Chapter Eight

Another week crawled by without any sign of Ghost. Occasional sleepless nights turned into every night. My mind turned with thoughts of the idiot Super human. His note was still crinkled in my palm, the ink somewhat smudged from excess sweat. Once in a while on warmer nights, I would prop the window open to see if it made a difference.

It hadn't.

I could not explain why I had wanted to see him so bad. Maybe it was the fact there was never an official goodbye exchanged. Ghost's absence brought on a heavy sadness that took many scoops of ice-cream, particularly mint chocolate chip, just to get over. Sometimes I would snap back into place, reminding myself what a terrible person he was. Who was it behind the robberies? Right. Just like that, he was forgotten.

Then I would remember the last time we spoke, how sincere and maybe even protective he had acted. That's what it seemed in the moment. If there was just one last chance to speak with him it would set everything straight. No matter how much he had tried to be nice, the inner jerk always surfaced, and when his inner jerk did surface, I would hate his guts and wish him out of my life. But when a good-bye held a bittersweet taste to it. . .I could not let go.

Ghost was impossible to forget. School was the prime distraction. Hunter started showing up everywhere often, and when Shannon saw us together she gave the both of us a huge thumbs-up. Hunter wasn't sure on what that meant but in Shannon lingo it meant that he had gained her approval. Which wasn't much, anyway - Shannon's approval consisted of good hair and impressive shoe size. That wasn't scientifically proven; only Shannon-proven.

Gage hadn't forgiven me for the small outburst at the restaurant, or as Shannon would probably have said, 'rampage'. She did not know and I was grateful for him for not spilling everything. How the hell would I be able to explain everything to her all in one sitting? She had a hard enough time absorbing an Algebra lesson.

Friday came again, exactly one week from the triple date and exactly one week and six days since Ghost's disappearance. Not that I was keeping count or anything. My sanity might have been slowly slipping away from the constant roller coaster of wondering and worrying.

When I pulled into the school parking lot it was earlier than normal and not many people were about. I reveled in the solitude, feeling at peace when I walked through the front doors of the school to find only three students. Mr. Johnson was there too, who gave me a friendly smile as he straightened the sleeves on his blue button-down dress shirt.

I should probably have finished his assigned homework last night.

How maniacal a move it would be to show up early to school, see my favorite teacher in the hall and willingly smile at him, only to show up to class with an uncompleted assignment. Who would do such a thing? I wanted the guy to respect me, not throw me in the Jake and Omar category.

As I rushed to first period, I sighed heavily in relief. The door was partly closed and looked to be a darkened room with no sign of life.

Mr. Johnson always came in early for the slackers, hoping they would have a sudden epiphany to get school work done. He left his classroom unlocked and available for students to use as a quiet area.

However, when I walked in the door, it definitely was not Mr. Johnson making out on the teacher's desk. It couldn't have been for the following reasons: One, I had just walked by him no longer than a minute and thirty seconds ago. Two, he was professional as hell, so only if Satan had possessed the man would he even consider the activity to pass the time until school started, and three, Mr. Johnson's hair was buzzed to dirty blonde stubs like a drill sergeant - there was only one person I could think of with hair as dark as obsidian.

Gage was standing in between Shannon's legs, shoving his tongue down her throat when an extremely overdone moan drifted around the room. Of course it was Shannon's. I nearly dropped my backpack and fainted on the spot.

She scraped her hands over his hair, making it fluff up even more than it usually did, creating a just-got-out-of-bed quality. His hands were latched firmly on her waist, and I could visibly see him trying to pull her closer to him, as if her ankles locked around the back of his knees wasn't enough to turn them into one person, a glob of tangled limbs and lengthy kisses. Even though she was on the desk he was still so much taller than her, almost caging in on her with his wide shoulders, almost—protecting her.

My feet felt rooted to the floor, heavier than lead. The pornographic scene continued playing before me, the stars of the flick oblivious to the extra presence in the room.

My tongue was dried, twisted and tied, unable to make a noise or form any words. The inability to speak sent my pulse spiking in anxiety.

What are you doing? Leave!

