Yesterday | Seth Clearwater

Chapter 4

I don't know what feels true

But this feels right so stay a sec

Yeah, you feel right so stay a sec

~ Billie Eilish "hostage"

Monday came around quickly for Brooklyn. Her mother had already left for work by the time she woke up, and Paul was nowhere to be seen. Typical. She got ready to go to school and grabbed an apple to eat on her way to school.

Her school day was relatively uneventful, until she got to her sixth period Chemistry class. She sat down at her assigned lab table and waited for her partner to show up. Her partner's name was Quil Ateara, and he was in the grade above her. He was a pretty nice guy, and she really appreciated his work ethic. Nothing frustrated Brooklyn more than deadbeat partners in group work, and seeing how ambitious Brooklyn was, a lot of other students took having her as a partner for granted. Quil wasn't like that.

She was getting out her notebook when Quil sat down beside her.

"Hey, your brother hangs out with Sam Uley, right?"

Brooklyn sits up and looks at Quil. "Uh— yeah. Why?"

"Did Sam stare at him a lot before they started hanging out?" Quil ignored her question, and countered with one of his own.

"I don't know," Brooklyn stated. "Why are you asking?" She tried again.

"Sam keeps staring at me, like when I see him around town, " Quil said. "It's starting to weird me out."

"Yeah, that sounds really weird," Brooklyn agreed. "Maybe he has a crush on you?"

Quil stared at her with a bemused expression on his face.

"Okay. Maybe not," she conceded. She picked up a beaker and measured out the appropriate amount of water. Quil followed suit and began mixing something into the water she had just poured.

"It's like he's waiting for me or something," Quil stated. "I just don't know what he's waiting for."

Brooklyn shot him a sympathetic look. "He can't make you do anything you don't want to do. Have you told anyone else about this? Any adults?"

Quil shrugged, "Only some of my friends. He stares at them too."

Brooklyn froze. "Wow. This is starting to sound super predatory."

Quil ran his hands over his face. "That's what I was thinking. My friend Jake thinks that Sam is trying to recruit us into his cult."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Brooklyn mused. Their conversation faded, but it left Brooklyn feeling a bit unsettled. Paul had been trying to tell her what a good guy Sam was just a few days ago. Had Sam brainwashed him? This whole thing was starting to feel really off-putting.

Brooklyn's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bell ringing. She packed her bag and headed over to the locker rooms. She had soccer practice today.

The scent of dirty gym clothes and an abundance of body spray welcomed her as she entered the locker room. She opened her locker and began getting dressed.

"You know Jared Cameron?" Brooklyn heard from somewhere behind her. Some of the girls on the team were gossiping loudly as they changed into their uniforms.