A DARKER SILVER LINING

JASON'S POV

Gerrard had already began reading the class register. He was our AP Chemistry tutor. He seemed too young for such a role and as such he preferred it if we called him by his first name without a the titles that come with being a professor or a mere tutor. Most of them demanded more respect than they earned. Gerrard was cool though. I was pretty sure he'd buy the story I had prepared in my head to save Bailey from detention owing to missing a class.

Bailey Davidson...

No answer.
Most students turned their heads around trying to see of they'd catch a glimpse of Bailey who was already labelled as ' spacegirl' ...But nah...she wasn't in school today and I knew why.

I'm afraid she won't be joining us today Gerrard...

Why so? We didn't get any report on that.

She's at the counsellor's office.

I will confirm if this is true young sir.

Sure Gerrard...

Carrying on...we are doing the theory part today. I'll expect you all to participate fully in the Q/A I have here.

I was totally unbothered. The counselor was a rather aged man who didn't know who went in or out of his office. I had signed in Bailey to his 'to see' list that morning before the class. I would then tell Bailey to flow with the lie. Nate was sitted on my side today. He eyed me curiosly. Felt like he had a lot on his mind to say. Or as if he had something he was battling with beyond what I could decipher. Or he probably saw me as a Jane Doe...Dang he was creepy.

Finally...
The three hours of the lecture seemed to be taking too long to come to an end. But finally it was over.

Jason... right?

Yeh... wassup mehn...

Just wondering if you wanna do some play station tomorrow...my place?

Yeh sure man...

Without saying anything more, he left. Just like that. There was something hair raising about him. Something weird. Something dark. It felt like I had known him once. But no it couldn't be him.

The Nate I knew was a dork...he was a freak... and he was still in juvee for all I knew. So no, it couldn't be him. People have similar names right? And he couldn't possibly have changed to that extent...
I mean...the Nate from elementary school had a hunch. He had lazy eyes with no color. Just a plain black. You know the normal. I buried the thoughts away. I was sure he wasn't the one. Definitely. He probably wanted to be friends.

CORRECTION CENTER

That night, I couldn't sleep. I had landed in juvee on that day. It was a horror. Being alone, lonely...my parents so far away. I was afraid, worried, devastated. I couldn't close my eyes. I wanted to get out already.

Looking at the cuts on my right arm, I couldn't help but feel angry at the girl who had brought all these problems on me. My sister had been stabbed at her expense. It was already a year after her death. The guy who had stabbed her was already in juvee. That I was sure off. I couldn't care less if he died either. If he suffered I was okay. It was part of a bitter sweet kind of vengeance.

Amber's death had taken a toll on me and six months down the line, I had began a cult at the elementary school. (B.F.B) BLOOD FOR BLOOD. I had a sudden urge to cause bloodshed. I had it all planned out in my head and so starting it wasn't that hard. I'd get the weakest of students, place three cuts on their right hand then do a chant. And bingo, they were in.

At sixth grade, they all thought it was cool being in some sort of cult. But when the cult was no longer secret, everything crumpled down. I had felt it necessary since my own sister had died in the same school. Her blood had been shed right before my very eyes on one recess session. I wanted to feel that enough blood had been paid back.

But she had to stand in my way. And with one report...a little digging from the tutors... A session of questioning... confessions from pupils in school...I was out. Out to face the law. Too much evidence was incriminating me so I had no choice but to admit to everything.

It wasn't in my game to throw in the towel...but it was over. I promised myself that she had to pay when I got out. No matter what it took.

And here I was...in a cold cell. With bunk beds. My cellmate was already snoring. He seemed so calm in his sleep. More like a peaceful sleep in a morgue. Getting no sleep at all,I hopped out of bed. The corridor was dark...only a flickering light did the darkness justice. My eyes twitched at the sight of it.

Smash!

Someone's face had been smashed into what felt like a glass mirror. The pieces shattered all over the place. I could hear some whispers. But I wasn't close enough to find out what exactly they were saying. I was reluctant to move any closer. I was scared. My legs shuddered at every step I took.

Three guys...
They seemed to be beating the hell out of an already disfigured face. He was so helpless...weak...his face was more of a mangled wreck. Like totally. The sight of blood aroused some sort of monster in me. I couldn't help it. I had to help him. My chest was heaving up and down uncontrollably. Being one to act upon emotion, I did what I had to do.

Gathering up all my energy reserves, I walked towards the three guys. I was holding a piece of shattered glass in my arm.

So what are you going to do with that?huh coward...it's three against one...

He said...he was really arrogant. And his goons were no less. They laughed...mockery was all in it. The beat up guy wasn't moving. I could see a piece of glass deep within his right eye. If he wasn't dead then fate must have had a good reason for keeping him alone after all the torture.

Why don't you take a step closer and find out you sucker!

I wasn't afraid. With one swing of my right arm, I grazed his right cheek. He had actually dared to take two steps closer. Not even one. He looked furious...at the same time in pain. This gave me some kind of joy. Psycho right?
I didn't care at all . His friends had already scattered away. I was a literal blood thirsty monster. He still wanted to fight though. With a final blow to his chin,he let out a yell and fell to his knees. Clutching his throat,I spat on his stupid face.

The noises of other inmates waking up from the commotion didn't startle me either. The guards on duty were alerted too. By now I was strangling him ... His face was puffy...more like pink. I was happy. At least I had helped someone... hopefully the beat guy wasn't dead. He had eyed me before shutting his only working eye earlier when the fight broke out between me and the guy hanging from my hands, back against the wall.

It was when they tased me that everything went black.

Pitch black.

06:06:2020

I must have been thinking too much about Nate and his friendly gesture to look where I was going. I had walked into the abandoned library. I don't even know how I had gotten there. But it felt right being there.

Bailey would never find out about anything. Not when I was so close to ending my misery. Not when I was too close to fulfilling Amber's death wish. No one would stop me.

The library seemed quiet. Only the sound of creaking furniture filled the air. But then... something caught my eyes. A guy. He looked like he was holding something. Hugging on to something. I couldn't see what because it was behind the only standing shelf in the library.

And so I walked closer.