Skylar's POV

"Hey." I greeted as I slid inside Alex's car, passing him a small smile.

He didn't smile back though. Just frowned. "Where the heck--"

"Somewhere." I interrupted him, knowing clearly well what he was about to ask. "I know you're mad at me for ditching you at school yesterday, but it was so sudden. An emergency. I had to go, and I didn't have my phone with me to call you."

I was silently hoping that would be enough and he'd let it go. To my relief, he just shook his head and started the car, changing the topic. "How's your Physics preparation?"

I inwardly smiled and placed my backpack on my lap. "It's good." It was more than just good.

I busied myself with french-braiding my hair since I didn't get to do it back at home. I hadn't exactly woken up early (no surprises there) and Alex was always impatient when he was waiting outside my house.

"Good?" He raised a brow. "That's new."

I kept the part where Blake tutored me all to myself. No one needed to know that.

"So you aren't mad at me," I spoke after a while, patting my hair for a quick check before pulling over my hood. "Right?"

He rolled his eyes at the road ahead. "Of course, Sky." And I was glad. Yesterday alone had been too draining. I didn't want a repeat of it.

"Thanks, Allie." I scooted towards him before slinging my arm around his neck, giving him a side hug.

He gave me a small smile but ended up scrunching his nose in the end--probably at the nickname. "You should've told me earlier though." He pointed out.

"Told you what?"

"That you're into Blake Matthews." He answered, his smile slowly morphing into a frown.

I turned my head in his direction so quick that I almost had a whiplash.

"Wasn't he the same guy you came with at the match?" He asked. "I just figured that out."

I was confused actually. "Yeah?"

He glanced at me and must've sensed the confusion. "Jenna...was the one who said it."

Jenna. Who also happened to be my neighbour. How in the world could I forget that? Had she seen Blake outside my house last night? Of course, she had! Why was I even asking?

"And why the hell does she think I'm into Blake?" I asked nonetheless.

He rolled his eyes but kept looking ahead at the busy road. It was a typical morning in Crestmont Hill and I think I liked that the most about this town. People were always busy and bustling around in the mornings. It almost gave off a homely vibe.

"You let him inside your house last night," Alex spoke up.

I widened my eyes deliberately and kept on staring at him.

"At least, that's what she mentioned in the group chat." He added, sparing me a small glance.

"Why is she added in your football group chat when I'm not?" I asked, a bit offended.

"Only the members are added, Sky."

"Well, when did Jenna become a member?"

"The cheerleaders too." He replied in a way as if I should've known. But all I could think at that moment was to strangle that girl. Why couldn't she mind her own goddamn business? Who even peeped around in their neighbour's windows?

"I'm not into him." I frowned. "Why would I be into him?"

Not to forget that the only guy I was into, wasn't into me.

"Why was he at your house then?" Alex questioned. "I didn't even know you guys were buddies."

I pouted and looked down at my bag, not happy at all.

"Is that your way of going against your parents?" He broke into a laugh. "Because that's some--"

"Physics, Alex! He was helping me with Physics." I cut him off with a disgusted glare. "How do you know Blake anyway? How does Jenna even know his name?" I didn't know people at my school knew about Blake.

"He used to study at our school, Sky."

"He did?"

Alex just nodded in response.

"Why don't I see him around the school hallways then?" I asked in confusion.

"Used to," Alex repeated. "He was kicked out."

I furrowed my brows at that. Blake used to study at our school? No wonder he had looked a little familiar at first. Perhaps I should've dwelled onto it a little more.

"Why was he kicked out?" I asked Alex, even though I'm sure Alex hated when I started asking these many questions. I couldn't have helped it, though. I legitimately knew nothing about this.

"A fight with Caden." He answered before looking at me. "What have you been doing the whole sophomore year?"

I leaned back, clutching my bag against my chest.

Despite the fact that a person got irritated with you when you asked thousands of questions in one go, I still opened my mouth to ask another one.

"And why wasn't...Caden suspended?" I asked, even though Caden had pretty much told me how he got out of school fights by threatening the Principal--which was definitely not cool. I wonder how he had never been arrested. Maybe I'd ask him sometime.

