Invisible

Chapter Thirteen: Discovery

Miles sat stiffly at his desk, fists clenched atop of his thighs. His mind was whirling with multiple questions on end, ones that couldn't possibly have an answer. How did I go back?! This shouldn't be happening! What about Ryder?! His thoughts were jerked violently to a stop once he felt a finger tap on his shoulder, sitting up straighter and glancing over his shoulder to look at the person who wanted his attention. Spotting Cruz seated in the desk behind him, a bubble of warm pleasure could be felt spreading in the pit of his stomach; the blonde grinning from one ear to the other.

"Jacob, looks like someone forgot to wash their wig again," The blonde commented, earning a snort of amusement from Miles.

He inwardly cringed at the use of his previous name, a ball of disgust swimming in his chest. It was odd. Strange. It's not normal, I'm not supposed to be alive. Here. Bitter thoughts probed and picked at his mind, though he pushed them to the side. Sure, there were times that he felt envious of Ryder, and the others, but, he came to terms with being dead. He accepted it. Miles shook his head to rid of these continuous, running, thoughts. Shifting his blue eyes to the front of the class, he didn't fail to catch sight of an elderly woman sitting at a large desk with her glasses resting on the tip of her nose as she scanned over a book in her hands. Mrs. Russel was never my favorite, she was actually pretty mean and rude, now that I think of it.

"Be nice, will you? She probably forgot to pop her old lady pills," He whispered with a low tone, lowering his gaze to the blank piece of paper that sat on his desk, which was supposed to be an essay due by the end of class, "What are you doing after school?"

"Does it matter what I'm doing? You air-head, you get to meet up with Nicole after school. You're going, aren't you?" The question from his friend made him feel uneasy.

Today was his death date. Today would be his last. Miles suddenly felt sick, nodding slowly to answer the hanging question. Did Nicole possibly have something to do with his death? Perhaps something happened to me, on the way.

"Yeah, I wonder what she wants... Guess I'll have to find out, huh?"

...

The day had passed by faster than he thought it would, he wasn't focused on the school day. He hadn't payed attention to the classes that were lecturing, nor did he bother picking up the homework that was due the next day. It wouldn't do me any good, anyhow. No, he was focused on the folded letter that was tightly gripped between his fingers. All I have to do is find Nicole. If I can find her, I might be able to find out what happened to me. Will I go back afterwards? Miles came to abrupt stop in his steps, grip tightening around the small letter. What if I stay? What if I don't go to see Nicole? Selfish, he knew that was quite selfish of him to even consider. What of Ryder, if he were to stay here? Whatever this is...

"Cruz, I need you to do me a huge solid," Miles managed to form the words and get them out, glancing over his shoulder to look at the confused blonde, "I have a really bad feeling about this thing... I want you to see if I make it home in an hour from now. If I'm not home, call the police."

It's 3:36 p.m right now. Cruz was the last person to see me alive.

"Dude, you're scaring me," His close friend responded after a moment of silence, concern written all over his face, "Do you honestly want me to call the police?"

Giving the blonde a nod, Miles had made his final decision. Jacob is dead, I don't belong here. I'm dead, but, maybe I can capture my killer with the help of Cruz. It's worth a try, I've got nothing left to lose.

"I'll— I'll, uh.. See you tomorrow you big air-head," Miles offered a grin, punching his best friend on the shoulder in an affectionate way.

A dull ache pumped through his chest as he started walking away without waiting for a response, feeling Cruz's gaze bore into the back of his head. He swallowed the lump in his throat, letting out a shaky sigh as he hurried up his steps. Managing to blink away the tears that blurred his vision, he made a sharp turn down a different hallway. With school done for the day, he had one last thing to do. It was so strange to see all the familiar faces, hear the voices of old classmates. It was refreshing, wonderful. At least I had one more day. The thought wasn't bitter, it was sincere. A part of him felt at peace, the other part of him felt anxious— scared, almost. Pushing through an exit door, Miles was caught off guard by the ice cold gust of wind that attacked his face. His hoodie wasn't thick enough to protect him from the cold chill that seeped into his bones and muscles, it caught him off guard to feel the cold. He decided to put up with it as he continued on, glancing up at the grey sky that was puffy with snow-swollen clouds. The white substance crunched beneath his feet with each step, using one of his hands to pull his red hood over his head. His eyes caught the sight of the building that was his destination, a sudden feeling of apprehension making his stomach turn upside down. Any confidence that was with him moments ago, it was gone now.