High School.
Chapter Two:
Emily peeked through her locker, a panic slowly spreading and gurgling in her stomach. Where is it? She glared, peering through every nook and cranny of the body-sized space, fear slicing up her insides as the clock across the hall ticked louder and louder by the moment.
The hallway was still filled of people, heading off toward their next class, but the population was decreasing with seconds, and nerves were eating her.
"Looking for this?" A hot breath swerved down her neck, causing her heart to stutter and her eyes to widen at marginal rates. Her Psychology textbook was floating in midair in front of her, that is, until she saw a hand gripping the spine with ease.
Turning, she met the eyes of Derek Morgan.
Just as she went to reach for the thick book, though, he raised it, high above his head and quickly moved away from her.
The lack of proximity made her glance at the clock, calculating whether or not she could get the book and still be on time. A smile perked on her face as she considered her predator immediately, "You don't want to do this, Derek." Her voice was low, suave. And strained, trying not to fall through her seedy persona.
He just laughed, white teeth gleaming under the flourescent lights, as he skirted away from her, into the throngs of people still lingering. She slammed her locker, hung her bag higher on her shoulder, before sprinting through the people, earning a list of profanities and shouts, as she chased him down the hall, his laughter increasing and mingling faintly with hers as he turned a corner and slowed, out of breath.
Jumping on his back, she tried to reach for the book, but he held it far out. It was when Haley Gellar and her entourage passed, yelling out, "Get a room!" that she hopped off, just as Haley shouldered into Emily's torso, bumping her bag. Wincing, Emily touched the sensitive spot still lurking on her arm.
Crossing her arms self-consciously over her chest, Emily let one hand stretch out for the book. Noting the sudden, hostile change in the air, he returned the book, just as the bell overhead rang and he muttered a "See you later." before they parted their separate ways.
.
.
"I saw your game of cat and mouse with Derek today," JJ grinned as Emily plopped down beside her in the back of their Psych class, watching the dark-haired girl slump onto the desk in front of her, hiding her face.
"It wasn't cat and mouse," her voice was muffled, "he wouldn't give me my Psych book back."
JJ chuckled, "Your man just walked in right now."
Emily looked up, glaring, to see Derek and his flock, including Aaron Hotchner, enter, flanking in desks relatively in the middle of the room. He didn't glance back at Emily. He chuckled at something Dave Rossi said, and completely ignored her.
"Getting the cold shoulder?" JJ whispered as their teacher walked in, picking up an Expo marker and writing the day's lesson plan on the board.
Emily just groaned, flopping back on the desk.
She stayed like that the whole class, to irked to move.
.
.
The day passed by in a blur, and Emily went to pull out her journal from her book bag, but much to her surprise, it was gone.
And a list of fear turned in her stomach.
Because the only way it was lost, was it was taken, and she had a pretty good idea of who.
Haley Gellar.