***Thank you ForeverNicole, nofar123, ilovesos9467, Lisablackroses, ElectraHeart3, dimitriXroza100, and Romitri99 for being awesome and reviewing the last chapter. Thank you all so much for the amazing support for this story in such a short amount of time! I appreciate it more than words can say –skd***
I slammed my laptop shut, shoving it across the bed. The open curtains on my window mocked me from across the room, and I bolted out of the bed. I yanked the curtains closed, but I still felt like I was being watched as I curled back up in my bed. I pulled the covers over my body, nearly covering my head all of the way, and tried to angle my body away from the window as much as possible, despite the curtains being closed.
Part of me was tempted to see if Lissa was still awake, but I didn't want to worry her any further than I already had. Mentioning the idea of someone breaking in earlier had her freaking out, though, considering the video I was sent, the worry wasn't without reason.
I tried to stay awake for as long as I could, fighting my tiredness, not wanting to leave myself vulnerable and exposed. I'm not sure what time it was when I finally closed my eyes, but I couldn't have been asleep for longer than a couple of hours when my alarm went off at six.
I reached over to shut the alarm off, but I couldn't bring myself to move from my bed, and I stayed there, curled up.
"Rose?" Lissa knocked softly on the door before opening it. "Good, you're awake. I made breakfast."
"I'm not hungry."
I had been nauseous since those messages came across, and waking up only brought the nausea back in full force.
"Are you sick? Rose Hathaway is always hungry," she joked, stepping into my room.
"I'm not sick, Lissa," I said, irritated. I rolled over so that I wasn't facing her. "I'm just not hungry."
Lissa didn't say anything, but I could sense that she was still standing there. "Rose," she started.
"I'll be out soon," I snapped, cutting her off.
Lissa didn't say anything before leaving, and the only indication that she left came from the quiet noise the door made as it was shut. I glanced over my shoulder, checking that she was truly gone, before dragging myself out of my bed.
I stumbled briefly, fatigue washing over me, as I made my way to my dresser. I put on my sweats from last night, having taken them off before bed, and changed into a loose-fitting short sleeve shirt. When I opened my bedroom door, I could hear multiple voices coming from the kitchen, indicating that not only was Christian already over this morning but Adrian and Sydney had joined him as well.
I moved silently through the hall, slipping into the bathroom and easily finding my hiding spot there for a bottle of vodka. Checking to make sure that four voices were still coming from the kitchen, I quickly took a swig. And then another. Before I could take the third sip, the bottle disappeared from my hands.
"Give it back!" I demanded, staring Adrian down.
He studied me from head to toe before he finally said, "No. The last thing you need to be doing is going to school drunk."
"A sip won't make me drunk, asshole."
"A sip, Rose?" Adrian asked incredulously. "I've been standing here watching you down half of the bottle."
"Adrian, I swear to God, if you don't give me my bottle back—"
"You'll what?" he taunted. "Hit me? You wouldn't. And you don't even believe in God."
I glared at him again before moving to walk past him. The alcohol had settled in my empty stomach, and my vision blurred for a moment. Adrian reached out to steady me, but I sidestepped his reach, nearly falling, and left the bathroom.
"You look like shit," Christian remarked from the kitchen table. He was staring at me wide-eyed as I made my way into the kitchen.
"Fuck you," I snapped, flipping him off.
"Rose!" Lissa said.
"I really don't want to hear it, Liss. I've had a long night and…"
"And what?" Lissa prompted when I trailed off.
"Never mind," I said, turning around and walking right back out of the kitchen.
Instead of going back towards my bedroom, I walked to the front door, grabbing my purse as I passed its resting spot. I slid my feet into my black Vans, not bothering to bend down to tie them, and opened the front door. I let it slam behind me as I walked out.
I unlocked my Camry and paused outside the driver's side, my head spinning. In an instant, I was transported back to the night of the accident. The blood, the smell of burning flesh, the pain.
I reeled back and ran into somebody. Whipping around, I half expected it to be my stalker. But it was just Adrian. He took the keys out of my hand and walked me over to the passenger side of the car.
"Did you really think I was going to let you drive?" he said as he climbed into the car. "It's obvious that you got little to no sleep last night. Mixing that with alcohol spells disaster."
"You know how to spell, congratulations!" I clapped overenthusiastically. Rolling my eyes, I flipped my visor down. As much as I hated to agree with Christian, he was right: I did look like shit.
Adrian ignored my comment as he started the car. "Are you still having nightmares?"
"What about the others?" I asked, changing the topic.
"They're riding with Lissa. Christian picked up me and Sydney, and he's just leaving his car here," Adrian said, turning around in his seat and backing out of the parking spot. "Are you still having nightmares?"
"What classes do you have today?"
