~My Teacher Hits Me~ (Book 1) [Rewritten]

Chapter 13: Not all Secrets Stay Buried

Rylan runs, but she can't remember why. Terror courses through her body, making it impossible for her to stop shaking. Where am I, she wonders. Finally she looks around and realizes she is running through the empty halls of the school.

"Cupcake?" Blake's voice wafts down the corridor.

Rylan pushes herself faster, even though her shoes pad loudly on the floor. The noise almost positively gives away her location. She catches sight of the exit doors and slams into them; neither budge because they are locked.

"No!" She slams her body palm against the door a couple times, but they still don't move.

Rylan turns so she faces down the hallway. Any minute now Blake will come around the corner at the other end of the hallway. Rylan can feel it. Her mind screams at her to hide.

Frantically, she glances around the corridor for some place she can conceal herself. The hall branches off to her left and to her right. She notices the supply closet on the left side of the right corridor and quietly tiptoes over to it. She twists the knob and the door swings open. Rylan sighs in relief and slips inside. She pulls the door closed right as Blake turns the corner. She locks it.

Blake smirks as if this is the best game he has ever played. "Are we playing hide and seek now, Rylan?" His voice echoes down the corridor.

Rylan backs against the door and covers her mouth with her left hand in an effort to keep calm and quiet. She listens as the echo of Blake's footsteps grows louder as he gets closer to her hiding spot. After a few moments, the halls go silent. Rylan forces herself to hold her breath in case Blake can hear it. She can't let him find her.

All of the sudden Blake starts humming "Happy Together" by the Turtles. Rylan jumps. It sounds creepy and sinister coming from him.

His footsteps start again, but this time in the opposite direction of Rylan. Rylan lets out her breath. She waits until she can no longer hear his footsteps before she unlocks and opens the door. She peeks out. The hall is empty. Quietly, Rylan slips out of the door and closes it. Now she just has to find a way out of here.

"You should really find more original hiding places." Blake says.

Rylan spins around to face him in terror. Before she can think to start running again, Blake pins her against the wall, his hand closing around her throat.

"I thought I told you to keep your boyfriend out of things." Blake hisses.

Rylan gasps for air and clutches at Blake's arm, trying to pry it from her neck.

Rylan awakens, clawing at her blankets and trying to breathe. Finally she removes the sheet that has tangled itself around her neck, cutting off her air-flow. For a few minutes, she sits there focusing on breathing in and out.

It wasn't real. She tries to reassure herself that she is indeed at home, safe, in her room. A nightmare, it was just a nightmare, she tells herself. Tears fill Rylan's eyes. It isn't enough that Blake terrorizes her at school, now he gets to be a part of her dreams as well.

Rylan turns her head to look at her clock. It is only four in the morning on a Saturday. Rylan knows she'll never get back to sleep after that nightmare. She is glad for the weekend, but only because it means time away from school. Rylan tosses her covers aside and walks to the bathroom. After using the facilities, Rylan goes downstairs to find something to do. Her dad will be up in two hours. So, she has one and a half hours of waiting around before she can start breakfast.

Rylan looks helplessly around the kitchen. Her social life is coming apart, yet somehow she has managed to keep her troubles away from home. Rylan knows eventually she will have to tell her father everything. He's nosy and he knows something is up. Every time she looks at him or she shuts down a conversation, she sees the worry etched into his face. As long as she continues to deny it, his worry will probably get worse.