Checkmate (Sequel to Game On)

Chapter 6: Universe Hates Me

Sabrina's fine, they've treated her at the hospital and it didn't take long before she could go back home, but the fact that she's fine doesn't have to mean that I am as well - because I'm not. I'm not fine, I'm angry, worried and it feels like I'm going to blow up any second. Everyone thinks that the bear trap was just bad luck, everyone else except for me - because I know the truth. I know Nick planted it there, but what can I do about it? Nothing.

I'm angry and frustrated because of how little I can do about the situation I'm in, angry because of how much Nick can do to my friends and me, and I'm worried because of what Nick's next move might be.

I don't want to go on day by day waiting for him to strike. I want him to leave me alone but it seems as likely as if the sun would turn into a green pig.

Once again, Nick hasn't been heard from for days and even though I want to take it as a good sign, I don't. Maybe he's planning something big and if so, what?

Oh, if you only knew how badly I want to tell my friends the truth, the truth about me and what has happened and is happening right now.

No one of my friends here in England knows who I really am, they all think that I'm Celine Carpenter and not the girl from America who was all over the news because she was kidnapped. The case where not only the victim escaped, but also three of the guilty ones.

Not being able to tell my friends the truth feels terrible, it's slowly eating me up inside. Not even Nathaniel knows, not even the one person whom I somehow managed to care for as more than a friend. What would they think if they found out? Would they still see me as the same person or would they treat me differently? I think most of my new friends would be sympathetic but I think that they also would see me completely different, they wouldn't treat me as they do know. They would be more careful, think about what they say or do before they actually do it. I don't want sympathy, all I want is a normal life and now I'm stuck in a web of lies. When I think about it, I realize that I'm actually living in a lie right now.

Everyone who knows me in this town thinks that I am Celine Carpenter, the daughter of Roland and Martha who came back from her boarding school where she had spent most of her years since a very young age. Those ones who personally know Roland and Martha knows a part of the truth, they've been told that I'm their daughter who has spent my life in different foster families because of the fact that Roland and Martha didn't think they were ready to have a child. I've got told that they regretted their choice almost four years later but it was far too complicated to get me back. Back then, I lived with a lovely family who didn't have any other children and for that, I was a gift from heaven in their eyes. Until that one day when I was five and my so-called mother got pregnant against all odds and I somehow got placed in the back. Their real baby took everything from me, their love, their interest, everything. I got thrown in the shadow, it was like I disappeared, like if I was a backup plan they didn't need anymore. I've got more sad stories than that, but let's just say that it was too late for Roland and Martha to take me back and they gave up trying after a while, a little bit heartbroken but nonetheless, they gave up on me.

I think universe hates me, but it's not like I can do anything about it. In fact, there's another thing I should do; get ready for school. Despite everything that is going on, I have to pretend like everything is normal and go to school like any other normal teenager would do. It's not like if I can just call the headmaster of the school and tell him something like 'Hey, I'm sorry but I'm going to stay home today because I got a crazy, possessive ex-kidnapper chasing me, and oh, I wouldn't mind if you let my friends stay at home as well since he's threatening to hurt them in order to get his revenge on me for doing something completely normal like escaping. Oh, and I would be glad if you could let this stay between us two because you see, I can't really tell anybody about this because then he'll hurt my friends so if you get your foot chopped off or something, I'm sorry."