Everything seemed to be spinning out of control. I was pacing on the side of the parking lot trying to get myself under control. My tears wouldn’t hold back and they kept streaming down my face when I would wipe them away. I knew I should've stayed in the cafeteria with the others, but I couldn’t. My life wasn’t like theirs. I felt like I was a totally different person in their lives trying to be like them and it wasn’t working. Why was I the one who had to deal with the things I do? 

       I saw someone get out of a car and start heading towards my direction. I could tell it was a boy, but I couldn’t really see that good from where I was. I was surprised that he kept coming towards me. Was I in the way of where he was going or did he want to see me? He stopped a few feet away. The boy had on sunglasses and a black hoodie so I couldn’t really see his face. His hands were in his pockets and he stood really still. He was very tall and seemed to be older than I was. 

      “Hello.” He said in a deep voice. It sounded familiar, but I didn’t know why.

       “Hey.” I said politely. I couldn’t see his eyes but I knew they were staring holes in mine. 

       “I’ve never seen you here before. Did you just get here?” He asked curiously.

       “Yeah, it’s my first day. Um, do you normally get here this late?” I asked just realizing that half the day had gone.

       He shrugged. “Always. I don’t really care for this place. I just come and go when the feeling presents itself.” He took off his sunglasses and my heart sank. I did know him.

       “Y-you...” 

       “I can’t believe you forgot me, Kassey. I feel hurt.” His name is Khalil. He was a foster brother I had a few years ago. I had never been more happy to leave that home and never look back. Khalil took a few steps towards me and I jumped back.

       “Khalil...don’t.” I tripped on the curb of the sidewalk in my hurry to get away from him. 

       "Don’t be afraid of me, Kassey. I haven’t seen you in a while. We all miss you. I didn’t want you to leave.” Khalil kept coming closer until I slapped him. It was hard enough to make him stumble and stop to touch his cheek. I stood there shaking and waiting to see what he would do. He lifted his head and looked at me with anger in his eyes. I screamed and started running and I knew he was following. I didn’t know exactly where I was running to, I just knew that I had to get away from this boy. Khalil was the person who destroyed my life years ago. I worked so hard to forget him, and just when I succeed in doing that, he shows up at my school! What are the odds? 

       “Stop running, Kassey!” 

       I kept running and running until I was yanked back and felt something crush my ribcage. I gasped and clenched my teeth together against the pain. I had slowed down and Khalil wrapped his arms around me to keep me from going anywhere. He whipped me around and his arms tightened on my sides. He slammed me on the ground and the air left my lungs. Khalil stood there watching me as I struggled to stand up. When I would get far enough off the ground, he would clock me in the head with his elbow and knock me down again. After a few tries, and a few bruises, I gave up.

       “What do you want?” It hurt to talk. I knew he wasn’t going to kill me. Not here where people could see. 

       “I told you. I missed you. We all did. You weren’t supposed to leave. Amelia was going to be your home. We all told you that.” Khalil said. 

       “I didn’t want to remember you, Khalil. I never want to go back. I want you to leave me alone. I’m happy. I was happy when I left you. I don’t want to go back.” I was on the verge of tears by now, but I didn’t want to show him any vulnerability. I slowly backed away from him until my back hit a tree. Khalil grabbed my wrist, forcefully, and yanked me up. My head spun from the fast movement and a wave of nausea and dizziness hit me. I tried pulling my hand from his grip but he was strong. 

       “I never forgot about you. You never did either. You knew who I was as soon as I came to you. I never left your memory.” Khalil whispered in my ear and I shivered. He was close enough that I felt his body heat. He moved my hair to the side and kissed my neck. I stood there frozen in fear. I wanted to push him away but I didn’t want to spark his temper. We stood like that until I worked up the courage to kneel him in his stomach. Khalil grunted and loosened his grip on my wrist. Taking advantage of his pain, I took off running again. It hurt like hell, but I needed to put some distance between me and him. 

       I ran into the school and found, to my dismay, that the hallways were empty. I started to panic. Where was he? Was there someone I could run to? I looked out the door to see him still coming towards me. My brain didn’t seem to want to work and I had no idea what to do. My body hurt and I was breathing way too fast. Everything was beginning to spin.

       “Kassey?” 

       I turned and saw Cameron coming into the hallway. I had never been more happy to hear his voice! I was about to run to him when I felt a grip on my wrist and my fear flooded back in. I screamed, forgetting that I was indoors, and whipped around wildly. Cameron rushed towards me and pulled us both apart.

       “What the hell is going on?” Cameron’s eyes were wild.

       I shook my head vigorously. “Please get him away from me!” I hid behind Cameron.

       Khalil took one look at Cam and began to back up. Whatever his face showed, it seemed to make Khalil think twice about what he was going to do. The boy glared at me one last time before slowly leaving the school. Cameron and I stood there for a moment before he turned to me. 

       “Kassey, please tell me what happened. You're bleeding and bruised. Who was that?” Cameron rambled.

       “I-I...” I still couldn’t make my brain work to form the right words. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the door. I felt like, if I turned around, he may come back and everything would continue again. Maybe even worse. 

       Cameron looked at me with nervousness. “Kassey, please talk to me.”

       I took a deep breath before trying to speak, “His n-name is K-Khalil. He used to be my f-foster brother a few y-years ago. I didn’t like that home and I-I didn’t like him.”

       “He seems violent. What happened? Did he attack you?” 

       “Y-yeah, I didn’t even know who he was at first until he took off his glasses, but he knew exactly who I was.” I felt hot and cold all over. I couldn’t slow my breathing and I didn’t feel like I was standing upright. Cameron looked at me with a worried expression. 

       “I think you need to go get checked out.” 

       “Like a hospital? N-no, no way. I’m not going.” I protested.

       “Kassey, something could be seriously wrong. Just, please do it. I’ll take you there.” 

       “What about Jason?”

       “I’ll text him on the way.” Cameron said.

       I hesitated for a moment but my body screamed for me to lay down. I nodded to Cam and he took me to his car and drove me to the hospital.