Rehearsals With You ✓

Chapter Twenty-One: Friends For

I sat on the bench as I happily watch my classmates sweat in gym class. It was our class versus Triss' class playing volleyball while I got Ms. Summers to believe that my knees were still hurting. 

Who am I kidding, she didn't actually believe that but when she didn't validate that excuse, I told her what if I accidentally fall down, hurt myself again because she didn't believe me or even if it wasn't really hurting, what if I fall into my knees in an attempt to save the game and reopen my wounds? She gave me a nasty look to which I shamelessly grinned. Any excuse out of gym class is a good excuse, okay. I've already been excuse for a week on her class, this is probably the last. I shall savor it. 

I also watched as a lanky freshman approach Ms. Summers. She nodded before pointing at me. My eyebrows rose. I waited for the boy to reach me.

"Uh, Mr. Martin c-called for you." I narrowed my eyes at him as he fiddled nervously with his fingers. "He said to go to his office." When I didn't stand up, he added, "Now." Then walked away.

I shrugged to myself and looked for Triss. I saw her drinking water at the sidelines. "Hey! Triss!" She drop the bottle and turned to me. "Let's meet at the cafeteria!" She gave me a thumbs-up so I headed my way towards Mr. Martin's office.

The hallway was empty, everyone was still around classes. Making sure I was alone, I started dancing while walking at the same time, jamming to a song in my head. 

She pulls me in enough to keep me guessing (mmm)

And maybe I should stop and start confessing

Confessing, yeah

I hummed at Shawn Mendes' 'There's Nothing Holding Me Back'. I was too caught up with my singing and power moves to notice someone grab me by the arm and drag me inside a janitor's closet.

I stared shock at the door. 

When I snapped out of it, I tried the knob but it was locked. I was alone inside and it was dark. I patted the walls for the switch and I exhaled in relief when I found it. 

"Wooh, good there's-" it wasn't working! But it was doing fine that time Grey and I–

Grey. 

I looked around but I couldn't see anything. My heart leaped to my throat and I was beginning to hyperventilate when I heard a chuckle behind the door. My eyes widened as hope swelled inside me. I banged the wood and shouted. "Help! Is someone out there?"

No answer. 

"Please! The door's lock and I can't get out!" No one answered still and I felt my body grow cold. Had I imagined that? I asked myself as I slipped to the floor. My breathing was becoming shallow and erratic. I fisted my shirt and tried to calm my self. My palms were sweating, my legs felt weak and my whole body was shivering. "This can't be happening . . ." Fuck it, I felt like crying.

"Mommy . . . Daddy . . .  Please let me out! I want to go home!"

I took hold of my hair as I tried to hold myself together. Something . . . a memory . . . was trying push its way at the front but I couldn't remember. I, however, couldn't help but feel like I was there.

I knew what happened. When I was fourteen, I demanded Mom and Dad to tell me as I couldn't remember anything. I wanted to know the reason why I acted the way I acted at dark, closed, empty spaces. I knew something happened back then but what, specifically. Yet they wouldn't tell me anything. They said it would be better if I didn't know. Said it was a good thing that I didn't remember any of it, it was my brain's way of coping up with the childhood trauma.