Exceptional

Chapter 3: Not a Joke

I'm taken aback by the note. At first, I thought it was just another harmless, immature middle school prank but it couldn't have gone this far. Like how could they have known my locker number?!

Is someone stalking me? My hands tremble as I begin to feel dizzy. Fear begins to swallow me, but I don't know why. This note could just be a sheer coincidence to the one on my windshield. This can't possibly be real. 

I begin thinking about the problem rationally. Maybe it's an inside job. It could be someone in the school just messing with me. My mind hops to Carter. He loves to pull tricks on me all the time. I shake by head, laughing. I decide to talk to him about it first period. 

I peer into my locker and gather all my books for first period. Unlike a lot of people in the school, I prefer to be organized and as neat as possible. I get very OCD when something isn't done right. 

I close my locker just as the bell for first period rings. I walk down the miserable hallway of school, just like all the other students with glum faces. 

I find my way to the science lab and to my usual seat next to Carter.He looks up at me and gives me a warm smile.

"Carter, stop messing with me. I know it was you."

The smile on his face fades away and is replaced by a confused expression. "What are you talking about, Danielle?"

"Stop bluffing, Carter.  I know you're the one behind all this. The note on my windshield and my locker. If you think you're gonna scare me-"

He cut me off. "Note? What note?"

The confusion on his face looks genuine this time so I show him the notes. "Look at these, one was on my windshield this morning and one was in my locker. I figured you were behind this 'cuz, you know, you like messing with me, you know what my car looks like, and you know where my locker is."

"Oh, Danielle, I did NOT do any of this," he says studying the notes with a puzzled expression.

"If you didn't do it then who did?"

Just as I say that, our science teacher, Mr. Jones walks in. "Okay class, we need to begin the lesson right away. There's a lot to do today. So if everyone could direct their attention to the board..."

Mr. Jones started talking right away about ions, electrons, and some other science stuff. Carter taps me on my arm and slides a piece of paper in my direction. Making sure Mr. Jones isn't looking, I open the note. 

Idk, Danielle, this note seems pretty legit to me.

I begin to write back, but as my pen moves across my paper, the room starts closing in on me. The last thing I remember is Carter calling my name followed by the sound of a crash of a chair and a person colliding with the floor.