"Rose. Stop changing the subject, and answer the damn question," Adrian said, an irritated edge to his voice.
"No," I said, sighing. "I can't have nightmares if I don't sleep."
"Is that why you didn't sleep last night? So you wouldn't have any nightmares?"
"No."
"Then why didn't you sleep last night?"
"Adrian, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" I ask him. "It's nothing, I promise."
"Let me guess, you were up all night fantasizing about Belikov," Adrian teased, attempting to lighten the mood.
I looked out the window and didn't bother to respond to his idiotic attempt, though I couldn't help but appreciate his attempt. Neither of us spoke again until he was pulling into the parking lot at Vladimir High School.
"Rose, you can talk to me," Adrian said, parking in the first spot of the second row.
"I don't want to talk, Adrian," I said, my voice unintentionally starting to rise. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you?"
"I'm just trying to help, Rose," Adrian said, hiding the hurt in his voice behind a smile.
"I don't need nor want your help," I snapped, holding my hand out for my keys. Adrian turned the car off and dropped the keys in my palm. "Thank you."
Throwing open my car door, I went to grab my backpack before remembering that I hadn't bothered going back inside for my bag. Instead, I walked into school with just my phone, keys, and purse. I made my way towards the main office, intent on begging one of the administrative assistants into giving me a copy of my schedule.
"Pray tell, Miss Hathaway, where is the schedule you received yesterday?" the old lady asked me over her glasses.
"I left it at home by accident," I said. She glared at me. "Please, Mrs. Sanchez?"
"Knowing you, the minute I left the room, you would hack into the computer system to remove that incident of yours from your record.
"It's on my record?" I couldn't hide the shock from my voice.
I felt like screaming. That meant that any staff member, and the student aides, could all know about the incident. Anybody who worked for the school would have the ability to access it and the details.
Mrs. Sanchez glared at me again, surely believing that my surprise was faked. "Dimitri, would you be a dear and keep an eye on Miss Hathaway while I get her schedule from the printer?" Mrs. Sanchez spoke over my shoulder, and I turned around, coming face to face with Mr. Belikov.
"Of course, Renee," Mr. Belikov answered, taking a seat near the desk.
Mrs. Sanchez thanked him and stepped away from her desk, heading into the twisting maze of the other offices that were behind her desk.
Mr. Belikov studied me with dark, narrowed eyes, and I looked away from his probing gaze.
"Why are you always in trouble?" he asked me softly. I twirled my keys on one finger, ignoring him. "Rose, I'm talking to you, and I expect an answer."
"Like it's any of your business," I said, still refusing to look at him. "I thought we already went over things that are and aren't your business."
"Actually, as your teacher, it is my business." He stood from his seat to lean against the desk in front of me.
"Aren't you supposed to be the adult?" I teased him, the words slipping out as I glanced up to look at him.
He smiled slightly. "I teach teenagers. My new motto is 'if you can't beat them, join them'."
Flushing, I turned away from him again. "I'm not always in trouble."
"Your record begs to differ."
I whipped back around, my previous embarrassment forgotten. "That's how you know about the incident," I accused.
He held his hands up in the surrender position. "Guilty as charged."
"That is none of your fucking business," I hissed at him. "Stay the fuck out of my file."
"Language," he said, standing so that he towered over me. "I am your teacher; show some respect."
"To get my respect, you have to earn it, Mr. Belikov. And snooping around in information that you have no business knowing about is not something one does to earn it," I told him sweetly as Mrs. Sanchez walked back into the room.
I took my schedule from her and walked out of the room without another glance at Mr. Belikov. I glanced down at the schedule as I walked towards my locker, grateful that the block schedule meant that I wouldn't be seeing Mr. Belikov later today. I opened my locker, thankful that I had tossed an extra notebook and a few pens in here yesterday.
In addition to finding those, I also found an egg sandwich sitting on a plate with a note from Lissa. There was also a bottle of water off to the side. I thanked Lissa mentally, reminding myself to thank her in person when I saw her later and to also apologize for being bitchy.
I ate my sandwich as I made my way across the school to my first period, not realizing how truly hungry I was until the sandwich was gone and my stomach was still rumbling. I sighed, but I'd rather put up with a hungry stomach than a nauseous one. I double-checked that I was in front of the right classroom and made my way into the English Four room. I took the first open seat I saw and immediately rested my head on the desk.
"You're Rose Hathaway, right?"
I looked up at the girl who spoke. Her blonde hair was styled artfully around her face in short waves, and her crystalline blue eyes were highlighted by her makeup. She looked vaguely familiar.
"Haley Pitman," she said, introducing herself as she took the seat next to mine. "You looked lonely."
I laughed internally. Lonely. That was exactly what the stalker wants. It looks like they're starting to get what they want.
