Pain
1513 Words
History.
School.
Boring.
I just want to go home.
Claire let out a quiet sigh as those thoughts drifted through her mind.
"Josh?"
Mrs. Jane's voice echoed through the classroom.
"Josh?"
Claire snapped back to reality.
"Huh?... Yes!"
She jolted upright.
Every head turned in her direction.
Claire glanced at Mrs. Jane, who was looking at her expectantly.
She hadn't heard a single word the teacher had said.
"Um..."
Claire scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
Mrs. Jane folded her arms.
"You weren't listening, were you?"
Claire lowered her head and shook it slightly.
A disappointed sigh escaped Mrs. Jane.
"I thought so."
She turned back to the class.
"Can anyone else answer the question?"
Claire rested her forehead in her palm with an embarrassed sigh.
"You okay?"
Jessie, who sat in front of her, turned around.
Claire forced a smile and nodded.
"I'm fine."
Jessie studied her for a moment before reluctantly turning back to the lesson.
Claire exhaled slowly.
Then...
She felt it.
Someone was staring at her.
She looked over her shoulder.
Agatha.
Her face was bright red with anger.
Her foot tapped impatiently against the floor while she glared at Claire without blinking.
Why is she looking at me like that?
Claire frowned before quietly facing the front again, pretending not to notice.
A few minutes later...
History class finally ended.
Students began packing their bags.
Claire zipped up hers while Jessie shoved books into her backpack.
Out of the corner of her eye, Claire noticed someone walking toward them.
She looked up.
Agatha.
Before Claire could react...
SLAP!
The entire classroom fell silent.
Claire's head snapped to the side.
She slowly lifted a trembling hand to her burning cheek.
Shock filled her eyes.
Then..
SLAP!
Another slap landed across her face.
"How could you?!" Agatha shouted, her voice shaking with rage.
Claire stared at her in complete disbelief.
Agatha raised her hand again.
Before it could fall...
Jessie grabbed her wrist.
"That's enough, Agatha!"
Jessie's voice was sharp.
"What is wrong with you?"
Agatha yanked her hand free...
SLAP!
She slapped Jessie across the face.
Silence.
Jessie slowly turned back toward her.
Her expression darkened.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Before anyone could stop her....
SLAP!
Agatha staggered backward.
Then...
SLAP!
Her head jerked to the side.
Jessie wasn't finished.
SLAP!
Agatha stumbled backward, clutching her burning cheek.
The classroom exploded into shocked whispers.
At the back of the classroom...
William had watched everything without saying a word.
His face remained unreadable.
His gaze shifted from Agatha...
...to Claire.
She hadn't fought back.
She hadn't cried.
She simply stood there, frozen in shock.
What's wrong with her?
William frowned slightly before standing up from his seat.
"I can't believe you!"
Agatha shouted, pointing accusingly at Claire.
"Of all people... you stole Fred from me!"
William stopped walking.
"I've loved Fred for years!"
Her voice cracked with anger.
"We were always close!"
"But the moment you showed up..."
"He started avoiding me!"
The classroom filled with whispers.
"And then..."
Agatha laughed bitterly.
"You even went on a date together."
The whispers grew louder.
Claire's vision blurred.
Agatha stepped closer.
"You like him, don't you?"
Claire remained silent.
William's jaw tightened.
Say something.
"See?"
Agatha scoffed.
"You did it on purpose."
"You stole him from me..."
Her eyes suddenly darkened.
"...Just like you took your parents away."
Claire's breathing hitched.
"Agatha!" Jessie shouted.
"That's enough!"
"Shut up, Jessica!" Agatha snapped.
"I'm talking to her."
She took another step toward Claire.
Her voice became cold.
"You killed your parents..."
Silence filled the room.
"...didn't you?"
Claire froze.
Agatha wasn't done.
"Or..."
She smiled cruelly.
"...did you eat them?"
"I heard their bodies were never found."
The entire classroom fell silent.
"Are you planning to do the same thing to Fred?"
William's eyes turned icy.
His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Without saying a word...
He turned and stormed out of the classroom.
"That's enough, Agatha."
Jessie stepped protectively in front of Claire.
"Leave her alone."
Agatha shot her a look of pure disgust before letting out a mocking laugh.
"You really enjoy playing the hero, don't you?"
Jessie folded her arms.
"Someone has to."
Agatha ignored her and fixed her glare on Claire once more.
"This isn't over."
She pointed a finger at her.
"You won't get away with this."
With that, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the classroom.
The room instantly filled with whispers.
"Oh my God..."
"Did she really kill her parents?"
