"It's beautiful Kat." Cee said.
"Yeah ... It's my mother's." I answered and closed my locker.
"That thing definitely looks expensive." Cee grinned.
The day was monotonous and dreary. I attended classes in a daze. When I entered biology, Lucas was already there, sitting on our shared seat. As I advanced, I noticed his head slightly turning towards me. Our eyes locked for one, two, three counts. I broke away first, but not before receiving a slow grin.
I slid in beside him and he leaned back in his seat, placing his right arm behind my seat and stretching his legs out in front of him. I ignored him. I kept my gaze fixed on the chalkboard.
"Looking good as always." He asked.
I ignored him but from the corner of my eye I could see a roguish smile lurking at the corner of his lips.
"Nice bracelet." He traced a finger on the bracelet, momentarily touching my skin. The hair on my skin rose and I shuddered under his touch. I immediately drew my hand back. "It looks good on you .... Katherine." He complimented and his enchanting gaze seemed to bewitch me.
"Thankyou" I said, without even giving it a second thought. Immediately I wanted to take that 'thankyou' back. Thank you? Of all the things I could have said, "thankyou" was the worst. I didn't want Lucas thinking that I liked his compliment. It didn't take much thinking to realize that he was trouble, and I had enough trouble looming, no need to invite more.
"And I prefer Kat." I corrected, realizing that he had called me Katherine earlier.
"Why not Katherine?" His gaze looked appraising.
"Cause it's boring." I answered and turned towards the chalkboard.
"I think it's beautiful." His reply caught me off guard and I turned sideways, he was still staring at me intently, with those dazzling charcoal grey eyes.
Fortunately, Mr. McKnight entered the class and I was forced to turn back. I took a fleeting look at him, he was now looking at Coach. His right arm had returned from the back of my seat to his side. He leaned forward in his seat, placing his hands on the table, apparently attentive.
"Good morning class." Coach McKnight pulled out a stack of sheets from his drawer. "I'm going to distribute these quizes to you. You have forty minutes to complete these. I'll collect these back at the end of the class. Now hurry up and put your textbooks away." He started distributing the sheets.
"I want forty five minutes of complete silence while you indulge in finishing these." Coach announced and moved back to his seat at the front of the class beside the chalkboard.
I read the questions carefully. I answered them precisely, as much as I could remember from the memorized facts. After finishing my quiz, I let my eyes wander around the class. I could see some of the students had their textbooks open under their table while some of them cheated from their partners.
I looked at Lucas from the corner of my eye, he was still writing in a neat and elegant handwriting. He had a refined cursive handwriting which made me question mine.
After the class was over, I submitted my quiz at Coach's desk and walked out of the class to find Cee standing by my locker.
"How was your class?" Cee asked tugging on my arm.
"As usual except we had a surprise quiz today." I answered pushing some books inside my locker.
"Mind if I steal her for a few seconds." Zach smiled behind Cee.
"Sure" I nodded and walked away. I had no idea where I was heading.
Ahead of me, I could see Sophie passing a glare at Cee' and Zach's direction. Sophie has always detested me and Cee for no reason. Obviously, she was pissed that Zach was fraternizing with Cee.
Sophie have always had all the guys wrapped around her finger, and guys would stoop down to her level to date her. She had this curvy voluptuous body with ash blonde hair reaching down to her waist, full plump lips, hazel eyes, and a perfect tan on her skin. She could catch the attention of anyone around her. Except for Zach and Lucas, probably cause they haven't officially met her. It was only a matter of time, after that Zach and Lucas will be the same, like all the other guys, at her disposal.
I opened the door to girls restroom and entered in one of the toilets. After I was finished, I turned the doorknob to open the door, but it won't budge. I tried opening it a several times. It was locked from outside. I panicked.
"Is anyone here?" I called out, "I'm kinda stuck in here ... My door won't open, I think it is locked from outside."
I heard no sound and no movement out there. I took out my cellphone from my pocket in an attempt to dial Cee, but there were no networks. Frustrated I tried opening it again, but it didn't.