A second later Gage pulled away and stared directly at me with those mysterious gray eyes. They swirled to life like a whirlpool of confusion, cloudy and murky. Suddenly I knew what a deer-in-headlights felt like. Frozen, unsure of what to do when discovered - scamper away or stand still, hoping that the driver didn't see you, would just drive right by like you were just an ordinary piece of the road. The decision was agonizing.

Shannon made up for Gage's lost contact by kissing along his jaw and down his neck. The way his eyes pierced through me brought a rolling tumult of nausea to my head as well as my stomach. Shannon didn't even take into account that his attention was elsewhere. Heck, she couldn't tell if an elephant walked in the room at the rate she was going. Her hands gripped the back of his neck, tighter, and she giggled like a school girl smitten with her first crush. I wanted to vomit.

Get out!

My cheeks blazed to an inferno. I had been caught and there was nothing worse than that situation. Walking in on your best friend making out with her boyfriend? I shuddered. Gage continued to hold a steady gaze before flicking his haunting eyes to the door in a commanding way. Everything in that small glance said Get the Hell Out, and I got the message, instantly scurrying as soft as a mouse out the door.

I high-tailed it down the hall like a monster was close behind. In fact, there was. My heart thrummed against my chest that matched the pounding of each one of my feet on the floor. When it felt as though enough distance was put in between the scene and me, I turned the corner and slammed against the lockers. My lungs puffed strenuously for air, not just from being caught, but from the long run-from-hell.

Breathe in, and out, I had instructed myself.

Thoughts were scattered in hundreds of directions at once, but one stood out in the open. A single thought that nearly robbed my breath all over again and made me cringe.

You're so jealous.

That was why I stopped and stared at them for so long. Jealousy was eating me inside out because Shannon had someone; Gage. Something that never existed for me until Dean came along, and even that wasn't real.

I scoffed just thinking of him. Bitterness weighed down on my limbs like heavy dewdrops on thin leaves.

"I guess he really was a donkey after all," I said softly to myself. I could have said ass; my mother was not present. Somehow, 'donkey' hit different.

The words sent little comfort through my conscious. A familiar stinging sensation pricked behind my eyes. My jaw pinched together in an effort to keep a sob at bay. I hated Shannon. No I didn't. I hated Gage. No, maybe I didn't hate him either. Maybe I was just confused. I sniffed.

"Please, not now," I begged myself rather dismally.

I took a couple deep breaths. Thought of other things.

Kittens.

Otters.

Elephants.

Desks.

Tongues.

Goddamnit.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

The voice made made me jump a foot in the air. Gage was leaning his right shoulder against the locker nearby, arms crossed and a devilish smirk on his face.

When had he arrived?

Meeting his gray eyes was a mistake of many that fine morning. Those gray eyes narrowed somewhat, decreasing the power of the storm that raged within them. It also increased my sudden need to incessantly babble.

"I'm so sorry. That was weird of me. All I wanted to do was finish some homework and I don't know—" I didn't know how to finish the sentence, ending with a shrug and helpless look.

"Why didn't you just announce yourself when you walked in?"

His blank look unnerved me to no end. How to answer?

How did one explain of the little green monster named Jealousy? Who squeezed my vocal chords and took control of my brain, making it scream out, 'You wish it was you, and you wish so goddamn much that it was Ghost with you!'? Of course I wasn't going to say that, but it can surely be thought.

Another shrug seemed like a good answer.

"What did you say?" Gage asked, brows drawing together.

I hesitated, frowning. "I didn't say anything."

His face seemed to relax at the words, treacherous smirk reappearing once more on his face. Another look rose as well, that of realization.

"Oh, I get it. You're jealous of Shannon, aren't you?"

My jaw bobbled on its hinges at the accusation. Was I that easy to read? He figured it out ten times faster than even I had. I shook my head excessively, pinching my brows together.

"No way! I don't even know how she survives with you."

Gage chuckled, the sound oddly familiar. "You wish someone would pay attention to you. Someone would look at you."

I laughed without emotion at his words, turning to walk away. "You're crazy."

Suddenly a brawny arm shot into the locker centimeters away from my face, stopping any way of escape. My breath seemed to halt as well, barely coming back when I turned to look at him.

