Saved by Monster

Chapter 3

After last night's incident plus the dream, it was a little awkward for me to look Easton in the eye.

“Everything I did was just to keep you fine.”

Easton's words in my dream last night kept creating questions. I didn't dare to make any assumptions to interpret them. It was too blurry and strange. The last thing I remembered was when his sturdy back began to move away and then disappeared.

I was jolted out of my reverie when Martha dropped the fork near my feet. She apologized (with a straight face and tone) and picked it up. I was actually surprised, Martha was very stiff and a bit strange. She rarely spoke if she didn't have to. Even when she did speak, it was without tone. I've never even seen her smile, let alone laugh.

Quite the opposite of Paula whose smile could almost rip her mouth open.

“Are you completely ready, Sweety?”

“Yes,” I replied with an expression that I made as cheerful as possible. Hoping Sierra knew that I was very good.

Speaking of which, today is the day for me to start school again. In a new place of course. Sierra told me that Easton will be taking me to school every morning while she works. So, this time he would also be the one to accompany me to see the principal.

Sierra kissed the top of my head before letting me go with Easton. Honestly, I was feeling a little nervous. Although I was happy to be going back to school, but being a new student didn't seem like much fun in the beginning.

“Maybe I'll go home early today. That way, I can pick you up,” Easton said. Hearing his usual tone, it seemed like I was the only one thinking too much about last night. The incident of him kissing me was just a dream, of course only I could remember. “I'll let Sierra know if there's anything.”

“Al-alright then.”

“What is it? Why the stammer?”

“N-nothing. Just a little nervous because it's my first day of school again,” I replied. Not entirely lying actually.

“You'll be fine.”

I nodded. “By the way, when did you take care of my transfer from the old school?”

“It's been quite a while actually. Three days after you regained consciousness, I went to your old school and settled everything.”

“Why didn't you include me? I wanted to see my late family.”

There was a few seconds' pause before Easton replied, “You weren't well then.”

“When are we going there again?” I asked carefully. So as not to appear too demanding.

“When we all have the day off together.”

I paused for a moment. That day was very hard to find. Given that Sierra worked at the hospital, while I had no idea what Easton's profession was. However, one thing that was certain was that he had never relaxed at home during the day. A sigh escaped my lips. This was really difficult.

I couldn't go alone because the place was also very far away, especially since I was only sixteen years old.

Easton pulled the car over in front of a large school. The man dressed as an officer immediately let us in after Easton told him that I was a new student here. The man with curly hair guided us to the principal's office and immediately excused himself after telling us to knock on the door.

“Come in!” A voice from inside interrupted.

Easton gripped my hand tightly. He seemed to know that I was getting nervous. “Just relax, okay?”

“Oh, you, Mr. Brie.” A bespectacled woman sitting behind the desk instantly recognized Easton's face. Apparently he had been here too. “Please have a seat.”

“Thank you,” Easton said with a smile. We sat down on a reddish-purple circular sofa. The woman picked up a folder and joined us.

“Is this Presley Brie? The girl who will be the new student at our school?” She asked as she looked at me. I nodded with an awkward smile. “I'm the principal here. Just call me Mrs. Moore.”

Mrs. Moore opened the folder and looked at me before turning back to the papers. She seemed to be matching my face with the photo attached to it. Her finger moves slowly from the top of the paper to the bottom.

“So, there's a change of guardian here?” Mrs. Moore asked as she raised her drooping square glasses.

“That's right. It's just like what I talked about yesterday.”

I guessed it right. Easton had been here before. He had prepared everything.

“I'm sorry about your family, Presley Brie. I hope it doesn't interfere too much with your studies. Given that you've also had a few weeks off.”

“Thank you,” I muttered softly.

“There's a lesson schedule here. Of course there are mandatory subjects and some electives. At your old school, what elective did you take?”

“Publishing.”

“Good. I'll ask one of the students to guide you later. Here's your schedule and some supplies.”

I took the folder that Mrs. Moore held out. It seemed to contain some textbooks. “Thank you.”

There was a double knock on the door from behind me. Followed by the appearance of a young woman around Easton's age who had a pleasant type of face.

“Yes, Miss. Adams?”

“Mrs. Moore, this is the submission proposal for the exhibition I talked about yesterday.” The woman called Miss. Adams handed over the thin folder she had been carrying.

“I will study it later. Are you busy, Miss?” asked Mrs. Moore. Miss Adams shook her head and said that she was free. “Please take this girl to Physics class.”

Miss Adams nodded obediently. She asked my name before leading us out of the room. And that's when I realized that I had been holding Easton's hand tightly.

Easton pulled me close and gave me a warm hug. He knew full well that I was nervous. “Don't be nervous, Presley. You'll be fine.” He ended with a gentle stroke on the top of my head.

