Porcelain

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Even though school sucks, big time. I couldn't help but smile. It was a normal lesson, a normal day and it was beyond me how I could have coped without it. Not that I did, cope, but I'm still breathing ain't I.

Even though this should make me calm, I was always on edge, just waiting for something to come crashing down.

While taking notes, honestly mostly dribbling on my notepad with random sketches, I felt goosebumps on my neck and looked behind me.

Not only did a have Social science with tattoo-guy Nate and his pal Roman but also the relatively cool guy Josiah. In addition to that, another guy from his group whose name I think I remembered correctly as Axton.

'Well, at least it's not the whole of both groups. It's like their subunits.'

I felt their stare on me from time to time and after a while a stopped checking. As long as I was aware of the possibility of an ambush I'd be okay.

Nate and Roman's gang hadn't tried anything new on me since the last incident. They probably thought I had learned my lesson not to disrespect them but boy were they wrong. I'd do it again anytime to getaway. They were absolutely nothing to what most likely would happen if I told them what really occurred that night.

My daydreaming got disturbed by my phone lighting up on the desk. I grabbed it to see who texted me, figured it was Dan since he and the landlords were the only ones with my number (and they were probably busy fucking some prostitute or getting drunk at the moment). The light went off before I had time to read what it said and I pressed the home button.

Immediately I got up from my seat, disturbing class when my chair almost knocked down to the floor. The teacher irritatingly asked me to sit down while everyone looked at me, their full attention on my outrage. I grabbed my things and practically ran out the door with gasps of air.

'I need to get out of here'.

Panic was written all over my face and my breath hitched.

′It was going so well. Fuck, I'm dead. I'm dead."

I began pacing around the hallway not knowing what to do. My hand constantly reached to my hair, pulling it back to get it out of my vision as my other hand clawed on my skin in frenzy. A door was closed behind me but I just kept staring straight ahead with hysteria controlling me like a rag doll.

"Yah, what's going on?" I barely felt the hand that lightly rocked my shoulders and I tried to keep my balance in check. I bit my lower lip trying to think of a solution, blocking the voices around me out.

'I need to get out of here. Now, I need to, I-I have to..."

"Rebekah!" A deep voice startled me and I again felt support on my shoulders and looked up to see Josiah. He looked just as confused as I was feeling. "What the hell happened, you okay?." His eyes looked over me as if to see any visible harms. Behind him stood Axton texting something on his phone. Probably the others.

It was as if everything I saw was from an outside perspective.

'I'm just hallucinating. This isn't happening.'

I dropped my phone on the ground and the screen cracked at the corners.

'Had I been holding my phone?'

"Hey, it's okay. You're going to be fine." Josiah patted my back while indulging me in an awkward half-hug. I just wanted to hide and unconsciously buried my face in his chest, while trying to make sense of it all. Footsteps could be heard behind us and the voices that I recognized as the others from Josiah's pals came closer.

'Gosh, what the hell am I doing? I can't stay here.'

Embarrassed I pushed away from my slightly uncomfortable position and grabbed my phone while running out from the building.

⤱

'Well, this is pathetic.'

I was sitting on a bench in the middle of the street basically waiting for someone to come 'pick me up'.

′Maybe Dominique will come, he was always my favorite.′

I laughed quietly at my sarcasm and put my elbows on my knees, supporting my head with my hands as if trying to bury myself in them.

I heard a bike park next to the sidewalk and my head snapped up. A sigh escaped me when I saw that it was Josiah, not the devil himself. He left his helmet on the seat and fixed his jacket from the wind before slowly walking towards me.

"Ehm. First of, I'm not a stalker. I just followed you. Definitely not the same thing." I cracked a smile and saw him doing the same thing when I faced him.

"So you're okay?" The concern in his voice confused the hell out of me.

'It's not like we know each other'.

"Oh yeah. I'm great, phenomenal, absolutely perfect. I won the lottery so my roller coaster just went up."

"Funny." Was all he said before we sat in a moment of silence. Cars drove by and I pulled my hood up while crunching down further on the bench that cracked when you moved. Josiah looked at me the entire time and once in awhile opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. I thought of going home and not sitting so exposed and near the school but my subconscious told me to stay away from familiar places for some time, at least if I could afford to avoid it.

"Does this have anything to do with your two years absence, a couple of months ago?" Josiah's deep voice startled me and his content even more. I froze.

"How-" Immediately I got interrupted and continued staring questioningly at him.

"WU did some research on you. Let's just say that we were curious of who you are, since you apparently don't want to tell anything to anyone." I thought of whether or not to tell him some parts of it but decided against it.

′Though I'm already doomed so what more could be damage?′

Before I had time to speak he stood up and held out his hand for me to take.

"Come with me to our headquarters, I'm sure you shouldn't be alone right now." A quirky sneer played on his lips and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Headquarters, really?" I scoffed and Josiah seemed amused by my reaction.

"I mean, lair works too." He impish grinned and I actually took his hand which made him smile hugely, seeming proud over himself.

"More like bachelor cave." My mumble was heard and while I sat on the back of the bike Josiah's chuckle echoed in my mind. I gripped his waist with both my arms and the engine started.⤱

Any theories on what's going on?