"Gage?" I said it more as a question when it was supposed to be a warning.

Gage changed position so he was standing in front of me and looked down, his eyes blazing into my own.

"That someone would talk to you," he continued, lowering his voice to a husky whisper. "Someone would touch you."

A broiling feel of humiliation erupted in my stomach. The way he said 'touch' sounded all-too sultry for my liking and even made me shrink down, shy away from him and his words. It made me feel dirty just hearing it slip out of his mouth.

A glare pulled my face and surfaced over what I was really feeling, to show him that his words sounded meaningless, a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that didn't affect me. Sticks and stones.

Yet my anger got the best of me, my nostrils flaring. I turned to walk back around the corner, careful not to fuel the fire with any of my own words. Another arm shot out, and Gage successfully caged me against the lockers. I turned to face him, ready to chew him out, but he leaned closer. My mouth bobbled again. I shrank away even more until my back pressed against the lockers, my backpack falling to the floor.

"What are you doing?" I hissed up at him.

Gage licked his lips before leaning even closer to me. For a moment I very much believed he was going to kiss me. I couldn't deny the brisk feeling of disappointment when his head diverted at the last inch until his lips were by my ear. His natural scent slithered its way up my nostrils, and made my senses dance in pleasure, intoxicated.

"Someone would kiss you." Gage's warm breath tickled my earlobe, sending a shiver all over my body, down my arms, through my middle all the way to my toes.

A moment passed before his words registered completely in my conscious. Oh, how true they were. My mind created a chant in the dazed-like state that sounded faintly familiar to, You, you kiss me!

Or maybe it was just the hormones.

Gage pulled away, still keeping his arms up as a wall. There wasn't a smile on his face anymore. Instead, he studied my face, quickly sweeping his stony gaze over my complexion once before returning to my eyes.

Suddenly I hated him. I hated him so, so much that the tears returned, that time intent on leaking. Why did I hate him? Well, everything he said was completely, one-hundred percent true. And it was awfully sickening.

Horrid and undesirable. That's what made me so weak. So needy. An internal flaw that was pulled to the surface by none other than a teenage boy.

How cliche.

Insecure could have been my middle name. I felt pathetic standing next to him. His mere look gave me the heebie jeebies, and not in the bad way. A strange feeling of joy came about whenever an Adonis as himself glanced my direction.

That made me heave.

Looking back up at Gage, an unsure look crossed his face as if he had gone too far.

Too far was an understatement.

"Let me go," I whispered, but he didn't budge.

With a small sniffle, I swallowed thickly and reached for his large arm. "Please, I have to—"

Gage didn't let me finish. He dropped both arms and took a step away. I took off as soon as the cage was broken, heading for the front doors.

I wiped at my eyes roughly, sure they were turning an ugly red with the scraping. After I pushed passed the doors, I walked in no certain direction.

There wasn't any particular destination, I just kept walking. Surprisingly, my head was entirely blank. Hours passed and the sun began to grow higher and higher into the sky. Distant buildings turned into skyscrapers, school buses turned into public buses, and regular cars turned into taxi cabs.

Technically, one wasn't in the city until you passed the Town Square. Everything beyond that point, where Paramount High was located, was labeled as the suburbs. Where I had wandered - that was the city.

The sun started sinking downward again, signaling the star-like lights to turn on. Buildings in the sky began to glow with a myriad of bright hues. Billboards blasted colorful pictures through the dark, car horns blaring aloud at the slow pace of traffic. As the sun dipped behind the buildings, the soft oranges and pinks faded to a dark blue color. Stars were absent in the sky from all of the bright lights that lit up the urban area. Throughout the entire day I had walked, and not thought about a single thing.

With a cleared head I decided to stop and just admire the architecture. After escaping my mind for a few hours I felt fresh, as if a shower of clean air had washed all the thoughts away. A brick apartment building stood nearby. I leaned against the corner of it for a short moment. Rest had eased the gnawing pain of both of my tired calf muscles. Rather hauntingly, it was a corner right at the beginning of a dark alley. I made sure to check it was empty.

I sighed contentedly, ready to hail a cab and return to suburbia. Walking away from everything felt so blissful but I was bound to return sometime. Return to a chipper Shannon and a shallow Gage. I wasn't ready to see him again. Unless it was a showcase in which he was being fed to hungry sharks.