"I heard they disappeared."
"Someone said their bodies were never found."
"What if it's true?"
"I feel bad for her..."
"Don't."
"She's a monster."
Each whisper struck Claire like a knife.
Her breathing became shallow.
The voices echoed over and over inside her head.
Monster...
She killed her parents...
Stay away from her...
Claire's vision blurred.
The classroom began to spin.
She pressed a trembling hand against her chest.
She couldn't breathe.
"Claire?"
Jessie rushed to her side.
"Claire, look at me."
No response.
"Claire!"
Claire stumbled backward before suddenly pushing through the crowd.
She bolted out of the classroom.
"Claire!" Jessie shouted, running after her.
Claire ran blindly through the hallway.
The whispers refused to stop.
They followed her.
Inside her head.
Monster...
She killed her parents...
Stay away from her...
"No..."
She covered her ears.
"Stop..."
Her breathing became more uneven.
Tears blurred her vision.
She hurried into the girls' bathroom and slammed the door behind
Not because Claire had disappeared...
But because she was terrified Claire might hurt herself again.
"Claire!"
"Jessie?"
She turned.
Fred stood a few steps away, looking confused.
"Oh my God..."
Jessie hurried toward him.
"Fred, have you seen Claire?"
He frowned.
"No."
"What happened?"
Jessie ran a shaky hand through her hair.
Her breathing was uneven.
"Jessie?"
Fred asked again.
"What's wrong with Claire?"
She didn't answer.
Instead, she froze.
The bathroom.
Without another word, she took off running.
Fred followed close behind.
Jessie pushed open the girls' bathroom door.
"Claire!"
Silence.
The bathroom was empty.
"Claire?"
Nothing.
Jessie looked around frantically.
"Where could she be?"
Fred stepped closer.
"Jessie."
His voice became firmer.
"Tell me what's going on."
Jessie slowly turned toward him.
Her eyes were filled with frustration.
"She's hurting herself, Fred."
His face changed instantly.
"...What?"
"And it's because of you."
Fred stared at her.
"What are you talking about?"
Before Jessie could answer...
Beep!
Her phone vibrated.
She quickly pulled it out.
A message from Claire.
I'm home.
Jessie's eyes widened.
Another message appeared.
And no.... I'm not hurting myself.
Jessie let out a shaky sigh of relief.
Without saying another word, she hurried out of the bathroom.
Fred remained standing there, completely confused.
The bathroom door slammed shut.
He sighed and pulled out his phone.
His fingers quickly typed a message.
Are you okay?
Seen.
No reply.
His grip tightened around his phone.
He shoved it into his pocket and quietly walked away.
***
A few days later...
Claire never returned to school.
Instead...
She buried herself in work.
School no longer mattered.
Not right now.
She needed time.
Time to think.
Time to breathe.
Jessie visited almost every day, updating her on everything she had missed.
"I miss you."
"When are you coming back?"
Claire always gave the same answer.
"Soon."
The truth was...
She missed school too.
She missed Jessie.
But she couldn't face Agatha.
...Or Fred.
Especially Fred.
He texted her every day.
Called countless times.
She never replied.
Maybe...
If she stayed away from him...
Everything would go back to normal.
Heavy rain poured outside the restaurant.
Claire had already finished her shift.
Yet she remained inside.
She glanced through the glass doors.
Rain hammered against the pavement.
Then she checked the time.
9:15 p.m.
She sighed.
"Great..."
"How am I supposed to get home now?"
Her neighborhood wasn't exactly safe at night.
She set her phone on the counter and looked around.
The restaurant was almost empty.
The last customer had already left.
Only she remained.
She rested her head on the table.
Just for a moment...
Before she knew it...
She had fallen asleep.
Something felt...
Soft.
Warm.
Claire slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked.
"...Huh?"
She wasn't at the restaurant anymore.
She was sitting inside a car.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She quickly looked out the window.
Dark streets.
Rain still poured outside.
Confusion flooded her mind.
Wait...
Whose car is this?
I don't remember calling a taxi.
Her breathing quickened.
Oh no...
Have I been kidn*pped?
Just as panic began to take over...
A deep, cold voice spoke beside her.
"If I wanted to kidnap you..."
"...I'd have done a much better job than this."
Claire froze.
Someone was sitting beside her.
A strong, masculine scent drifted into her senses.
It wasn't overwhelming.
It was clean... expensive... and strangely commanding.
It carried a quiet intensity that sent an uneasy chill down her spine.
Whoever was sitting beside her wasn't an ordinary person.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
She turned her head.
Her breath caught in her throat.
William.
- Writer
