𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑─𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐚𝐫

65.

I was having a near impossible time paying attention to the lesson Mr. Douglas was teaching about physics. I could not tear my thoughts away from what Liam had told me last night about that boy going missing, being erased, just like Stiles was.

I pulled my eyes away from my notebook that I had been staring at for the last 30 minutes when I heard Mr. Douglas break out into a fit of coughs.

I sat up straighter to see him hunched over the experiment he was showing the class, his face red as deep coughs came from his throat. He almost seemed out of it for a moment as he banged his fist on the desk before grabbing his water bottle. Turning away from the class, he took a sip of the water and let out a deep breath.

As if nothing had happened, he turned back around and continued his lesson. This time, I could not tear my eyes away from him, something about him intrigued me and I needed to figure out what it was.  His coughing fit once again caused him to pause the lesson. Without saying a word he walked to the back of the classroom, ducking into one of the closets.

I looked over at Liam with a worried look, half afraid our teacher was about to die in the classroom. Liam returned the look as he stood up from his seat, approaching the door where Mr. Douglas' deep, almost gag like coughs could be heard.

The sound of him fumbling with something metallic caused Liam to look back at me with confusion, "Mr. Douglas?" he called, receiving no response, "Mr. Douglas?" he repeated, moving towards the door handle. Before Liam had a chance to open it, the door swung open and Mr. Douglas emerged.

"Okay," he said with a smile, "where were we?"

----

After the rest of physics class going off without a hitch, or another coughing fit for that matter, I had made my way to gym class, which had also been normal. Well, normal up until the end of class when we were all getting changed.

A simultaneous beeping and buzzing filled the locker room as we all received the same message, "Lacrosse Party- at Nathan Pierce's house- Be there!"

I rolled my eyes as I shoved my phone into my back pocket. I knew as one of the players girlfriend, I was essentially obligated to go, and I hated parties, especially when the entire school was invited.

My hostility towards the party soon vanished as the loud slamming of a locker caused me to turn my head in curiosity.

"Where is it!" one of the girls in my class-Gwen, yelled, frustration in her voice, "Where's all of her stuff?"

I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder as I walked across the room towards her, "Gwen, what's wrong?" I asked softly.

"Someone stole all of her stuff!" she exclaimed, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Who's stuff?" I questioned.

"Phoebe, my sister?" she said as if it was an obvious answer, "you've known her for two years." she continued, hoping I would clue in. Yes, I'd known Gwen for two years but I had zero recollection of her having a sister.

"I'm sorry I don't-"

"You don't remember her." Gwen confirmed, "You don't remember her, this school doesn't remember her, no one remembers her." Gwen exasperated, throwing her arms up as she walked by.

She was already gone by the time it clicked in my head. The same thing that had happened to Stiles and the kid Liam was telling me about happened to Gwen's sister.