorescent blue. The water slightly turned cooler, but still bareable over my skin.

My mind seemed to be playing tricks on me again, but I couldn't shake it off. Everything felt so surreal. Steam or fog shrouded the entire room, and I could barely see anything past the length of my arm. My heart beated faster and body shook from the cold now, so I turned off the running water. 

"So small, young and fragile," a voice spoke through my thoughts. "Weak...delicate like a flower," they said. I didn't have the courage to say or think about anything myself. Who was I even going to be talking to? I shut my eyes briefly and opened them again trying to make everything go away.

Bony hands hovered themselves dangerously close upon my shoulders. Bony hands that protruded from something beyond the mist I couldn't see through.

Yes, actual bones.

"I don't... leave me alone, please," I mumbled, quivering. Even my body shuddered from hearing my own voice. What was this... whatever it is... doing to me? He cackled once, and took everything away within seconds, as if a mini tornado had sucked it all up. The only thing that remained was his echoing.

And I had woken up like nothing happened.

But I'm sure it did.