Chapter 4
Chats
Sorry about the wait. I wanted it perfect for you guys.
Weeks later, I was called to the office. Grimm's pale face greeted me when I got there. He was still in the hospital. It was a video chat. He had tubes in his nose and mouth. A bruise crept up his neck. He winced as a nurse did something to him.
"Blood sample." She showed the camera a vial filled with the dark red liquid.
"Yes, yes, they saw. Now, get it out of my face." Grimm waved the nurse off. She left.
"Uh, how are you doing?" I shuffled. Ever since my breakdown, I couldn't talk about Grimm to B. Nimble.
"Healing. They say I should be out by November. I haven't affected your studies, have I?" Not if you count a breakdown on the first day then no.
"No, not at all. Sorry, I couldn't visit." Lies.
"It's alright. You're busy. We can't have you failing, Cocoa," He looked at me in a way that meant he knew something, "Can I speak to her alone, Momma Bear?"
"I left to get a drink five minutes ago." She got up. No, don't go.
"Now, I heard you're getting counseling. What for? I treated you well." His tone was curious, but edged that dangerous anger when I was first locked in the room. Like I was supposed to be grateful he took me.
"I miss my parents. Why can't I call them or something?" I mentally reared at his voice like a horse now. He HADN'T hurt me, but his mood was enough to convince himself that I was to be locked in the attic after I split some milk.
"I told you. Ever After doesn't sync with Earth. Not very well. You don't want them to keep calling you after a window has gone." He hadn't said anything. Just "you aren't allowed to call them yet" during the room lock in.
"Oh, yeah." I said lamely.
"Now, what did you really tell Mr. B. Nimble?" He scowled and his eyes darkened.
"What?" I asked even though I guessed he would find out.
"Tell me." He growled, shaking the tablet.
"He thinks you did something." Which is true. Kidnapping, neglect, imprisonment, the list goes on, but that's the main three. Although, I had yet to tell my counselor.
"You're not going to the next appointment, Cocoa. You're better now. I'll know if either of you tries to meet." He threatened.
"I'm better now." I repeated, wanting so much to go to the hospital and break his fingers or something.
"Good girl." A real smile came back and it was much more unnerving. I did something he thought was good. Momma Bear came back just then.
"All right. I'm back." She said a bit cheerfully.
"Cocoa's ready to go back to class. She was just saying good-bye." Grimm told her.
"Oh. Do you want help back?" Momma asked me.
"No, it's my free period now." I left, feeling better as I did.
Cerise was wandering the hall. I looked away and tried to turn around before she noticed me, but it didn't work. She caught up with me.
"Hey, remember what happened a couple of weeks ago? When Raven mentioned something about Grimm and you got mad?" She asked slowly.
"Yeah. What about it?" I warily edged back.
"Um, did you notice any people like adults that weren't part of the staff during that, would you?" She tugged at her hood.
"No, why? Were there some?" I was confused and worried now.
"Well, yeah. This is hard. Give me a minute." She thought on how to put her words together. I wondered what she meant.
"Did you ask about the weird ghosts yet?" Dexter ran to us.
"Ghosts?" I repeated.
"I was about to, but you asked instead." She light-fully teased.
"Oh, oops." He scratched his neck, blushing.
"What ghosts?" I looked at them.
They both stopped and Cerise twirled a piece of the white part of her hair. Dexter shuffled. More students came out from the shadows. The crazy girl, Raven, Apple, and Daring. They had their backpacks with them like they just left class. The crazy girl pulled a water bottle out of her hat and there was a mouse was on her shoulder.
"Of course, you're thirsty. It's fairy hot." She filled the cap and let him drink. The mouse drank it like a person.
"Oh, this is Maddie Hatter. You didn't speak Riddlish this time." Raven realized.
"Yeah, why?" Dexter questioned.
"Cocoa needs us. WE won't let Grimm get her." She flashed a supposed to be assuring grin. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. A boy with oak brown hair was behind me.
"I'm better now. Not messed up anymore." He told me. It was Harrison, a character from a series I wrote. The villain to be exact.
"Okay." I shook my head, shrinking to the ground then curling into a ball. This was too much. Fairy tales characters are real and my own are too? Someone tried to move me, but Harrison stopped them.
"No, we'll move her. You're not friends yet." He said. Daring hey-ed.
Cerise's POV
A ghost of a sandy blond-haired man picked Cocoa up. He tried to get her to relax and settle back down. She puffed her cheeks out like a child ready to have a tantrum.
'Hey, come on now. It's Lucas, 'member? Let's go somewhere quiet and we'll explain everything.' He tried.
"Nooo. You're not real. You're from my brain. Go back in my brain." She kicked and thrashed. Lucas lost his grip and Cocoa fell. A woman looking a lot like the man caught her.
'Be nice. We're trying to help you,' She said, putting Cocoa on the ground, 'Don't baby her, Lucas. She can walk. I'm Sophie.' Sophie introduced herself.
"Hi?" We waved uncertainly. Except Maddie. She took it in gleeful spades. Tugging at their clothes, she asked if they ever changed them.
'Yes, now go away. We want to talk with her.' Lucas put Cocoa in a ghost wagon and pulled her to somewhere.
"That's not how 'go away' works." Dexter thought out loud.