I cleared my throat softly and hurriedly moved away from Easton when I realized Miss. Adams noticed us.

“Good morning, Miss,” Easton said after bidding me goodbye and disappearing around the corner.

“Is he your brother?” asked Miss Adams.

“Yes.”

Although faint and in a small voice, I heard Miss Adams mutter something that made me frown instantly.

“How charming.”

Ignoring Miss. Adams' comment, I began to look around. This building wasn't anything special. Not much different from my old school. We passed through a corridor with soft blue lockers lining the right and left sides.

We arrived in front of a classroom. There was a glazed board with Frank Lee - Physics written on the surface.

“Well, this is your first class. For the next class, ask the other students. Do you understand?” Miss Adams said. I nodded and just thanked her because I didn't know what else to answer.

Some people who realized my arrival immediately looked at me questioningly. Some even whispered so that their three friends also stared. I immediately took a seat near the wall. According to the schedule Mrs. Moore had given me, this class would start in about five minutes.

“Hey,” said a girl with curly hair. She came up to me with her friend with round glasses, “new student?”

I nodded. “Presley Brie.”

She welcomed my hand as she said her name, “Hannah Brooklyn, and my friend, Cara Osterfeld.”

Cara took turns shaking my hand and sitting on the bench in front of me. “Where are you from?”

“Nashville,” I answered. They both frowned. “Tennessee.”

“Why did you move?”

“Things got a little complicated,” I said. Not exactly lying either. I just didn't want people to know about my family. Apparently they understood and didn't bring it up again.

We exchanged questions, of course with me asking about the ins and outs of this school. In this school, there are several clubs, including interact, dance, choir, cheerleading, journalism, thespian, anonym actor, and many more. However, there are also some self-made clubs. They usually consisted of groups of people who were descended from other countries.

I wanted to ask more, but the bell rang, followed by a man wearing a tie and glasses with very thin handles. Hannah immediately took the seat behind me.

“I pledge allegiance to The Flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and justice for all.” All students recited it with their arms crossed in front of their chests.

Before starting the lesson, Mr. Lee called me forward. “Please tell me something about yourself.” I was a little clumsy, but Cara and Hannah encouraged me with their grins.

***

The last bell had rung. I walked out of Mrs. Miller's class and almost collided with a girl whose face was very familiar. At the last second before she waltzed away, I managed to remember her.

“Maggie?” I said excitedly. The girl was silent for a moment as she looked at me with a flat face. “I'm your new neighbor, Presley Brie.”

She smiled very faintly (you wouldn't even notice if you didn't look at her face seriously), and then left me. She didn't even say anything. What was wrong?

Ignoring her, I quickly followed the other students to see where I should find my way out of this school. I jumped slightly when a car honked twice. There was Eston waving.

“How was your day?” asked Easton when I was seated in the car.

“Not so bad. Maggie McCain goes to school here too.”

“That's good,” he commented. Easton started the car. “Do you want to eat first?”

I shook my head. Easton's right hand reached into the back seat. He handed me a small paper bag.

“What's this?” I muttered as I opened it. There was a box with a rectangular object. “A cell phone? For me?”

“Well, it's quite late. It already has my, Sierra's, and Martha's numbers on it,” he said. I unpacked the box with a smile I couldn't hold back. “Do you like it?”

“Of course! Thank you so much!”

He replied by rubbing my head. A small laugh just escaped me from being so happy. I hadn't asked for a cell phone before, but that didn't mean I didn't want one.

I still had a big smile on my face when I got home. It's so quiet. Sierra must be sleeping in her room. I quickly got dressed and grabbed lunch to eat while watching television.

“Still with the news about the discovery of a body named Camila Simpson. According to the autopsy results, the victim's death was caused by asphyxiation. One opinion is that this is the same murder as the Roxy Washington case. As of this news, the police have not been able to confirm that the two are related. The police also--”

“Oh my, Easton!”

The television changed to a sports program. Easton sat beside me with an innocent face. “I missed the softball broadcast last night.”

Letting him get away with it, I began to think for a moment. I was pretty sure that the broadcast was about the accident on the side of the road last night. Ah, not an accident, but a murder.

“Was there a case like this last month too?” I asked.

“Yes, and the culprit is still unknown.”

My face immediately turned pale. “What if it's me next?”

“Don't even think about that.” Easton looked at me very closely. His look said that he didn't like it and that I shouldn't say such things. “Nothing bad will happen to you again. You'll be fine.”

You'll be fine.

You'll be fine.

The words kept coming out of Easton's mouth. I didn't know if he was just trying to make me feel calm or if he was actually saying them. But the way he pronounced those words made it seem like he was making a promise. Swearing that nothing bad could touch me.