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1 Week.  

7 Days.  

168 hours.

That's how long it's been since I've talked to Gabriel. Nobody can even begin to understand how much pain I'm in. I'm a mess.  

I didn't realise how bad I was going to be until it finally hit me last Tuesday morning.  

I went to school on Tuesday but Wednesday I physically couldn't be bothered. I was emotionally drained.  

I haven't been paying attention in class, the teachers have been angry at me for sleeping, the teachers have been angry at me for not participating and some of the teachers are even angry at me for participating!  

I can't get anything right!  

It's like Gabriel was my only source of water. And that only source of water had dried up and now I was dying. That's what it honestly felt like. I was dehydrated. And I needed Gabriel to live.  

Technically, I was avoiding him. I couldn't bare to look at someone I knew I'd hurt. But maybe he was avoiding me a little. Not as much as I'm doing now. I mean I did hurt him. I saw his face when I said it to him.

I feel so stupid. This is my entire fault.  I'm the one stupid enough to say that "We should stay friends."  

Worst line ever.  

And it ruined everything.

What makes it worse is that it's my time of the month.  

Yep! Exactly. So I'm a worse than shit mood now.

It's lunch and I was in the school library today. I hadn't had lunch with my group or any other person since Monday. I decided earlier that I would wear my purple Nike hoodie and jeans; nothing special just the casual stuff.  

My earphones were in and I was reading one of the books from Darren Shan Saga's called Cirque Du Freak.  

The two chairs opposite me pulled out.  I looked up hoping to see those familiar blue eyes but saw Megan and Tracey.  

I ignored them and continued reading.  

Megan pulled my earphones out.  

"Oh my god! Tracey, do you remember who this is in front of us?" Megan said in a sarcastic tone.  

"No way, it's... what's her name again? It's just been so long since I've seen her."  

I clenched my jaw.  

Megan started clicking her fingers. Repeatedly.  

Over and over and over and over again.

My hand started itching. The stupid rash on my hand had gotten worse. I ignored it and clenched my fist.

Then she banged her hand on the table and said, "Oh yeah! It's Alexis Gardiner!"  

I shut the book forcefully and gave them my undivided attention. "What?" I snapped.  

Megan frowned. "How are you?"  

Oh, so now she's nice?  

Tracey spoke. "We haven't really seen you. You've been a zombie during classes."  

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'm tired."  

Both Trace and Meg frowned.  

"We don't like seeing you like this." Trace said.  

"Seeing me like what?" I asked in an uninterested voice.  

Meg sighed. "Look, we know. Sort of. Not really, but we know it has something to do with Gabriel."  

I clenched my teeth and took a deep breath trying to get rid of the pain.  

Tracey's hand touched mine. "Babe, he's not the same either. He's, if it's even possible, worse than you."  

I shook my head as I said, "That doesn't make me feel better. In fact it makes me feel like absolute shit." 

More than ever.  

Trace sighed. "What happened?"  

I pursed my lips. "It's complicated."  

Meg sighed. "Girl, you and Gabe have been inseparable for, like, ever. A week without each other seems to have taken its toll on the both of you. It's really hard to watch both of you in pain like this."  

I bit my lip contemplating whether to tell them.  

I sighed, defeated. "Gabe and I kissed. More than once."  

They both gasped and moved closer. "No effin' way." Meg said.  

"How far are we talking?" Tracey asked.  

"Second base." I mumbled.  

"What was that?" Meg asked in a high voice.  

"It could have been third, if Mr Williams didn't walk in." I mumbled.  

"Oh, my God!" Tracey yelled.  

Everyone in the library turned around.  

"Sorry," She said to them.  

"Details. Were you basically rubbing up against each other? Did you feel him up? Did he feel you up?" Meg whisper-shouted.  

I explained what happened the first time in my room, I skipped the part about the forest and him saving me, I told them about how I pulled him out of class to talk to him about us (A lie) I told them how we made out in the class and I told them about the conversation we had at his house. 

Trace sighed. "Whoa. Drama,"  

I nodded.  

Meg shook her head. "So, do you want to be his friend? Or more?"  

"I honestly don't know."  

Trace gave me a serious look. "There is obviously more than what you're telling us. And it's all right. But you need to convince yourself of some things before you continue with this."  

I raised a brow. "Convince myself?"  

"How do you feel about him?" She asked.

I shrugged not ready to convince myself of anything. I don't know how I feel, I'd made that clear to both him and myself.  

I stood up. "I don't know."  

I walked away.  

I just wasn't ready...

***

Is it right that I got a detention for screaming at a teacher about me moving seats? No? Yes? Well I got a bloody detention. Short notice, yes, but I insisted on doing it tonight.

Detention finished half an hour ago so I walked to the public library. Yep that's right; walk.  

My car was still getting checked. They said they found nothing wrong with it when they got it but they're double checking.

"Alexis,"

The voice made my heart falter.  

When I looked up from my book my heart literally shattered to pieces.  

It wasn't the usual happy smiling bright eyed Gabriel. It was like he was replaced by a straight faced depressed looking clone.  

He sat down opposite me and stared. I stared back waiting for him to say something. Or maybe he was waiting for me to say something to him?  

He opened his mouth to say something but his phone started ringing.  He picked it up and listened and then hung up after thirty seconds.  

Was he even on the phone to anyone?  He abruptly stood up and looked down at me. He frowned.

And then he walked out.

