Undaunted Hearts

16: The Nightmare Begins

Madison Shepherd

We had become the topic of the school’s gossip. Everywhere I went I could feel their eyes and whispered comments follow me. Jasper and Kendal never allowed me to be alone for any moment of the day at school. I was either accompanied by Jasper, Kendal, Taralynn or Charity. If I had to go to the bathroom, Kendal would wait outside for me and walk with me to the net class. I wasn’t sure whether to feel angry that they were practically smothering me or happy that I seemed to be well guarded.

Kendal, in his usual fashion had somehow found a way to be in all my classes. I guess it as his way of making sure that no one harassed me at any time. A week of this and I wasn’t sure that I could get used to the both of them babying me constantly.

I walked steadily to Biology and reached to open the door. Kendal’s hand beat me to it by a few seconds. “Allow me, Signora,” he held the door open for me with a wide smile. “There you go.”

I pursed my lips and rolled my eyes. “You know, I’m nit helpless; I’m just pregnant. You don’t have to accompany me to the bathroom and hold the door open for me.”

He rolled his eyes at me in turn. “Madison, don’t be a whiny little girl. Suck it up. I’m simply being a gentleman.”

“More like stalker,” I retorted and stepped inside.

“You know, you weren't always this dramatic. Is that a pregnancy thing or something?” he asks, right behind me.

I rolled my eyes again and dropped my books onto a station in front of the class before sitting down.

“Hi, Madison,” Greg Miller, the spectacled boy who usually sat beside me said. I smiled back at Greg and opened my book.

“Hi, Greg,” Kendal said sweetly, “Do you mind if I sit there?” he nodded at Greg’s seat.

Greg frowned. “Here? In my seat?” at Kendal’s nod, he looked at the empty seats in other stations just behind him and asked, “Well, couldn’t you just sit behind Madison?”

Kendal shook his head. “I don’t like sitting out back. Now, could you please move?” Kendal asked politely, but there was a threatening undertone that Greg quickly grasped and began gathering his books in haste.

Alarmed, I placed a hand on Greg’s shoulder to stop him from moving. “That’s alright Greg, you don’t have to move. Kendal,” I shot him a dark look, “can easily sit somewhere else.”

Greg smiled a watery, nervous smile, “No, that’s alright Madison. Kendal can have my seat. I’m near sighted anyway.” With that, he finished gathering his books and stood up to move to the other side of the room.

Kendal took the abandoned seat with a satisfactory smile.

“Was that really necessary?” I asked him in annoyance. “You don’t have to terrorize people on my behalf.”

“Oh, I know,” he smiled that irritating smug smile of his and flipped open his books.

“Do you think you can get some sort of hobby?” I mumbled as the teacher walked into the room. He started talking about the Krebs cycle and I struggled to pay attention. I could not however, as I felt Kendal’s eyes on me the whole time. Finally, I gave up and whispered furiously, “Would you please stop staring at me? You’re giving me the creeps.”

“Well, how did you know I was staring at you if you weren’t staring right back?” he countered. “You used your eyes to look at me didn’t you?”

Impossible man! “I didn’t! I simply felt your eyes on me!”

“Oh, so now, you’re psychic? Or you’ve got eyes at the back of your head?”