If things ever go back to normal between us, that is.

Alex swerved the car into the familiar school parking lot. "He has his ways, I guess. You're not the only person to think how mysterious that guy can be." He shook his head once again and stopped the car.

I still didn't understand this whole thing. Caden had never told me about this. Caden hasn't exactly told me about a lot of things.

I felt Alex staring at me and I broke out of my thoughts. "So you're saying what Jenna said was just a lie?" He asked.

I nodded truthfully.

"Well, I'll try to clear those stupid rumours then." He shook his head with an eye roll before opening the door and getting out to meet his football buddies. "Stay out of trouble. I'll see you later."

Since when did I start looking for trouble?

I kept sitting there for the next few minutes with my jumbled up thoughts. Something felt odd. I just didn't know how to put my finger on it.

•••••

"Who're you looking for?" Hanna asked.

I stopped myself from inspecting each person's face who was entering the cafeteria, and looked over at Hanna, who was sitting right across from me at our table. It was just me and Hanna once again since Alex was busy catching up with a lecture that he supposedly missed out on.

"Did you see Caden?" I asked her, lowering my voice even though nobody was listening. But I still needed to be cautious. I was already tired of the handful of stares I'd been getting since this morning, mostly from the people who were in the sports team. I swear, I even heard a giggle around one corner of the hallway--which surely belonged to Jenna herself.

"No." She replied with a frown. "Why would I?"

I sighed and looked down at my tray. I wasn't upset that Caden hadn't come to school today. I mean, why would I be? I was just a little bothered. Was he not here today just because of me? Was he going to ignore me just because I kissed him?

"Is everything all right?" Hanna asked once she noticed my downcast demeanour.

I waved it off and forced a smile on my face. "Yeah."

The bell rang just on time. Hanna got up, passing a frown towards my untouched food tray. I waved off her questioning look. "I need to see Coach first." I got up as well. "He needed to have a talk with me."

She nodded. "I'll see you in the lab then."

We both parted ways and I started heading for the gym which was at the other end of the hallway. The hallway itself was swarming with people and it was a bit hard to go inside the gymnasium. But when I did, I was both a bit glad and a bit creeped out when I saw that the gymnasium was entirely empty.

"Hello?" I looked around. "Coach?"

I really was no fan of going inside our school gym, unless it was my gym class of course. Neither was I a fan of confronting Coach. That old guy seriously loved reminding me how much of an un-athletic person I actually was.

I knew why he'd asked me to come here, though. He was probably going to ask why I had skipped class yesterday.

I looked around once again before trudging towards the locker room. "Coach? Are you in there?" I asked a bit too loudly, my voice echoing off the almost empty room. I even searched for him inside the boys' locker room but failed to find him.

Where was he even?

I was about to go past the boys' locker room once again, when I noticed a door opened ajar, certainly leading inside the equipment room. If Coach wasn't in there, I decided, then I'd probably leave for good this time.

I walked towards it and pushed past the door. It creaked under my touch and everything was absolutely dark inside. I could only make out the stack of first aid kits.

I started searching around for a light switch, just to make sure he wasn't in here. And it was a matter of seconds for things to go downhill.

Literally, just after a second, I heard the door slam shut right behind me. With me inside that dark room.

My eyes widened in shock and I turned around in panic, hastily fiddling with the doorknob. To my absolute horror, it didn't budge at all. I felt a cold chill run down my spine, a sudden sense of fear growing inside me.

"Hey, I'm still in here!" I shouted, banging on the door. "Can somebody hear me?"

I think it was pretty rational that I panicked. Anyone would've in my place. The sudden dread and adrenaline rush made me feel a bit sick. But the only way I could think of at that moment to get out was calling out for help.

"Open the door!" I yelled. "Please!"

Another series of seconds passed by but no one opened the door.

"Coach? Can somebody hear me?" I shouted.

It was horrible, the way my heart raced right then. In fear. In terror of what was to happen. I wasn't just scared, I was beyond terrified. I was about to start shouting again when realisation hit me like a bucket of ice-cold water.

This wasn't an accident. Calling out for help won't matter.

Somebody had locked me inside this room. On purpose.

______

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Crystal 🌿