Joann came back out. “Would you like to attend Flagler,
Viata?”
“Definitely.”
Joann handed me papers to fill out, then showed us a
few classrooms. Some of them were in auditoriums. It was
cool. After Joann showed us the rest of the campus, we left
to go back home, and I texted Kaylee and Liam, telling them
that I decided to go there. They both texted me one after
⁓
⁓
another, excited we would all be together. I was psyched to
start there, then I frowned, wondering if Sara was going to
attend there too.
Kaylee called me and questioned me about my date with
Clay. I told her what had happened. She told me to forget
about him and talk to Constin.
On Monday, I pulled in a parking spot and sat there not
wanting to go inside. I didn’t want to run into Clay. The cop
from our school waved for me to hurry up before the bell
rang.
At lunch, I went to the cafeteria and sat with Kaylee and
Liam. When they asked what had happened to my lip, I gave
in and told them.
Liam seemed upset because I went on a date with Clay.
He didn’t speak much until I told them how he acted. That
was when he looked over at Clay, who was five rows behind
us and scowled at him.
Clay got up and came over to us. “What’s up?” Clay
took turns glaring at all of us.
Liam jumped up. “Why did you take Viata out Saturday
night and treat her like crap?”
“Saturday? What are you talking about? I was still in
Colorado at my grandmother’s funeral.” Clay looked down
at me. “Why are you telling people I took you out?”
“Because you did.”
“You liar.” He looked at Liam. “Did you see me here
on Friday?”
Liam ignored him.
“I thought so,” he said and turned to me. “What are you
trying to do?”
⁓
⁓
I slammed my fist on the table and jumped up. “Why
are you lying, Clay? Is it because I didn’t want to make out
with you?”
His eyebrows came together. “You need some serious
help.” He stormed off.
Some kids, including Sara, laughed and talked among
themselves.
I looked at Liam and Kaylee. “What? I didn’t make it
up. He did take me out.”
“I believe you,” Kaylee reassured.
Liam looked away.
I sat back down, and the other students went back to
talking. I was sure about what had happened.
“I can’t believe he denied we went out. What’s wrong
with men these days?” I pushed my food tray to the side.
“His loss,” Kaylee said.
“We’re not all like that,” Liam added.
Kaylee nudged me with her shoulder.
“What?”
“Look who just walked in.”
I saw Constin and scooted over toward Kaylee, hoping
that Liam’s body would hide me.
Liam looked back. “Who’s that?”
“His name is Constin,” I mumbled.
“He should play football,” Liam said.
Kaylee disagreed. “No way. He should become a
model.”
“He should run track. He’s faster than Sara.” I leaned to
my side to take another look.
“He is?” Kaylee’s voice squeaked. She waved for him to
come over.
⁓
⁓
I grabbed her hand and jerked it back down. “What are
you doing?”
“You can’t avoid him forever.”
“Seriously? I’m not hanging out with someone because
they feel bad for me.”
“Sara was lying. Shh … he’s coming,” Kaylee said.
Liam rolled his eyes and got up. “Talk to you two later.”
Constin sat down in Liam’s place and looked at me.
Kaylee cleared her throat.
“Oh, sorry. Constin, this is Kaylee. Kaylee, this is
Constin.”
“Hi, Kaylee. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hello,” she replied, watching his every move.
I pinched her under the table because she looked like
“Where are you going?” I asked, not wanting her to
leave me alone with him.
“I have to use the restroom.” Kaylee took her tray,
walked behind Constin, and fanned herself off.
I glared at her.
His gaze met mine. “What happened to your lip?”
I wasn’t about to tell him what really happened. “I got
hit with a ball at the park.”
“Sorry about that.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“Why were you avoiding me at the restaurant the other
night?”
I was unable to look away. “What makes you think I was
avoiding you?”
“You walked out without saying hi. That would be a
good indication.”
⁓
⁓
My foot was shaking a mile a minute. “Were you stalking
me?”
He tilted his head and grinned. “Not at all. My father
likes it there.”
“That was your dad?”
He nodded.
“Well, I regret ignoring you. My date ended up being a
jerk.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“How do you like this school?”
He leaned forward. “I would like it better if you would
give me your number.” He took out his iPhone and slid it
over to me.
I pushed it back. “I didn’t say I was going to give it to
you.”
He slid it back to me. “Please?” His voice was smooth.
I sighed, programmed my number in it, and the lunch
bell went off.
