THE NEXT DAY
"Oh, Miss Moonfire, it's great to see you back from New Zealand," Ms. Tuveldmen whisper-talks. She's a whisper-talking person. It's almost impossible to hear her when she's giving a lesson, but sometimes you just gotta deal with whisper-talking people.
"Yeah, New Zealand was.. scenic?" Jay must've called in. I walk to my seat and sit down, bringing my backpack between my knees under the desk.
"Griffin!" A voice exclaims behind me. I whirl around, my eyes landing on a girl with sweatpants, jet-black hair dyed purple at the tips of her fringy bangs and ombre-d along her hair resting in front.
"Thea!" I laughed, standing up and launching myself into her arms. She awkwardly pats my back. She doesn't do well with affection.
"Where the hell were you?!" She angrily chides, pushing me backwards.
"N-new Zealand," I stutter.
"Yeah, sure, New Zealand my ass. Where were you really?" Thea crosses her arms.
"Look, I really want to tell you, but--"
BEEEEEPP
"See, that's the bell. I'd love to stay and chat--" I started, sliding into my desk. "--but duty calls."
Thea glares at me from her seat to my left. I swallow and turn my gaze to the front, ready to endure another painful lesson by the whisper-talking teacher. I groan and slump forwards into my seat, resting my chin on my hardcover textbook.
BEEEEEPPP
Wait, what? My head jerks up. A paper's in front of me, all the answers filled in. A pencil is lazily being held by my hand. I don't remember.. any of this.
Students are picking up their stuff and shoving their pencils and notebooks into their backpacks. I stay stunned in my seat.
Thea storms over to me. "Spill, Griffin." A few curious students creep over to us, sensing the tension. "I-i don't know what y-you're talking about-t.." I stammer.
She shoves me, my desk inching backwards. I get out of my desk, face burning. I put my stuff on my desk into my backpack. I keep my eyes pinned on the ground.
Thea pushes me again. I stumble into a person. Plural, people. I look up to see a circle around us. "Sorry," I mumble, shouldering my backpack.
"Fight.. fight.. fight.." I hear someone start whispering to my left. My eyes shoot open.
"Fight, fight, fight, fight," I hear behind me. My face lights on fire. "I'm n-not going to," I stutter.
"Fight, fight, fiGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT," the crowd echoes. I see money being exchanged on Thea's side if the circle.
"FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!" the crowd roars.
"You think I'm going to fight my best frie--" I say.
WHAM
I fly backwards into the sea of people. They pull me up and pat me on my back. "You got this Griff-"
"Come on, I got money on ya-"
"Fight through the pain!"
My vision's blurred, and blood is gushing down my face. "I'm not.. going to.." I wheeze. "Fight.. you." I finish, standing my ground. I wipe my nose with my sleeve. It soaks with blood.
"You left me ALONE FOR TWO WEEKS. We PROMISED that we'd ALWAYS BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER. I went through a BREAK UP, AND YOU WEREN'T THERE."
"I.. had, my.. reasons.." I breathe. My lungs hurt.
WHAM
"You LIAR!" she shrieks. My knees buckle and hit the floor. "I TRUSTED YOU!"
My eye throbs and I feel it swell. It closes. "I.. didn't.. want.. to.." I gasp for air.
WHAM
"WE-" she roars.
WHAM
"ARE-" she screams.
WHAM
"THROUGH." her voice breaks as she picks up her backpack and leaves. The crowd dispatches, grumbling about losing their bets.
I kneel, alone. A broken wheeze I recognize as my own tries its best to stay alive.
I feel arms slowly pull me up from the ground. I give a wheezy gasp and try to move the arms, but they stay, rock-hard.
"It's okay. I've got you." It's a boy's voice. Its soft soliloquy immediately calms my muscles.
"Who.." I whisper, trying to help him.
"My name's Thomas. Thomas Gavelston. I'm going to get you to the nurse." Effortlessly, he picks me up in a bridal-style carry. "Where's your backpack?" he asks.
"Put.. me down. You're going to be late." I struggle to get out of his grasp, but it's no use. His grip is like a vise.
"I don't really care." Thomas locates my backpack and throws it over his shoulder.
end of chapter
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Effervescence
Werewolf"How could thou love a being so cruel and heartless how could thou stroke thee's hair in the glossy moonlight of tomorrow. How could thou find a path not once traveresed and yet find the way to my own heart. So cleanse my soul, man of the gods of th...
