Would you like to go watch a movie with me this weekend? Ed said taking out the movie tickets from his pocket.
I was going to reject the offer but I saw Shaun coming into the class. I thought of it as an opportunity and immediately grabbed the tickets.
"I really wanted to watch this movie, Ed." I gave him a bright smile. "It's great, let's go this weekend." I spoke in a loud voice so that Shaun could hear.
At the weekend, as planned Ed and I went to watch a movie.
The lights of the theatre went off, and the silver screen in front of us lit up. I looked around in the dark and a pair of glistening eyes grasped my attention. The glow was intense yet familiar.
"He's my favorite actor, do you like him?" I turned around to Ed who was sitting beside me.
"Yeah, he's good," I replied to him.
I noticed Ed's hand moving towards mine and immediately pulled my hand away. He awkwardly took his hand back.
"Why did I do it? That's what everyone does on a movie date. What's wrong with me." I thought to myself.
When the movie ended I looked back for those eyes and got surprised seeing Shaun and Patricia there.
"What're they doing here?" I said pointing at them.
"They were here too, what a coincidence." Ed took a look at them.
As we walked out to the lobby, Ed approached them. "What a coincidence, we didn't know you guys were here too."
"Neither did we. Patricia likes the actor from this movie a lot, so I thought of watching it with her." Shaun glanced at me saying it.
"Should we have dinner together, then?" Patricia offered.
"We would love to but Ed and I have other plans, maybe next time," I said holding Ed's arm.
"Okay then, see you at school," Shaun said.
We walked out of the theatre.
"So where are we going next?" Ed inquired me with smirk.
"Sorry Ed, but I'm a bit tired, can you drop me off at my place."
"Yeah, if you're tired you should rest. No worries."
*****
I was walking down to the dining hall with Emily when I remembered that I forgot my phone in the class.
"Emily, I forgot my phone in the class. Stay here I'll be back in a moment."
"How can you be so absent-minded Claire." she sighed.
On arriving there I saw a note on my desk.
It read: These things will keep happening if you don't stay away from HIM.
It hasn't been long since I left the class. The thought immediately caught my mind. He must be near!
I ran out in the hallway and looked around. I caught a glimpse of a person in a black hoodie at the end of the hallway turning around the corner. I dashed towards him.
"Claire!" Emily shouted seeing me haring off in the hallway.
I darted a glance at her and gave her a hand signal to stop there and wait for me.
I rushed across the corner to look for him but he had vanished into thin air by then. It was the way to the staffroom. I walked to the door of the staffroom and nervously opened the door. I found three people in there who were busy in their work. They were Ivan our homeroom teacher, Joseph the maths teacher, and Clara Emily's science teacher.
"Where could he have gone to? It can't be possible that the person in the hoodie is someone from the teachers in the staffroom or maybe it is? But why would any one of them be doing this to me?" I walked back to Emily, wondering about it.
"Claire, where were you running to. What's wrong?"
"Should I tell her? What if it puts her in danger too? No, I shouldn't". I thought to myself.
"I thought I saw Shaun there so ran up to see where he was heading."
"Seriously? Claire, have you gone crazy over him. And he couldn't even be there, I just saw him going down."
"I see, that is why I didn't find him there," I smiled awkwardly at her." let's go down now, I'm hungry Em. Hurry!"
I pulled her to walk off.
*****
I came to the class and saw a piece of paper stuck to my book. It was from Emily, asking me to come to the stairway. It seemed strange, she has never done it before but I still went to see her.
There was no one on the staircase when I got there. I stood there to wait for Emily. Suddenly a hand pulled me by my shoulder down a few steps and the very instant a large flower pot fell in front of me. I was horrified by this abrupt scene.
"Claire stay here!" I heard Shaun's voice. He raced up the stairs telling me to stay there. How could I stay there, I need to know what's happening. If it wasn't for Shaun, I would have been badly injured. I need to know who is this person and why is he trying to hurt me.
I hurried up the stairs to the roof. I saw Shaun and the black hoodie man standing face to face. I couldn't see the face of that person in the hoodie as it was covered up by a mask.
The man in the hoodie leaped like a panther, punched Shaun in his face, throwing him down the ground.
"Shaun!" I yelled.
In that frozen second, Shaun's eyes flicked from me to him. He stood up and darted towards the person who was sprinting away.
Shaun jumped over him before he could get any further and booted him. He crashed into the wall with a boom, leaving cracks in it. I was stunned seeing this. How can he hit him with such a force, hard enough to crack the wall, how can any human do that? Shaun went to him as he lied down with his hands moving around his stomach. Shaun extended his hand to take off his mask but that man still had some strength left in him. He shook Shaun's hand off and gave him a violent push. He got up on his feet, pulled Shaun up then thrust him down the ground. He started punching him repeatedly and Shaun was struggling against him. I was agonized seeing this, I was scared but I couldn't see Shaun get hurt. I calmed myself and thought of a usual response. I looked around and found some bricks lying on my side. I picked one of them and without a second thought, I rushed to attack the person with it. My attempt to hit him with the brick failed as before the brick could touch him, he turned around to me and grabbed my neck. His menacing eyes were a blazing red as he shoved me to the wall and pushed me over it by my neck. It was the moment I thought I was going to die, the days of my life stretched out like a panorama. Before I could close my eyes and give in, my hand was grasped.
"Keep holding my hand. Claire, look at me, hold it tight, don't give up." the voice cut through my benumbed senses. I looked up and saw Shaun's face. He clasped my arm with his other hand and pulled me up. He took my collapsed self in his embrace and I finally took a breath.
He held me in his arms and carried me to the infirmary.
"You should rest here for a bit, don't think about anything and just rest," he said wiping the sweat off my forehead.
I shut my heavy eyes and fell asleep.