Chapter 85: Going Back

3.1K 272 25
                                    

-Chapter 85-

Sang Sorenson's POV:

It was Sunday and we were going to the gun range. Matt knew a guy who had foraged the necessary documentation needed for me to get in and the next thing I knew, we were all lined up in stalls looking down at black target paper.

We all wore ear defenders, so it surprised me when Matt came up from behind. "Sang," he greeted. "How is it coming?"

The sound of guns unloading around us was dulled by the muffs. My target hadn't been punctured yet. "I can't find the safety," I admitted. Matt pushed in a little button on the side of my gun.

"Shoot away, just not at me." He smirked. I took aim at the target and unloaded three bullets. Each hit the inner circle of the target and I grinned, feeling like a badass.

"Do that again." Matt's voice sounded behind me.

I did. Pieces of the targets center tore away. I clicked the safety on before looking back at Matt. He looked... rather pleased. "Let's find you a farther target to work with. Come follow me."

I did just as well at the target set at thirty yards and forty yards. At fifty yards, I had to focus a bit harder and by sixty, Matt handed me his gun. "Better accuracy," he explained.

And then the targets were going down easily again. Sixty feet. Seventy feet. Eighty feet. Bullseye. Bullseye. Bullseye.

When I looked back at Matt he was beaming a full-on white smile. "You're fucking excellent, beautiful." He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Seriously, fucking phenomenal! Flip that safety on and come with me."

I blushed as Matt took my hand, pulling me towards the rest of the team. He pulled out his phone and shot off a few text messages.

When we reached the others, Matt motioned first to Gabriel who was doing well at twenty yards, his shots wavering as much as mine had at the eighty yard line. Kota was no better.

Mr. Blackbourne shot at thirty. Nathan was at forty. Victor and North shot at fifty. Silas was at sixty, and Luke and Dr. Green were at seventy yards.

When we went home, Matt let me keep my target from the eighty yard line. He said that he was really proud.

School was tomorrow. It would be my first day back in that run down high school, and needless to say, I was not looking forward to it.

I didn't see the point to go. It no longer mattered if I went to school. I wouldn't graduate if I meant to keep my status as a ghost bird.

I didn't want to spend any more time in a school run by a pedophile kidnapper. I didn't want to spend any more time in a school where I could run into my sister, Marie.

Did she know I was missing? Did Mother tell her where I was? Had Dad noticed yet? My stomach rolled as I curled up in my bed at Mr. Blackbourne's house. I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight.

What would happen when Mother found out I was still around? Would she make me come home? Would she risk having the police involved?

I heard the door to my bedroom open and tentatively peeked out to see Luke standing there rubbing his arm.

"What's up?" I asked, brushing my hair out of my face. It was messy and knotted from all of my sleepless tossing and turning.

"I can't sleep," he mumbled. "I thought North was going to stay the night, but he had some other team call. I guess they broke down on the side of the road or something..." Luke paused, looking away.

I wanted ask him if he wanted to stay in here with me, but I wasn't sure if that was allowed anymore. Probably not after the family meeting.

I bit my lip.

It would have been easier if these boys never touched me to begin with, because losing their touch sucked. "Did you have a nightmare?" I asked finally.

Luke shrugged. "Yeah...I've had worse, but I just...my mom was in this one."

"Where is she? I never thought to ask, with you and North always with your uncle."

"She's gone."

"Do you miss her?"

"Not at all." Luke licked his lips. "Can I come lay by you? We don't even have to touch..."

I scooted over. It wasn't like I had been sleeping anyway. He slipped under the covers dressed in a white tank and his blue boxers.

"Sang, I'm so happy you're with us." Luke's hand found mine beneath the covers, but that's as far as he went and soon he was snoring.

***

Gabriel had a whole outfit laid out for me. Kota was getting his car because it would have been pretty strange for me to show up riding with Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne.

I rode in the back seat with Luke who kept his distance. I kind of missed his hugs and being spun around in his arms. I looked over at his face, half hidden by his blond hair which was styled in a messy sort of way.

In the rear-view mirror I could see Kota adjust his glasses. "Sang, everything is going to be okay. We will be there with you every step of the way."

"Oh!" Nathan rummaged in his backpack. "This is your new schedule. Mr. Hendricks is basically Matthew's bitch, so you're going to have an easy time."

"Why do I even have to go? If I'm a ghost, it doesn't really matter if I graduate..."

"You can't graduate even if you wanted to," said Nathan. "Look at your schedule. It's all Academy stuff. There are only two classes you're with other people."

I glanced down.

Home Room: Mr. Blackbourne

Hour 2: Mr. Eli (Biology)

Hour 3: Mr. Eli (Study Hall)

Lunch

Hour 4: Dr. Green (Greek)

Hour 5: Mr. Blackbourne (Study Hall)

Hour 6: Mr. Blackbourne (Study Hall)

"That's a lot of Mr. Blackbourne," I said quietly.

"He'll keep you busy." Kota smiled in the mirror. I don't think he was trying to be mean.

"I underlined the classes that are with the normal student body." Nathan ran a hand through his hair. "North and Gabriel are in your biology class and Matthew of course, and then Greek you still have Dr. Green, Silas, and Victor. Luke just transferred into the class, too."

We pulled up to the school and my heart was pounding. I didn't want to go inside. Heck. I didn't even want to get out of the car.

Silas was there waiting for us in the parking lot along with North, Gabriel and Victor.

I looked up at Silas and found that his dark eyes trained on my face. I held back tears as I shut the car door. "Hey!" I forced a smile.

In two big strides, Silas was in front of me. His arms went around my waist, and I knew then that Silas wasn't about to let anything bad happen to me in there. After all, this was only a high school.

Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)Where stories live. Discover now