CHAPTER EIGHT
879 Words
The Girl at the Window
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Amelia’s pulse thundered in her ears.
She couldn’t move.
The figure outside remained perfectly still, one gloved hand resting against the windowpane.
Moonlight caught the edge of a silver ring on their finger.
Then…
The figure slowly tilted its head.
Another tap.
This time, harder.
Tap!
Amelia stumbled backward, knocking her chair onto the floor.
The crash jolted Chloe awake.
“Amelia?” Chloe mumbled sleepily. “What’s wrong?”
Amelia pointed toward the window.
“There was someone…”
Chloe rubbed her eyes and pulled back the curtain.
The courtyard outside was empty.
Only the wind stirred the trees.
“I don’t see anyone.”
Amelia hurried to the window herself.
Nothing.
No footprints.
No shadow.
No sign that anyone had ever been there.
Had she imagined it?
Her gaze dropped to the windowsill.
A small black feather lay there.
It hadn’t been there before.
The next morning…
News spread across campus before the first period.
“Did you hear?”
“Someone broke into the East Wing last night.”
“The security guards searched the whole building.”
Amelia glanced at Oliver across the classroom.
He looked tired.
He hadn’t slept.
Their eyes met for only a second before he looked away.
For the first time…
He avoided her.
During lunch, Chloe practically dragged Amelia into the dining hall.
“You’ve barely eaten since you got here.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“You need food.”
As they joined the queue, Liam Carter appeared beside them carrying two trays.
“Mind if I join you?”
Chloe grinned.
“Please do.”
Liam looked at Amelia.
“So…”
“How are you surviving St. Victoria’s?”
She gave a weak smile.
“I’m still deciding.”
“I’ll give you a tip.”
He leaned in dramatically.
“Never trust cafeteria meatloaf.”
Chloe burst out laughing.
Even Amelia couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
Across the room…
Oliver saw it.
He watched Amelia laugh with Liam.
Something tightened in his chest.
Claire, who had been sitting nearby, noticed.
“You still care about her.”
Oliver didn’t answer.
“You’ve known her for less than a week.”
“I know.”
“So why are you looking at her like that?”
Oliver quietly stood up.
“I’m not hungry anymore.”
He left his untouched lunch behind.
That afternoon…
Amelia found a folded note inside her literature textbook.
Her heart sank.
Another one.
She unfolded it carefully.
The truth isn’t hidden in the East Wing anymore.
Check Locker 218 before someone else does.
She glanced around the classroom.
No one seemed to be watching.
Or at least…
No one obvious.
After the final bell, she slipped into the nearly empty hallway.
Locker 218 stood at the far end.
Old.
Blue.
Covered in scratches.
She looked around before spinning the combination lock.
To her surprise…
It opened.
Inside sat a single cardboard box.
No books.
No clothes.
Just the box.
Amelia lifted the lid.
Inside was a worn basketball jersey.
Number 11.
The same number Oliver wore today.
Folded neatly beneath it was a team photograph.
Oliver stood in the front row.
Beside him were three boys.
The same three from the old photograph.
Only this time…
Their faces weren’t crossed out.
On the back, someone had written each name.
Oliver Hayes
Ethan Brooks
Noah Reed
Daniel Cross
Amelia whispered the names aloud.
Then she noticed something else.
One name
Daniel Cross
had been crossed out in fresh red ink.
A voice behind her made her jump.
“Put it back.”
She spun around.
Oliver stood at the end of the hallway.
His expression was unreadable.
“What is this?” Amelia asked quietly.
Oliver walked toward her.
His eyes never left the photograph.
“It’s a part of my past.”
“What happened to Daniel?”
Oliver stopped beside her.
His jaw clenched.
“He died.”
Silence swallowed the hallway.
Amelia looked down at the photograph again.
Then back at Oliver.
“But the newspaper said it was an accident.”
Oliver laughed.
It wasn’t a happy laugh.
“It did.”
Before Amelia could ask another question…
The loudspeaker crackled to life.
“Attention, students.”
The principal’s voice echoed through the building.
“All students are to report to the auditorium immediately.”
Students began pouring into the corridors.
Oliver quickly took the photograph from Amelia’s hands.
“We’ll talk later.”
He disappeared into the crowd.
Amelia stared after him.
Something told her…
He still wasn’t telling her everything.
The auditorium fell silent as the principal stepped onto the stage.
“We have an important announcement.”
Teachers exchanged uneasy glances.
The principal took a deep breath.
“Due to recent incidents…”
“…the East Wing will officially reopen next week.”
A wave of shocked whispers swept through the room.
Then…
A loud bang echoed from somewhere backstage.
The curtains shook.
The lights flickered.
And across the giant projector screen, without anyone touching it, six words appeared in bold black letters:
THEY LIED ABOUT DANIEL CROSS.
The entire auditorium gasped.
Oliver shot to his feet.
Amelia’s heart stopped.
Someone wanted the whole school to know.
- Writer