I smiled at the thought for a moment before clearing the idea. Sure, I really hated the guy right then, but wishing death on someone in the form of starving sharks wasn't the way to acquire justice. Fate would deal its hand on the stupid boy soon enough, and until then I would have to sit back and wait.

Just before pushing off the wall, a hand snaked around my neck smoothly and grabbed my mouth with a harsh grip. The contact was so abrupt that I didn't have time to react, to fight, to scream, to slap, to anything. Yet when the hand started spinning my body around the wall I began to wriggle, to fight the hold with a few twists and muffled grunts.

My first instinct was to bite the assailant, and when I chomped on the flesh I was rewarded with a string of curse words along with the taste of dirt. The hand came back, materialized out of the darkness and slammed my head roughly against the bricks.

I cried out in pain and curled down, hand hovering over the stabbing pain on my skull. Little black dots swam across my vision. I let out a groan. My head rolled to the right, then my attacker's arm was there. He grabbed my shoulder with his other hand and pulled my stunned body completely into the alley. I stumbled, still dizzy from the assault, nearly falling to the puddle-ridden uneven road of the alley.

Come on, fight!

There was little to fight with in that situation. The attacker dragged me a ways, then dropped me against the wall once he was satisfied with the distance from the road. He crouched down in front of me, and with the minimal amount of lighting I could see a middle-aged man with yellow teeth and crazy looking eyes. Hair was sticking up in every direction from his scalp and slightly balding at the top.

My instincts kicked in again, saying to stay away as far as possible. That man was dangerous. The alarm bells chimed louder and louder, almost deafening, overwhelming paired with the pain in my skull and the woozy state my body rapidly fell into. I pushed back into the wall, trying to put as much distance in between both of us.

Crazy Eyes snickered like a hyena before whipping out a switchblade from a dirty black jacket. "Goin' somewhere, sweetie?"

His rancid breath hit my nose with a sharp punch and I scrunched my nose in distaste. I scurried back even more, terrified of the man and my lack of defense.

"Help! Someone help—"

Crazy Eyes swiftly shot out a grubby hand to silence my screams. I fought his hand with both of my own before he tucked the knife up under my chin. At that point, I could hear my heart thundering in my eardrums so I stopped fighting, dropped my hands, then closed my eyes.

The cool silver pricked at the skin on my neck. Even though I had stopped moving he poked it up into my throat further, a warning. The blade was on the verge of breaking skin when he leaned closer, a grimy, acrid smell clouding my thoughts.

"Easy there, darlin, les' not git too frisky."

Crazy Eyes cackled again, and it made him sound even more like a hyena. I cringed at the noise, whimpering against his hand. "Now, lemme jest—"

A pair of dark arms wrapped around Crazy Eyes in a choker hold. Immediately the ragged man dropped the knife, struggling to free himself from the strange set of arms. He sputtered and grunted just as I had moments ago, his crazy eyes growing even more wild as they sprouted from marbles to beach balls.

There was enough space to crawl from the corner so I took my chance of escape without hesitation. A garbled choking noise mixed with the faint sounds of traffic, and that of my outrageous breathing as I crawled away from him.

My heart pounded mercilessly while I scrambled away as far as possible. My back came in contact with something solid and metal, the end of the line. Upon turning around, a forest green dumpster loomed overhead, acting as a wall. Quickly standing up and stepping to the side, I ran down the alley at full speed.

Don't look back!

The red backpack that had accompanied me on the entire journey repetitively slapped against my back while I ran the seemingly never-ending distance. My heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's. When I risked a glance behind me, I was beyond relieved to see no sign of Crazy Eyes or a gleaming blade.

Confused and breathless, I stopped to gather oxygen, frightened beyond belief. My brain kept repeating the same mantra over and over.

You could be dead right now. Or worse

The 'Or Worse' part stuck out like a poltergeist, floating around me with the intent to scare me further. But I wasn't as afraid as I originally was. Someone had come to help, but they were gone. What if Crazy Eyes killed the stranger and he was coming back?

"Did you miss me?"