We got up. I went to grab my tray, but Constin stopped
me. “I got it.”
“Thanks.”
Sara walked past us, shaking her head. “Freak.”
I looked away, and a slight breeze blew past me with the
scent of the ocean breeze and sandalwood. I sniffed the air
again, wondering if I was dreaming and Bain was close.
“What the hel ?” Sara yelled.
I frowned, knowing I wasn’t dreaming and turned
around to Sara on the floor.
“Who pushed me?” Sara screeched, looking at her
friends behind her.
Constin chuckled.
⁓
⁓
I looked around the cafeteria, wondering what caused a
sudden breeze, but no windows or doors were open.
Two boys rushed over to her to help her up. All the boys
wanted her, and she knew it. Sara pushed them away and
wiped the sauce off her white dress with her hand.
“Oh my God! I just bought this dress!”
I walked up to her and handed her a napkin.
Sara smacked my hand away. “Get away from me,
dumpster girl.”
Her friends laughed.
Constin came up to me, took my hand, and smirked at
Sara. “You’re the one who looks like you just came out of a
dumpster.” His eyes met mine. “Come on, beautiful.”
My mouth fell open, unable to believe he stuck up for
me.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sara’s voice echoed as
we walked out of the cafeteria.
I glanced back at her and frowned because I knew how
she felt.
I stopped Constin in the hall. “Are you talking to me
because you like to, or is it because you feel bad for me?”
He exhaled. “From the moment you walked into the
café, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you.” He was believable.
I blushed. “Why me?”
“If you only knew.” He turned away.
“Knew what?”
“Please accept what I told you. I’ll see you later.”
I watched him walk away with a million butterflies
dancing in my stomach. I was in shock that the new boy liked
me.
⁓
⁓
After school, I went to Kaylee’s house to do homework,
but we ended up talking about what Constin did. Soon after
that, I drove home. Dad was in the living room, watching the
news.
He grinned. “How was school?”
“Great.” I looked at the TV, and the male reporter was
standing in the woods with yellow caution tape everywhere.
“What’s going on?”
“Some wild animal is mutilating people.”
“Ew, that’s gross. What kind of animal would do that?”
Dad glanced up at me. “I have no clue, but don’t go into
the woods until they find it.”
“I’m not planning on it. It’s probably those stupid dogs
that were growling and hissing outside my window last nigh”
Dad leaned forward. “You heard it too?”
“Yeah.” I took a cracker off his plate. “They kept me up
all night.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again tonight.”
“Me too. They kind of sound like the same animals in
Romania, don’t they?”
He shrugged. “No, that’s impossible. I don’t know what
it was, but it’s freaky, especially for around here.”
I walked into the kitchen, and Mom was standing at the
counter reading a magazine. I sat down at the table. “What’s
for dinner?”
“I don’t know yet. How was school?”
I picked at the plastic placemat. “It was good until that
jerk Clay told the entire cafeteria he never went out with me.”
Mom sighed. “Boys these days are cruel. Just ignore him
and focus on your homework.”
⁓
⁓
“Not all of them are. A new boy stuck up for me today
when Sara called me a freak.”
“That was nice of him. If she says anything else to you,
tell me, and I’ll go straight to her father again. But this time,
your father will go with me. Her father gives me the creeps.”
“I didn’t know you went to his house. I thought you
called him.”
“I told you that because you were still young. Do you
want pizza?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, I’ll order it.”
While Mom was on the phone, I walked into the pantry
and ate some cookies and chips.
Mom opened the door and laughed. “Viata, I just
ordered takeout.”
“What? I was hungry,” I said with cookie crumbs falling
out of my mouth.
She laughed. “You look tired. Go take a hot bath. I’ll get
you when the pizza arrives.”
“Sounds good.”
In the bathtub, I closed my eyes and right away, I saw
images of Clay’s face and wondered if he had a mental
disorder.
After the water got cold, I got out and climbed into
pajamas. When Mom cal ed down the hall, I went to the
kitchen to eat the pizza, but it tasted like cardboard, so I said
goodnight and went to bed early.
As I started to pass out, I was awakened by the hostile
animals outside. I grunted and ran over to the window,
opened the blinds, and a huge black, hairy animal with yellow
glowing eyes was staring at me.
⁓
⁓
“What the hell is that?” I screamed and stumbled
backward. “Dad!” I ran out of my room and sprinted up the
stairs. I tripped, slid down the steps, and ran up them again.
