Being Watched

Chapter 23

Being Watched

Chapter 23

I am tired yet excited to go to school today. I missed my classmates during the vacation even though I had a great time with my friends back home.

I never thought I would miss the people at my new school but I did.

I’m looking forward to starting school again and hanging out with them again.

When I arrive to class, I smile at the familiar noise and chatter in the morning.

I smile at my classmates and talk with many of them about the vacation. It seems that we all had a good vacation.

I search for Emma, Janna, and Rena but neither of them is here yet so I walk to my chair and put my bag on the floor.

I see Jeremy sitting in his chair, his head resting on one of his arms. There’s a distant look in his eyes that confuses me.

My heart skips a beat when I see him and I realize that I had missed him so much during the vacation.

“Hey,” I say, trying to get his attention.

It works. His blue eyes meet mine and he forces a smile. “Hey.”

“What’s up?” I ask, frowning slightly.

“Just tired,” he replies and I immediately know that he’s lying.

I purse my lips and think carefully of what to say next. I don’t know if I should tell him that he’s lying or just let it drop.

I look into his eyes again and bite my lip. I think I’ll let it drop for now because I don’t want to have a fight with him. Things seem to be going well so far and I don’t want them to take a turn for the worst.

The bell rings and Emma rushes into the classroom just before the teacher comes in.

“Hi!” She whispers, smiling at me.

“Hey,” I reply and we have a silent agreement to talk during break time so that we don’t get any comments from our biology teacher.

I open my copybook and check the board to see the date.

5 January 2013, I copy it on the top of my copybook and just as I’m writing the three in 2013, I freeze and my head whips in Jeremy’s direction.

His eyes are fixed on his copybook and he doesn’t look up.

I return my gaze back to my copybook and stare at the date again, my heart beating frantically in my chest.

Six years ago, on the fifth of January 2007, Jeremy’s dad passed away.

All period, I can’t stop myself from thinking about Jeremy. All I want to do is give him a hug. He looks so sad!

When the bell rings, I jump out of my seat, hoping to talk to him before the next teacher comes in but he rushes out of the classroom before I get the chance to.

I wait for him to return but after ten minutes, he’s still missing and even the teacher hasn’t come yet.

I go out of the classroom and to the supervisor’s office which is at the end of the hallway. I knock on the open door and walk in, glancing at the mess of papers around her office.

She lifts her head up and looks at me as she lowers her eyeglasses.

“Is Mr. Mark absent?” I ask her.