The Crush SaGa

LURKING EYES

'C'mon! Don't use that book as a guise, I know you ain't reading, are you?'

She knows everything! She would. She's mom after all. And when she says she's right, then she's right. I love her because she's my mom, but once more, I love her because she's the only parent I have. She has never left me a space to wish I had a father to raise me. Because she is occupied with both the love of a mother and a father and I find that more than enough. I witnessed how well she handled everything back at home before we moved to Johannesburg. And that still inspires me a lot. She had never let her financial breakdowns define her. Instead, she was bound to reach every height to satisfy any of my possible needs. Luckily, she sawed as per her hard work. A few months back, after my third year in my previous high school, she received a call from Bryanston Library to notify her that she was granted a position there to work as a librarian. Their interview with her must've gone well I suppose. Since she was going to be working far from home, we had to move to Sandton. Believe me, it was no fun.

Waving the last goodbyes at the only friends I had, I was afraid that I might end up being lonely again. And it really looked like my fears came back to haunt me. But we don't go by the looks.

My name is Ashley Adams. My mother was married into a white family in Cape Town, thus that's where this white surname came from. Such a pity that the main man in charge couldn't stay to see it grow. Well, in my department everything is such a pity. Like my first day at school. First, I had to walk all the way from Simba to Sandton High and when I got there, it wasn't worth the distance. I imagined everyone paying attention to the new guy but there it seemed like everybody had their own butt damn problems to deal with. The school premises were too overcrowded, overfilled with all the other Ashleys that came along. The school there is so good that it receives new students every once in a while. Students like me. As I sat around alone I have sworn that someone was looking at me. But who could it have been? Perhaps anyone. I began to feel a little uncomfortable, as if I was being checked out. As I looked all around, I spotted a moving figure. It was a girl, who was probably running away from something or someone. Maybe it was her who've been staring at me the whole time, creeping me out. I was literally lost in thoughts and I couldn't even hear the siring. I only got to notice the crowd rapidly decreasing, everyone heading in groups in the same direction. I took off after them to the assembly, and that's when I got enlightened about this whole school thing. I was exported with the other new students to the third class of the eleventh grade, but still, I felt as if someone was looking at me. I almost fell to the ground while walking and searching for this stalker all at the same time. We finally settled down and I felt like I had finally lost the heat. The class was full of excited noises, probably welcoming each other back and bragging all the way about how great their weekend had been. That made me sick. I eventually ended up falling asleep right in the classroom. I was irritated, feeling like I was imprisoned and forced to adapt to this unfavourable captivity. In my temporary unconsciousness, I heard everyone getting even quieter, and suddenly I entered a dream realm. In my dream, I heard someone with an adult female voice calling out, 'Wake him up!' Suddenly I was brought back to reality when a crazy dude sitting near me whispered right into my ears while I was in my sleep. Everyone was staring at me, some even laughing, because I was sleeping! Everyone sleeps, but nobody ever laughs when they wake up. This school is strange.

Sudden enough, the attention was withdrawn from my side, but one girl at the front was still staring at me. As soon as she realised that I saw her, she turned her back so fast that I couldn't fully process her face. She was probably the stalker. But why could she have been stalking me? Maybe she thought I was someone she knew. Or maybe I really was someone she knew. I felt really unsafe, for a new boy, very romantically unsafe. It's only my first day and I'm being stalked by the girls? Yes please!

There was already a teacher in the class. Saying things I had no idea about. Things like, 'Last week's homework.' I wasn't there last week. I looked at everyone while they fetched their books right from their bags. I wasn't even having any books in my bag. Just some good food ready to be knocked out during lunchtime. The teacher there, like any other teacher had the eyes of a hawk. She scanned the whole class with her evil eyes until I was spotted not having any book on my desktop. She once again called all the attention on me. It felt like she hated me and she just wanted to fill me with shame, all because I am new and handsome. That's not my fault.

I beared a lot for the sake of making a good impression but when it was lunchtime, I unleashed my wild side. Unlike from my old school, Sandton High had a built in cafeteria. Regardless of the publicity, I ate all my fears and stresses out. I didn't even care if anyone was looking at me. And literally, they were looking at me. Disgusted by the way I ingested. Nobody ever minds their own business there, not even teachers.

I finished my business sooner than anyone there and then was followed by that crazy dude who woke me up whispering insanely in my ears. His name was Nicole. He was pretty much a wild eater too, but he was still a noob when compared to my wrath. Nicole turned out to be the kindest guy I first new. He led me throughout the day and as it turned out, we had a lot in common, but I was the only handsome one of course.

I rushed all the way home at the end of the day to tell my mother about my weird experience, but when I got home, my mother was nowhere to be seen. She usually arrived earlier before me from her work, and then left again when I was already home. Sometimes she would stay until the next day. I waited hoping that she would soon show up but still, there was no sign of her. That got me really dead worried. I was shaking with fright, all ready to call the police at any minute. It was already starting to get dark outside. The only rays of light descended from the cars as they drove past my street, blowing bells and saying all the mean words at each other as if they owned the streets. I was so afraid, already assuming the worst. At that time I had already dialled her number a thousand times. I took off in the dark all alone to Brianston library. I took all the lift I could find until I later arrived. There were noises, congestion, and flashing lights right next to the library. I was totally convinced that there was something terrible that had happened. Seeing all the ambulances and police cars driving back and forth, my heart started to run wild. All the negative assumptions popped up in my head again. I was really hope lacking. What if my mother was in one of those ambulances? What if she was harmed in some way during the crime scene? because there was totally a crime scene. As I headed inside the library, I came across a tall man at the entrance, holding his head as if the tragedy had happened to one of his own. He stood before my path and told me that I wasn't supposed to be there.

'Go home boy! What are you doing running around in the dark?'

He thought I was one of the few people who were just present to witness what had happened. I cried to him, asking her about the whereabouts of my mom. With my demand, he realised what I really came there for. He asked me my names and my mother's and as I told him of who I was, he was left utterly amazed. He began to act all kind with me. Requesting of me to wait in his car and that he would come back and explain to me of all that had taken place. At the time, I was quite eager and curious so I obeyed. I waited in the car for a few minutes and thereafter, I saw that tall man coming towards.

'You say your mother's surname is Adams?'

He asked as he sat on the driver's seat.

'There had