Mom and Dad met me in the hall. “What is it?” Dad
asked.
“I just saw a huge animal with yellow eyes outside my
window.” I took his hand and led him back into his room. I
rushed over to the window and looked to the right where my
room was, but there was nothing there.
Dad looked. “I don’t see anything.”
“It was there. I saw it.”
“I’m sure it was one of those stupid dogs,” Mom said.
“No, this thing was way bigger than a dog. Its eyes
glowed like a nightlight.”
Dad turned to me and exhaled. “That sounds crazy.”
“I know, but can you go look?”
Dad walked downstairs.
Mom rushed after him. “Bret don’t go out there. What
if it’s one of those wild dogs?”
I ran down the stairs and grabbed Dad’s arm before he
opened the front door. “Mom’s right. Just cal animal
control.”
Dad ignored me, opened the door, and stepped out on
the front porch. Mom took my hand, and we followed Dad
out and stood behind him. I looked to where I saw the
animal, and the sprinklers went off, causing my body to
flinch.
“Shit, that scared me,” Mom said, clutching her chest.
Dad turned to us. “I’ll call animal control when I get to
work in the morning.”
“No, call them now.”
⁓
⁓
Mom led me inside. “Honey, they’re not open this late.
Go back to bed, and we’ll have them come out tomorrow
and check it out.”
Dad shut the door and locked it.
“Do you believe me about what I saw?”
Dad sighed. “I believe you saw a dog or something.”
I rubbed my face, knowing it was going to be another
all-nighter. “Goodnight.”
“Night, honey.” Mom went back upstairs.
“Get some rest.” Dad walked over to the window and
looked out.
“Okay,” I mumbled.
In my room, I turned the light on and stood near my
bedroom door while keeping my eyes on the window.
When I heard dad go back upstairs, I went into the
kitchen, took one of Mom’s energy drinks, and ran back to
my room. I sat on the floor near the door, snapped off the
top, and gagged from its bitter taste as I downed it. I stayed
up until 5:20 in the morning, staring at the window, trying to
see if that thing showed its face again. It didn’t. That’s when
I must have nodded off.
My phone’s alarm went off, waking me up. I looked at
the time on my phone. “Oh, crap.”
With only twenty minutes until school, I got off the
floor, got dressed as quickly as I could, and rushed outside.
Before I got into my car, Liam honked his horn a few times,
causing me to jump.
“Dickhead!”
He laughed and took off down the road with me
following him.
&n
bsp; ⁓ ⁓
At school, I saw crazy Clay a few cars over. I looked
away, trying to avoid his gaze, but when I glanced up again,
he stared at me like he wanted to ask me something, then he
lowered his head and walked away.
I continued inside and lost my balance from being so
tired. I managed to make it to class. The only seat that was
left was next to Sara. I wanted to walk out, but I didn’t want
to get in trouble, so I sat next to her. She looked at me and
covered her nose.
“I didn’t know this was elementary school again,” I
mumbled.
She kicked my seat. “Shut up.”
I rolled my eyes and listened to the teacher talk about
our upcoming math test. Out of nowhere, my head started
to hurt, and the teacher’s voice faded. I massaged my
temples, sat up straight in the seat, and endured the pain for
the rest of the period.
I continued to my next class and sat next to Kaylee in
the back.
“Are you staying up again?” she whispered.
“Yes, some stupid animals keep fighting. I saw one of
them last night outside my window. It had yellow eyes”
“It was probably one of the wild dogs that everyone’s
been talking about. But I don’t know about it having yellow
eyes. That’s weird. Are you sure?”
I rubbed my throbbing head. “I don’t know what it
was.”
“You look like you’re in pain.”
“I think it’s because I drank Mom’s nasty energy drink
again.”
⁓
⁓
Kaylee looked over at me with concern. “Stop drinking
those. You need to sleep.”
“Quiet, ladies,” Mr. Roberts scolded.
We faced forward because we knew he was a strict
teacher.
As Mr. Roberts spoke, a sharp pain rushed through my
brain. I cradled my head in my hands, and the next thing I
knew, the classroom turned into a forest. I stood and looked
down at my green gown. It was the same one I had on last
time when I saw Savina.
I walked through the dark woods. “Bain,” I called out.
“Hello,” Savina said.
My body froze. I looked to my left and right, but she
was nowhere in sight. There was nothing but darkness and
the sound of footsteps getting closer to me. I took cover
behind a tree and peeked out.