Waking the Fae [BOOK ONE]

Chapter 14

Unedited.

Shout-out to @hindering for the awesome cover which I'm yet to put on (I'll do it ASAP!)

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The lunch bell rang just as everyone was finishing their work. Rebecca didn’t rush to finish writing anything down; she didn’t need to. No one was waiting for her outside the classroom. No one was going to meet her. At least she had some company if she was around a teacher.

               “Miss Morley?”

               Rebecca looked up at her teacher, pen stilling in her hand. “Yes?”

               Mr Mace frowned at her, concern etched onto his face. His overgrown beard seemed even longer with the expression. “The bell rang. You can go.”

               “I know, sir. I just want to finish this,” Rebecca said, smiling at him. “Less homework. I have enough to as it is.”

               He didn’t seem to buy the excuse but he let it go, folding his large body into his tiny desk chair. “If you say so. I’ll wait for you to finish.”

               Rebecca nodded, writing down the notes. She debated writing slower so it took her longer to write it but she decided against it. Mr Mace had to go to lunch. He didn’t want to watch her write on paper for an hour.

               “Rebecca.”

               She looked up, eyes passing the white walls of the classroom before landing on her teacher, who was reclined back, stroking his grey beard. “Yes?”

               “Are you okay?”

               Looking away from him, Rebecca stared at one of the posters on the classroom wall. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. ‘Don’t be a bully’ it read, as if it was mocking her. She dealt with it every day so the signs were pointless. No one listened to them. She wasn’t even sure if anyone looked at them. Refocusing on the teacher, she nodded. “Of course, sir. Why wouldn’t I be?”

               His hard gaze didn’t leave her face for even a second. “You seem . . . off. Even more withdrawn than usual. I understand that you don’t want to talk in class, I do. That was me when I was in school, so I can relate. But you barely paid attention to the class. Did someone hurt you? Nothing is going on at home?”

               You’re ten years too late, Rebecca thought bitterly. They were the words she’d wanted to hear when she was five, living through abuse. Now? Well it was too little too late. “Everything is fine at home. I’m just tired, I guess. It’s Friday. No one pays attention on Friday.”

               He laughed, the frown lines on his face becoming even more pronounced. “I can attest to that. I don’t want to teach today.” His expression sobered. “But, Rebecca, you can talk to me if something is going on — at school, at home, anywhere. Here,” he held out a slip of paper and Rebecca hurried to grab it from him. “Call this number if anything bothers you.”

               She smiled ruefully. Skye was bothering her. She wasn’t about to tell anyone though. That would only make it worse. If she found out about . . .

               Rebecca grabbed the necklace at her throat, shuddering. If Skye found out that Mikael had given her a necklace there would be hell to pay. Mikael’s advice was warranted. If she showed anyone it could get back to Skye. Rebecca wasn’t ready to risk it. She wouldn’t stop wearing it however. It was warm and solid against her chest and it was . . . calming, somehow.