When I didn't say anything back, she sighed, pulling out a pristine copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
"You're a Harry Potter fan?" I asked, and she glanced up, grinning.
"Hell yes," she said gleefully. "Are you?"
"I enjoyed the series," I said. "Even if the author is a terrible human being."
Haley nodded. "Yeah, I don't do anything to further support her, but since I've owned the books for years and have always loved the series. I still reread it from time to time."
She stopped talking, and I glanced over to find Haley staring at me intently.
"Weren't you a cheerleader last year?"
I froze. "Yes, but I'm not cheering this year."
"Any particular reason?"
"Personal reasons." I shrugged.
"Okay." She dropped the topic, which I was grateful for.
"Girls, do I need to separate you two?" Ms. Langston, our teacher, asked from the front of the classroom, preventing Haley from saying anything else.
Haley and I shook our heads in unison. A few minutes later, a slip of paper landed on my desk with Haley's number, and the words text me scrawled across it. I grinned and slid the paper into my purse.
Ms. Langston droned on, and I felt myself drifting off. Haley nudged me with her foot every time my eyes closed, preventing me from actually falling asleep and I mouthed 'thank you' to her each time it happened. The bell that signaled the period change couldn't have come sooner, and after saying goodbye to Haley, I made my way to my next class, stopping at one of the vending machines on the way to get an energy drink.
I managed not to fall asleep during the second period, which was practically a miracle considering that it was a science class. Granted it was forensic science which I found to be interesting, but still. I was thankful when the bell rang, meaning that I was able to go to lunch, and if I timed it right, I would be able to squeeze in a twenty-minute power nap before my next class.
My friends weren't in the cafeteria when I walked in, which I grateful for. I didn't want to have to see any of them yet or deal with any of the questions that I knew were coming. Lissa was in my fourth-period class and I knew that I would have to deal with them then, and I definitely wasn't looking forward to it.
It didn't take long for me to fall asleep on the same beanbag chair from yesterday once I finished lunch. The bell jolted me awake, my phone vibrating against my hip with another alarm. I contemplated skipping my next class, Culinary, which I was taking as an elective, but walked into the classroom, nonetheless.
It was boring, as all first week classes were, and by the time the last period rolled around, I was grateful to almost be done for the day. Even though it meant that I'd be seeing Lissa within minutes.
The theater classroom was on the opposite side of the building from the culinary classrooms, and I saw Lissa's blonde head upon entering the classroom ahead of me. The seat next to her was still empty when I walked in a few moments later, no doubt from her saving it, and I quietly took it.
"I'm sorry for being a bitch this morning, and thank you for the food," I whispered to her as our theater teacher entered the room.
"I forgive you. Adrian said you were having nightmares," she whispered back. "I'm here if you want to talk about it. I know you didn't last time, but it's been a while since you last had one."
That asshole. I was going to kill him.
"As much as I appreciate it, I don't want to talk. Not because I don't trust you, but because I'm not having nightmares."
Lissa looked like she didn't believe me, but before she could say anything, the bell rang, cutting us off. Lissa directed her attention towards the front of the classroom where the teacher's desk was, and I rolled my eyes, propping my head on my arm.
"Miss Hathaway!" Mrs. Martin was standing directly in front of my desk, glaring down at me. I jerked up and rubbed my eyes. I had fallen asleep. And in the class with the worst possible teacher to fall asleep on.
"I'm sorry, I didn't sleep very well last night," I told her.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lissa hovering near the doorway. She knew better than to come any closer and face Mrs. Martin's wrath herself.
"And whose fault is that?" Mrs. Martin snapped at me. "Detention, Miss Hathaway. Please report to room 211 immediately. I have already called ahead and let him know that you will be coming."
I groaned and stormed out of the classroom, calling her every name I could think of under my breath.
I was nearly to room 211 when I ran out of cuss words to use. Lissa was walking beside me silently. I handed her my keys.
"Drive my car home?" I asked her. "I'm going to the gym after this."
"Are you sure you should be working out? And running to the gym?" she asked, concerned. "You just fell asleep in class because you didn't sleep last night."
"I'll be fine," I said, brushing off her concern. "The gym's not that far from here. And the apartment isn't that far from the gym."
Plus, the more I worked out, the more tired I would be, guaranteeing that I would sleep tonight. Not that I would tell Lissa that. I quickly hugged her before walking into 211 and taking a seat at a desk. I pulled out my phone and had barely opened Instagram when the phone disappeared from my hand.
"With the multiple times that you have been in detention, you should know the rules, Miss Hathaway," the voice said.
I bristled. Oh, hell fucking no.
He walked into my line of sight, and I glared at him.
"Looks like it is just me and you, Rose." Mr. Belikov's lips quirked up slightly in a smile as he took the seat in front of me.