Faded Memories

Chapter 25

"Listen to the police for God's sake Amelia, they're there to protect you. So, if Michael says that he's going to have somebody positioned outside of the school, then let him." Joe scolded me down the phone, angry that he had only just been brought up to speed on everything that has happened in the last few weeks. "And you have all the ways to contact me in an emergency - and Ryan definitely counts as an emergency. If ANYTHING happens, call me."

"No, Joe, I know. I know. Listen, I'm at the school now so I've gotta go. Love you, bro." I smiled down the phone as I hung up, feeling better now that everybody knew. I had told the girls over the weekend, and Carter had naturally filled the guys in so that everybody was now in the know. It felt strange, having everybody know about aspects of my life that I'd never shared before. But it also felt freeing, as if I could finally just be myself.

"I'm guessing he isn't too happy that you kept it from him." Carter stated from beside me, before we both stepped out of his car and began walking towards the school entrance. He'd stayed over at my house for the entire weekend, despite my attempts to get him to go home. Apparently a police watch wasn't enough for him, he needed to be by my side constantly too. I shouldn't complain though, it's been quite... let's say... nice.

"He's furious, not at me, but at whoever let him out again. Last time was horrific for all of us, I just think he's angry at himself for not being here with me this time to protect me." I smiled at him as we headed up the steps and into the building, heading straight for the table in the library where the group would most likely be as we were early.

As we neared the table though, they all seemed to quieten down and almost stop their conversation. Brilliant, they were definitely speaking about the situation from the way they were all looking at me as if I'd died or something. This right here, this is why I don't tell people about the situation. I hate sympathy. I hate people acting anything but normal around me.

"Guys..." I glanced at each one of them as I sat down opposite Carter, waiting for somebody to speak and make me feel some sort of normal. I watched as they looked between each other, as if silently communicating who would be the one to speak to me first.

"So, we've come up with a plan to keep you safe-" Georgia began, putting her hand on mine as if to comfort me about the entire situation. I mean, I think she was more fragile than me seeing as she had cried when I explained the story to her on Saturday, apparently she was frightened for my life and didn't want to lose me.

"Yeah, well, not a plan. More of a code - a group pact kind of thing!" Millie chipped in, trying to lessen whatever it was that they were about to tell me. I glared at Carter to see whether he knew anything about it, receiving a shrug from him as he waited just as patiently as me to hear what they had to say.

"You're not going to be alone at any point during the school day, we've gone through your timetable and one of us can be around at all times - I can switch from my class on a Thursday morning to yours-"

"Georgia, I love you, but please stop talking," I chuckled as I placed a hand on her shoulder, before turning my attention to the entire group. "There's a police officer stationed outside.... All of the teachers have been informed about the situation. You all know what he looks like... and besides, he isn't going to come for me at school. He might not even come for me at all, he might just be scaremongering! Stop panicking, I'll be fine! I'll see you guys later... in the actual classes you take!" I sang over my shoulder as I left them at the table, heading for my first class of the day to set up. I wasn't going to be debated with over this, I needed some time alone in the school day, I wasn't completely incapable of handling myself on my own.

Luckily, I had history first today and I didn't share that class with anybody. I was a secret history buff at heart, Joe constantly telling me about what he had learnt in history class as a child as well as forcing me to watch all these history movies with him - films that I most definitely shouldn't have been watching as a small child. I wonder whether Jamie enjoyed history, or whether his foster parents had influenced him to like something else better like geography or maths.

"Class, I wanted to introduce our newest student before we begin today. Feel free to introduce yourself." Ms Shields introduced the new person, but this classroom was so awkwardly laid out, paired with the tallest person I had ever met sitting in front of me, that I could not see the new person.

"Um, hi everyone," Shit. Shit. I know that voice. That's him, oh my God. He's here. He's actually entered the school building. I drew in a quick breath, desperately listening for his name, still unable to see any part of his face. "I'm Ryan. My dad got a new job so I had to move here... um... yeah."

Ryan. My heart sank. What do I do? Do I run away? Cry? Scream? Yell for help? Surely the teachers have a photo of him on file, surely they've been made aware of the danger that he poses to myself and everybody attending this school. How could they let him transfer here, just like that? What did he want from me?

Without realising what I was doing, my chair had slidden out from behind me and I had launched myself into a standing position at my desk. The entire class looked around at me as I interrupted Ryan's speech... except, it wasn't Ryan that I was thinking it was. It was just some poor lad my age that had transferred schools, not a psychotic ex stalker. I needed to get a grip, he was definitely too deep in my head.

I chuckled under my breath as I realised what a stupid position I had put myself in now, with almost no reason as to why I was standing up and yet the entire class were looking at me as if waiting for my reasoning.

"Um... I just wanted to welcome you to the school and um... there's a spare seat next to me if you want?" I waffled on, slowly sitting back down as I spoke to try and divert the attention back towards the new kid and well away from me. I was an absolute lunatic, why did I just stand up randomly? What would that have achieved even if it was the real Ryan? Confront him in front of everybody? Great plan, Amelia.

I watched as he awkwardly wandered towards my desk, taking the seat beside me and getting his stuff out. I wonder whether he had moved because of a psychotic ex too, or if that was just me. I guess we'll never know, because I bet he doesn't want to speak to the strange girl who invited him to sit down-

"Thanks for the seat. I'm Oliver, by the way..." He commented, extending his hand out to shake mine whilst waiting for me to tell him my own name. Oliver? Did I hear that wrong? Oliver? He definitely said Oliver, so why did he just lie to the entire class?

"Oliver?"

"Oliver Goodman. And you are..?" He queried, looking at me through his bushy blonde fringe that was hanging over his eyes. I honestly couldn't even trust my own hearing anymore, so where did that leave me? I told the new boy my name before getting my head into the work this week, not wanting to allow myself to use my brain for anything other than History - I obviously didn't know how to use it properly as it was.

I texted Georgia later that day about the entire situation, for her to only confirm what I already knew: his name was most definitely Oliver and that I had imagined him saying Ryan. How could I trust myself anymore when I couldn't even be present in reality without hallucinating? This was all getting too much... I needed to get everything out of my head.