Chapter 1
My name is Clare. I've been living quite a normal yet boring life. I have quite some friends but I prefer to remain in the house rather than go shopping with them. I'm quite the I-don't-care type. I wear large shirts and pants when I go out. I don't wear short shorts and skirts unless it's required (school sadly requires skirts).
"Oi. Sis, you planning to be late for class or what?" My brother asks me. He's acting all high and mighty when he's younger than me. It's only a single year but who cares.
"Don't worry. I'm never late. It's either I'm present or I'm absent," I reply with a grin. He returns the grin and grabs my bag. I place my plate on the sink and run beside him. I attempt to grab my bag back but he dodges.
"I'll carry it for you," he sheepishly says, trying to hide his blush.
"Oho! So you're trying to be a gentleman?" I poke his cheeks. "Gentlemen don't blush you know."
He angrily throws my bag to me. "I was planning to be kind but forget it!"
I giggle. "So you like a girl huh? Who?" He keeps quiet, his head bent low. "Ohhhh! It's Sandy, am I right? That cute doll-like girl. She's pretty but I wonder if she'll like your girlish voice." Now, he's red with rage. "Oh don't cry. She'll probably be glad enough to play doll with you."
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"SHUT UP BITCH!!!" He screams at me as he runs away. Ohhh. That's pretty bad. Did I say too much? Oh well. He's still such a kid. He's so cute.
I continue walking on the sidewalk. Somehow, it was quiet. Not peaceful, but creepily quiet. There was no cool breeze, there was no chirping of little birds, and there was no rustling of green leaves. I don't know why, but somehow I felt nervous. Like there was something wrong.
Must be my imagination. I quickly ran to school. I was tempted to look back, but I was scared. I didn't know who or what I was scared of, but it was something deadly. I'm sure of it. It could kill me.
"You're sweating," Justin comments. Justin is my best friend. We're both third year high school students. I know he's a boy but we don't care either ways. We've been together since we were ten after all.
"I am?" I ask. I'm guessing that was the greatest run of my life. He smirks. I raise an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing," He replies as he ruffles my hair with a towel. I froze.
"Is.. is that your towel?" I ask even though I knew the answer already.
"Did you leave your common sense at home? Duh. Of course it's my towel. Who else would let you borrow their towel other than me?"
"How come you sound so sure?"
"Why would you ask another person for a towel when you could borrow it from me?" His reply shocked me for a moment.
"Anyway," I say as I grab the towel. "I'll return it to you tomorrow after I wash it, okay?"
He frowns and grabs back the towel. "What are you talking about? I'm going to play basketball later. I need the towel."
I grab back the towel. "What? No! I have to wash it! Don't you know anything about proper hygiene?"
He grabs back the towel. "No! I need the towel for later! What's wrong with using it after you use it anyway? It's not going to kill me." I open my mouth to oppose him but he rushes away.
"Justin! Come back here! Give me the towel!!!!!" I scream at him. He pauses and turns toward me. He was pretty far off already. He smirks and smells the towel. It sent Goosebumps to my spine.
"Sorry Clare. It smelt pretty plain awhile ago but it smells like blossoming flowers now. Go to class already or you'll be late." He smiles and runs away. What he just said, is he saying that my sweat smells good? That guy, he's making fun of me again.
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"Okay everybody? We'll be having the Halloween party next week. You have to disguise as someone else. It depends on you on who you will disguise as. I know it's a pretty plain theme for a Halloween party but it was the decision of the principal after last year's party," class president Blue says with a grin. Everybody cheered after hearing her last words. Last year's party was one of the scariest to be true. Everybody had their own style, but not a single one of us wasn't scary. Seems like the principal peed on his pants. Well probably just peed on his brief after his pants was pulled down by a pair of Dracula twins, which were suspended for a whole week, AND had to wash the principal's brief. "Anyway, I hope everybody enjoys this Halloween party. Just do what you think is scary and don't do what you think will pull down anybody's pants. Thank you." Everyone cheered again. Our homeroom teacher frowned but didn't say anything.
Our classes went smoothly though I admit it was pretty boring itself. Everything was normal until lunchtime. I had this feeling that someone was watching me. Like someone was waiting for me.
"Is something wrong?" Justin asks me.
"Ah, no. Nothing."
"You've been acting weird ever since lunch started. Just tell me about it."
"I feel like.. like someone's watching me. To be true, it's quite scary." Justin seemed to be alarmed but hid it with a smile.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
I laugh "Nice joke." His smile faded away.
"I'm serious." I stop laughing and smile at him.
"Thanks." He smiles back and continues eating. I push my plate to him. He pauses and puts down his spoon and fork and picks up mine. I gaze curiously at what he was doing. He puts my food on my spoon and holds it up my mouth.
"Open wide." I open my mouth to ask him what he was doing but then he pops the spoon inside my mouth. He gently removes the spoon. I chew the food, shocked. After swallowing, he hands me a glass of water and after drinking, I froze then raise my eyebrow.
"Why did you feed me?"
"Isn't that why you gave me your plate?"
"No. I was giving my food to you since you looked so hungry."
"Oh……….. OH!" He starts laughing. "Sorry. I misunderstood. Thanks for the food then." He uses my spoon and fork to eat.
"WAIT!" He looks at me questioningly. "Why are you using my spoon and fork?"
"What's wrong with that?" He innocently asks.
"Are you for real?"
As I was about to lecture Justin, Isabel suddenly puts her hand on my shoulder. "Hey sweetheart. I see you pair of couple are having lovey dovey time again?"
"We're not a couple."
"Oh really? Does Justin think the same way? Justin? Are you a couple?" Justin didn't say something but finally spoke.
"..Not.." I didn't hear the next word he said. He was mouthing it to Isabel. What could he have said? It was a single word. But if he was going to disagree, isn't the answer supposed to be 'No' and not 'Not'?
"Oh but how could 'both' of you disagree?" She placed an emphasis on 'both' while looking at Justin. "You probably don't know but everyone saw Justin feed you Clare."
"It was a misunderstanding." I caught Justin glaring outside the window with bloodshot eyes. Suddenly, my fear slowly melted away. Justin notices that I was looking at him and smiles at me.
Something's definitely wrong.