The Boy Next Door (Editing and Rewriting)

Chapter 21

It’s been just over a week since the accident and I’m finally back in school, no more bed rest for me. This morning I got up and got ready for school faster than I ever have before, all of my muscles still hurt and all of my wounds are now just scars. Grabbing my iPod and headphones of my bedside table and walking down the stairs, as fast as I can manage, and grabbing a muesli bar from the cupboard I deem myself ready for school. The temperature outside sends a chill right through my skin and into my bones, today I’m a tank top and a skirt, mainly because I couldn’t put anything else on without hurting myself more than necessary.

The walk to school seemed longer than it used to, I guess not going school for more than two weeks has changed my perspective as to the length of the walk. When I arrive at school I walk in through the doors and make my way to my locker, making sure to keep my head down so that hopefully no one will see that it’s me. Not that any of them really care. After arriving at my locker I open it and put my bag away. As I’m grabbing out my books I feel someone come up behind me, I don’t have to turn around to know who it is.

“Hey Lucas,” I call out while still grabbing my books. After my trip to the hospital and them visiting me all the time the twins and I have actually become good friends. They even told me that they never really hated me, they just wanted me to stand up for myself, they were sick of seeing me be beaten down by Katie and her gang. So really they were trying to help, which I was actually thankful for, because they did make me stand up for myself in the end, to them at least. Now I guess it’s time for me to stand up to Katie and her gang, especially since I stood up to Ryder already. Speaking of him, are you wondering what happened to him? Well, after I told the police what he did, they arrested him and he’s probably in juvie right now.

“Hey girl,” replies Lucas after I turn around, books in hand, “how you doing?” he asks, and even has the audacity to wink at me. Oh, I should tell you, Lucas is gay, thought you should know so that you don’t think he’s hitting on me.

“I’m fine, how’s boyfriend number three?” I ask Lucas.

“Where have you been? He’s so last week, I’m onto boyfriend number six now, and he’s alright,” Lucas rarely shares details with me of his dating life, and here I thought we were supposed to be friends.

“You’re such a man-whore Lucas,”

“Oh, he knows he is,” Jonathon says, making me turn around, I didn’t even hear him come up behind me.

“Hey Jon, how are you?” I ask him after giving him a hug, or rather him giving me a hug since lifting my arms hurts.

“I’m good, how are you holding up?”

“Alright, everything hurts hence the ridiculous clothing choice,”

“Hmm, I don’t know, I like the clothing choice, finally showing some skin!” he says, his eyes roaming over my exposed legs. “Anyway, let’s go to class,” he says as he wraps his arm around my shoulders and drags me in the direction of our first class, Homeroom. The three of us sit down in my usual seat the twins take the two seats on my left, they have taken to sitting with me in every class they have with me, not that I’m complaining.

“Boys?” I turn to them, and wait until they are looking at me before I continue, “where’s Adam?”

“Oh, umm” Lucas starts, he suddenly looks nervous and I’d really love to know why, “Jon, you should tell her, yeah I think that’s a better idea.”

“Umm, okay sure,” he doesn’t look nervous at all, weird, “well remember when we told you that we knew someone that has a crush on you, but you refused to believe us and we refused to tell you who it was?” I nod in reply.

“Of course I remember you telling me, but what does this have to do with Adam?”

“Well, he’s kind of the person that we were telling you about,” and then, I started laughing. Not a little giggle, no I started full out hands-clapping-not-able-to-breathe laughing. Once I recovered, I said,

“You guys are funny! I mean you don’t even know about my crush on him yet you try to mess with my head and tell me that he has a crush on me.” And then I realized what I said, I just told them that I have a crush on him, crap. Both of them were now staring at me like I’m crazy, so instead of speaking again I just waved at them, before getting up and running, well fast walking, out of the room. I could heard their footsteps before I could see the twins chasing after me, but they didn’t get to catch me because I ran into the girls bathroom. Smart move, I know.

It wasn’t until the bell rang; signalling the end of homeroom, that I decided to leave the bathroom, hoping that the twins had already gone to their next class, which was different to mine. I got to my Math class just fine, no sight of the twins. I sat down in the usual seat just as the bell went, and the same as in homeroom Adam wasn’t here, I guess he’s sick today and didn’t come into school. Stupid twins, why didn’t they just tell me that, I thought as I placed my books on the table in front of me, but I quickly pulled them back to my chest when I saw a piece of white paper sitting on my desk, folded. Hmm, did the teacher give us worksheets? Moving the paper to the side of my desk I put down my books, again, and picked up the folded piece of paper. On the front/top it had my name, and when I opened it up I saw that it wasn’t a worksheet, it was a letter. That read,

“Dear Alison,

Hey! I hear that you’re back in school again, that’s great. I actually have a favour to ask of you, can you meet me outside the cafeteria during lunch? Please, it’s really important, but I can’t tell you why, at least not right now and not this way. Meet me there and you will find out, I promise.

Yours truly,

Your admirer.”

Okay, well that was cryptic. I’ll have to ask the twins, see if they know anything, I thought after I read the letter.

The only problem was I couldn’t ask the twins. Why you ask? Well, because I couldn’t find them, they seemed to have disappeared, I’m in History at the moment, one of the few classes that I have with the twins, and they aren’t here, I also didn’t see them between my classes like I usually do. But, during that time I decided that I would meet the mystery person outside during lunch, what could it hurt? Well, it could hurt a lot actually. But oh well.