Then suddenly I felt something pressing against my leg through the pocket of my jeans. I dug into my pocket only to find out that it was a note, I unfurled it.
"I'M WATCHING YOU"
Fear creeped in my body and the note caught fire out of nowhere as soon as I finished reading it. I threw it away, it landed on the floor and burned until it turned into ashes.
I moved back until my back touched the cold tiles. I tried shouting but nothing came out of my mouth. Tears started pooling out of my eyes and I fell on the floor, suddenly feeling out of strength.
I had no idea how that note popped up in my pocket. The same thing had happened before, two nights ago in my room, when I found that note under my pillows. Up until now, I thought that it was some stupid prank. But now, I have a very strong gut feeling that this is real and is somehow connected to the presence I felt around me sometimes.
"Kat" I heard Cee' voice outside, "Are you in here?" She shouted.
"Cee" I squeaked. My voice was low because I had been crying since I had discovered that note.
The doorknob turned and I looked up to find a worried Cee.
"Oh my God! Kat are you okay?" She came around me and put her hands on my shoulders.
I didn't answer her, I kept weeping. She lifted me up and walked me out of the toilet.
"What happened?" She sounded concerned.
"I don't know .... it was locked from outside and that's when I found.... " I stopped midsentence. As much as I wanted to tell Cee about that creepy note, I knew she won't believe me.
"How did you find me?" I asked.
"Lucas told me that you were locked inside here." She answered.
My mouth turned to an O. How did he knew where I was? Maybe he saw me entering the restroom, I thought to myself.
"Are you sure you're okay? You look pale." Cee asked keeping a hand on my shoulder.
I looked at my reflection in one of the mirrors. The first word that came to my mind was 'mess'. My eyes were red and a little swollen and face was freakishly pale, like I had seen a ghost. I splashed cold water on my face, several times and then wiped it clean.
"I'm okay." It was a lie.
My stomach still lurched and I still felt uneasy and cold. What was happening and why it was happening? The presence that I sometime felt around myself, was it real? Was it some spirit, trying to send me these creepy messages? Was I being haunted? I rubbed my eyes and pinched my nose as I walked out of the washroom with Cee.
I was trying so hard to maintain my composure. I kept my head down. I didn't wanted to look at anybody right now, not when I was busy deducing as to why these strange things were happening to me. I was following Cee' steps, when suddenly, she came to a hault. I craned my head to see Zach and Lucas standing in front of us.
"Sorry guys I'm not in the mood to talk right now." I excused myself and walked away from them.
Behind me I could hear Zach asking Cee as to what happened. Their voices fading in the background, as I walked further away.
"Katherine" Someone called.
I knew the voice. It was Lucas. I turned back. Lucas stood right in front of me. His face held no expression, entirely blank.
"Not a good timing Lucas." I said furiously.
"You dropped this." He held my silver bracelet up in front of me.
I looked at my wrist, it was empty. I must have dropped it somewhere. Lucas took a step forward. He took my hand and wrapped the bracelet on my wrist.
I craned up my head to find his eyes looking deep into mine. His gaze was calm, not the regular smug one. I have never seen him from this close. I realized he had the most perfect eyes. Dark and mysterious, yet stunning, the kind of eyes you might never try to look away from. His slightly angular face held the perfect chiseled jawline. My furious heartbeat was calming down, just by looking at him. He was inhumanely beautiful. Some of his dark black hair fell on his forehead and I had this sudden urge to run my fingers through them.
"Katherine" His voice was soothing and comforting. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm... fine" I managed to say. For a moment, I almost forgot everything, and was lost in his dreamy eyes.
"You sure?" He lifted his eyes.
"Yes" I withdrew my hand from his and brushed a hair strand that fell on my face as I looked down.
"How did you know that I was locked inside?" I asked.
"I heard you..." He replied, I pondered over his answer.
How could he possibly hear me from outside. I remember I wasn't shouting or screaming for help.
"Let's go! " Cee said as she joined us.
"Yes" I replied to her.
"I'll see you tomorrow in biology." Lucas spoke.
"Goodbye" I started walking away with Cee after taking one final glance at him.
* * *