CHAPTER 7
1108 Words
ADINNA’S POV
I wake up still carrying yesterday’s storm inside me. The weight of everything that’s happened sits heavy on my chest. The slime, the milk, and the whispers.
All I want is for today to be a normal day. I actually can’t believe that I haven’t spent up to a week here, and I’m already in this kind of a mess.
I pull on my hoodie, tie my hair up, and tell myself to just survive the school day without running into Jace or anyone connected to him. I keep my head down while trying avoid crowded hallways, and moving like I’m invisible.
But trouble has a way of finding me anyway.
When I get to class, the strap of my backpack suddenly gives way. The bag hits the floor, and my books scatter across the tiles with a loud thud. A few students turn and snicker, whispering things I can’t quite catch but know are about me.
I crouch down quickly, cheeks burning, to pick up my stuff when I notice that the strap of my bag was cut.
By the time I finish analyzing the situation of my bags, I look round and realize my notes are gone. My chest tightens as I blink continuously, hoping that they’ll suddenly reappear, but they’re not there. It’s like they vanished into thin air.
I take a shaky breath and tell myself not to cry. They’re just notes. I can rewrite them.
When the bell rings, I go straight to my locker, hoping at least that part of my day will be normal. But the second I open it, a wave of slime pours out. It’s thick, sticky, and reeks of chemicals just like yesterday. The disgusting green gel slides down my locker door and splatters all over my shoes.
A sharp laugh echoes behind me. I don’t turn around. I don’t need to. The laughter is enough. It’s not Jace’s, but it belongs to one of the people who think tormenting me earns them points.
I slam the locker shut, my fingers trembling. My throat burns, but I swallow hard and walk away before they can see my face.
By the time I reach my dorm room, my hands are shaking with frustration. My backpack strap is ruined, my notes are gone, and now I reek of slime again. I just want to crawl into bed and disappear.
But when I open the door to my room, my stomach drops.
My clean, soft sheets are drenched in that same disgusting slime. The smell hits instantly, strong enough to make me gag. It’s everywhere. It’s dripping onto the floor, seeping into my blanket, and staining my pillow.
I just stand there for a moment, staring at the mess like my brain can’t process it. I’ve been holding it together all day, but now, I feel something inside me break.
Riley walks into the room, but is stopped by the sight. Her eyes widen. “Oh no, Adinna, not again?”
I don’t even answer. I grab the closest towel and start wiping furiously, trying to clean the sheets even though it’s useless. The slime clings to everything, smearing, stretching, and refusing to come off. My arms ache as I scrub, but I don’t stop.
Riley joins in, helping without a word. We work in silence, the room filled only with the sound of fabric rubbing and water dripping. When we’re done, the sheets still look awful, but at least the mess isn’t dripping anymore.
I drop the towel, exhausted. “I can’t do this,” I whisper. “
Riley sits beside me on the edge of my bed. “You need a break, Adinna. You can’t walk around waiting for the next prank. It’s going to hurt you.”
I stare at the floor. “What choice do I have? If I go out there, they’ll just find me again.”
“Then we don’t let them find you.”
I frown. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” she says with a small grin, “you disappear for a bit. You hide somewhere they won’t look.”
“Like where?” I ask curiously.
“The library,” she says confidently.
I blink. “The library? Seriously?”
She nods. “Jace hates books.”
I actually laugh a little. “Why am I not surprised?”
She shrugs. “So... what do you say?”
I give her a faint smile. “It’s worth a shot.”
The next day, we make it to the library before classes even start. The air inside is cool and quiet, thick with that old-book smell. Dust floats lazily in the light streaming through the windows. I actually feel at peace.
We settle into a corner table near the back, half-hidden behind tall shelves of encyclopedias. I pull out a fresh notebook to start rewriting my stolen notes. Riley sketches aimlessly, humming under her breath. The silence feels like a balm.
An hour passes and still there’s no sign of Jace and his lackeys.
I start to relax. My shoulders loosen, and for the first time all week, I actually manage a small smile. Maybe we did it. Maybe hiding works.
Riley glances at me. “See? I told you this wasn’t such a bad idea.”
“Fine,” I admit, chuckling softly. “You win.”
We share a quiet laugh. For a moment, it feels like we’re just two normal students in a school that isn’t full of cruelty and pranks.
Then the peace shatters.
The doors to the library slam open with a loud bang. The sound echoes off the walls, and every head snaps toward the entrance. My heart lurches into my throat.
Standing there looking all tall, confident, and terrifyingly calm, is Jace.
He strolls, like he’s got all the time in the world, his eyes sweeping across the room, cold and calculating. Behind him are Hunter, Dean, and Salem. Their presence alone changes the air.
Every student in the room freezes. The air feels heavy and electric. Even the librarian looks unsure of what to do.
Riley tenses beside me, her hand gripping mine under the table. I can feel her pulse racing. My stomach twists painfully.
Jace walks further in, his boots clicking against the floor. His gaze locks onto me almost immediately. He tilts his head slightly, as a smirk tugs at his lips. It’s that same look. The one that promises trouble.
I can’t move.
Then his voice slices through the air. Steady, cold, and loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Everyone get out NOW.”
- Writer