What was the point?  

Was this an attempt to get even? Hurt me as much as I hurt him?  I dropped my head on the table with a loud bang.  Can anything possibly get any worse?

Thunder echoed throughout the library. My head snapped up to see it had gotten dark. How could I have fallen asleep?! It was light when I banged my head on the table! I checked my phone. Six missed call from mom; it was 7.45pm. No wonder she called.

The library was practically empty. It closes at eight so the librarian was sorting out the books.  

I closed mine, placed it in the right place receiving a thank you smile from her and put my hood up to go out to the pouring rain.  

I sighed and made my way down the road, phone in hand dialling mother's number.  

"Where are you, young lady? I know you had a detention which we will discuss later but I'm not happy about you being out this late on a school night. Last week was an exception because your car broke down but--"  

I sighed. "Mom, breathe, okay? I'm walking home now I'll be there in ten minutes."  

She went silent. "You're walking home in the rain?"  

I smiled which was a first in a while. "Yes, mother, I'm walking home in the  rain. I'm fine okay?" 

"Alright. Ring me if you want a ride."  

"You mean call. Call me if you want a ride, mom."  

She laughed. "Yes, dear same thing. Love you."  

"You too." I hung up and sighed.  

I let my mind wander as I walked home.  

Obviously, Gabriel was the first person that came to mind. But it had nothing to do with us. I was thinking about something completely different.

Like those weird scars on his back. Like the weird birth mark on his shoulder and chest. Like why we can read each others mind. And how he can control things with a lift of his finger.

That's so not right. But I have no logical explanation for it...  

Maybe that's not what I need. A logical explanation. I need something else. Something that will help me at least get an idea about what the hell is going on with him.

I stopped at a crossroad and looked left and right.  

The road was empty I didn't really see a point in looking but better to be safe than sorry.  

As soon as I took about three steps into the road, a car came zooming down the road. I took a couple of steps back so it could go but that's when I noticed it swerve and come straight for me.

What. The. Hell.  

I back stepped more but it swerved in my direction again. The black Mercedes sped up; the headlights blinded me as I screamed at the top of my lungs waiting for the impact. After about ten seconds of absolute nothing I opened my eyes and almost asked myself if I was going crazy.  

I looked left and right and saw no car.  

Nothing.  

Not even a person.  

The road was empty, I heard no cars there was no one.  

I put a hand to my heart and hoped it would slow down.  

I closed my eyes briefly and exhaled.  

That was weird.  

I literally ran across the road this time. I started down the street when my steps faltered and stopped all together. There was someone standing at the end of the road in a black hoodie and black sweat pants facing my direction.

My breathing increased and I knew my face went pale.  

I took a couple of steps back and tried to act as casual as possible. I turned around and decided to take the long way around.  

I glanced back and saw the guy gone.  

I sighed with relief.  

I started speed walking down the road when I reached a corner I wanted to just kill myself then a there.

The hooded guy was near the middle of the road. He was closer.

Fuck it.

I sprinted backwards the way I came. I cut across someone's back yard beyond the point of caring.  

I made it over a second fence when I ended up in a park. It was a small squared field near a bundle load of shops. I should be safe now.  

I ran halfway across the field when I tripped on something and fell almost flat on my face. my hands clenched into the wet grass, the wind knocked out of me.  

And then I lifted my head and saw a pair of black converse in front of me.  

My breathing spiked and I rolled over to look up at the hooded figure.  

My body suddenly felt like I wasn't controlling it. Like someone had figured out a way to control the nerves in my body. Someone had figured out the way my bones were shaped, how my brain worked.  

My body lifted involuntarily. I couldn't control myself!  

My hands stuck to my side, my legs stayed together and the only thing I could do was look at the hooded guy.  

I couldn't see his face. It was completely covered. And it was dark so that didn't help.   

So helpful for when I tell the police what happened. But this guy was special. Not a good special, but a creepy weird special.

He's controlling my actions. His hand raised and he pulled my hood off.  

He started talking in some weird mixed up language. It sounded very old.

But I understood some of it.  

Is that even mentally possible when this is the first time I have ever heard it?!

"You understand me, yes?" He said in an unfamiliar deep voice using the alien language.  

I nodded and continued to hyperventilate a little.  

"Very good. Then you are the one I am looking for."  

He lifted his hand so it was a flat palm and raised it. My hand came up with his against my will. He grabbed the hand with the really bad rash and pushed the sleeve up and examined it.  

He nodded with appreciation. "You are not far gone. But soon,"  

I had no idea what he was talking about but I'm guessing my hand has something to do with it.  

My hand dropped.  

"Now,"  

My throat suddenly felt constricted. I started choking.  

And then, I was thrown through the air, across the small field and onto the rock hard concrete.  

I managed to keep my head off the ground as I rolled and came to a stop. So freakin' painful. I coughed, the wind once again knocked out of me, my elbow scraped through my hoodie. I looked at my hand and saw the blood stuck to my finger tips.  

My vision had blurred from the tears. I could just about see the guy walking forward.

I heard a ding behind me. "Alexis?"

I turned toward my name and saw Brian. Thank the lord! I glanced around suddenly recognising the field. Brian walked his dog here sometimes, he didn't live far from here 

He ran to me and helped me up. "Oh my god what happened?"  

"Over there! There's a guy---"  

I pointed in the direction of the small field.

No one was there.

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2023: edited